


The Road to Redemption is Hard Fought

by duvarneya



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 01:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 152
Words: 705,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4202367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duvarneya/pseuds/duvarneya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuvira has fallen and surrendered to the United Republic. What follows is a long road of redemption as she comes to terms with the horrible things she's done and learns to better herself.</p><p>IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Please pay close attention to the ships listed under the relationships tag. They're not just there for show; they actually happen within the story. If you happen to despise one of the ships listed there (such as Korvira, the main ship in the story), especially if it actually enrages you to think or read about, then this fic probably isn't for you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reconciliation

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm pretty new to the Korra fandom fics, but I really found a spark of motivation in coming up with this story. I wanted to follow Kuvira after Book 4 ends, after she's sent to prison. It follows her as she comes to grip with what she's done, and how she reconciles with the people she was closest to before everything went wrong. This is probably a theme that a lot of people have done, but I still want to tackle it and give it my own attempt. I don't know how long it will be, but I do know that while the first chunk will focus on her basic prison life, and getting visits from some surprising figures, the second chunk will cover a hopefully interesting storyline worthy of the Avatar universe.
> 
> UPDATE: This story has grown far beyond anything I expected or dreamed possible. Since its initial concept, it has become huge and extends to many more characters than I ever anticipated. Though a a large portion focuses on Kuvira’s redemption and recovery, including the entirety of the first plot arc, in later chapters the story may shift focus to some other characters in order to progress the plot. The themes of redemption, recovery, and healing, however, remain constant throughout (including a redemption arc for another character).
> 
> UPDATE #2: Also, please note that this fic is not what I believe should or would happen in actual canon after Book 4 ended (I certainly don't think or want Korrasami to ever break up, I happen to actually like that ship). That's reserved for the actual Korra comics coming out. This is just my own take that I've created for fun, and while it follows canon events, it should at best be considered a diverging alternate universe. This fic isn't meant to be a statement or drive any kind of hate towards any character or ships, and was only something I ever started writing because I was motivated and thought that maybe some people would enjoy it. And some people have, for which I'm grateful. I realize that not everyone will like it, and that's okay. This is just a fic, not an official telling of canon.

“Welcome to your new home, at least while we decide what to do with you.”

Kuvira barely heard the statement. She merely shuffled forward, her feet moving as much as the platinum cuffs would allow, hands shackled in front of herself. She kept her head down, gaze pointed at the floor. She didn't even need to look up to know that the entire cell was made of platinum. She could feel it—the floor, the walls, ceiling, the bars on the window, the bed frame, the table, the chair, even the toilet. It was a cell designed specifically to hold metalbenders; there was no better place to keep her.

The door closed behind them the moment that they entered, and the guard on the other side locked it tight. They were taking no chances, even with the Chief of Republic City Police escorting her. Lin wasn't even wearing her usual metal uniform, only her formal cloth police uniform sans armor. It was still a stark contrast to the plain tan prison uniform that Kuvira herself wore, her hair hanging loose and unkempt around her shoulders.

“Sit,” Lin said, pointing to the chair next to the table.

Kuvira obeyed without resistance, lowering herself into the chair on command. There was no point in being defiant now; she was already beaten. Lin pulled out the key to the shackles and unlocked first the ones around her wrists, then knelt down to unlock the ones around her ankles—even the key was platinum.

“Will I be staying here?” Kuvira asked, as she looked towards the window. Through the bars, she could see the sun dipping low over the horizon. It seemed such a small thing, having a window to look out of, and yet it would make a world of difference as the time ticked by. “Permanently, I mean.”

When Lin righted herself, she frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don't need to tell you the world of trouble you brought on yourself. You'll be held here at least until the United Republic determines your sentence. We might move you to a new permanent location after that. Su wanted you extradited to Zaofu, but President Raiko refused—you're a criminal of the entire United Republic, not just Zaofu.” She huffed out a breath as a lingering thought came, and added, “Some people are calling for an execution, as if we're a bunch of savages. Count yourself lucky we've ruled that out, at least.”

Kuvira looked back at Lin, a woman she had actually grown to know in the past few years. Even though a busy woman, Lin had taken trips to Zaofu to visit her sister, and there the two had met on multiple occasions. Usually, it had been so Lin could give her advice on how to better command the city guard. Kuvira had always been confident in her own leadership, but she knew she would have been foolish to ignore the experience of the older police chief.

That all seemed a lifetime ago now.

“Lin, I know it doesn't mean much, but... for what it's worth, I'm sorry,” she said. The look she received in response brought chills to her spine—Lin was never what people would consider the 'nice' sister, between herself and Su. Her eyes were fierce, unforgiving.

“Tell it to someone who gives a damn,” Lin replied, with a preceding scoff. There would be no sympathy from her. Kuvira had done too much, hurt too many people, destroyed half of Republic City. No amount of apologies was going to change that.

Kuvira said nothing else. She simply turned away, looked out the window again. She could see across the bay from here, and the Aang Memorial Statue was just visible gleaming in the distance.

Lin gathered the platinum shackles together and gave Kuvira one last, narrow look. “Enjoy your stay, and try to make yourself comfortable. If I had to guess, I'd say you're going to be here for a long, long time." She then turned and made her way towards the cell door. The guard on the other side opened it for her, and then once again shut it and locked it behind her.

Just like that, Kuvira was alone.

* * *

Kuvira sat quietly on the lone chair in the middle of her cell. She stared at the window, watching the clouds roll by across the darkened sky. That one looked like a platypus bear, she thought. And that one, a satomobile. She strained her eyes a little to try and glimpse the stars beyond the clouds, but even when the grey wisps thinned, the bright green-yellow glow in the sky made the stars difficult to see. Even all the way on this side of the city, the spirit portal made its presence known. The spirit portal... the site of her defeat. The site of her fall.

The sound of explosions reached her ears, and soon a new source of light lit up the night sky. She squinted, and slowly rose from her seat to walk towards the window. When she pressed her face close to the bars and peered to the left, she could see it: fireworks bursting across the bay, right over Air Temple Island. It seemed someone was having a celebration tonight... a celebration over Kuvira's defeat, perhaps?

With a sigh, Kuvira hung her head and shuffled over towards the bed in the far corner of the cell. She stared at the mattress a moment, then turned around and sat at the edge, hands placed firmly on her knees and gaze pointed at the floor. Her vision shifted out of focus, but she didn't move. She just... sat there. Silent. Still. Where had it gone so wrong? When had everything fallen to pieces? She thought back over the course of the past few months, trying to put it all together... what had been her point of no return?

She didn't need to think about it for very long, of course. She knew what that moment had been. It hadn't been when she took charge of the new Earth Empire. It hadn't been when she crushed the Kiyoshi medal. It hadn't been when she created the prison camps, or developed the spirit weapon... no, that all paled in comparison to what she had done to Baatar. She could hear his voice in her head plain as when it came over the radio, telling her he loved her, that the enemy had him, that they should just end their campaign and go away together. And oh how she had wanted to... deep down, she wanted nothing more.

But she _couldn't._ She had come too far, done too much, had too many people looking up to her... and that had been her point of no return. When she had turned the spirit canon on the man she loved. On his family. On people she knew, had grown up with... people who had loved her. That was when everything had fallen to pieces.

Kuvira raised a hand and pressed it to her face, eyes closed. She breathed deep, steady... and then she fell backwards onto the mattress. She needed to sleep.

* * *

How long had she been here now? Two weeks... maybe three. The first few of many, she knew. While her official sentence had yet to be handed down, there was only so many ways that it could go; she would be in this cell for a long, long time. Would it be the last place she ever lived? It seemed likely. It was what she had prepared for, at least, when she had surrendered to the Avatar. Whatever punishment the world saw fit... she supposed she should take Lin's advice, and count herself lucky the punishment wasn't death.

“You have a visitor.”

Kuvira blinked up at the ceiling a moment, then slowly tilted her gaze up to look at the door. She could see the guard's face peering through the slot, staring at her. His brow was low, eyes sharp... filled with contempt, she realized. Hardly surprising. What was surprising, though, was what he'd said. A visitor? Who...

When the door opened, Kuvira felt her gut lurch. She immediately sat straight up, a numb feeling choking its way into her throat. The person who came through that door was possibly the last person she ever expected. “Su?”

Suyin Beifong, that familiar face... a face that had looked at her with nothing but anger and disappointment in the past several months, a face that she expected never to see again. The look she gave this time was... not as harsh. Calm, even. But there was caution in her eyes, uncertainty. “Hello, Kuvira.”

Kuvira swallowed, clenched her jaw. She didn't even know how to respond. Here was the woman who had given her everything, the woman who had taken her in, raised her, become her mother... and who she had betrayed so completely. For the life of her, Kuvira couldn't figure out why she would visit. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you,” was Su's gentle reply. Her voice had a way of being so nurturing, even when there was something deeper buried in the tone, something... regretful.

“But... why?” she asked. “After everything I did...”

Su left the doorway and entered farther into the room—the cell door promptly closed again behind her and locked. “I know what you did... and I know _why_ you did it.” A sigh left her lips, her gaze turned away. There was such pain in those eyes. Pain that Kuvira knew she had caused. “It's not easy to swallow, or move past. I don't need to tell you that.” She finally looked back at Kuvira, with the ever so slightest hint of a smile at her lips. “But there's no reason we can't try.”

Kuvira blinked, an odd mix of confusion and surprise shifting through her head. She looked away—she couldn't bear to look the woman in the face, or rather she felt she didn't deserve to. “Su, I tried to kill you. Your entire family. You only ever showed me kindness, and I betrayed you... all of you.” Her hands twisted together in her lap and she sunk her gaze lower, jaw clenching. “You're the one who said I'd pay for everything I'd done.”

“I was... angry when I said that,” Su replied, taking a step forward. She pulled up the chair from the table and turned it towards the bed, then took a seat right in front of Kuvira.

Kuvira chanced a look back at the woman, slowly, hesitantly. “You aren't still?”

“Oh, I am. Maybe not as much...” Su breathed out a long sigh and glanced downward. There was that regret again, teaming deep in her eyes. “A part of me blames myself. Perhaps if I'd just stepped up and taken the responsibility when I could have, none of this would have happened. “

“Su...”

“I always thought of you as a daughter, Kuvira, ever since we took you in as a child.” Su tightened her own jaw and linked her fingers together, crossed her hands firmly in her lap. She swallowed, and then looked back up at Kuvira, into her eyes. “But I don't think I ever showed it enough. You were always so strong-willed... You never needed me doting on you like Opal, or Wing and Wei. That was my mistake... If I'd just loved you more, then maybe—.”

“Su, _stop_.” The conviction in her own voice surprised even herself. Kuvira had to take a breath and steady herself before continuing. She had to... prepare herself, to face those tender green eyes that wouldn't look away. “None of this is your fault. The only person to blame here is _me_. _I'm_ the one who took over the Earth Kingdom, _I'm_ the one who put people in prison camps, _I'm_ the one who killed...so _many_.”

A silence drifted between them. Su gazed back at her, unblinking, remaining silent, and finally Kuvira couldn't bear it any more. She again turned her head, closed her eyes. “I was so _sure_ I was doing the right thing... Deep down I _knew_ it was wrong, though. It _felt_ wrong. But I thought I had no choice. I thought I was the leader my people needed, that I had to do _everything_ I could for them, no matter the cost.” Kuvira parted her eyes just slightly, enough to stare down at the cold, smooth platinum of the floor. “What a lie that was. I _always_ had a choice. I could have stopped—I _should_ have stopped—but I didn't. I kept going until I was too far gone, until I'd betrayed _everything_ you ever taught me, and all the kindness and love you ever showed me... That's all on me. No one else.”

Su reached forward, placing a hand over one of Kuvira's. For a brief moment, that was how she left it, but when Kuvira didn't pull away, she gave a gentle squeeze. It was... comforting. “Kuvira... no. Please, let me acknowledge my own mistakes, too. I made so many with you, more than anyone. I might have thought of you as a daughter, and loved you like one, but I never expressed it how I should have. I pushed you away in the first place, and that's my fault.”

Kuvira didn't answer. She couldn't. She tried to form words, but nothing came out. It was true, what Su said. Even though she had a family after Su had taken her in, she never quite felt like one of them. She had still felt like an outsider... like she was somehow being shunned. It was something she didn't want to feel, especially towards a family that had gone out of their way to give her a life, but she had never been able to help it.

"I'm sorry, Kuvira," Su added, closing her eyes. Tears were starting to form behind the close lids, brimming against her lashes.

“Su, I...” Kuvira swallowed again, her throat knotted and numb. She looked away again. “I am... so sorry. For everything I did. To you, to your family... to everyone. I...” Her mind suddenly flickered with a thought, and her stomach lurched again, nauseous. She snapped her eyes back to Su, and she couldn't hide the anxiousness, the panic. “ _Bataar_. How... How is he? Is he... I mean, did I...?”

Su breathed outward, understanding coming to her face. She knew what Kuvira was asking—was Baatar still alive? “Junior's okay. Heartbroken, but otherwise...” She nodded, letting the sentence hang—she didn't need to tell Kuvira the kind of pain that Baatar felt. “He still has to face the consequences of his actions, same as you, but President Raiko offered him a deal to reduce his sentence. He'll be working with Future Industries to help rebuild the city, and with any luck, he'll be a free man in a few years.”

Another silence followed, this one heavier than before. Kuvira tried to retain her poise, but the relief that flooded her face was plainly visible. That relief soon shifted, however. She felt herself slipping, felt her throat tightening, lips quivering. _No... no, don't do it. Don't show weakness_.

“I... I loved him. I still...” She slipped further, and she grabbed at the plain tan pantleg of her prison uniform, fingers knotted in the fabric. “How I could ever turn on him like that... I thought I was making some kind of noble sacrifice for a greater cause, but there was _nothing_ noble about it. I was blinded by my ambitions, so much that I betrayed the man I loved. I almost _killed_ him, and I...” She slipped further still, and forced her eyes to close. It didn't help—the tears leaked out regardless. “I ruined _everything_. I...”

She didn't last any longer. In that moment, the esteemed military commander, the Great Uniter, the tyrant... it all vanished. All that was left was Kuvira, orphaned girl who lost everything, and if there was anyone who she could break down in front of like this, it was Su, the mother she never had... the mother she didn't deserve. She fell forward, every intent on letting herself drop to the floor and lose herself in her misery, but she didn't make it that far. A loving pair of arms caught her, a pair of arms that hugged her tight the same as they had so many times before when she was younger, when she had needed it most.

“Shhh, shhh...” Su whispered, holding her close. “Let it out. I've got you.”

And let it out she did. Kuvira wasn't sure how long she sat cradled there in Su's arms, but she cried until she couldn't cry anymore, until the tears stopped flowing and her eyes ran dry. Slowly, arduously, she gathered herself together again. Her breathing steadied, and her throat no longer felt like there was an apple lodged inside it. With a few deep breaths, she sat straighter and Su let her go.

Another silence.

Kuvira breathed deep again and then wiped her eyes—they were sticky, and probably bloodshot. She had never been happier not to have a mirror. “You shouldn't even be here, Su... I don't deserve your forgiveness. For all the pain I've caused your family...”

“ _Our_ family.” Su rested a hand on her shoulder, and never took her eyes away. “You were always a part of it... and you still are.”

The confusion filled her once again. Kuvira's breath stammered and she shook her head. “How... How can you even say that?”

“It may take time... a _lot_ of time, to work through this, but if there's anything I've learned during my life it's that nothing is impossible, and everyone deserves a second chance. I know I don't have it in me to hold a grudge against someone who truly shows remorse.” She glanced away briefly, sighing. “The others... I can't speak for. They may forgive you, they may not. We'll know in time. There is... a lot of healing to be done.”

“And what about all the _other_ people I've hurt? All the families I've destroyed?” Kuvira couldn't just let this go. This kind of... kindness, compassion... it wasn't something she deserved, not even from Su. _Especially_ not from Su. “What if I _had_ killed Baatar? Or... Or Opal? Or Lin? Would we even be having this conversation now? Would you be trying to forgive me then?”

Su didn't say anything, at first. She looked back at Kuvira and parted her lips, as if to reply, but stopped short. A thoughtful breath escaped her mouth, and then she turned away again. The silence was enough, though; to Kuvira, it spoke volumes.

 _No_. Of course that was the answer.

“Fortunately, that didn't happen,” Su said, at last. She looked back again at Kuvira, with a renewed tenderness in her eyes. “There's no use dwelling on what-ifs. It's true... There are a lot of people who probably won't ever forgive you for the things you've done, and that's something that your own conscience will have to deal with. But we're not talking about them right now. We're talking about _us_.” She reached forward once more, and this time took both of Kuvira's hands in her own. She didn't pause like before, instead immediately giving a firm squeeze. “Kuvira... I love you. I always will, same as any of my children. No matter what's happened, you're still a part of this family... you're still a daughter to me. It'll be hard, and it'll take a lot of time... but I'm here for you.”

Kuvira swallowed, blinked back at the woman. She almost felt herself slipping again, but she caught herself. Still, there was no sense of conviction or strength in her own voice... only shock. And maybe a bit of sadness. “Su, I... I don't even know what to say.”

“You don't need to say anything,” Su replied. Her smile grew larger, and this time it carried with it a warmth that Kuvira never thought she'd see again. “Just think. And maybe try to find some peace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not really sure what people are going to think of this... I wanted to start with Kuvira getting a visit from Su, who was her mother figure throughout most of her life. I liked the idea of Su being much more forgiving than how it appeared she was during the finale of the show--after all, this is her surrogate daughter, and even if Kuvira has done terrible things, there still had to be a love there that wouldn't just disappear.
> 
> I feel like Su would treat Kuvira the same as any of her children in this situation, such as Baatar, Jr. At least, once she acknowledges her own mistakes and failures (there was the whole 'tried to murder Kuvira in her sleep' thing that happened, for example *cough*). It's obviously not going to be easy, but given her penchant for second chances I could see Su bringing herself to eventually forgive Kuvira, especially if Kuvira showed true remorse and regret, which I believe she does.
> 
> As for Kuvira breaking down in this scene... it made sense to me while writing it. If there was anyone that she would allow herself to be that vulnerable around, it would be the woman who took her in and raised her, and who is showing her a kindness and compassion now that she doesn't believe she deserves.


	2. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira gets an unexpected visit from Avatar Korra. Also, resentful prison guards who lost loved ones during Kuvira's attack on Republic City.

_Twenty years._

Her sentence had finally been handed down; she would remain here in this cell for the next two decades. A small part of her was devastated. That was a long time to be trapped in a cage, so much of life she'd miss out on. A larger part of her, though, was actually relieved. Satisfied, even. For one, she wouldn't be rotting in a cell for the rest of her life. She'd be 46 when she finally got out... and that was still a point where she could pick up her life again, and find a better purpose.

Of course, she had Su to thank for that. It was only because of Su's persuasion that Raiko and the deciding committee backed down from a life sentence. It left Kuvira with a peace of mind, knowing that one day, however far in the future, she would be free again. And of course, knowing that Su had fought for her. The day after Su's visit, Kuvira had awoken and feared that it had been a dream. How could it have been anything but, after all? Her fears had proven unfounded, though. Just as Su had said, she was there for Kuvira.

“Sheet change. Against the wall.”

Kuvira blinked up at the ceiling and breathed out a sigh. She didn't want to get up, content for now just lying there on the bed and thinking. But she knew she had to. So, she sat upright and scooted herself off the bed, then walked over to the far wall and leaned against it with her hands spread out. The cell door opened a moment later, and a pair of guards entered. Again, no metalbending uniform for either of them.

One guard carried fresh sheets for the bed, the other a change of clothes for Kuvira. While his partner began changing the bedsheets, the one with the spare prison uniform wandered over next to Kuvira and held out the bundle. “Fresh clothes.” And then he dropped them at her feet. “There you go.”

Kuvira glanced at him, but said nothing. She could feel the hate seething from this man, and she knew that every ounce of it was deserved.

“I don't think we've been properly introduced,” the guard stated. His arms folded and he leaned against the wall next to her, smirking. “My name's Garza. This here is Tousa.” He gestured to the second guard, who was just now finishing spreading out the clean sheet over the mattress. “We're the guards charged with watching your cell during the day.”

Kuvira already knew that; she'd seen them from that little window on her cell door every time one of them decided to check on her, or give her one of her two meals a day. This was the first she'd heard their names, though.

When she didn't answer, Garza narrowed his eyes at her. “There a problem?”

Kuvira realized she had been staring at him, and promptly turned to face the wall again. “No. No problem.”

“Oh, I know.” Garza let out a mocking cackle and then gestured to his face. A long scar twisted across it, starting up at his forehead and slashing down around his cheek to his jaw. It still looked a bit fresh, as though it was new. “You were looking at my scar, weren't you? Yeah, I get it. Sure is a sight, huh?”

Kuvira still said nothing. She stared straight ahead at the platinum wall in front of her; if she stared at it any harder, she might start burning a hole through it. A sinking feeling churned in her gut, and deep down she knew where this conversation was turning.

“You know, I have _you_ to thank for it,” Garza stated, with a matter of fact nod. “Half a building collapsed on me when I was evacuating some of the remaining citizens from the city during your attack. I'm lucky to be alive, really. You know who wasn't so lucky?” Here it was. “My friends, on one of the United Forces Navy ships you destroyed with your giant mecha. And you know who else?” He glanced over to Tousa, who had since joined him, saying nothing but glaring at Kuvira. “Tousa's brother. He was in that outpost you blew up on your way here.”

Kuvira lowered her gaze to the floor. She breathed in deep and held it, eyes closing. She braced herself. “I'm sorry...”

Garza scoffed. “Oh, you hear that, Tousa? She's _sorry_. You know what, I'm sorry, too.” A crack ripped out through the platinum cell. “Sorry we have to use our _plastic_ batons for this!”

The blow struck Kuvira's ribs hard, surging a sharp pain through her. A second crack, and this time her knees buckled. Still, she didn't fall. A third strike, then a fourth, and this time she collapsed, holding her arms around herself. The assault didn't stop there, though. Tousa joined in now, and the two guards rained down blows from their police batons until they tired themselves out, sweating and huffing.

Kuvira lied there, curled into a ball and shuddering. She could barely feel her torso now, just one giant pulse of agony, as though her ribs were one entire bruise. A cough left her lips, and a few stray droplets of crimson stained the otherwise pristine platinum floor. She kept her eyes squinted shut, unable to open them. That didn't stop the sting of tears from finding its way past her eyelids.

“Heh, Great Uniter, huh? Not so great now, are you?” Garza finally turned back to the door and exited the cell. Tousa gave one last thwack to Kuvira's backside with his baton, and then followed.

The sound of the lock clicking into place reached Kuvira's ears, and then consciousness slipped away, blanketing her in darkness.

* * *

Kuvira wasn't entirely sure how long she passed out, but sometime during the stupor that followed, of constantly slipping in and out of consciousness, she managed to drag herself back over to the bed. Once she finally sprawled out atop the mattress, she lied there and didn't move. Night came eventually, she remembered that much. Then day. Then... night again? She didn't know.

“Visitor.”

Kuvira's eyes flickered open. She somehow managed to glance towards the door to see the face staring at her—not Garza, or Tousa, either. So it had to be night then, or at least after the shift change. With a grunt, she turned towards the window. Sunset... almost night, then.

When the cell door opened, she forced herself to sit upright. She paused abruptly halfway there and winced, a pained breath bursting past her lips. No matter which way she moved, her ribs screamed at her. But she couldn't let it show, couldn't give them the satisfaction. When she finally made it up straight, she slouched forward and breathed out. At least if she stayed like this and didn't move, it didn't hurt as much.

“Hey.”

Kuvira blinked. She _knew_ that voice... It was forever burned into her memory. But what was _she_ doing here? Hesitation followed, but soon she looked up at the entrance. “Avatar Korra?”

“Just Korra is fine.” The Avatar smiled, then came forward; the cell door slammed shut behind her. She was carrying a small plastic tray, on which had been set a teapot and two teacups.

“Korra, then...” Kuvira couldn't think to say anything else, at first. She just watched the Avatar standing in front of her, still smiling. Smiling... Was she mocking her? “What... what are you doing here?”

“Well, I thought maybe you could use a visitor,” Korra replied, with a small shrug. She held the tray out, offering it to her. “You know, just someone to talk to? I brought tea.”

“I...” She glared at the teapot, as if afraid it would jump up and attack her at any moment. Even if she wanted to take it, though, she couldn't. The moment she tried to reach out, her pain would show. “I'm not in the mood for tea.”

“You sure? It's Jasmine.” Korra's face scrunched a bit in concern, and yet her face somehow never lost its optimism. “Su mentioned that it's your favorite. This is a special brew, actually. A friend of mine taught me how to make it.”

Kuvira said nothing, merely looked away.

“Well, okay then.” Korra turned and set the tray down on the table. Then, she pulled the chair forward and sat in front of the bed. “I'll just leave it there in case you change your mind.”

“Ava... Korra. Why are _you_ visiting me?” she asked. “Of all people...”

Korra shrugged. “Like I said, I just thought you might want someone to talk to. It must get lonely in here... And everyone needs a friend, right?”

Kuvira's brow pushed together, and she tilted her gaze back at the Avatar. “But we're...not friends.”

“No, maybe not. At least not right now.” Korra folded her hands in her lap and took in a deep breath. “Possibly never at all, but we'll never know if we don't try.”

Her words were met with silence. Kuvira simply stared at her, all manner of puzzled thoughts swimming in her head.

“I think...” Korra said, lifting her eyebrows ever so slightly. There was that smile again, too. “...if we'd met under different circumstances, we could have good friends.”

“Well, we didn't meet under different circumstances,” Kuvira reminded, with a huff. “We met under these ones. As enemies.”

Korra nodded. Her smile faded, but expression still carried a lingering gentleness. “I know. And don't get me wrong, you've done a lot of horrible things that I hate. You've hurt a lot of innocent people, even people I know. But I'm also the Avatar, and it's my duty to show compassion and understanding to everyone, even you. So, that's why I'm here.”

Kuvira bowed her head. “Some people don't deserve that kind of understanding, even from the Avatar. Whether it is your duty or not.”

“Su told me that you really do regret the things you did,” Korra said. “That's good, you know. It means you're not just some evil dictator...and I don't believe you ever were. You're a person who made terrible mistakes, and now you're answering for those mistakes. That's the first step in bettering yourself.”

“And what do _you_ know about bettering yourself?” Kuvira glared up at her again, this time with focus, with intensity. “You're the _Avatar_. You've always been loved, and looked up to. You've always been on top. And you've never made the kinds of mistakes I have.”

That damn smile again. It didn't seem as mocking as before, though. Was that...empathy that the Avatar was trying to convey? “I think you'd be surprised at what I've been through, and the things I've done. You remember the spirit portals I opened? Yeah, well... That was only after I turned against most of my family and almost brought about ten thousand years of darkness at the hands of a Dark Avatar. Who also happened to be my uncle. And who I had to...”

Korra stopped a moment, shifting her gaze downward. This look was different. It was distant...sad. “Well, I had to stop him.” With a deep breath, she looked up again, back into Kuvira's eyes. “You think I'm this...perfect figure who can do no wrong, who everyone loves unconditionally no matter what. But you're wrong. I've made more mistakes than anyone, and there are still a lot of people out there who hate me for it.”

Kuvira swallowed, and stared into the Avatar's eyes. There was no mistaking it this time—empathy. Compassion. “I... didn't know that. About your uncle...and your family. I'm sorry.”

“There's a lot you don't know about me, just like there's a lot I don't know about you,” Korra said, with a firm nod. “But...if you like, we can teach each other. I'll help you understand more about me, if you help me understand more about you. I'd like to learn.”

Kuvira breathed inward, and gently turned to glance over at the table. Her gaze settled on the teapot and she finally let out her breath. “I think... I'll take that tea now.”

In the hours that followed, Kuvira sat with the Avatar and talked...just talked. Well, and drank the tea. Kuvira didn't say it out loud, but it was actually some of the best Jasmine tea she'd ever had—whoever had taught Korra this recipe knew what he was doing. The two spoke of nearly everything, about both their lives—their past, where they came from, the lessons they had learned along the way, and the mistakes they'd made.

Kuvira talked about her childhood, from before her parents had abandoned her. She had been 6 when they left her on the doorstep of an orphanage, and she'd been young enough then that she couldn't understand why they would do something like that. Yet, she had been old enough that she could still remember them now. And it still hurt. She had spent the next year at the orphanage, never fitting in with the other kids, always keeping to herself. During the following year, she had run away, taken to the streets, only barely surviving.

Then, some time after she turned 8, Su found her, took her in. After that... she'd had a life. It took a lot of time to adjust to a new family, but it had been nice belonging somewhere, even if deep down she knew she wasn't one of them. As long as she had a roof over her head, and people around her who cared about her, that was enough.

Korra, on the other hand, spoke about her life growing up trapped in the walls of the White Lotus compound. It had been like a prison, she said., trapped inside those walls, White Lotus guards watching her every move, never being allowed to go anywhere or do anything. In a way, Kuvira supposed it really was a lot like prison... though, now that she was experiencing prison firsthand, she couldn't say she wouldn't prefer the White Lotus compound.

Korra followed that with her fight against the Equalists and Amon, and then the Water Tribe Civil War, and Vaatu, and Unalaq. And then of course, there had been Zaheer and the Red Lotus, her poisoning.... and the three years of recovery that followed, more in depth this time than when she had mentioned it while they were in the spirit world. Kuvira found herself listening in silence, captivated. Korra had been right—there was so much more to her than Kuvira knew, or had ever considered.

By the time they both finished, the sun had long since vanished from the sky, replaced by the moon and stars, and the faint glow of the new spirit portal in the distance. Korra set her teacup back down on the tray next to her on the table, though she had finished her last cup of tea ages ago. “So, you're a dancer? That sounds really neat. I wasn't able to catch much of it during my time in Zaofu, but from what I saw the style is beautiful. If you're half as good a dancer as you are a bender, then you must be amazing.”

“I... I'm alright,” Kuvira said, with a shrug. She stared down into her empty teacup. “I mean, I was in charge of the recitals, but that was because of my leadership. There were others on the team who could twirl circles around me.”

Korra lifted an eyebrow and leaned forward a little, flashing a smirk.”Hey, don't sell yourself short. I just complimented you, you know. Try to accept it?”

Kuvira looked up again, and she couldn't find the will to resist that goofy Avatar grin. “...thank you.”

“I've always wanted to try dancing,” Korra said. “I mean, I can do a waltz—barely—but not your kind of dancing. I hear it requires a good deal of strength.”

She nodded. “Not just strength, though. Balance, posture, poise... You need to be graceful.”

Korra snorted out a laugh. “Heh, well if there's anything I'm not, it's graceful. Just ask Asami.” She sighed out softly and then straightened herself, hands in her lap. “But maybe you could teach me sometime?”

“I'm afraid you'll be waiting a long time for that.” Kuvira looked away, her gaze shifting to the darkened cell. “This is my home for the next twenty years, and there's hardly enough room in here for dancing lessons.”

“Well, then some day?”

Kuvira looked at the Avatar again. A small silence followed, but it was a calming silence. Soothing, even. “Some day...maybe.”

Korra smiled warmly, then finally stood from her seat. She stretched out her arms and yawned, then leaned forward to take the empty teacup from Kuvira. “Alright, well I should probably get going now. Asami will kill me if I'm late for dinner again. I promise I'll come visit again soon.”

“Right...” Kuvira watched as the Avatar gathered the tray together and started towards the cell door. “Goodbye, Avatar Korra.”

Korra glanced back over her shoulder. Once again, that smile. This time... it was nice. Welcoming. “Just Korra, remember?”

“Of course.” Kuvira nodded, and moved slightly on the edge of the bed. She winced as her ribs flared up in pain again, but she stifled it before it became noticeable. “And Korra?”

The Avatar stopped in front of the open doorway, and again looked back at her. “Hmm?”

“Thanks for the tea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was difficult to write. Not because of the Korra/Kuvira interaction--that was a joy, and I like their dynamic together a lot. But the initial scene, with the prison guards made me cringe as i wrote it. We don't really ever get to see that usually in a story, the people, the individuals affected by something like what Kuvira did. Here we have two people who lost loved ones in the Battle for Republic City. And they're angry, and hateful, and they want to hurt the person who did that to them. Their actions are deplorable, of course, but understandable, I think. And of course Kuvira doesn't say anything about it; she thinks she deserves it. And besides, who would care anyway? At least, that's her thoughts about it.


	3. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira receives her most surprising visitor yet: Asami Sato, whose father Kuvira killed during her attack on Republic City.

The first year of Kuvira's prison sentence went by relatively quickly. At least, quicker than she would have thought. Had she been alone, lost to her own thoughts, it probably would have been much slower. But she wasn't alone... at least, not always. True to her word, Korra had visited the following week after her first visit. Then again the next week, and every week thereafter. Sometimes they talked—about life, about news, what was going on in the world, little but helpful things. Other times, they just sat and drank tea in silence. Nothing needed to be said in those moments; the company itself was enough for Kuvira to enjoy.

Then, there were the times that Korra brought a Pai Sho board. The Avatar wasn't exactly skilled at the game, but Kuvira was excellent. Though her cell was too small to teach Korra any kind of dancing, she could at least teach her Pai Sho. Little by little, Korra improved, and every new game was a bit more of a challenge than the last. Korra also brought little gifts sometimes—useless kick-knacks that had no function, but were still nice to look at. Nothing metal, of course. That was still against the rules.

Korra also brought books—so many books. Kuvira had never been much of a reader, always preferring more physical activities growing up, but here now, trapped in her small cell, they were a life saver. They helped pass the time, and gave her mind an escape. Every new week was a little easier to get through because of those books, even when she had read most of them multiple times. When time went by faster... it meant Korra's visits came sooner.

When she really sat down and thought about it, it felt so strange. She and the Avatar had started out as bitter enemies, something she had only expected to continue now that she was in prison. But just the opposite had happened. Kuvira found herself looking forward to each of Korra's visits, and genuinely enjoying their time together. Korra was... a friend, she realized, the only real friend she had. Somehow, someway.

Suyin continued her visits, as well, whenever she could take time away from Zaofu. Those visits were irregular; sometimes, she'd come several times a month, even staying days at a time, and other times it could be six weeks or more between visits. Still, it was often enough to remind Kuvira that Su still cared, and that she still had a family she belonged to.

According to Su, the Earth Kingdom—or rather, the United Earth Republic, as it was now called—had stabilized since past events. The monarchy had been done away with, in favor of elected officials that worked for the people, rather than oppressed them. Zaofu, meanwhile, had been allowed to maintain its independence as a sovereign city, with Su continuing to lead it as its head of state.

A couple of times, Su had brought Huan with her. Kuvira never could tell how he felt most of the time, but he seemed to... not hold any hard feelings against her. Then again, Huan seldom showed hard feelings towards anything for very long. It was nice, though, being able to see another of her family, even if only briefly. He had even given her one of his paintings to help liven up her cell. Kuvira had no idea exactly what the abstract image was supposed to be—something about the nature of true self expression—but she had accepted it regardless.

On Su's latest visit, Wing and Wei had accompanied her. That visit had been...awkward. Neither twin had said anything, instead standing at the back of the cell, while Kuvira and Su conversed. Even when Kuvira had tried to talk to them, to apologize for everything, they had only averted their eyes, remained on guard. She could read them well enough, and knew how they felt even they didn't speak... would they ever forgive her?

Aside from that, Baatar, Sr. had visited once with Su, though he had never entered the actual cell. He had looked through the slot a couple of times, but like Wing and Wei he never said anything. Up until this point, there had been no Opal, and certainly no Baatar, Jr. Even if Junior wasn't serving his own time right now, Kuvira very much doubted he would visit her. Of all the Beifongs, he had to hate her most of all.

“Hey, Great Uniter. You got a visitor.”

Kuvira didn't need to look up to know who the guard was. The sound of the voice, the bite in his tone, the way he mockingly still referred to her as the Great Uniter... it could only be Garza. Still, she glanced up from her book—a new and particularly captivating one that Korra had only recently brought her, entitled _The Siege of Ba Sing Se_ —just in time to meet Garza's eyes before the slot in the cell door closed shut.

The beatings from he and Tousa had continued after the first. Fortunately, they were never quite as severe as that first one, and they weren't too often. After all, they'd only raise suspicion if they kept her constantly passed out in pain, or beat her so bad that she needed a healer. They knew she wouldn't say anything, though—and why should she? It was a deserving punishment, at the hands of people she had hurt during her conquest, and she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of breaking down and ratting them out. As long as they kept their beatings within a certain limit, they could get away with it as long as they wanted, and they knew it.

But for now she shoved the thought of Garza out of her head. Instead, her thoughts shifted to her current visitor. It was too early to be Korra; the avatar wasn't scheduled to visit for another few days. She knew it couldn't be Su, either. During her last visit, Su had said she'd be caught up in political meetings until next month. So then who...?

The woman who walked through the cell door when it opened was unfamiliar to her. At least... mostly. She thought she might have seen her somewhere before—that long dark hair, distinctive eye shadow, and neat red and black jacket certainly seemed to be ringing a faint bell somewhere in the distance—but she couldn't quite place her.

The door locked behind the woman, who took several steps forward but stopped halfway to the table, where Kuvira was sitting. “Hello...” Her voice was soft, almost passive—not out of shyness, but out of caution. Or resentment.

“I... do I know you?” Kuvira asked, with a narrow gaze. She continued trying to identify this woman, but nothing came to her.

“My name is Asami,” the woman said. “Asami Sato.”

The name finally made everything click. Kuvira's eyebrows lifted and instantly she knew—Asami Sato, head of Future Industries and girlfriend of Avatar Korra. “You're... _that_ Asami.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“So then... why are you here?”

Asami's eyes flickered a little, moving from one side of the cell to the other. She had yet to actually look straight at Kuvira, her gaze instead examining the various books and knick-knacks that filled the small space. After her pause drew out much longer than could be considered comfortable, she finally looked to Kuvira. “I'm here because of my father.”

Kuvira furrowed her brow, and thought for a moment. Asami's father would be... Hiroshi Sato, inventor of the satomobile. She knew that much, at least. But what she didn't know was why Asami would visit her because of him. “I'm afraid I don't understand... I didn't know your father.”

“No, I guess you wouldn't, would you?” Asami breathed in deeply, and then slowly let it out. “He was in the hummingbird suit that you crushed with your giant mecha, the day you invaded Republic City.”

“He was...” Kuvira felt a cold, sinking feeling twist inside her gut. She clenched her jaw and glanced downward at the open pages of her book, but she didn't read anything. She couldn't, as her vision shifted out of focus. “...oh.”

“Yeah,” Asami said, her tone taking on a slightly harder, more dominating tone. “ _Oh_.”

Kuvira continued staring down at the book for a moment, until she finally forced herself to to look back up at Asami. An air of tension thickened between them, so strong that she could practically feel it pressing down on her, as though it were some tangible, physical force. “I don't understand then, why you came here. Why you would want to see me...”

“I _had_ to see you,” she said, arms folding across her chest. Her eyes narrowed, brow lowered—anger, hate... emotions that were so familiar now to Kuvira. “I had to... to _face_ you. I've been stressed a lot lately, and I think...a lot of it has to do with losing my father. So I had to confront his killer, look her in the eyes, and see...” Her voice trailed off, and suddenly her demeanor sank into something... sadder, more uncertain.

Kuvira waited a moment, expecting more to follow. When Asami didn't say anything, she tilted her head and asked, “...see what?”

A heavy sigh eased its way out of Asami's lips. She shook her head, closed her eyes. “I don't know. I came here expecting to find some kind of monster—that's what you imagine when you think of the person who killed your father. A monster. But you're just... a woman.”

“What do you want me to say?” Kuvira said. “That I'm sorry?” The question was earnest, sincere. She _was_ sorry... but she knew that saying it right now to this woman would mean nothing.. “ Would that even make a difference?”

“No...” Asami admitted, hanging her head. “No, it wouldn't.”

Another long pause followed, a silence so uncomfortable that Kuvira shifted several times in her seat and looked away, half hoping that the sun would explode to end this conversation. Her stomach continued to twist in knots, more with each passing second; any longer and she might just turn and vomit.

After what felt like an eternity, Asami spoke again, gaze lifting ever so slightly to look at Kuvira. “Korra said that I should try to forgive you, somehow. Not because I think you deserve it, but because I deserve peace, and I can't have that peace as long as I'm holding onto this hate... this anger.”

“That _does_ sound like the Avatar...” she uttered, just barely meeting Asami's look with her own.

Asami huffed out a breath and shook her head. Kuvira could see her trying to retain her poise, but that kind of emotion was difficult to mask—the sadness, the tears, the _pain_... this woman was hurting. Deeply. “Now that I'm here, though, looking at you, I don't... I can't. I _can't_ forgive you. I know Korra is the Avatar, and that's what she _does_ , but I'm not like that. Not as much as she is, anyway. I can't just look past what you did, what you _took_ from me.”

Kuvira bowed her head, expression sinking. She closed her eyes, and offered only a single nod of her head. “You're right. You shouldn't forgive me. Nothing I say or do, no amount of apologies or regrets, will ever make things better for you. I can't ever give back what I took from you, or what I took from so many other people. I can feel remorse over it, I can regret my actions, I can try to become better because of it... but none of that changes the things I've done, or restores the lives I've destroyed.”

Another pause, another silence. Kuvira didn't look up, but she didn't need to in order to feel Asami's eyes staring at her. She could feel the condemnation seething from the woman, engulfing her... she deserved every bit of it.

“Do you know how hard it is?” Asami asked. Her voice quivered just faintly, but not faintly enough that she could hide it. “Knowing that Korra visits you here so often, that she's... _friends_ with you? Just saying it out loud... It _hurts_. I know she's the Avatar, and I know she thinks it's her duty, and she says you're trying to change, but damn it.... you _killed_ my father.”

Kuvira finally chanced a look back at Asami. When their eyes met again this time, she didn't see the hate or rage that she'd been expecting—there was only sadness, and grieving. This woman... she showed such remarkable restraint and reservation, and not just because of the pain so clearly evident on her face. Asami had every right, every reason, to yell, or scream, or lash out, and yet instead she was... calm.

“With all due respect, Miss Sato,” she said, sitting up just a little straighter in her seat, “I think that's something you need to talk to _her_ about, not me.”

Asami didn't respond—she merely lowered her gaze and stared at the floor, while her fingers tightened along the hem of her skirt.

Kuvira sighed and glanced over at the window. It was still early morning, with the sun just starting to come up over the horizon and the sky painted a brilliant combination of red and orange. She lost herself in that sky. “I am... grateful for the Avatar's visits. She's the only one who _does_ visit me regularly. Su does whenever she can get away from Zaofu, but that's not as often. But Korra...”

She closed her eyes, and the faintest hint of a smile curled its way on her lips. “She's made my time here easier to bear, and I owe her a lot for that—she's an incredible person, more so than I ever would have thought.”

Her smile then faded, and she sighed again. Opening her eyes, Kuvira looked down at one of the piles of books on the floor. “But... I also know how she feels about you. She's talked about you before, you know. A lot. I _know_ she loves you... and the last thing I want to do is ruin yet another person's life by coming between that. If it's that hard on you, if it hurts you that much... then perhaps Korra _shouldn't_ visit me anymore.”

Asami's jaw tightened. “I just... I don't even know. I don't want to force anything on Korra, or start dictating who she can and can't be friends with. And yet...”

“And yet you hate me.”

Asami nodded, eyes closing. “Yeah.”

Kuvira looked up, finally. This time, she gazed firmly at the other woman, no hesitation, no aversion. “Then talk to her. If she loves you half as much as I think she does, she'll understand... _I_ understand.”

Asami breathed deep, but kept her eyes closed. A slight wetness formed behind her eyelids, just barely leaking out onto her long, full lashes. “I... need to go.” She turned from Kuvira, and walked hastily towards the cell door.

“For what it's worth, Miss Sato...” Kuvira exhaled, and then glanced down at her book again—suddenly, the story within those pages seemed somehow unimportant. “I hope you find the peace you're looking for. However you need to.”

* * *

“That was very good, Korra,” Tenzin said, with a proud smile. “Your airbending is coming along splendidly.”

Korra returned the smile and then jumped up from the temple rooftop. With a few spins, she slowed her descent with a gentle gust of air and landed perfectly on her feet in front of him. “Thanks, Tenzin. I have a good teacher.”

“I'm glad to know you've been taking our lessons seriously,” he replied, with a nod. “You've come a long way since you first arrived on Air Temple Island.”

Korra laughed. “Yeah, remember when I couldn't airbend at _all?_ Man, that seems like another lifetime.” Before Tenzin could answer her, Korra's gaze moved past him to the dock. “Oh! The ferry's here!” That of course meant Asami coming to take her to dinner. Flipping up her glider into her grasp, she spread the wings and then took off with a burst of air. “See you later, Tenzin!”

By the time Korra landed at the dock, Asami was already stepping off the ferry. She immediately retracted her glider and ran up to give her a tight hug. “Hey!” She pulled back just a bit and added a kiss, planting their lips firmly together for a few seconds. When she finally pulled away, she smiled and eased out a tired breath. “It's _so_ good to see you. I like training with Tenzin and all, but man can it get exhausting after a while. How was your day?”

Asami shifted slightly, one arm coming across herself so she could grab at her other arm. “It was... good. Just another day at the office.”

Korra lifted an eyebrow. Something seemed... off. “Is everything okay? You seem a little... I don't know, down.”

“Hmm? No, I'm fine, I just...” Asami sighed, then pressed her fingers against her eyes. It was pointless trying to dance around the subject, especially with Korra. “Korra, we need to talk.”

She felt her stomach jump. 'We need to talk' was never a phrase that one wanted to hear, at least not in that tone. “Uh oh... That doesn't sound good.” She swallowed, then reached down to take Asami's hand in her own. “Walk with me?”

Asami interlocked their fingers and then nodded, allowing Korra to guide them along down the dock and farther onto Air Temple Island.

“So...” she said, trying to remain calm. As far as she knew, everything between them was fine... she hadn't even been late to any of their dates recently. “What's this about?”

“Well, it's...” Asami paused, while her thumb idly stroked up against Korra's hand out of habit. “It's Kuvira.”

“Oh...that.” Korra stopped walking, and hung her head. She should have known this conversation was coming. “Honestly, I'm a little surprised it took this long.”

“So am I, actually,” Asami replied. “I was trying to move past it...or at least ignore it. But I can't ignore it anymore. Korra, she _killed_ my father.”

Korra turned to her, held a hand to her shoulder. “I know... I haven't forgotten. I never will.”

“And yet you still visit her.” Asami's own hand came up to join Korra's on her shoulder. She squeezed it, trying to take comfort in the touch. “Every week, without fail. You're... _friends_ with her. Do you know how that makes me feel?”

“I...” Korra's eyes moved away, downward. She frowned, as a wave of guilt started to gnaw at her. “No, I don't. I could say that I do, but I couldn't begin to imagine being in your situation.”

“I know you think you have to do this because you're the Avatar,” Asami said, “but... I don't know how to handle it, knowing that you visit my father's killer, drink tea with her, bring her books, play... _Pai Sho_ with her, I...”

Korra's throat went numb when she saw the tears in Asami's eyes. She immediately reached out and took both of her girlfriend's hands in her own, held them tenderly, lovingly. “Asami, the last thing I want to do is keep hurting you. I know I'm doing good with Kuvira, helping her to change, but... I can stop. If it makes you happy, I don't need to continue my visits.”

That of course would most likely devastate Kuvira in turn, but there was no way around it. Asami was the most important person in Korra's life right now, and nothing was worth jeopardizing what they had.

“No, Korra, that's the thing...” Asami looked away and shook her head, as if she couldn't believe the next words that came out of her own mouth. “I _don't_ want you to stop visiting Kuvira.”

“What?” Korra blinked, now thoroughly confused. “But why? I thought...”

“I went to visit her today, before I went to work this morning.”

“You...” Korra's eyes widened, and she stood straighter. A steady wave of understanding washed over her. “That must have been so hard for you.”

“It was,” she answered, with a nod. “Every time I looked at her, I saw my father dying again in front of my eyes. I... I tried to take your advice and forgive her, so I could have peace, but I just...I couldn't do it.”

“I am so sorry.” Korra lifted a hand and held it gently against Asami's cheek. “I should have been there for you.”

Asami shook her head. “No, this was something I had to do myself. When I went there, I wasn't even sure what to expect. I thought...I thought she'd be just like I imagined her in my head—a cold, hate-filled dictator who didn't care about anyone but herself.” A disbelieving sort of laugh exited her lips as she held a hand against her forehead. “But that's not what I found at all. Kuvira is... she's just a person like anyone else, and she seemed to know just how terrible the things were that she did.”

Removing her hand from her forehead, Asami swallowed and let her gaze drop down to the ground. “She wasn't the heartless killer I made her out to be, and I guess that made me angry, in a way? I just so badly wanted her to be cold, and cruel...it would have made hating her so much easier.” She frowned, eyes closing. “That sounds so terrible.”

“No, it doesn't,” Korra stated. She held her hands to Asami's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. “No one's trying to erase what Kuvira did to you and so many others. You have _every_ right to feel the way you do. ”

Asami nodded, though she didn't look entirely convinced. “Thanks...”

“But I still don't understand why that means you think I should keep visiting her.”

“Because you're right,” she replied, with a simple shrug. “You are doing good with her. The person I met at that prison wasn't the same person who rampaged through Republic City in a giant mecha suit, not entirely. And I know that at least part of that is because of you. You're helping her atone, to become a better person. As much as I don't like it...I think that's worth my discomfort.”

“Asami...” Korra said, again resting a hand against the woman's cheek. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” This time, Asami looked at Korra with conviction, with certainty. “I thought about it a lot and that's the conclusion I came to. I'm sure.”

Korra nodded slowly, then leaned in and gave Asami another kiss. This one, she held longer before finally pulling back, and when she did she kept their foreheads pressed together. “I love you, Asami... And if you ever start to feel differently, you only need to tell me.”

“I know.” Asami let her eyes close again, and she held her hand gently against Korra's cheek. “I love you, too, Korra.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was an interaction I've always wanted to see. I see a ton of fics and art depicting Korra visiting Kuvira in prison, but as far as I know we don't really get to see Asami's side of it. How would she feel about her girlfriend visiting her father's killer? Would she ever be able to forgive Kuvira herself? It probably already has been done before, but as far as I've seen it's rare at least. I wanted to try my take on it, so this is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy it... I'm still not really that confident in writing Asami, but hopefully it's not too terrible.


	4. Guidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra teaches Kuvira how to connect to her spiritual side. Also, Kuvira receives a surprise birthday present.

Kuvira sat cross-legged on her bed, staring at the door. Every now and then she'd glance down at the book open on the mattress in front of her, as if it would convince herself that she were actually reading, and not waiting anxiously for that slot to open and the guard on the other side to tell her she had a visitor. It had been a few days since Asami's visit, now the day of Korra's next scheduled meeting. It was late, though, much later than Korra usually arrived. Every minute that went by, her hopes sunk just a little more.

Of course, she had known this was coming. There was no way Asami would allow Korra to keep visiting her father's killer, and while Kuvira had said she would understand—and she did—it didn't lessen the disappointment any. Korra's visits were the one thing that kept her spirits up, kept her from completely losing herself to her isolation. Now, it seemed like all she would have was her own thoughts.

“Visitor.”

Kuvira's gaze shot upright at the door. She'd been so lost in those thoughts of hers that she hadn't even heard the slot open. Soon, the door itself unlocked and swung open. A sudden feeling of relief took hold of her when she saw Korra enter.

“Hey, sorry I'm late.” Korra said, with a wave, then setting her bag down on the table. “Asami had to go back to the office tonight for some late work, so we grabbed an early dinner. But that means I'm free for the rest of the night.”

Kuvira offered a slight smile, as she straightened her back and eased out a quiet breath. “I...thought you wouldn't be coming, to be honest.”

“Because of what you and Asami talked about the other day?”

“Um, well...”

Korra pursed her lips and nodded. “Yeah, she told me about her visit. I'll be honest, if she had told me to stop visiting you, I would have.”

Kuvira swallowed, and tried to hide her satisfaction at hearing that Korra wouldn't stop visiting. She wasn't certain why Asami didn't stop it... but she wasn't going to complain. “It's fine. I would have understood.”

“Fortunately, though, that isn't the case,” Korra said. She smiled, and then started digging into her bag. “I know this whole situation isn't exactly easy on her, but we came to an understanding. Of course, she might feel differently eventually, but for now at least we can make the most of it.”

“I'm glad to hear that.” Kuvira watched as Korra emptied the bag. There was a book, and what looked like a dark sheet, but she didn't see anything resembling the Pai Sho board that she'd been expecting. “You...didn't bring Pai Sho today?”

Korra shook her head. “No, sorry. I know I said we would play again this week, but...well, I have something else planned instead.”

“Something else?”

“Mhm. But first, here. I got you another book.” Korra slid the book across the table. A picture of a blue and white mask was drawn on the front, and the title was written in gold lettering— _The Blue Spirit_. “It's supposed to be pretty good. Won some kind of award and everything.”

Kuvira lifted the book and stared at the cover for a moment, then quickly flipped through the pages. It seemed to be both a historical piece, as well as a collection of myths and stories about the figure known as the Blue Spirit. A smile came to her lips. “Thank you... I can't wait to read it.”

“Oh, I also brought you this.” Korra lifted the sheet and held it up, so it draped down to the floor. It was then that Kuvira realized it wasn't a sheet at all.

“Um...it's a curtain?”

“Not just any curtain,” Korra said. “A blackout curtain. Last week you mentioned how you had trouble sleeping sometimes because of the glow from the spirit portal coming in through the window, right? Well, turns out most of the citizens in Republic City seem to have the same problem, because Varrick's made a fortune since he introduced these. They're designed to completely cover a window and block out all light coming through.”

Kuvira blinked as she studied the curtain. Her eyebrows raised slightly, and then she turned to look out the window—the sun had set, and yet that distinctive spirit portal glow still washed in between the bars. “That...actually sounds wonderful.”

“Yeah, I thought you'd like it.” Korra offered another smile, and then walked over to the window. She held up the curtain a moment in front of it and squinted her eyes. “Let's see here...huh.” The cell walls were, of course, completely smooth, and there wasn't any place to actually hang the curtain in front of the window. “Well, we'll, uh... figure out a way to hang this up later. I really want to get to the surprise.”

“Alright, you've piqued my curiosity,” Kuvira said, with an intrigued look. “What exactly are you up to, Avatar?”

“You'll see in a minute. We're actually waiting on someone...” Korra folded up the curtain, then glanced back at the cell door... which hadn't been shut yet behind her. That was a first. “Hope she gets here soon.”

“I'm here, quit your worrying.” A familiar voice drifted in from outside the cell, soon followed by its owner: Lin Beifong, Chief of Republic City Police. This time, the cell door closed and locked behind her. “Can we just get on with this already, before I change my mind?” As expected in Kuvira's presence, Lin wasn't wearing her usual metal armor, but she still carried an intimidating air about her in that clean pressed police uniform.

Kuvira paused a moment, just staring at the woman. “Lin...?” She looked back and forth between the two women a couple of times, then finally settled on Lin again. “Alright, now I'm just confused. Why are you here?”

“Because that's one of the rules,” Lin said, with a huff. She folded her arms across her chest and stood straight, stiff. “This is only to happen under my direct supervision.”

When Kuvira sent a questioning look towards Korra, the Avatar shifted awkwardly and smiled again. “Uh, I should probably explain. See, I'm going to teach you how to meditate, and connect with your spiritual side. With practice, you'll be able to enter the spirit world...maybe get a little bit more freedom, even if just for your spirit.”

Lin frowned. “Which is why _I'm_ here. As far as I know, there aren't any rules expressly forbidding prisoners from mediating into the spirit world...even though there probably should be. But there's going to be conditions. You aren't to meditate except in the company of both myself and the Avatar. Plus, if and when you do learn to enter the spirit world, you'll be limited to one hour at a time.” She paused a moment, then twisted her face with annoyance as she remembered something else. “Oh, and _nobody_ is to tell Raiko about this. Knowing him, he'd freak out, and I don't want him on my case.”

“Technically, there's nothing wrong with it,” Korra said, giving Lin an innocent smirk. “I mean, physically she'd still be in her cell, so...”

“Uh huh. You want to put yuans on Raiko being fine with it?”

“Uhhh...yeah, no.” Korra cleared her throat. “I see your point.”

Kuvira looked back and forth between them again, still a little confused. “I...don't know what to say. Lin, you're okay with this?”

“Let me be perfectly clear,” Lin stated, with a glare. “I'm doing this as a favor to the Avatar, not you. Otherwise, I'd never even consider it.”

“Yeah, I actually wanted to do this a lot sooner,” Korra said, “but it took this long to talk Lin into it.”

Lin grumbled, tightening her arms over her chest. “Hmph. Consider it a reward for good behavior, or whatever.”

Korra's smile grew, as she turned to Kuvira again. “So, what do you say? Want to give it a try?”

A soft breath eased out of Kuvira's nose. She returned the smile, and nodded gently. “Yes...I'd like that.”

“Alright, just follow me. Like this.” Korra dropped down to the floor and crossed her legs, then pushed her fists firmly against each other, with her back straight. Kuvira moved off the bed and sat across from her, doing the same. “Good, now close your eyes and relax your breathing.”

Kuvira hesitated a second, but soon shut her eyes and let her breathing calm. She wasn't sure if she was doing it right, but she supposed that Korra would tell her if she did something wrong.

“Slow, steady...” Korra said, her voice softening to a near whisper. “Let your body, your mind, your spirit, all relax and be at peace. Try to imagine yourself drifting away, flowing like water, floating...”

Kuvira did what she was told. She sat there, fists pressed together, eyes closed and breathing steady, trying to let herself float away. Minutes passed, and nothing changed. Then more time... and still nothing. Maybe a half hour later of sitting there in silence, Kuvira huffed out a sigh and leaned forward. “I don't think it's working. I just feel...stiff, and uncomfortable.”

“Hmm...” Korra opened her eyes, then glanced up at Lin. The police chief was standing there against the far wall, arms still crossed. “Lin, could you find us some cushions to sit on?”

“Oh for the love of—” Lin threw her hands up and headed towards the cell door. “This is what I've been reduced to, a damn maid.” She exited the cell for a few minutes, and when she returned she carried a pair of fluffy felt cushions with her. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Korra took the cushions from her, and offered one to Kuvira. “Alright, try again.”

Kuvira settled atop her cushion and regained her meditative position. It did feel more comfortable, though she didn't think it helped the process of finding her spirit. After several more minutes, she frowned and asked, “Should I be...feeling something?”

“Not necessarily,” Korra replied. “You might feel your spirit actually drifting away from your body, or you might feel nothing at all. It's different for everyone.”

“And what do you feel?”

“I feel...warmth.” A smile crept its way onto her face. “I remember all the good things in my life, forget all my worries, and then I feel safe, comfortable. Next thing I know, I'm in the spirit world.”

Kuvira only deepened her frown, and hung her head towards the floor. “I don't think this will be as easy for me...”

They continued meditating for the next couple of hours. Occasionally, Korra would offer more tips and advice for Kuvira, but for the most part they sat in peaceful silence. In spite of the peace, though, Kuvira didn't think she had improved much.

She kept her back straight for as long as she could be comfortable, but eventually she slouched and huffed out a sigh. “Nothing.”

Korra opened her eyes, then started to get up from her cushion. “Alright, well that's probably enough for now. I don't know about you, but my butt's starting to fall asleep.”

“I don't think I got any closer than when we started,” Kuvira muttered, as she, too, stood up from the floor. Her legs quivered momentarily, feeling like pins and needles.

“It's alright. No one gets it the first time. Just look at me.” Korra pointed her thumb at herself and smirked. “It took _ages_ before I finally connected with my spiritual side. Now it's second nature.”

“If you say so...”

“Don't be discouraged. We'll try again next time.” Korra held a comforting hand to Kuvira's shoulder for a moment, and then pulled away. “Anyway, I should be off.”

“Yes, _please_ let's go,” Lin stated. She rolled her eyes and stood up from the table, where she had been sitting for the past hour. “It's late, and I'd like to get _some_ sleep before I get up for work in the morning.” With a grumble, she headed over to the cell door, which promptly opened for her.

“I promise I'll bring the Pai Sho board next week,” Korra said. “We can play a few games before mediating again. Sound good?”

Kuvira's lips slowly curled into a smile. “Sounds perfect.”

* * *

Kuvira flipped through the final few pages of her newest book, _The Hundred Year War_. Her mind wasn't really focused on the words, though. She glanced at a few of the pictures and tapped her fingers against her the table, but for the most part her thoughts were on other things. Specifically, her meditation. It had been three months since Korra started teaching her, but she still hadn't been able to connect with her spiritual side. Korra assured her that she was making progress, but... well, it didn't feel like she was.

Korra would be here soon again for their next meeting, though, and that was why Kuvira shook with such impatience. She was eager to try again, to finally get it right this time, but she could only do that when Korra and Lin were supervising her. This past week had been a long drag, even with her books.

“I'm still not sure how I feel about this, Korra. I mean...it's _Kuvira_.” Kuvira glanced up from the book to look at the door. There were voices coming from the other side, and though they were muffled, she could still hear them clearly. This voice was new, unfamiliar, and it sounded... young. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“I wouldn't have asked you to help if it wasn't.” That was clearly Korra. “Even Lin thinks so. Right, Lin?”

A familiar, disgruntled groan followed. “Don't drag me into this. Let's just get it over with.”

The cell door opened a moment later, allowing the three individuals to enter. Kuvira recognized Korra and Lin, of course, but the third was new. The girl was young, perhaps only fifteen years old, and wore the yellow and orange robes of the Air Nomads.

“Hey, Kuvira,” Korra said, with a wave. “I brought someone for you to meet. Hope that's alright.”

“I see that...” she replied, giving the girl another look. “And who might you be?”

“My name is Jinora,” the girl said. Her eyes then grew narrow. “We met before, you know. My family and I fought against you when you attacked the city. You almost killed us.”

“ _Jinora_.”

“Sorry...” Jinora gave Korra a brief glance before sighing and looking back at Kuvira. “Korra says I should be nice, because you're...different now. So...I'll be nice.”

Kuvira merely shrugged, unfazed by the girl's previous assertion. “It's fine...nothing I don't deserve.” Her gaze then focused on the blue arrow tattoos on Jinora's forehead and arms. “You're an airbender?”

Jinora nodded. “That's right.”

“Not _just_ an airbender,” Korra said, giving the younger girl a nudge with her elbow. “Jinora is an airbending master, and way more in tune with her spiritual side than anyone else I've ever met. If there's anyone who can help you over that last hump to connecting to your spirit, it's her.”

Jinora breathed in softly and slowly let it out. “So, what seems to be the problem?”

“I'm not sure...” Kuvira said, with a shrug. “I have the meditation part down well enough, I think. The breathing, the relaxing... but no matter what I do, I can never seem to leave this world and find my spirit. Everything just feels so...clouded.”

“Hmm...I see.” Jinora pressed a thoughtful hand to her chin and was quiet a moment. Eventually, she nodded and then sat down on the floor, cross-legged. “Alright, let's try something. Get into position and begin your meditation.” Kuvira complied, following the younger girl down to the floor. “Good. Now, I want you to think of all the good things in your life right now. Anything that makes you happy.”

“I've already tried this...but alright.” Kuvira pressed her fists together and closed her eyes, while taking in a long, steady breath. There wasn't much to think of in that regard. There was Su, of course, and even Huan. The other members of her family, though... they still hadn't come around. She still hadn't even seen Opal at all. And then there was Korra, a thought that still surprised her. But yes, Korra definitely counted as something good in her life.

“You have it?” Jinora asked. She waited a moment, and then continued, “Okay, now I want you to take those good thoughts...and push them away, just for now. Forget about them, let them fade. The only things I want you to leave in your mind are the _negative_ things in your life, the things that you fear or that cause you pain. I know it might not be easy, but I want you to focus on it. Face it, and don't let it go.”

Kuvira's brow twisted with confusion, but she did what Jinora told her. She forgot about Su, and Korra, and Huan, and instead thought of the negative. This was when she thought of the rest of her family—Wing, Wei, Opal, Baatar, Sr... and Baatar, Jr. She wanted so much for those to be positives in her life again, but right now she knew that couldn't be.

She thought of all the people she had hurt during her campaign. Innocent people. She thought of the prison camps, of her mecha army, of the spirit canon, the lives she destroyed... it brought a frightful shiver to her spine, but she kept her eyes squinted tight and focused.

“Sometimes, these negative thoughts can keep us from reaching peace with our spirits,” Jinora said. “Whether we're thinking about them or not. When that happens, it's important to acknowledge these fears and regrets, to stand up to them, face them head on. Even if you don't think you can get over them, or be free of them, you need to let them know that they can't control you. Once you do that...”

Jinora's voice faded. Kuvira's brow lifted in puzzlement, wondering what had happened, but suddenly she felt lighter, like she was floating. That's when she realized that all the familiar sounds of her prison cell had vanished, and so she forced her eyes open.

“What... This is...” She didn't see her prison cell. Instead, she saw open fields of lush grass, and bright pink flowers. What looked like giant lilypads sprouted up from the ground like trees, and dusty blue wisps floated through the air, glowing like lights. Up in the air, she could also see strange animal-like figures flying by, all various bright colors and semi-transparent—spirits.

“Welcome to the spirit world.” Korra appeared beside her, fading in from nothing until she took a solid form. “See, I knew you could do it.” Then, she looked to her side, where Jinora appeared a second later. “Thanks, Jinora.”

“It was nothing,” the young airbender said, with a shrug. “Anyway, I should leave now...dad thinks I'm out with Kai, and he'd burst a vein if he knew I was giving spiritual guidance to Kuvira.” With a slightly guilty chuckle, she glanced back at Kuvira. “Just remember what I said. Now that you've made it to the spirit world once, it should be easy to do again. But if you ever find yourself having trouble, just stand up to the negativity. You'll be fine.”

Kuvira nodded. “Thank you.”

“Take care.”

When Jinora disappeared, Korra took a few steps towards Kuvira and smiled. “So...been a while since you've really stretched your legs. Want to give it a go? Well, figuratively speaking, anyway.”

Kuvira didn't answer at first. She gazed around at the spirit world for a few moments, just... taking in the wonder. She had only been here once before, after her defeat when the new spirit portal had been created, and she hadn't had time to enjoy it then. Now, though... now she could marvel at it.

“I think...” she said, as she focused on a tall tree in the distance. A competitive smile then came to her lips and she felt a renewed energy surge through her. Without warning, she broke out into a run. “...I'll race you to that tree!“

“Hey, no fair!” Korra chased after her. “Head start, much?”

Kuvira smirked and glanced back over her shoulder. “Too slow, Avatar!”

They arrived at the tree several moments later, Kuvira arriving first. Korra reached her after a few seconds and leaned forward, hands on her knees and breathing deeply.

“Okay...” Korra said, with a chuckle. “You're fast.”

Kuvira paused, then looked down at her hands. She curled them into fists briefly, before slowly releasing them. “I noticed I can't bend. I have no...connection to the earth here.”

“Yeah, you can't bend in the spirit world if you enter it through meditation. Only when you enter physically, though a spirit portal.”

“I figured as much.” Kuvira let her hands fall to her sides, and then walked forwards a bit. A small pond of purple-colored water stretched out in front of them, and at the back was a small, gentle waterfall that filled it. “But there is one thing I can still do.”

Kuvira made her way forward, her body moving carefully and with purpose. She waded out as far as she could into the pond, all the way towards the back near the waterfall—the water came up only to her ankles. Then again, perhaps it was a special kind of spirit water that allowed her to walk across the surface.

She stretched a moment, her legs spreading out and arms reaching downward. It felt so... amazing to be able to move like this again, to stretch and be active. Even if it was only her spirit, it still felt real. Once Kuvira had sufficiently warmed up, she did the one thing that she hadn't done in so very long... and that she had longed to more than anything—she danced.

She started with a few simple movements, a twirl here, a leap there, a pirouette. Then, she struck a pose, raising one leg straight up in the air while leaning forward, her torso parallel to the ground and arms spread out wide for balance. After holding it for a solid few seconds, she continued, adding rhythm and a clear pattern to the dance, a routine that she had done hundreds of times before. She spun, twirled, leaped, bent, posed, and embraced the movement, all while against the backdrop of the sparkling waterfall.

Kuvira danced until she couldn't dance anymore, until her spiritual body finally felt tired and worn from the constant movement. Her legs shook on one particular landing, and she stumbled down to her knees. But she wasn't upset about it. Rather, she smiled, while her chest heaved. She hadn't felt that alive in years.

“That...was amazing.” Korra came forward, her eyebrows lifted and her mouth slightly open, twisted into an impressed smile. “Your style really is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she replied, glancing up at the Avatar. Then, she straightened herself. A pause followed, as she debated with herself whether or not she should go through with the next question, but soon she asked, “Do you...want to learn? There's plenty of room here to teach you.”

Korra's smile widened. “Yeah, I'd like that.”

* * *

Kuvira opened her eyes at last and fell backwards, catching herself with her hands. She blinked, then let out a long yawn. Back to the prison cell, to her confinement. When she saw Korra join her back in the physical world, she gave the Avatar an amused look and said, “Okay, so you have the strength part down.. but we're going to have to work on the balance and grace part. A lot.”

Korra chuckled awkwardly, while rubbing the back of her head. “Heh, yeah... I think I picked that up about as well as I did learning airbending the first time.”

“It's alright,” she said. “You'll get the hang of it.”

The sound of Lin clearing her throat pulled both their attention away, and up towards the police chef, who stood over them like an overbearing parent, with her hands held to her hips. “I believe the agreement was one hour at a time. That was an hour and seven minutes.”

Korra lifted a brow and frowned up at Lin. “Really? You're gonna bust us over seven minutes?”

Lin puffed out a sigh and shrugged. “I'm just saying.”

Kuvira finally stood up from the floor, and looked back at Korra again with an appreciative smile. “Korra... thank you for that. It was more than I ever could have hoped for.”

“Hey, don't mention it,” the Avatar replied, with a shrug. “That's what friends are for, right?”

The statement elicited the softest of chuckles from Kuvira's lips, a chuckle that expressed the disbelief she still felt. The smile never left her face. “Right... friends.”

“If you're done, we should go,” Lin stated, now waiting over at the cell entrance for Korra to join her.

Korra let out a small sigh and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Don't have a hippo cow.” With a small laugh of her own, she turned to Kuvira again. “Alright, I'll see you again next week and we can pick up where we left off. I'll bring you another book, too, and—oh wait! I almost forgot.”

Korra dug into her pocket for a few moments, before her fingers finally fished out what she was looking for. She held out the item and gave another laugh. “Can't believe I almost left without giving this to you. Happy birthday.”

“...huh?” Kuvira uttered, as she stared down at the object dangling from Korra's fingers—a pendant on a chain. “It's... my birthday?”

“Uh... well, I'm pretty sure that's what Su said. The fifth of the month, right?”

Kuvira slowly reached out to take the pendant—why was her hand _shaking_ so much? “I... I had forgotten what day today was.” When she had the pendant, she gave it a closer inspection. Her name was etched into the metal, and above that was depicted a large animal with its jaws open in a roar. “An armadillo lion? That's... heh, that's my favorite.”

“Information also courtesy of Su,” Korra admitted, with a laugh.

“Korra! Are you insane?” Lin marched forward, making a grab for the pendant. “You can't give her _metal!_ ”

Before Lin could snatch the pendant, Korra put herself between Kuvira and the police chief, pushing her back. “Lin! Calm down, alright? The whole thing is made of platinum. I'm not completely stupid, you know.”

Lin paused, blinking down at the pendant, and then back at Korra again. She cleared her throat, uttered a disgruntled mumble, and then finally backed off. “Yes, well... _ahem_. Let's hurry this along, then.”

“Korra, I...” Kuvira started. She just shook her head, having no words for this gesture. Instead, she undid the chain on the pendant and immediately latched it around her neck. “Thank you... so much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so yeah, this chapter ended up way longer than I meant it to. I would have just cut it down and put the last part in the next chapter, but it wouldn't have fit with the next chapter's overall theme. So, I just left it in as a really long chapter. I really liked the idea of Korra teaching Kuvira about spirituality and how to enter the spirit world, so she could have at least a little bit of extra freedom for her mind while in prison. Of course, something like that wasn't going to just fly without some kinds of restrictions, but that gave me an excuse to write Lin again, so I'm not complaining.
> 
> Also, yes. I realize that some of Kuvira and Korra's interactions are getting a bit... shippy. And honestly, Korvira is a ship that I just sort of shrugged my shoulders at for the longest time, like 'oh those crazy fans and their crack ships', but OMG, let me tell you. The chemistry between them when I write them together is ridiculous. I can't say I have plans to get them together in this fic or anything, but... yeah. It is what it is.


	5. Breaking Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garza and Tousa pay a surprise visit to their favorite prisoner. Kuvira makes a new friend.

Kuvira sat in her bed, leaning back against the wall with one knee propped up, a book resting against it. She smiled as she read the pages, flipping them with one hand. Her other hand absently held on to the new pendant around her neck. She hadn't taken it off since Korra gave it to her, even when she showered. Some small part of her was afraid that if she did, she'd find out she had just imagined it, and the pendant would disappear.

If she were to ask herself why she loved that pendant so much, she wouldn't have an answer. It was just a bit of platinum with her name and favorite animal on it, after all. And yet...it was the gesture. A gift, from the only friend she had in the world, a birthday present that she wouldn't have ever imagined receiving. To someone who had been humbled and fallen as low as Kuvira had...it had become the most important thing she owned. Given the choice between that pendant and her freedom, she might actually take the pendant.

Kuvira was a little surprised with herself, at just how...content she was in prison. In here, she couldn't hurt anyone else. The people who hated her, and who she had hurt, had the satisfaction of knowing she was paying for her crimes. She had her time with Korra, and her visits from Su. She had her books, and her meditation, and dancing in the spirit world, the Pai Sho games... The next eighteen and a half years might not be so bad.

The sound of the slot on her cell door opening drew her attention away from the book and her thoughts. This late, it was probably the second shift guards giving her dinner. When she saw the face staring at her, though, her stomach twisted into a knot—Garza? That didn't make sense. She glanced over at the window—the blackout curtain had since been hung up in front of it, but right now it was pulled to the side to let in some reading light. It was definitely night, though, well past the shift change. So then what was Garza doing here?

“Sheet change. You know the drill.”

That wasn't right, either. Her sheets and prison uniform were changed at the start of every week, not the middle of it—they'd just been changed three days ago. No... she knew what this was about, what time it was... and she had to bear it. So, she shut the book tight and set it down on the table, then slid off the bed. She gave one more look at the door before turning to the far wall and leaning against it, hands spread.

The cell door unlocked, and Garza entered. As she had suspected, he wasn't carrying any fresh bedsheets. Tousa followed in behind him, and he, too, carried no sheets with him.

“Well, if it isn't our favorite prisoner,” Garza said, as he strolled through the cell, slowly, casually. He gave a long look at all the books and other knick-knacks littering the space. “You know, you've really spruced this place up in here. Made it your own. It's... nice. Isn't that right, Tousa?”

His friend grunted out a response and shrugged. A moment later, he took out his police baton and swiped it across the table. The stack of books near the edge toppled to the floor, scattering and springing open.

Kuvira flinched at the sound of her books hitting the floor. She chanced a brief glance, just in time to see Garza stepping onto a few of them. Several pages tore out beneath his boot, and he took extra care to drag his step against the floor to cause extra damage.

“The cell's a bit dark, don't you think?” Garza stopped in front of the curtained window and held a hand to his chin, staring at it. He was simply mocking, of course, since the curtain wasn't even drawn in front of the window. “Let's let in a little light.” He then yanked at the curtain, tearing it from its fastenings and letting it drop to the floor. “There, that's better.”

Tousa, meanwhile, had stopped in front of the painting—Huan's painting—leaning up against the wall. He furrowed his brow at it, as if confused. Garza joined him and gave it an equally puzzled stare.

“What on earth is that supposed to be?” he wondered. “Have you ever seen an uglier painting?”

Tousa shook his head.

“Yeah, didn't think so.

Garza left the painting, walking over to the other side of the cell and knocking over another stack of books in the process. Tousa held the painting firmly, moving it away from the wall, and then promptly stomped his boot straight through the canvas, tearing a hole through it. Garza grabbed one of the books he had knocked over and opened it. He gave the pages a few flips, shrugged, and then ripped the entire thing in half.

Kuvira forced her jaw to clench, to keep from yelling out. She stared straight ahead at the wall in front of herself, as if trying to burn a hole through it. Eventually, she couldn't bare looking at it anymore and shut her eyes tight; at least that hid the tears in her eyes well enough, though it didn't stop the numb lump from rising into her throat.

“Wait a minute... what is _that?_ ”

Suddenly, there was a yank at her neck, and Kuvira's eyes flew open. The chain of her pendant snapped, and a second later it was gone, in Garza's hand.

“Who let you have _metal?_ What do you think you're trying to pull!”

Kuvira... tried to hold herself together, but that was the last straw. The books, the painting, the curtain... she could survive losing that. But the pendant?

“Give that back!” She whirled around without warning, making a grab for it. In the process, she shoved Garza back, tripped him over the chair next to the table. He shouted and went down hard, dropping the chain. Kuvira landed atop him and grunted, but then made an immediate dive for the pendant. When her fingers closed around the chain, she felt a sense of relief wash over her... and then a hot, blinding flash of pain as Tousa's baton struck the back of her head.

She cried out and rolled over, clutching at the back of her skull—she felt blood, warm and sticky on her fingertips. When she tried to get back up to her knees, a second blow cracked across her jaw. This time, her lip split open, and the blood ran down her chin. A third strike, and it was a broken nose.

“Tousa, you idiot!” Garza shouted, as he righted himself. “Not her face!” He grabbed his own baton and moved into position above Kuvira. “Great, now we're going to have to say she attacked us. Oh well.” With an annoyed grumble, he raised his baton and then let it crack down onto Kuvira's ribs. Tousa joined him, and soon all Kuvira felt was pain.

* * *

Lin sighed as she entered the prison. She had made it all the way back to the police station before she realized that she'd forgotten her ID badge in the front office earlier that day. Normally, she'd just wait to pick it up the next morning, but since she was going to be in meetings with Raiko all day tomorrow, she had to get it now. She really wouldn't put it past the people at the president's office to turn her away without her badge, even when they knew full well who she was. That was a hassle she didn't want to have to deal with.

“Evening, Chief,” one of the guards stated, as she entered the office. “Forget something?”

“My badge,” she said, with an unenthusiastic wave. She found it right where she had left it, near the check-in desk. Once she had it, she turned right around and started heading back towards the exit. As she did, however, someone moved past her, almost bumping into her on the way by.

“Oh, sorry, chief! Wasn't paying attention.”

Lin glanced up at the perpetrator, never really intending to pay him much mind. When she saw who it was, however, she became fully alert. “Wen? Where are you going?”

“Uh... home?” the guard replied, with a raised eyebrow, as if he wasn't sure why she was asking him that.

“And why would be doing that?” Lin asked, her eyes narrowing at him. “You're supposed to be on duty tonight. You're guarding Kuvira's cell.”

“Well, yeah, I was supposed to,” Wen said, “but Garza and Tousa took an extra shift, remember? They said you signed off on it.”

Lin's eyebrow lifted. She looked from Wen back into the prison. “I don't remember authorizing that...” Something suddenly felt very wrong. She couldn't place it, but a sinking feeling churned in her gut.

With a frown, she took a stance and concentrated, eyes closed, then stomped her foot towards the floor. The metal on the bottom of her boot retracted, allowing her bare foot to meet the tile. Vibrations traveled throughout the prison, painting a mental image for her of the entire building. She saw the guards, the prisoners, the building structure, everything. And when the vibrations made it to Kuvira's cell...

“Hey, Chief! What are you doing!” Wen called.

Lin didn't answer him. She was already halfway down the corridor by the time he shouted after her. She only hoped that what she'd seen in Kuvira's cell was a mistake.

* * *

Garza huffed out a few breaths as he backed off. “I think we may have overdone it a bit,” he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. He glanced down at his baton—blood dripped steadily off the tip to the floor. He turned to his left and flipped the table over, then kicked the chair to the other side of the cell. “Come on, we have to make this look like she attacked us. Give me a good clean hit, right here.” He pointed at his cheek.

Tousa paused a moment, glancing down at Kuvira. He looked at her only briefly before turning back to his partner and winding up his arm with the police baton.

“That's it, make it look real,” Garza said, closing his eyes as he braced himself for the hit.

It never came.

Instead, the sound of a pair of police lines unraveling zipped through the air. Garza opened his eyes when he felt one of the lines wrap around his wrist. The other had wrapped around Tousa's arm, preventing him from following through with the attack. In a panic, they both looked back at the cell door, their gazes following the lines to the person they were connected to.

“What. Are you. Doing?” Lin asked, as she started reeling in her lines. Garza and Tousa tried to resist, but they soon started sliding towards her.

“Wha—nothing, Chief, honest,” Garza stated, as he neared the door. “It's not what it looks like I swear. See, the prisoner attacked us, and—”

“I don't want to hear it!” The anger in Lin's voice could have shattered the walls of Ba Sing Se with its intensity.

Without giving the pair of guards a further chance to explain themselves, she wound up her lines and swung them through the air. Garza and Tousa yelled out as they smashed into each other, both collapsing unconscious a second later. When they were down, she metalbended the lines around them, wrapping them up tightly. Then, wasting no more time, she hurried into the cell to check on Kuvira.

Lin stopped halfway there and let out a gasp. She hadn't expected to see so much blood on the floor. Kuvira was lying there, sprawled out on the platinum and unmoving.

“Dear spirits,” Lin muttered, as she knelt next to the woman. She took Kuvira into her arms and turned her over—she spotted at least a broken nose and fractured eye socket, and that was just her face. “Kuvira, can you hear me?”

She received a small groan in response. Kuvira's eyes opened slowly, but they were weak, faded. “Tried to... take my pendant.”

Lin glanced down at Kuvira's hand, where she spotted the a chain dangling through her fingers—the pendant that Korra had given her. Immediately, Lin made a grab for her radio and lifted it to her lips. “Dispatch, I need a healer down at the prison, now! Cell B-364. Don't you dare drag your feet on this one, either, get your asses moving!”

When she released the radio, she looked back down at Kuvira. She hesitated a moment, and then slowly reached down to lift up the woman's shirt. The sight underneath made her cringe—Kuvira's torso was one large bruise, and the color was only getting worse by the second.

“Try to hang in there,” she said, moving her gaze back to Kuvira's face. “There's a healer on the way.”

Kuvira coughed, and crimson sprayed out past her lips. “You almost say that... like you care.”

“Of course I care!” Lin snapped. “You may be a prisoner, but you're _my_ prisoner, damn it. I do _not_ tolerate this kind of abuse, and I'll be damned if I let you die on my watch! So pull yourself together and just hang on, you hear me?”

A small groan wheezed out of Kuvira's lips. She looked up at Lin a moment longer, and then finally let her head droop, eyes closing. After that, everything went dark.

* * *

Kuvira's eyes flickered open. For a long moment, she didn't move; she only stared up at the ceiling. She was afraid that if she did try to move, she'd find that she was still horribly injured, every twitch of her body sending agony shooting through her. When she finally gathered the resolve to try and sit up, however, she found no pain at all. 

“What?” she uttered to herself. Looking downward, she lifted up her prison shirt to look at her torso—no bruising. A few stray cuts lined her skin here and there, but they were small, and mostly faded, as though they were old, long-healed injuries. She found much the same on her face, when she raised a hand to it. Her nose was fine, and there was no swelling around her eye. Even the cut on her lip was gone. “How...”

Her gaze shifted around the cell. It had been mostly cleaned up since Garza and Tousa assaulted her. Her books—or at least what was left of them—were stacked neatly on the table, and the curtain had been folded next to them. There was no blood left anywhere on the floor—it had been cleaned spotless. Even Huan's painting was... well, partially repaired. If one could count being taped back together as repaired.

A sudden panic jolted through her chest and she made a grab for her neck. When her fingers grazed over the pendant, she felt herself relax, and then she looked down at it. It looked the same as when Korra had given it to her.

“Oh, you're awake, good. Was starting to worry a bit.”

The voice was completely unfamiliar to her. She squinted her eyes slightly and groaned as she swung her legs over the side of her bed, and then finally glanced up at the cell door. An equally unfamiliar face stared back at her through the open slot. He was a younger man, perhaps around her own age, with a square jaw lined with a neatly trimmed beard. She couldn't see much more of him through that little slot, though.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Name's Anraq,” he replied. “I'm your new day guard.”

Kuvira's eyes squinted. “Garza and Tousa?”

“Oh, don't you worry about them. They've been... well, let's just say they've been relieved of responsibility.”

“I see...” Well, that was good news. While a part of her still felt like she'd deserved every beating that those two had given her... she couldn't say that she had actually enjoyed it. “And my injuries?”

“Ah, yeah, the wonders of spirit water,” Anraq replied, with a smirk. “Stuff works magic, no lie. You were beaten most of the way to death just a few days ago, and look at you now. Good as new.”

“A few days?” Kuvira held a hand to her forehead and groaned. Her injuries may have healed well enough, but she was still sore. Everywhere. “I've been out that long?”

Anraq nodded. “Yep. Hence my worry.”

“Right, like you were actually worried about what happened to me.”

“What, you mean because you were the Great Uniter, and destroyed half of Republic City and all that?” Anraq lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah, I don't really know much about that. I wasn't around during that whole Earth Empire business, so I really don't have much of a reason to actively not worry about you. You know, considering you're my patient and all.”

Kuvira blinked a moment, as she put his words together. “You were the one that healed me?”

“Guilty as charged. And I have to say, of anyone I've ever healed, you were in by far the worst condition.”

“And yet you were still able to heal me almost perfectly.”

Anraq puffed out a small chuckle. “Hey, I was born and raised in the Southern Water Tribe—trained under Katara, best damn healer in the world. So yeah, I would think I—wait a minute, what do you mean _almost_ perfect?”

Kuvira shrugged, and raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, you missed a few small cuts... and I'm quite a bit sore.”

“Yeah, well... you were in pretty bad shape, you know,” Anraq countered, clearing his throat. “Seeing as how I brought you back from the brink of death, I'd say I did alright.”

A chuckle found its way to Kuvira's lips. She scooted herself off the bed and stood up on shaky legs. It took a moment to steady herself, but she was able to walk over to the table shortly after. She started going through her books, to see which ones had been spared from Garza and Tousa's assault. “So, you're from the Southern Water Tribe? And yet now you work for the Republic City Police. Seems like an odd fit.”

Anraq pressed his lips together, staring at her. “And you're from Zaofu, but now you're in a Republic City jail. Funny how life works sometimes, isn't it?”

Kuvira found herself smirking a little, but she turned so Anraq wouldn't see. “I suppose so.”

“Well, I'll let you get to your things there,” Anraq said, as he moved away from the door slot. “I got a paper to read anyway.”

A few moments later, when she didn't hear the slot close behind the man, she looked up at the door with her brow lowered, confused. “You're going to leave that open?”

“Sure,” she heard him say, from beyond the door. “Pretty hard to talk to you when it's closed, right? I mean, assuming you want to talk. Just speak up if you ever feel like it.”

Kuvira blinked at the open door slot a few times, then straightened herself. A surprised chuckle found its way out of her lips, and she looked back down at her books. “Alright... maybe I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oy, I hate it when I have to write scenes like that. Maybe it's just me, but putting characters I love through trauma like that (physical and emotional alike) just makes sad. I know it has to be done for the plot and it'll get better later, but damn it I'm sorry, Kuvira! But in any case, I wanted to bring the Garza and Tousa thing to a head (but is that the last we'll see of those two? Hmm...) and I ended up going all out. But it also allowed me to introduce my first major original character, Anraq (He's not just a one off character, he'll be pretty important to the plot later on!). Besides, Kuvira could use another friend to talk to, I think.


	6. Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anraq reveals a little about himself, while Suyin learns about what happened to Kuvira.

“Have you tried writing to them at all?” Anraq asked, as he flipped to the next page of his paper. “I mean, just waiting on them to come around and visit you might not be the best way to go about it.”

Kuvira leaned up against the door to her prison cell, and looked down at the book in her hands. The open slot in the door was just to the left of her, with Anraq leaning against it on the other side. “I've tried... Quite a few times, actually. But every time I do, I can never figure out what to say. What _could_ I say? Words on paper... they just don't have the same impact.”

In the week following the incident, Kuvira had spent a lot more time talking with her new guard than she had expected to. It had started with just little things, meaningless smalltalk to pass the time, but eventually they moved on to deeper subjects, like now. Kuvira had brought up the subject of her family, and how all but Su and Huan still seemed to treat her with contempt.

“Maybe not, but it's better than no words at all, right?” Anraq shrugged, and turned to the next page. “Just this humble waterbender's opinion.”

Kuvira breathed deeply and bowed her head, her expression drooping. Maybe Anraq had a point. She had to let them know how she felt somehow.

“How about I bring you some writing materials tomorrow?” he suggested. “You can at least give it another try, if you want.”

She glanced up from her book, eying the door slot. Anraq's face was just visible in her field of vision, as he looked down at his paper. A second later, he glanced up to look back at her, and she turned away. “I suppose that would be fine.”

“Alright, well let's see what's going on in the exciting world of pro-bending.” Anraq pulled the middle of the paper open and held it up a bit, so it was visible through the narrow window. “Hmm... looks like the championship tournament is heating up. The Tigerdillos upset the Buzzard Wasps, the Moose Lions got stomped by the Zebra Frogs, and oh the Hog Monkeys surprising no one with a first round knockout over the Eel Hounds. I should probably try to actually catch a match before the tournament is over.”

Kuvira turned fully towards the door now, and looked over the scores written on the page. With a small huff, she said, “I never understood the appeal of pro-bending. Seems like a fine waste of potential bending talent, to me.”

“Hey, I wouldn't write off those pro-benders that quick,” Anraq said, lifting an eyebrow at her. “You have any idea the kind of hard work they put in? It's not just a bunch of amateurs going out there and slinging their bending around half-cocked, you know. Pro-bending is a whole different style on its own, and it requires countless hours of practice and training. You wouldn't believe the amount of late nights at the gym...”

She met his gaze and raised her own eyebrow, as a small smirk came to her lips. “So, you're speaking from experience, then?”

“Uh...” Anraq cleared his throat and shifted his weight a bit, looking a bit flustered. “Well, I mean I _might_ have been a member of the Lion Vultures for a few years... but that was ages ago, during my first stay at Republic City.”

“Your first stay?”

“Mhm. I left the South when I was fifteen,” he said. “Wanted to go out on my own for a while, see the world, you know? Eventually found myself in Republic City, got a job at the water treatment plant, set myself up in the dingiest apartment you could imagine, and somehow ended up joining a pro-bending team. It was fun, and I learned a lot.”

Kuvira leaned closer against the door, looking through the slot. Anraq had put the paper down now, and had his attention fully turned to her, as well. “But you didn't stay?”

“Don't get me wrong, I loved living here, but I also missed my family back home,” he said, with a shrug. “So, when I was twenty I returned to the South. Stayed there again for a few years, got caught up in that whole civil war nonsense, then decided to move out again. I actually got here about a week after your little demolition work, so imagine my surprise when I see downtown in shambles and a big glowing spirit portal in the middle of the city.”

A small twinge of guilt shot through Kuvira, and she glanced away. “Right...”

Anraq uttered a small chuckle. “Hey, if you ask me, the portal adds a little more character to the place, so it wasn't all bad. But yeah, I spent the next few months looking for work until I bumped into the Chief one day and decided to join the force. So, now here I am. On guard duty for one of the world's most notorious prisoners.”

That last comment normally would have only worsened the growing guilt and self-loathing twisting in Kuvira's gut, but Anraq's tone was different. It wasn't accusatory, or hostile, or filled with hate. Instead... it was joking. Playful, even. So, she looked back at him again and found herself smirking again. “Only one of them?”

Anraq shrugged, and shot back a grin of his own. “Well, it's a toss up between you and that flying guy, really.”

“Zaheer.”

“Za-who?”

“That's the name of the 'flying guy' you just mentioned.”

Anraq blinked, then rubbed the back of his head with a frown. “Oh, right. I'm not too good with names sometimes.”

“So,” she said, as she shifted herself to one side to lean against the door, “how does a relatively new officer like yourself get assigned to guard 'one of the world's most notorious prisoners'?”

“Don't look at me,” he replied, with pursed lips and an unknowing shrug. “Chief Beifong asked me to take over Garza and Tousa's duties after I healed you. I guess since I wasn't affected by your whole conquest at all, she trusts me to not, you know, do to you what those two did.”

Kuvira watched him a moment, sizing him up. He was built well enough, and looked strong, but with a thinner, slender figure that one would expect from a waterbender. Unlike most guards, who would be standing stiff and at attention, always ready for duty, Anraq was much more relaxed, as if he didn't feel the need to be on guard around her.

“And is that trust well placed?” she asked.

“Well, I haven't seen any reason for it not to be,” he said. He took a step back and stretched out his back, with a yawn. “This is actually one of the better assignments I've had in ages, if you ask me. Doesn't even feel like work, to be honest.”

Kuvira frowned. “You don't mean that.”

Anraq looked back at her again, with a genuine surprise. “Why wouldn't I? Sitting around talking with a friend all day and reading the paper? I mean, I'm actually getting paid for this.”

It was here that Kuvira balked. Her face twisted with confusion and she backed away from the door a few steps. Still, she continued staring at Anraq through the cell door. “Friend? You're my _guard_.”

“Well sure.” He shrugged again, and then walked over to the small table nearby. He grabbed the bag of chips there and then returned to the door. “But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy your company, or talking to you. Like I've already said, I don't have a reason to hate you. You're just a person to me. A person inside a platinum prison cell, sure, but still.”

Kuvira sunk her gaze towards the floor, and her frown deepened. “If you really knew me, you wouldn't be saying that.”

“Mhm, well ignorance is bliss, as they say.” Anraq pulled open the bag of chips and munched on a few of them. Then, he held his arm through the slot and shook the bag at her. “Flameo Hot Chips?”

She stared at the bag in his outstretched hand, debating with herself whether or not to actually take one. As if to solve her dilemma, a grumble sounded in her stomach—it had been hours since she'd been given breakfast, and her next meal wouldn't be for a while. So, with a reluctant sigh, she came forward and pulled a couple chips out of the bag. The moment that she ate one, however, her eyes began to water and she coughed.

“Agh, these are _hot!_ ” she exclaimed.

“Uhhh yeah, they're not called 'hot chips' for no reason.” Anraq stifled his laugh, and then waved his arms towards the door. The cork on the cask tied to his hip popped open, and a small stream of water floated through the cell door towards Kuvira. “Here.”

Kuvira lowered her brow and gave the man an annoyed look, but did open her mouth and allow a swig of cold water inside. She then closed her lips and let it sit on her tongue for a while before swallowing. “Thanks... but I think I'll pass on anymore chips.”

A shout sounded from down the hall, followed by raised voices. Both Kuvira and Anraq turned to look down the corridor, and gradually the voices became clearer.

“I can't believe this! How could you let this happen?”

“I didn't let anything happen. I put a stop to it as soon as I found out about it!”

Kuvira scrunched her eyebrows together. She knew those voices... The first was Suyin, and the second, Lin. She hadn't been expecting Su to visit again for another couple of weeks, but evidently someone had informed her of the incident.

“And by then it was too late!” Su's voice sounded closer, just around the turn in the corridor now. “What if you hadn't been there, Lin? Kuvira would be dead right now!”

“Well I _was_ there, and she's fine now, so you can stop worrying.”

The two sisters finally came around the bend, marching towards the cell. Su was moving in a hurry, and Lin seemed to be struggling to keep up with her, without actually breaking into a run.

“Stop worrying? How am I supposed to stop worrying?” Su shot her sister a hard look, eyes flashing with annoyance. “My daughter gets beaten nearly to death by _your_ guards, in _your_ prison, and you expect me to just forget about it?”

Kuvira's eyebrows lifted. It wasn't Su's anger, or even the unexpected visit that surprised her... but the casual way in which Su had just referred to Kuvira as her daughter. In all the years since she had been taken in by the Beifongs, not once had Kuvira ever actually been referred to that way out loud.

“What, and you think I'm not pissed off about it, too?” Lin countered. “I've already taken steps in making sure nothing like this happens again, and the two officers responsible will be met with swift and harsh punishment.”

Su finally arrived outside the cell, but turned towards Lin with a scowl. “That's all well and good, but I can't just take your word for it. Once is bad enough, but they were beating her for a _year and a half_ before you found out about it, according to your report. That is _inexcusable!_ ”

Lin retained her poise, not backing down from her sister.. “I'm well aware of that, but as I said, it won't be happening again. Not on my watch.”

“You keep saying that, but you know very well you can't guarantee anything. What about _this_ guard?” She glanced towards Anraq and pointed at him. “How do you know _he_ won't do the same thing behind your back?”

“ _Hey_.” Anraq frowned, his arms crossing over his chest. “I'm standing right here.”

“You're being paranoid,” Lin insisted. “Anraq may be new to the force, but he's a good man, and a damn good cop. I trust him more than half the other men who work for me.”

Anraq straightened a little and smiled. “Well, thank you Chief, I—”

But Su cut him off. “Or he could be the worst of them, and you'd never know it!”

“ _Seriously_ ,” Anraq groaned, gesturing at himself. “ _Right_ here.”

“Su...” Kuvira pressed her face close to the door slot, and gave the woman an earnest look. “It's alright. I'm fine, really.”

Su turned to the cell and eased out a calming breath. She walked up to the door and raised a hand, holding it gently against Kuvira's cheek. “Oh, Kuvira... I came as soon as I heard. Had to cancel a few meetings, and I may have left one of United Earth Republic's prime ministers waiting in my office, but I'm here. Are you _sure_ you're alright?”

“Yes, I am,” she said, with a nod. “Anraq healed my injuries with spirit water, so you don't need to worry. I'm good as new.”

A relieved sigh left Su's lips, and she looked over to the guard. “Thank you.”

Anraq frowned. “Oh, so now I'm okay?”

“I'm sorry, I was just...”

“No, I get it.” Anraq raised his hands, urging Su to stop. He hadn't actually been serious with his comment. “You're just concerned, I know. No need to explain yourself. And you're welcome.”

Su nodded to him, then looked to Kuvira again. “Kuvira, I promise you I'm going to make sure that nothing like this happens to you again.”

“And how exactly do you intend to do that from Zaofu?” Lin asked. “I already told you, I have everything under control.”

“Simple,” she replied, glancing back over her shoulder. “I'm going to get her transferred to the prison in Zaofu, where I know I can keep her safe.”

Lin's eyes widened, and her face twisted with disbelief, as though Su had just suggested the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. “Are you out of your mind? You'll never get Raiko to agree to that.”

“I don't have to.” Su turned around to face her sister, and folded her arms firmly across her chest. “If I put in a formal prisoner transfer request, then it'll go to a committee review. Raiko won't have the power to stop it himself. All I need to do is convince the committee that she's safer in Zaofu's prison than this one.”

Lin squinted a moment, considering her sister's words. She opened her mouth briefly, as though about to argue, but closed it a moment later and then huffed out a knowing breath. “I'm on that committee.”

Su smiled, and placed a hand to her sister's shoulder. “Which is why I know I can count on you to help make this happen.”

“Su, do you have any idea what the other world leaders will think if you do this?” Lin asked. “Kuvira is one of the highest profile prisoners in the world, and if they know that you're taking her back to Zaofu, they'll think you're showing favoritism. That won't help your political career.”

“I know what I'm doing, Lin. I don't care what anyone else thinks, I'm going to keep my daughter safe while she serves the rest of her sentence.”

There it was again: _daughter_. It was such a strange sensation, hearing Su call her that—not just saying that she thought of Kuvira like a daughter, but actually calling her that. A knot started to twist itself in Kuvira's throat the more she thought about it, and soon a smile of her own crept its way onto her face.

Lin uttered a small sigh, holding her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “I _suppose_ I can talk to some of the other committee members and try to sway their opinions. But I can't make any promises.”

“Thank you, Lin,” Su replied, with an appreciative nod. “I'll submit the request first thing tomorrow.”

“The sooner the better.” Lin planted her hands to her hips and turned a serious gaze to her sister. “These transfer requests take a lot of time to process even in normal cases, and Kuvira is no normal case. You're looking at months of wait time, maybe years.”

“However long it takes, I won't be giving up.”

“Su.” Kuvira leaned close against the cell door again, drawing the woman's attention. “You know you don't have to do this.”

Turning back to the cell door again, Su came close and softened her expression. “Of course I do. I wasted too much time messing things up with you, _failing_ you... I'm going to make sure that I do things right this time. Whatever it takes.”

Kuvira swallowed, fighting the growing knot in her throat. She nodded slowly, adding a small smile. “Thank you.”

“I love you, Kuvira.” Su returned the smile, then brushed a loose strand of hair away from Kuvira's face. “Don't ever forget it.”

A gentle breath eased out of Kuvira's nose, and she let her eyes close. She hadn't felt this... comforted, this _safe_ , in a long time. “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is mostly a bridge chapter, and ended up being I think the shortest one so far. I just wanted to reveal a bit about Anraq, since he's a new character, and show how there's the start of a friendship between him and Kuvira. Then of course, Su finding out about the Kuvira incident and being none too happy about it... it made sense to me that she'd want to take things into her own hands, even if Lin has to play it like she has everything under control.


	7. Teatime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira starts to realize that she has deeper emotions for the Avatar. Starring a special guest character. Also, Anraq has a fanboy moment.

“No, I'm telling you, it's a bad idea,” Anraq said, with wave of his hand. “I lose about ten years. It's kind of scary, actually.”

Kuvira pursed her lips and gave him a mock frown, teasing. “Oh it can't be that bad. You'd look fine.”

“Ha, yeah, easy for you to say,” he replied, with a roll of his eyes. “You haven't actually seen me without my beard. But I have, and I can say for certain that you don't want to.”

She chuckled, looking closer at him through the slot in the cell door. Now she was trying to imagine him without the beard, though she doubted her imagination would actually come up with the correct image. “I don't know, you have me pretty curious now.”

Anraq cleared his throat and shifted his weight to his other foot, while keeping his arms crossed. He looked a bit flustered, but tried to keep up his poise regardless. “Be that as it may, I am not shaving it off. The last time I did that, I couldn't buy alcohol at any bar in the city. Even with my ID! They always thought it was fake.”

“Well now I'm even more curious,” she said, with a laugh.

“I'm sure you are, but fact remains. Not shaving.”

The sound of footsteps approaching interrupted the conversation. Anraq turned around to see Lin approaching, and immediately stood at attention to give her a salute.

“Evening, Chief.”

“At ease, Anraq,” Lin stated, with a lifted eyebrow. When the guard finally relaxed, she added, “You're looking well, considering this is your third extra shift this week. You should really take some more time off to rest.”

“Eh, I don't mind. I like this job.” Anraq glanced back at Kuvira a moment, and gave a smile. Then, he turned back to Lin. “Besides, I need the extra yuans. I'm saving up for a new satomobile. But... what are you doing here this late?”

“Oh, that's right, you're new to guard duty here...” Lin let out a small sigh and planted one of her hands to her hips. “I'm here to supervise the visit. They have spirit world time together, and that's one of the conditions.”

Anraq's furrowed his brow, a look of confusion coming to his face.“Spirit world? They...?”

It was then that the person accompanying Lin made herself known, by walking around her into view. She smiled, and extended her hand to shake. “Hey there. Anraq, was it? It's nice to meet you.”

The moment that he realized who it was, Anraq's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He stared a moment, unable to actually bring himself to shake the woman's hand. “A-Avatar Korra?!” His mouth hung agape, and he glanced back at Kuvira. “You didn't tell me you got visits from the _Avatar!_ ”

“Well, uh...” Kuvira blinked at him, then glanced to Korra. Evidently, this was a big deal for him. “I guess it just never came up.”

Anraq immediately turned back to Korra and reached out to shake her hand. His mouth had gone ear to ear, turning into a giddy smile. “I'm a big fan, Avatar Korra. I mean, the things you've done for the world, everything you've accomplished, _and_ you're a Southern Water Tribe native like myself! You've been a _huge_ inspiration to me.”

“Oh, well thank you,” Korra replied, maintaining her own smile. “That's so nice of you to say. And please, you can just call me Korra.”

“Hmph,” Lin muttered. She had moved over near the cell door, watching the two interact. Leaning towards Kuvira, she added, “Seems like someone's a little starstruck.”

Kuvira swallowed, and gave a slow nod. “Looks like it...”

With a low sigh, Kuvira stepped back away from the door and brushed her hair back out of her face. She knew she shouldn't be feeling the sudden sting that jolted through her chest, but she couldn't help it. Korra was an amazing person, of course, and so many people looked up to her, but that only reminded Kuvira just how different they were, at least in the eyes of the people. The Avatar had always done great things, wonderful things... Kuvira, terrible things that she still had to atone for. Would people ever look up to her again, the same way they did to the Avatar now? That seemed... impossible.

“Oh, you probably have no idea, but we actually fought together several years back, during the Water Tribe Civil War,” Anraq continued, his entire focus completely on Avatar Korra. “Well, I mean, not _really_ together, but we were in the same general vicinity. I helped your father fight off some of those Northern invaders a couple times, though.”

“Well, you have my thanks for that, too,” Korra replied. “I know that was a difficult time for everyone involved.” The Avatar paused, and her eyebrows suddenly lifted, a thoughtful look coming to her face. A second later, she renewed her smile. “Hey, crazy idea... Would you like to train with me sometime? I mean, all my friends are either earthbenders, firebenders, airbenders, or non-benders—it's been _ages_ since I've had some one on one waterbending practice.”

The color practically drained from Anraq's face. “Are... you serious?”

Korra chuckled. “Well, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't serious.”

“O-of course!” he exclaimed, lowering himself into a bow. “It would be an honor! I'm not sure how well I'll measure up against the Avatar, but I'll do my best.”

“Thanks. It'll be great to focus on my waterbending again after so long.”

Lin raised an eyebrow at Korra. “What about Kya? She's a waterbender, and a damn good one at that.”

Korra shrugged. “Well, I would ask her, but she always seems so busy, I don't want to bother her. Come to think of it...she's been spending a lot of time with you lately.”

“ _What?_ ” Lin's eyes went wide, and she suddenly stiffened. “Where on earth did you get that idea?”

“Well, Asami and I saw you two together at the mover theater last week,” she explained, “and before that I saw you both waiting in line to take a turtleduck boat ride across the bay.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” the police chief insisted, as she folded her arms defiantly across her chest. “I don't do sentimental crap like that.”

Korra lifted a disbelieving eyebrow. “Yeah, well she's always talking about you when she's at Air Temple Island.”

“Wait,” Anraq said, giving the Chief a curious look, “is that who I saw you with at Kwong's a couple weeks ago?”

Lin's posture faltered. She stammered a bit, and then cleared her throat. “I-I have no idea what you're talking about. I haven't been to that place in ages.”

“Really?” He leaned closer to Lin with a knowing smirk. “Because my buddy is the chef there, and when I was visiting him I _know_ I saw you in one of the booths way in the back of the restaurant, with some woman. And that's a pretty fancy place to be taking someone...”

“Anraq,” Lin stated, shooting him glare that could have punched a hole through platinum, “do you like your job?”

“Uh...yes?”

“Then you'll drop the subject. _Now_.”

Anraq stiffened, and then bowed his head with a sigh. “Yes, Chief...”

“Let's do what we came here for already,” Lin muttered, as she led the way into Kuvira's cell.

When they were inside, Korra approached Kuvira with a friendly wave. “Hey, sorry I haven't visited in a while. I was busy with meetings all last week, and the week before, you were... Well, that was the incident. How are you, by the way? I heard about what happened... it sounded horrible.”

“I'm alright, but thank you,” she said, with a nod. “Anraq is a pretty good healer.” She gave a glance over to the cell door, and then leaned closer to Korra, as if trying to tell her something in secret. But she still kept her voice raised enough to carry outside the cell. “Maybe not as perfect as he thinks he is, but good enough.”

“I _heard_ that,” Anraq said, as his face appeared in the open window slot a moment later.

“I know.” Kuvira shot him a smirk, and when he moved away from the window with a grumble, she let out a small laugh.

“That's good to hear,” Korra said, glancing back towards the door. “He seems like a nice person.”

“Yeah, he is.” Kuvira's smile grew without even realizing it. “He's...actually been keeping me company since then. It's nice, having someone to talk to on a regular basis.”

“Well, any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Now, you ready to get started?”

Kuvira followed Korra to the floor, and shifted into her meditative posture. “Definitely.”

* * *

“That's it.” Kuvira held a hand to her chin and watched closely. “Just spread your arms out a little more. Good.”

Korra held her arms out as far as they could go, trying to offset the balance from her legs. Standing on one leg, she had her other straight up in the air while she leaned forward, her torso parallel to the ground. While the strength in her legs could hold herself up as long as she needed, she had issues with tilting too far to one side and stumbling.

“Am I getting it right?” Korra asked.

"Your leg is falling a little...here, let me help.” Kuvira walked up behind her and reached out to take hold of Korra's leg. She pushed it straighter upwards, while reaching down with her other hand to straighten Korra's shoulders. A moment after she grabbed on, however, she paused, blinking. A strange warmth started to creep its way into her chest, but she wasn't even sure of the cause of it. “Uh...”

“Is everything okay?” Korra asked, trying to glance back over her shoulder.

“Y-yeah,” she replied, with a nod of her head. Her hands gave an involuntary squeeze and she felt her face fluster. “It's just... you, uh... you have a lot of muscle. You're very... strong.”

“Oh, well thanks,” Korra said, with a chuckle. “I do work out a lot. So, is this better?”

“Uh... yeah, yeah that's good. Just keep holding it like this... But, um, try to keep your head up.” She moved her hand and tilted Korra's head a bit higher. “Like...like this.”

“Oh, that's much more comfortable.” Korra paused a moment, then laughed again and tilted her gaze as much towards the other woman as she could from this position. “You can let go now, I think I can hold this.”

“Oh!” Kuvira immediately removed her hands from Korra and took a step backward. “Right. Of course, sorry. Alright... now just try the leap I showed you.”

Korra took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Her eyes closed a moment, and after she felt ready she opened them again and bent her leg low. In one singluar motion, she pushed off and jumped forward, while in the process spinning fully around with her arms spread outward. She landed one foot, toes meeting the grass and pivoting with precision as she continued her spin until she was in a crouch, with her other leg extended forward.

After a few moments of holding the ending pose, Korra looked up and smiled. “How was that?”

Kuvira didn't say anything, at first. She was too busy staring, with her mouth partially open. She wasn't even sure quite why she was staring... except that she had been so captivated by Korra during the whole process of that one simple dance move that she felt... in awe. It took a few moments to realize that she was practically caught in a trance, but for some reason she couldn't break out of it.

 _What am I doing? Say something... say_ _ **something**_.

“Beautiful...” she said, at last. A second later, she blinked, and the revelation of what she'd just said finally snapped herself back to reality. “Uh, perfect, I mean, that was perfect. You really nailed it.”

“Woo! Score one for the Avatar!” Korra jumped straight back up to her feet and pumped her fist in triumph, a huge grin spread across her face. “I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this.”

“Yeah...yeah you definitely are,” Kuvira uttered.

Korra paused, with her eyebrows raised and lips pressed together. “Are... you alright? You're staring.”

“Wha- yes, I'm fine.” Kuvira shook her head and brushed her hair back, a sigh drifting past her lips. “Sorry. So, uh, I guess it's time to head back then. Our time is almost up.”

“Actually, we have a whole 'nother hour,” Korra said, with a smirk. “I convinced Lin to extend our time since we haven't done this in a couple weeks.”

“Oh,” she replied, with a blank stare. Well, she hadn't been expecting that. “Why didn't you say so before?”

“Because, I wanted it to be a surprise.” Korra shifted a little, while pressing two of her fingers together. “See, there's someone I want you to meet, and... well, I think it'll be good for you.”

Kuvira's brow twitched with puzzlement. “Someone you want me to meet? In the spirit world?”

“Mhm.” Reaching out, Korra took hold of Kuvira's hand and then started tugging her forward, breaking out into a run. “Come on, I'll show you!”

* * *

It only took a few minutes to make it to their destination. Almost immediately after they had started running off, they'd entered a dense forward, split by a clearly marked path with glowing plants lining it the entire way. Then, they had made it through the forest within mere minutes, as if some unknown force were pushing them through it at a remarkable pace.

When they exited the forest, they came to a small clearing. Visible some distance away was a small table set up in the middle of the clearing. It seemed so... random. At the table, Kuvira could just make out someone sitting in one of the chairs and pouring a teapot.

“Alright, you go ahead and meet him,” Korra stated, giving Kuvira an encouraging push forward.

“Wait, you're not coming?”

“No, this is someone you should meet on your own. I'll be waiting right here when you're done.

Kuvira hesitated a moment, giving another look at the table in the distance. Then, she glanced back at Korra again. “What am I supposed to say to him?”

“Don't worry about that. Just... talk to him. Have a conversation. I think it'll really help you.”

“Um... alright, then.” Kuvira breathed in a deep breath and then headed towards the middle of the clearing. As she drew closer, the man at the table came further into focus. He was an old man, it looked like, with a bald head and large grey beard. The green and gold robes he worse covered a round figure, and as she neared, he looked up at her with a warm smile.

“Um, hello,” Kuvira said, giving the man an awkward look. She still wasn't sure if she should even be here, or who the man even was.

“Why hello there,” he replied, mainting his friendly smile. He gestured to the chair across from him at the other side of the table. “You must be Kuvira. Korra has told me much about you.”

“Oh...” Kuvira sat in the empty chair and pulled herself forward. “And... what exactly has she told you about me?”

“Oh, many good things, don't you worry,” he said, with a soft chuckle. “But also many troubles that you're going through.”

Kuvira didn't reply. She merely looked away, uttering a small sigh.

“Would you like to play a game with me?”

“What?” She looked back at him again to see him gesturing down at the table. It was then that she noticed a Pai Sho board set up between them. “Oh... sure, I suppose.”

“Excellent,” the man said, as he began setting up the tiles. “Korra tells me you're very good at Pai Sho, and I do enjoy a challenge.”

Kuvira was quiet again, as she watched him finish setting up the tiles. He gestured toward her, indicating that she could move first, and so she reached down to move one of her tiles. “So, uh... who are you, exactly? If you don't mind my asking.”

“Oh, not at all,” the man said, with another delighted chuckle. “Forgive me for not introducing myself, it sometimes slips my mind. My name is Iroh.”

Kuvira's eyebrows lifted at the name. She gave the man a closer look, tilted her head, studied him... and then she realized that he seemed very familiar, as if she'd seen illustrations of him somewhere before. “Not... _General_ Iroh? Of the Hundred Year War?”

“The very same.”

“Oh,” she uttered, with a sudden twinge of surprise shooting through her. Of all the people she expected to meet in her lifetime, Iroh was certainly not one of them. “I've read about you before. In _The Siege of Ba Sing Se_.”

“Ah, I like that book.” Iroh grinned, and gave his round belly a gentle pat as he moved one of his own Pai Sho tiles. “The illustrations make me look much thinner.”

Kuvira studied the board a moment, and then selected another tile to move. “You withdrew from that battle after six hundred days, correct?”

Iroh held up his hand and tilted it back and forth a bit. “Ehh, more like five-hundred-and-ninety-two, but that doesn't make for a nice round number.”

“And... it was because of your son?”

“Ah, yes...” Iroh's demeanor sank a little, as he moved another of his tiles. “After Lu Ten fell in battle, I lost my drive to fight. I knew I couldn't continue to lead the siege like that—and I didn't want to. I couldn't bring myself to keep throwing away the lives of my troops. So, I withdrew from the city in defeat.”

Kuvira lowered her gaze, eyes closing. “Because your family was more important to you than your conquest...”

Iroh hummed out a thoughtful breath, sitting straighter in his seat. Since it was still Kuvira's turn, he didn't pay attention to the Pai Sho board for now. “I have a question for you now, Kuvira. You were a military commander at one point, yes? In a sense, at least. Tell me, what would you have done in my position?”

“I...” Kuvira pressed a finger to one of her tiles, as if to move it, but she soon pulled her hand back and hung her head. Her hair billowed out in front of her face, like a veil. “I would have kept fighting. I would have pushed my emotions down and continued the siege, until I'd broken through the inner wall and taken the city.”

“Hmm...” Iroh stroked his beard, lips pressed together. “You don't seem very pleased with that answer.”

“No... I'm not. I would have been wrong.” Kuvira lifted her head a bit, but still didn't look up at Iroh. Instead, she stared down at the Pai Sho board. “It's exactly that kind of thinking that brought me to where I am now—in prison, paying for the horrific things I did.”

A moment of silence passed between them. Iroh raised his hands, setting them in his sleeves as he gazed at Kuvira, thinking. Eventually, he breathed inward and spoke. “You remind me much of my nephew—you might know him as Lord Zuko. He, too, started out as a bitter enemy of the Avatar, and did many regrettable things to many people. There were many who despised him, and who thought he could never change. It took much time, but he proved them wrong. He became the best of friends with Avatar Aang, and worked very hard to make right the things he had done wrong, to work in making the world a better place for everyone. Over time, the people who had hated him grew to love him, and respect him. It was a difficult road for him to follow, but he found his redemption.”

Kuvira said nothing, still staring at the Pai Sho board. She wasn't entirely sure why Iroh was telling her this. She supposed there were certain similarities, but it seemed forced to her, like he was just trying to make her feel better. She couldn't honestly believe that anyone would seriously compare her to someone as highly regarded as Lord Zuko.

Iroh breathed out another small sigh, setting his hands down on the table. His eyes never lost their warmth, though, their comfort. “Before he could find forgiveness from others, however, Zuko had to learn to forgive himself. Forgiveness of oneself is the most important step in coming to terms with the things you've done.”

Kuvira shook her head. “I... don't know that I can do that. The times are different now, and I'm not Lord Zuko. I'm just Kuvira... the former Great Uniter. I did too much to too many people.”

“Korra does not seem to think so,” Iroh insisted. “You've become good friends with her, from what I can see.”

“Korra...” A strange warmth spread through her chest at the thought of Korra, but she fought it down. She knew what those emotions were that she was starting to feel, but she couldn't let them grow. There were too many reasons why. Even so, she raised a hand and pressed her fingers against the pendant around her neck, the one Korra had given her. Just feeling the cool metal in her touch eased her nerves, and comforted her. “She shows me a kindness I don't deserve. I am grateful for it, so much, but... it doesn't change anything. My being friends with the Avatar won't make people forget the things I've done.”

“No one is saying that you must make them forget. But you must give them reason to move on, and to see that you are working to become better than you were. Our pasts don't have to determine who we are, Kuvira. They merely create the starting points for who we're going to be. It is up to us to figure out who that someone is.”

Again, Kuvira didn't reply. She simply closed her eyes and bowed her head again.

“Would you like some tea?” Iroh poured a fresh cup into one of the teacups next to the Pai Sho board, then offered to her. “It's Jasmine.”

Kuvira glanced up and blinked at the teacup. After a long, lingering moment, she reached out and accepted it. “That's my favorite...”

“Yes, I know.” Iroh gave another warm smile. “It's my favorite, too.”

When the tea met her tongue, Kuvira's eyebrows lifted. She gulped down a large mouthful, savoring the flavor and allowing the warmth to fill her. Gently, she eased out a satisfied breath. “I know this brew... it's just like Korra's.”

Iroh chuckled. “Well, I should hope so. I am the one who taught her the recipe, after all.”

“That was you? I never imagined...”

“Yes, that was me,” he said, with a nod. “I'm glad to know you like it.”

“I really do.” She smiled, then took another sip. “It's... wonderful tea.”

“Why thank you, Kuvira. Now, let's finish our game, shall we?”

* * *

Korra pushed herself away from the tree she had been leaning against, when Kuvira finally returned. “So, how'd that go?”

“It went... well,” Kuvira said, glancing back over her shoulder. Iroh gave her a wave from the table, and she waved back. “He beat me at Pai Sho...”

Korra laughed. "Don't feel too bad; he always beats me, too." She paused a moment, then took a step closer. “What did you talk about?"

"He..." Kuvira paused, glancing downward at the grass. "He told me some things that I don't think I fully agree with... but that I think I needed to hear. He's a good man."

"That definitely sounds like Iroh. I've learned a lot from him, and he's always there to give me important advice when I need it, usually the kind I really need to hear.”

“I believe that.”

“So, you ready to head back to our bodies?” Korra asked.

“Yeah,” she said, giving the Avatar a soft look. She hesitated a moment, then sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “But first, uh... there's something I need to tell you.”

“Oh?” Korra came a step closer, an eyebrow raised. “What is it?”

“I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me,” Kuvira said. She looked back up at Korra, deep in her eyes. That familiar compassion found her there, and in moments her heart began to thud against her chest. “Before I went to prison, I never would have imagined we'd actually become friends. I thought you were my worst enemy, that we could only hate each other... and when you showed up at my cell to visit me that first time, I thought you had come to mock me.” She eased out a gentle laugh and lowered her gaze slightly, smiling. “But you proved me wrong... and now you're the best friend I have. I wouldn't trade that for anything.” She swallowed, finding it suddenly difficult as an emotional lump had knotted in her throat. “ You... you really mean a lot to me.”

Korra beamed a comforting smile, and reached forward to place a hand on the other woman's shoulder. Kuvira looked up again in response, once again captivated by the kindness in the Avatar's eyes. “You're so welcome. I knew you were never a terrible person, Kuvira, just that you were put in a position to make hard decisions, and some bad mistakes. I know that one day you'll be able to show that to other people, as well. It might not be soon, but eventually they'll see in you what I see in you—that you're a good person deep down, and you deserve a second chance.”

Kuvira couldn't find words to respond, too choked up on her own emotions to make an attempt. She half-feared that if she tried to open her mouth and thank Korra, she'd lose herself and break down, and she couldn't do that, not in front of the Avatar. So, she said nothing, and instead reached forward to pull Korra close, hugging her and not letting go. The act surprised even herself, and for a moment she was afraid that Korra would push her away... but that didn't happen. Korra wrapped her own arms around Kuvira and deepened the hug, offering a comfort that was similar and yet altogether different than the kind that Su gave her. This was... something more, in Kuvira's mind.

She never wanted it to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's Iroh making his contractually obligated appearance, like he does for pretty much every fan fic that goes to the spirit world (at least in pretty much every one I've read lol). But that's okay, it's Iroh... he's awesome. I also really wanted Kuvira to have a conversation with him, because the dynamic between them played off nicely, and I thought he could really give her some advice that she needed. And yeah, I purposefully didn't tag him yet, because I didn't want to ruin the surprise before the chapter even starts.
> 
> Also, yes, it is now nearly impossible for me to not ship Korvira. There's just... too much damn chemistry I barely know what to do with it all. I still don't think it'll end up happening in this fic, because right now the attraction is definitely one sided (with Korra being mostly oblivious), but... who knows. These characters keep surprising me every time I write them.
> 
> Oh, and Anraq fanboying over meeting Korra. Just a little something I thought would be funny, since they're both around the same age and were both from the Southern Water Tribe. Made sense that's he'd be a big fan of hers.
> 
> And yeah, that's some Kyalin in the background there... because I ship that with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, so *innocent whistle*


	8. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira finally brings herself to write letters to her family, Anraq sings terrible folk songs, and a once shattered family finally comes together again.

Kuvira took a deep breath and tapped her pen against the pad of paper in front of her. She sat straight in her chair, rigid, already feeling a stiffening anxiety running through her. And she hadn't even started writing yet. She had tried this so many times, and yet she still had never been able to put her thoughts into words. But it had been too long now... she needed to do this.

Letting out her breath slowly, she finally pressed the tip of the pen down, and began her first letter.

_Baatar, Sr.,_

_I know what you must think of me. You took me into your home, raised me, gave me a family, and I repaid you with betrayal. I have no excuses for it, only my regrets. I am the disappointment and failure that I never wanted you to see me as, and I'm sorry for never living up to your expectations._

_I am so sorry for the pain I caused. I had no right to do what I did, to you or anyone else, and now I'm paying for it. Someday, maybe, I'll be able to change how people see me. Perhaps I won't bring you as much shame then as I do now._

_I want you to know that I'm glad you came to visit that one time. Even if we didn't speak to each other, even if you never entered the cell, I was happy to see you. Thank you for everything you've done for me, and again, I am so sorry._

Kuvira gave the letter a second look, reading it back to hereslf. She already hated it, and knew it was terrible, but she couldn't come up with anything else. So, she tore the sheet of paper off the pad and set it aside, then started the next letter.

_Wing and Wei,_

_This letter is a long time coming, I think. It took me a lot of time to figure out what to write, to put my thoughts and emotions into words, but here it is. I know the things I did were terrible. I know I hurt a lot of people, my family most of all. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong. So very wrong. I'm sorry for everything I put you through, you and the rest of your family. I know it might be impossible, but I hope that one day I can make it up to you. To everyone._

_I want to thank you both for the time you came to visit with your mother. It seems like so long ago now, and I know it was awkward and you didn't want to hear anything I had to say, but it was nice to see the two of you, even if only briefly. Maybe one day I'll be able to see you again._

_How's your power disc development coming? The last I remember, you two were trying to think of new variations to make the game more exciting. I'm sorry I was always too busy to play whenever you asked me. I think I actually would have liked it. Maybe someday I'll finally get the chance._

Kuvira groaned and held her head in her hands briefly. These were horrible. How she ever thought writing letters would be a good idea... Still, she moved on. After tearing the second letter out of the pad, she started on the next.

_Opal,_

_I'm sorry it took me this long to write something. I wanted to so many times, but I could never figure out what to say, and I guess I figured you didn't want to hear from me anyway. A part of me hoped that you would visit sometime, but now I realize how foolish that was. I wouldn't visit me, either, if I were in your shoes._

_I know I hurt you a lot, with the things I did. I never meant to. I never wanted to. But I took things way too far, and I didn't realize it until it was too late, until I had already hurt so many. I am so sorry for everything. I'm trying to make up for the things I've done, trying to be a better person. I don't know if it will ever make a difference, but I have to try. I owe it to everyone to change, to be better._

_How are things going with Bolin? I know how much you care about him, and I'm sorry for ever putting a rift between you two. I almost ruined what you two had because I was blind and stupid. Just another of my many mistakes. Tell him I'm sorry for everything I put him through. It might not mean much, but I want him to know._

_This letter might not change anything, I know. It might just make you angrier, or hate me more, and I know you more than likely won't visit or write back. Regardless, I just want you to know, I miss my little sister._

She tore out the page and set it with the other letters, but did so with a twisting knot in her gut. She hated it, knew that Opal was just going to throw it away. Why was she even writing these stupid letters? They were going to hate her even more than they already did.

Looking down at the next blank page, Kuvira breathed deep and swallowed. It was time for the letter she had been truly dreading...

_Baatar,_

_I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from. I know how much I must have hurt you, how much pain I caused you. I know I don't deserve any kind of forgiveness from you. But I'm so sorry. For everything. I loved you. I still love you. I was so ready to spend the rest of my life with you, but my ambitions got in the way. I made the biggest mistake of my life by betraying you, and I can't ever take that back._

_I don't even know if they'll give you this letter, if you're still serving your own time. I know your mother said you had worked out a deal with Raiko to reduce your sentence. I'm glad to hear that. You shouldn't have to be in prison for the things I did. When you do get out, I know you'll make something good of yourself. You were always good, and you'll be better than you ever were with me._

_You won't ever forgive me, I know that. I'm not naive enough to hope for it. But I hope you can move on. I know you can. Leave me where I belong, in your past, and be great. I only knew how to hurt people, but there are so many you'll be able to help. You have a brilliant mind, and you won't have me holding you back anymore._

_I know it's not something I deserve, but please, I hope to hear back from you. Even if it's just to tell me that you never want to speak to me again, which I would fully understand. I just can't spend these years not knowing, wondering. Please._

Kuvira wiped her eyes dry and swore under her breath. Her damn tears had dripped down onto the page and smudged a few of the words. It made the letter look pathetic, desperate... but she wasn't going to write it again. She didn't think she could bring herself to do that—it hurt too much. Fortunately, that was the last of the letters she had to write, with both Su and Huan having already forgiven her. Even that was more than she deserved, but she was still grateful for them.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself away from the table and then gathered the stack of letters together. When she had them in a nice neat pile, she walked back over to the cell door and stuck her arm out the open slot.

“Here.”

Anraq glanced up from his paper and then turned towards the door, with a smile. “Hey, look at that, you finally did it. I knew you'd figure it out eventually.”

Kuvira sighed again, and then pulled her hand back after Anraq took the letters from her. “Still took me another year to finally go through with writing them. Please... just make sure they go out.”

“I'll hand them to the Chief first thing when my shift is over,” he replied, with a nod. He walked over to the table next to his station and set the letters down atop it. “She'll be better at getting these to where they need to go. Since, you know, her family, too.”

“Thanks.” Kuvira returned a half smile, but her gaze lowered, expression distant.

“Are you...alright? That couldn't have been easy to get through.”

She nodded, and sucked in another slow breath. “I'll be fine... I just need to take my mind off it and stop worrying.”

“Hmm.” Anraq held a finger to his lips in thought, then snapped his fingers and went around to the other side of his table. “In that case hold on, I got just the thing.”

Kuvira watched curiously, as the guard rummaged around his belongings in the corner, until he finally pulled up a recognizable object. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Sure is.” Anraq grinned, and held the stringed instrument carefully in both hands. “My trusty yueqin.”

“I thought you weren't ever going to bring it in?” she said, with a raised eyebrow. “I believe your exact words were, 'not even if you stuffed my pants with meat and unleashed a pack of wolverine jackals on me'. Which, incidentally, I would pay to see.”

“Yeah, well, what can I say? You have that effect on me.”

“And what effect is that?”

Anraq strummed out a couple of notes on the yueqin and smirked at her. “The kind that makes me want to make a complete fool of myself.”

“Is that right?” Kuvira found herself smiling in response, and brought her face closer to the door slot to watch him. “So, you're going to sing for me now, then?”

“Well, I'm going to try. But I warn you, I'm not very good.”

Kuvira's smile widened, intrigued. “I'll be the judge of that.”

Anraq cleared his throat a moment, then made sure his yueqin was positioned properly in his grasp. He gave the strings a few more test strums, and then finally worked it into a rhythmic series of notes. With a deep breath, he sang, “Ohhh there once was a badger mole, who dug a really deep hole, but he didn't know where to go! Oh he dug and he dug and made his own way, and decided to go with the flow!”

The moment that Anraq started to sing, Kuvira cringed a little. So perhaps he hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't very good. It didn't help that the lyrics of the song itself were just plain... weird. Still, she held her smile, as hard as that was, and let him finish the song.

When it was over, she pursed her lips and nodded slowly.“That was...interesting.”

“You see, I told you,” Anraq replied, with a knowing look. “Horrible, right?”

“Well it wasn't... I mean,  _that_ bad...maybe.”

Anraq chuckled, and waved off the comment. “Yeah, I know, I'm not exactly cut out to be a musician, but since I got this thing out out, let's try again. At least this one is an old classic.” Again, he cleared his throat to warm up his voice, started to play his instrument, and then began the next song .“Two lovers, forbidden from one another, a war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart, built a path to be together.”

Kuvira's eyebrows lifted, and she had to stop herself from bursting out with a laugh. Oh she knew that song, alright. “Spirits, you are not seriously singing  _Secret Tunnel_.”

“Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel!” he sang, responding to her comment with only a large grin as he belted out the lyrics. “Through the mountain! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!”

“Oh my...” Kuvira stifled another laugh, having to clamp her hand over her mouth until she calmed hereslf. “Well that was... better?”

“Hey, I nailed that song and you know it.”

“If you say so.”

“Alright, alright, one more. Now, no judging, this one was my favorite growing up as a kid.” Anraq twisted a couple of the knobs on the yueqin to adjust the strings, and then started to play. “Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home, brave soldier boy, comes marching home.”

Kuvira's expression changed, as she listened to the song. Not only was this song leaps and bounds better than the first two, but Anraq's voice was softer, gentler... and it actually sounded pretty good, or at least better than before. There was something sad in those lyrics, something emotional... and it touched Kuvira in a way she hadn't expected.

“So... was that any better?” Anraq asked, as he set the yueqin down on the table.

“Uh, yeah, that was... that was great,” she replied, her voice almost catching in her throat.

“Okay, okay, no need to mock me,” he said, with another flippant hand wave.

“No, really, I mean it. I really liked that one.”

“Oh, well... huh. Thank you, then.” Anraq folded his arms, and sat down in the chair next to his table, but turned it so that he was facing the cell door. “So, how's the whole transfer request thing coming, by the way? I haven't heard anything about it in a while.”

“I'm not sure... as far as I know, it's still 'under review',” Kuvira said. “Raiko keeps doing his best to stonewall it, but Su never stops pushing. I'm hoping they'll come to a decision soon.”

It had been a little more than a year since Su had submitted the request. It had taken five months just for it to finally go through and start being reviewed by the committee. Since then, it had been a long, slow process of meetings, debates, and arguments. Raiko and some other of the world leaders were wholly against the idea. After all, relinquishing an international prisoner of the United Republic of Nations over to an independent city state, even if the prisoner's place of origin, was seen as blatant favoritsm and preferential treatment.

But Lin and Su had been doing their part in convincing the committee that Kuvira wasn't safe in Republic City's prison. There were a lot of people there who still hated her for what she had done to the city, and the people she had hurt; what happened with Garza and Tousa could very well end up happening again, and the next time they might not be so lucky. Several of the committee members had come around, but still no agreement had been made. At the very least, the request hadn't yet been rejected.

“And... do you  _want_  to go to Zaofu?” Anraq asked, with a curious look.

Kuvira looked down a little, and thought a moment. It was a fair question, and one she had thought about a lot lately. “Well... it  _is_  my home. And, between you and me, the prison there is nicer than this one, so I wouldn't mind the upgrade in living space. But... at the same time, I'm oddly content here. If the request  _is_  denied, I suppose I won't be as disappointed as I probably should be.”

“Well, you do have me here, too,” Anraq added, with a confident smirk. “So what's not to love, right?”

A chuckle found its way of out Kuvira's lips, and she smiled. “Yes, there's that, too. So, what about you? How's training with the Avatar going?”

Anraq's face lit up at the question. “Are you kidding me? It's  _amazing!_  I mean... I always thought I was a pretty good waterbender, but Korra is on another level. I've learned more with her in the past year than I did in my entire life before, no joke. I've improved a ton, I think.”

Kuvira's thoughts drifted a little, as she thought about Korra. In the past year, the feelings she had started to form towards the Avatar had only grown. While at first she had tried to ignore them, and tell herself that she was being foolish, she could no longer deny them. She  _liked_  Korra... and in a much deeper way than she should. It was hard, forcing herself to hold back, but she knew she couldn't let anything come of this. There were too many reasons why it would never work, not the least of which included Korra being with Asami, Kuvira herself being in prison, and the feelings she still had for Baatar, as doomed as that relationship was.

“Well, that's good to hear...” Kuvira said, with a gentle nod. “I'm happy for you.”

Anraq gave her a closer look and hummed out a breath, thinking. Kuvira had a look on her face, a distant look, as though she were longing for something. “Hey, you never know. They might give you some yard time eventually. You know, let you stretch your muscles for real. Even a little bending under heavy supervision is better than nothing.”

“But in the meantime, I have nothing,” she said, with a simple shrug. “I can't imagine how rusty I've become.”

The thought of being able to bend again... she did want it. Very much, in fact. Like any bender, bending was a part of her, of who she was, and for the last three years she hadn't been allowed to do it. Some prisoners were allowed time in the prison yard for exercise, and where they could get in some general bending practice, even if under heavy supervision. But for prisoners like Kuvira, that was impossible.

“Well, you were a great bender before, you'll pick it up quickly again the next time you're able to bend,” Anraq insisted. “It's like riding an ostrich horse, as they say.”

The sound of footsteps coming down the corridor drew his attention, and when he turned he noticed the second shift guard heading their way. With a small yawn, he got up from his seat and then grabbed Kuvira's letters from the table. “Anyway, about time for me to get going. I will get these out for you, and see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Anraq.” Kuvira smiled, and gave him a parting wave. “Have a good night.”

“G'night, Kuvira. Sweet dreams and all.”

* * *

Kuvira flipped through the pages of her newest book, _The Incredible Life of Avatar Kiyoshi_. So far, she had greatly enjoyed reading about the longest-lived Avatar; she had known she would from the very first line in the book: “ _It is said that Avatar Kiyoshi did not fear Death, but that Death feared Avatar Kiyoshi_.” Now this was a figure she could admire.

“Uhh, hey Kuvira, you got some visitors.” Anraq interrupted her reading, looking into the cell from the open window slot on the for. “A whole bunch, actually.”

Kuvira blinked up at the cell door, brow twisting with puzzlement. Who could be visiting her? Not just one person...but a 'whole bunch'? It couldn't be... No, it wasn't. She had sent those letters out three weeks ago, and she hadn't heard anything in response from anyone. No letters, no visits, nothing. So surely, this wasn't...

When the cell door opened, Kuvira's breath caught in her throat. She had been wrong—it _was_ them. First she saw Baatar, Sr., followed by Wing and Wei, with Huan bringing up the rear. There was of course no Baatar, Jr., and she saw no sign of Opal, either, but even so, her body practically shuddered with surprise.

“Hello, Kuvira,” said Baatar. He approached the bed, where she was sitting, and clasped his hands in front of himself.

Wing glanced back and forth, awkwardly. He eventually cleared his thrust and have a quiet, “Hey.”

Wei frowned, then sighed a soft breath. “Yeah, hey...”

Huan, on the other hand, gave her a wave and retained his usual indifferent demeanor. “Hello.”

“You... you all came?” Kuvira looked back and forth between them, feeling her heart thump against her chest. “I... I don't even know what to say. I never thought...”

“Let me start, please.” Baatar came forward a step and took in a deep breath. “Kuvira... I want you to know, I never thought of you as a disappointment, or a failure. But I believe I am guilty of never showing you the same kind of care that I showed the rest of my children, and for that I'm sorry. I know it's something you've already talked about with Su, but I have to reiterate it. I can't ignore our actions that pushed you away, and had a part in shaping the things you did. That's a responsibility that I have to accept. I know a lot has happened between all of us... but I think it's something that's worth working towards mending. I only wish I hadn't been so stubborn and angry, and realized that sooner.”

“Sir, I...” she uttered, barely getting her words out of her throat. “I'm sorry, too, I...”

“Please, Kuvira, you don't need to apologize anymore,” he said, with a shake of his head. “I want us to move forward, not dwell on the past.”

Kuvira swallowed a tight knot, and nodded gently. Then, she looked over at the twins. “And... Wing, Wei?”

“Yeah, so... you know,” Wing started, clearing his throat. “Pretty much the same as he said.”

“Except we were pretty sure you still hated us, too,” Wei added. “Partially why we didn't say anything during our previous visit.”

“What?” Kuvira blinked, confused. “Why would I... I never hated you.”

Wing looked away shamefully. “Well, there was that whole incident where we tried to...”

“...assassinate you in your sleep?” Wei finished. He hung his head and shook it. “Man, that was just... messed up.”

“I know...” Kuvira let out a sigh of her own. “But you two were just following Su's orders. And that's a mistake that she's already acknowledged and trying to fix. Considering everything I did, it's hardly something I can blame you for.”

“I think we've all done some... regrettable things in our lives,” Baatar, Sr. stated. “Some more than others, perhaps, but the fact remains. Kuvira, we all want to move forward with you... to put the past behind us and start fresh. What do you say?”

“I... yes,” she replied, with an eager nod. She swallowed again, and wiped dry the corners of her eyes. “Yes, of course. I want nothing more.”

A distraught sigh pulled their attention away. Huan stood in the corner of the cell, looking down at the painting he had given Kuvira, the painting that had been ruined during Garza and Tousa's assault. “Would you look at this... unbelievable. People don't appreciate good art these days.”

“Oh...” Kuvira breathed outward as she looked at the ruined painting, which had since been repaired with simple tape. “I'm sorry about that, Huan. It happened when I was assaulted by those two guards...”

“I know, Mom told me about it, which is why I brought you this.” Turning from the painting, Huan revealed a wrapped bundle that he had been holding. He offered it to her, and waited for her to unwrap it. “It represents the fragile structure of society, and how we're all just insignificant specs in an otherwise overwhelming universe.”

Kuvira's brow lifted as she gazed at the new painting, a collection of abstract brushstrokes on canvas. “Thank you, Huan... I'll try to take better care of this one.”

“Oh, hey, almost forgot,” Wei said, taking a step forward, “since you asked about power disc, you'll be interested to know—”

“—we _did_ come up with a new variation!” Wing finished. “It's called _Extreme_ Power Disc.”

“ _Triple Threat_ Power Disc. Didn't we agree on that?”

“No, are you kidding me? That sounds stupid. It's just Extreme Power Disc.”

“Fine, whatever.” Wei rolled his eyes and focused on Kuvira again. “Anyway! You play it with three players, instead of just two, and instead one disc, there's three!”

“It's absolutely crazy,” Wing continued. “I mean, you really have to be on your game.”

“Maybe once you get transferred to Zaofu, you could play with us sometime?”

“Yeah, we're pretty sure you'd get some daily exercise time, and we could totally convince Mom to let us set up a power disc arena in the prison yard. Maybe. Possibly.”

Wei nodded, then gave a glare over at Huan. “Plus we really need a third player for Extreme Power Disc. We tried getting Huan to play with us once, but... well, that went about as well as you'd expect.”

“You fired a disc at my head!” Huan exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

“Yeah, well you're supposed to deflect it,” Wei countered, with folded arms, “not scream and dive out of the way.

Wing laughed and mimicked his brother by crossing his arms across his chest. “Really, I didn't know your voice could go that high.”

“Whatever,” Huan said, with a sigh. “I don't _do_ sports. They suppress my artistic expression.”

Kuvira held back a laugh, but couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face. For a moment, she forgot she was in prison—it felt just like when they had been kids. “I'm really not sure how likely that would be... but I appreciate the thought. That does sound nice, though. I promise, first chance I ever get, we'll play. I still have to actually be transferred to Zaofu first...”

“Yes, that request is taking longer than expected,” Baatar, Sr. said. “Su is actually down at city hall right now in another meeting about it. She'll be by to visit you later today.”

“I... don't suppose any of you have heard from Opal?” she asked. “She's not with you.”

“We haven't actually heard much from her lately,” Baatar replied.

“I mean, she lives in republic City now with that boyfriend of hers,” Wei added, with a shrug. “She does send letters now and then, but...”

Wing shook his head. “Yeah, we have no idea about, uh... well, how she feels. Sorry.”

“It's fine...” Kuvira let out a quiet sigh. She should have expected as much. “I'm just happy that you came. All of you. This... it means a lot.”

* * *

“Okay, what do you think? Green, or brown?” Bolin held up two suits, one in either hand—one green and one brown. “I know I usually go with the green, but I was thinking of switching it up for tonight, you know? I have a good feeling about the brown for some reason. Maybe it's my new shoes... I think it goes better with the brown suit.”

“Hmm?” Opal glanced up at him, having to forcefully tear her attention away from the page in her hand. “Oh... yeah, sure, brown.”

“Hey, you alright?” Bolin put the suits down and sat next to his girlfriend on the the couch, in the middle of their apartment. “You've read that thing like a hundred times since you got it.”

Opal looked back down at the letter. It was true. She had read this thing so many times now that she had it memorized. That last line in particular kept repeating in her head— _I miss my little sister._

“I know,” she said, frowning. “I just... I don't know. I can't get it out of my head. I don't know what to do.”

“Well... you could always go visit her,” Bolin said, with a raised brow. When Opal stared back at him, he leaned away and held up his hands in defense. “I know, crazy idea, right? Kuvira did some pretty insane things, and I mean she tried to send me to a reeducation camp, too... but she seems to be trying to change, right? At least that's what Korra says.”

“I get that she's trying to change, I do.” Opal looked to the letter again and sighed. “And maybe she's even sincere about it, I don't know. But she _betrayed_ our entire family... she _hurt_ us. I know I should try and move on and everything, but I just... can't move past it.”

“Mhm, okay, well try to look at this from her perspective for a minute.”

Opal's brow twisted, and she sent a narrow look back at her boyfriend. “And what perspective would _that_ be?”

“Uhhh...” Bolin paused a moment, pressing his fingers together in thought. He then cleared his throat and took the letter from her. “Well, I mean, this had to be pretty difficult for her to write. Right? Let's see here...” He studied the letter a moment, and then pointed at a particular line. “Yeah, right there. She thinks you hate her, but she's still trying to reach out to you. That's got to count for something.”

“I don't... hate her,” Opal said. “I don't think... but I'm just so angry at her, no matter how hard I try to feel differently.”

“See, this is why you have to go visit her,” he insisted. “Even if it goes bad, you'll never know if you just keep sitting here all angry. Now I'm no expert, but that can't be healthy. If anything, it'll give you a chance to sort out your feelings.” He set his hands on her shoulders and gave a comforting look. “And look, you don't need to do it alone if you don't want. I'm there for you if you need me, whenever you're ready.”

Opal smiled, and gave herself a moment to think. He definitely had a point... Maybe she _should_ visit Kuvira. She hummed out a small breath, and then leaned forward to give Bolin a kiss. “Thanks, Bolin.”

“Anytime,” he replied, with a smile of his own. “And hey, she apologized to me in here, too! So, you know, it might be good for both of us. Now come on, we need to pick out a dress for you to wear tonight.” He stood up again and retrieved the suits he had set down. “We don't want to keep Korra and Asami waiting like last time. I don't want to have to use my mover star power to get us a table again if we miss our reservations. That's always awkward... and slightly embarrassing.”

“Alright,” Opal said, with a laugh. “I'm coming.”

* * *

Anraq hummed quietly to himself, as he flipped through his newspaper. The front page story had been entertaining enough— _Former Cops Get Ten Years For Savagely Beating Prisoner_. It was about damn time Garza and Tousa got their official sentences. Served them right.

When footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway, he looked up to see two figures approaching, a young man dressed in Earth Republic style clothes, and a woman accompanying him in one of those airbender wingsuits

“Oh, can I help you two?” he asked, setting down his paper.

“Um... yeah,” the woman replied. “We're here to see Kuvira? The guard at the front desk said visitor's hours were still open...”

“Oh, yeah sure.” Anraq glanced back at the cell door a moment, and then focused on the two visitors again. “I mean, I think she's taking a nap right now, but—hold on a second.” He squinted his eyes carefully at the man in green. He knew that face... “Bolin? _Bolin_ , that is you!”

“Huh?” Bolin blinked, titling his head. “Do I... know you?”

“Ha! It's me, Anraq!”

Bolin blinked again, and then he too leaned closer and squinted his eyes. A second later, his face lit up in understanding. “Whoa, hey, Anraq! I totally didn't recognize you with the beard!”

“Wait, you two know each other?” the woman asked, as she looked back and forth between them.

“Sure do,” Anraq said, with a laugh. “We played against each other in the pro-bending arena quite a few times way back in the day. Was only a couple years, but we had plenty of matches together.”

“Yeah, and let me tell you, this guy had some _killer_ moves back then,” Bolin said, giving Anraq a friendly punch on the shoulder.

“Me? I can't even _remember_ all the times you put me in the drink!”

“Yeah, but you, _you_ were an artist. Never lost a tiebreaker! Oh man, all those times you knocked Hasook flat on his face—priceless.”

“Yeah, well, I did have knack for that.” Anraq gave a confident grin, and started making a few mock bending movements. “All about getting in close and striking at just the right moment. Then... Bam!”

“So how have you been?” Bolin asked. “I see you're working for the police now, that's awesome! My brother works for them too. You remember Mako, right?”

Anraq nodded. “Yeah, I've seen him around the station a few times, actually. But I spend most of my time down here at the prison, so I haven't actually had a chance to work with him yet. What about you, though, mister big shot mover star?”

“Oh, you know, just keeping busy.” Bolin stretched out his arms and cracked his fingers, smirking. “Making movers, living life, helping the Avatar. The usual. Oh!” He put a hand to the woman's back and ushered her closer. “And this is Opal. My girlfriend! She's great.”

“Uh, heheh, hi,” Opal said, with a small wave. “Nice to meet you, Anraq.”

At the mention of the name, Anraq's eyebrows lifted, eyes widening. “Wait a minute... Opal?  _That_ Opal?”

“Um... I guess...?” Opal pushed her eyebrows together in confusion. “What other Opal are we talking about?”

“Uh, nothing, hold on.” Turning back to the cell, Anraq pounded his fist against the platinum door. “Hey, Kuvira! Visitors! Up and at 'em!”

* * *

Inside the cell, Kuvira awoke with a start. The pounding on the door ceased a moment later, but Anraq's voice took longer to subside. Within seconds, Kuvira was pushing herself out of bed. She had only half-heard what Anraq had said, not catching the part about visitors, and so assumed that he had something else important to tell her.

“Alright, I'm up. What is it?”

And then the door opened. Kuvira straightened herself when she saw who walked inside, and her stomach did a somersault. Thinking that she must be seeing things, still half asleep, she rubbed her eyes. When she took her hands away, however, Opal was still standing there.

“Hi...” Opal said, turning her head to the side a moment, as if unsure she even wanted to look at Kuvira.

“Opal?” Kuvira took a single step closer, but then stopped, not wanting to put off the other woman by coming too close. “You... you came.”

“Yeah...” she said, with a slow nod. Finally, she looked up. “I came.”

“It's good to see you.” Kuvira managed a smile, but it was hesitant. Did Opal even want to see her smiling, as if nothing had happened? “How... How have you been?”

Opal glanced away again and took in a soft breath. “I've been... pretty good. Been doing a lot of work with the other airbenders... you know, helping people. And things with Bolin have been great.”

“Aww, they have been, haven't they?” Bolin said, with a grin.

Again, Kuvira chanced a subtle smile. “Hello, Bolin... I didn't expect to see you, too.”

“Well, you know, I'm here for moral support,” he replied. “Wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I didn't help how I could.”

“I'm sorry for what I did... how I treated you.”

“Yeah, I know. I got your letter.” Bolin paused a moment and pushed his eyebrows together. “Uh, well I mean, you didn't send  _me_  a letter, obviously, you sent Opal a letter. But I got Opal's letter.” He scratched his head a second, then shook it and cleared his throat. “I mean, she let me read it and—yeah, I saw the apology, that is what I'm trying to, uh, say. But it's cool. We're cool. Like water off a turtleduck's back.”

Kuvira held back her chuckle. While Bolin had been serving under her, when she had had to be cold, and rigid, his character had been nearly insufferable. But now... now he had a certain charm. She breathed outward, turning back to Opal. “But especially you, Opal... I'm so sorry for everything. I was _awful_ to you, and to everyone else, and... I don't have a right to ask for your forgiveness, but I missed you. I... I'm glad you came.”

Opal was quiet for a long moment. She stared back at Kuvira and took in a deep breath. There was still caution and hesitation in her eyes, as she struggled with what to say. Kuvira feared she might even say nothing at all, and turn around to walk out of the cell... but then she finally spoke.

“You know... I was angry for a long time, after everything that happened.” Opal said. “I was still angry when I came here today. And I expected to still be angry when I saw you. But now I... I'm not angry anymore. I'm just sad.”

“Sad... why?”

“Everyone says you're trying to be a better person, and that you really regret the things you did, that you're not the same person who betrayed us...” Opal's gaze lowered, and she frowned. That look in her eyes... grief. Sadness. “And now that I'm standing in front of you, talking to you... I know why. I think they're actually right... about you.” She glanced up again, meeting Kuvira's gaze. She swallowed, and her voice quivered a little as she continued, “So, I'm sad that it took me this long to give you another chance. And I... I missed you, too.” Opal sucked in another breath, trying to steady her voice, but then the tears started to come. She closed her eyes tight and sniffled. “The  _real_  you... the one I grew up with. I... I miss my big sister.”

Kuvira didn't say anything else. She couldn't think of anything appropriate. Instead, she came forward, finally closing the distance between them, and wrapped her arms around the younger woman. Opal buried her face into Kuvira's shoulder, and Kuvira held a hand to the back of her head, to comfort her.

“I'm trying to be that person again, Opal. I promise... No matter what it takes, I  _promise_  I will change.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oookay, so this chapter turned out long. Like, REALLY long. I wanted to split it down into two, but in the end I decided it just wouldn't fit together separately, so I kept it. Sorry about that, but there's a lot that happened in this chapter.
> 
> I'm pretty terrible at writing letters myself, and that probably showed in Kuvira's letters, but I did my best to portray what she would want to say to her family. In the end though, it brought the family back together, so it worked. It was about time I wrote some more characters, too, so that was fun. Wing and Wei I think are my favorites to write of the Beifong men (although keeping track of which one is speaking can sometimes get confusing). Also, Bopal is freaking adorable, I don't care what anyone says. I would write them forever if this wasn't a Kuvira fic (and the thought of them going on double dates with Korra and Asami is absolutely precious to me, sorry not sorry).
> 
> It was great to try and write Bolin too, he's one of my favorite characters. I just hope I somewhat captured his unique charm. And about him knowing Anraq from way back in the day, I thought it would be a fun little piece of backstory, and going by Anraq's age and when he would have been a pro-bender, it fit in the timeline to have them have played against each other in the couple of years before they got Korra on their team.
> 
> Also, Anraq playing a yueqin and singing some terrible songs (and one good one at least) because he's a dork and I love him. Plus he needed to cheer up Kuvira at the time, so.


	9. Who Taught You How To Drive?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira's prison transfer request is finally decided. Mako, Bolin, and Opal get involved in a high speed police chase.

“And we're back for round three of the championship match between the Harbor Town Hog Monkeys and the Laogai Lion Vultures. Once again, I'm your broadcaster, Shiro Shinobi, reporting to you live from the pro-bending arena.”

“Oh, this is it, this it!” Anraq said, as he turned the knob on the radio to increase the volume. “Final round, here we go.”

“A quick recap for those of you just joining us, the Hog Monkeys just managed to sneak out a round one victory when Zhu battered a stumbling Chen into the drink in the closing seconds, giving them the edge at the bell. The Lion Vultures came back in round two with a stunning tiebreaker finish, as Ghuri walloped his earthbending counterpart Xiang with a doozy of a body shot to send him crashing off the platform. Now we take you to the third and final round and it's still anyone's match! Get ready folks, because this is sure to keep you on the edge of your seats!”

Anraq leaned close to the radio, gently pumping his fists with anticipation. “Come on, buckle down. You guys got this.”

Kuvira watched closely from the cell door, looking through the slot. Anraq had been particularly giddy listening to the matches this season, considering his old team had come out of nowhere to make it to the championship. Now in the closing round of the championship match, he was practically bouncing up and down like a child.

“How long has it been again since your team made it to the championship?” she asked.

“If I'm remembering correctly? About ten years. And before that, seven. And they lost both times.” Anraq cleared his throat and glanced at her with a slightly guilty smile. “So yeah, the Lion Vultures were never the _best_ team, but hey... we got another chance now.” And then his full attention returned to the radio. “So let's go Lion Vultures, you can do it!”

“And there's the bell!” the radio exclaimed. “Oh my, _what_ an opening volley! Xiang ducks out of the way of a mean looking shot from the firebending sensation Han and _oh!_ I don't think Chen ever saw that water coming, as Yoruk sends her spinning back into zone two. The Lion Vultures still have two players in zone one, but the Hog Monkeys are pouring on the pressure. Xiang fires a pair of discs at Ghuri, but Han protects his teammate with a couple of scorching fireballs.

“Chen isn't letting her zone two position keep her out of the game, though. She sends a couple of hard water shots at the out of position Zhu, and just like that the Hog Monkeys' firebender is back in their zone two. The two teams appear evenly matched as the round continues, with Ghuri leading the charge with a disc volley, followed up immediately by Han's renowned precision fireballs.

“But wait, what's _this?_ _Oh_ , Xiang lands a real humdinger of a shot and Han goes rolling all the way back into zone three! Ghuri's all alone in the Lion Vultures zone one and—no now he's back in zone two, after Yoruk catches him off guard! Just like that, the Hog Monkeys advance into Lion Vultures territory and now they're really turning up the heat!”

“Ahhh, come on!” Anraq groaned, running his hands back through his hair. “Wake up and start pushing them back!”

“Easy, Anraq,” Kuvira stated, with a slight smirk. “There's still plenty of time left. Save your freak out until after the match is over.”

He let out a sigh, and buried his face against his hand. “I can't help it, they're losing it!”

“Ghuri and Chen try to fend off the Hog Monkeys barrage in zone two, while Han assists how he can back in zone three, but folks it's not looking good for the Lion Vultures. The Hog Monkeys have really found their rhythm midway through the round, and now they're outmaneuvering everything the Lion Vultures throw at them. Oh my! _What a shot!_ Xiang clobbers Chen with a one-two combo and sends her crashing down into the drink! Just like that, the Lion Vultures are down a player!

“Ghuri is all alone in zone two now, and the Hog Monkeys are doing everything they can to get him back into zone three. Ghuri dodges, he ducks, he dives, and—oh my _that_ didn't work! Down goes Ghuri, and he's in the drink! And with that, the Hog Monkeys move into the Lion vultures zone two!”

Anraq threw his hands up and let out a frustrated shout. “Oh come on!”

Kuvira remained silent, but found herself listening intently. It wasn't that she particularly cared about the outcome, but it would be nice to see Anraq's team win. And, she had to admit, the announcing work really was keeping her on the edge of her seat, so to speak.

“It's all up to the star player of the Lion Vultures now, but folks I'm not sure how Han is going to overcome these odds,” the radio continued. “I've seen some pretty remarkable things from this young player, but surely even he doesn't stand a chance against three opposing players all the way back in his own zone three, with time running out.

“The Hog Monkeys give everything they have into an all out barrage, but for the moment Han seems to be playing on the defensive. He's slippery as an eel hound if I've ever seen one, and the Hog Monkeys can't touch him! But how long can he keep this up? Oh my, well he might not have to keep it up for very long, because it looks like the Hog Monkeys are losing steam! All that nonstop offense has tired them out and their attacks are starting to slow down!”

Anraq leaned closer to the radio, eyebrows lifting high. There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “No way...there's no way he pulls this off.”

“Han is looking to strike back as he goes back on the offensive. Xiang tries to duck out of the way, but oh he moves _right_ into a fireball he didn't see coming, and he's back onto the Hog Monkeys side of the field! That was one of the hardest looking shots I've ever seen! Zhu and Yoruk try to get him with the double team, but Han is ready for them, and sends a sweep of flames that knocks them both back a zone, and now Han is moving forward! Just like that, the firebending sensation gives his team some new life, but time is running out!

“Han keeps his form tight and sends a couple of shots at Zhu, and the opposing firebender can't get out of the way! She falls back onto her own side of the field, and takes her teammate with her as they collide! The Hog Monkeys are back on their side of the field and now Han is going all out! The Hog Monkeys can't get any breathing room, and with their earlier assault it looks like they're fresh out of juice! It's all they can do just to defend themselves, but it's not doing them any good!”

“Come on!” Anraq shouted, his face hovering far too close in front of the radio. “Go!”

“Han comes in like a wolverine jackal that smells fresh meat. He hits Xiang with a shot that sends him back to zone three, and another to Yoruk to join him. Zhu avoids a close one and tries to get in a counter but Han is ready for her, and _oh my_ she goes rolling back into the drink! Han makes his way into the Hog Monkeys zone two, but folks there's only a few seconds left! Yoruk and Xiang give what they have left to try and hold on, but Han ducks low and delivers a double shot to both of them and... _do my eyes deceive me?!_

“ _I don't believe it!_ Folks, he's _done_ it! Just as the bell rings, Han comes up with a hat trick for the ages, and with that the Lion Vultures are this year's pro-bending champions!”

“WOO! YES!” Anraq jumped upward, throwing his fists up into the air in triumph. He turned back to Kuvira and let out another whoop, a huge grin plastered on his face. “Ha ha! They did it! You believe that? Oh my spirits, that was way too close! That Han is unbelievable, I've never seen a hat trick like that before!”

Kuvira kept her reaction much more reserved, but smiled; it was nice to see Anraq so happy. “It certainly was exciting.”

“Oh really?” Anraq said, with a smirk. “This coming from the one who doesn't get the appeal of the sport?”

“Well... I mean, perhaps it's not as uninteresting as I thought,” she admitted. “Besides, you've listened to so many matches this year, it's hard not to get a little into it. At the very least, it's something to listen to.”

“Come on, admit it... you like pro-bending.”

“How about I agree to say I don't hate it?”

“Eh, good enough for me.” Anraq laughed and pumped his fist again. “But oh man, I still can't believe they pulled it off! It's times like these I wish I could get back into the arena, even for just one more match.”

“Evening, Anraq.” It was a different voice that interrupted him, and when he turned around, there was Lin Beifong, standing with a hand on her hip and giving him an unimpressed glare.

“Oh, Chief! Good evening.” He raised his hand quickly to salute. “I didn't see you there.”

“Yes, I can see that,” Lin replied, as she approached. “Intense match, I heard.”

“Uh, yes, very intense,” he said, nodding. “So, uh, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

“I'm here with news.” Lin turned her attention over to Kuvira now. “Regarding your prison transfer.”

Kuvira felt her stomach jump. “Have... they finally made a decision?”

“Yes, not an hour ago,” Lin said. “You wouldn't believe the amount of bickering I had to sit through today, let alone the past year.”

Anraq scoffed. “Huh, well it's about time. It's only been, what, a year and a half since you made the request?”

“Something like that. Too long, if you ask me.”

“So... what was their decision?” Kuvira asked. She almost didn't want to hear the answer, knowing what it would be. “Was the request denied?”

“The request...” Lin breathed deep and sighed, then planted her arms firmly across her chest. “...was accepted. Congratulations, you're going to Zaofu.”

* * *

“Is everything ready for the transfer?” Lin asked. She gave the airship pilot a stern look, with her hands clasped behind her back. She'd been at the airfield all morning overseeing preparations, and quite frankly she wanted to get things moving.

“Yes, ma'am,” the pilot said. “Airship is fully prepped and ready for departure. Just waiting for the prisoner now.”

“Good. The sooner we get this moving, the sooner we can get back.” Lin much rather would have taken the train—it cut the travel time by almost half—but there weren't any platinum cells on any of the cars. That meant they were restricted to a police airship. Raising her police radio to her lips, she clicked the button. “Anraq, how are things coming on your end?”

A hiss of static, and then Anraq's voice followed. “Just dandy, Chief. Kuvira is being secured for departure. We should be at the airfield within an hour. You already got all her belongings packed on the airship, right?”

“Yes, yes, everything is safely aboard,” Lin said, with a sigh. “We're just waiting on you.”

“Understood. We'll try and hurry.”

* * *

“So... you excited to be heading back home? I mean, even if it is just to another prison.”

Kuvira held her hands out so Anraq could lock the platinum shackles around her wrists. “It feels like a dream, to be honest. When they first threw me in jail, I thought that was it, that I was never going to see my home again. Even when I didn't get a life sentence, twenty years was a long way off... but here I am, heading back to Zaofu after three years in Republic City. I'm... happy, I think.” She took a moment to look around the now empty cell. It looked so...plain, now that everything had been moved out for the transfer. She was almost sad to leave. Almost. “Yes. Definitely happy.”

“No more visits from the Avatar, though, huh?” Anraq knelt down to lock a second set of shackles around Kuvira's ankles. “I mean, she can't be traveling to Zaofu every week.”

“That's the beauty of the spirit world,” she said, with a smile. “We'll still be able to meet there, no matter how far apart we are. I'll see her every week, just like always.”

If not for the spirit world visits, Kuvira wasn't certain she would actually leave to Zaofu. Over the past three years, her relationship and feelings for the Avatar had grown too deep, too strong. As much as she knew she had to keep those feelings hidden, as much as nothing could ever happen, she also knew that she didn't want to spend the next seventeen years of her life without Korra in it. The Avatar understood her in a way no one else did, and that was something she wouldn't give up for the world.

Was it... _love_ , that she felt? It didn't feel quite the same as the love she'd felt for Baatar. It was different, but in a good way...but was it as strong? That...she still hadn't figured out, and perhaps she never would.

“Oh, well... huh, yeah I didn't think about that,” Anraq stated, as he scratched his beard. “That is pretty convenient.”

“I'll miss you, though,” Kuvira said. Her expression softened, and she smiled at him. “I consider you a friend, you know... a good friend. Thank you for everything, Anraq. I've enjoyed our time together the past couple years.”

“Heh, yeah me too,” he replied, as he led the way out of the cell. “But hey, I can always write, and take the train up every once in a while when I have time off. We'll still see each other. I mean, assuming that's alright?”

“Of course it's alright. I'll look forward to it.”

Anraq glanced back at her, and beamed. “So will I.”

* * *

Mako breathed out a tired sigh as he glared down at the stack of paperwork on his desk. He'd been doing paperwork all morning, and quite frankly he was getting sick of it. Who knew being promoted would be so boring? It seemed like all he did nowadays was fill out reports and delegate other officers.

As if to answer his silent call to save him from the mounds of paperwork, his office door opened, and then he found himself suddenly looking up at his brother. “Bolin?”

“Hey, _Lieutenant_ Mako,” Bolin replied, with a teasing grin. He closed the door behind him and wandered in front of the desk. “Nice new office you got here.”

Mako blinked, and set his pen down with a sigh. He loved his brother, but he had too much work to do right now for these kinds of interruptions. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I know you've been working yourself a lot lately,” Bolin said, setting his hands down on the desk, “so Opal and I decided to come down and take you out for lunch. You know, to at least relax for an hour. Besides, it's been _ages_ since we've had the chance to spend some time together.”

“Bo, I don't know, I have a lot of paperwork to get through here...” Mako glanced down at the two stacks of papers at the corner of his desk. The shorter stack—the forms he had finished—were practically mocking him.

“Oh come on, please? Ever since you got promoted, you've been seriously overworking yourself. You need some down time.” Bolin's gaze then traveled over towards the wastebin against the wall, which was overflowing with various takeout containers. “When's the last time you ate lunch anywhere other than your desk?”

“What? I don't... always eat at my desk.” Mako's own gaze followed his brothers towards the trash. Well, so much for denying that one. “I mean, not _that_ much.” He looked back to Bolin, who had now taken to giving him those sad fire ferret eyes. With a hard sigh, he rolled his eyes and shrugged in defeat. “Oh alright, fine. But one hour, that's it. Then I really have to get back here and finish my work.”

“Alright, awesome!” Bolin headed back to the door and held it open. “Opal's waiting outside. I thought we could head down to Narook's, get a couple orders of noodles just like old times?”

Mako couldn't help but smile at the suggestion, as he followed his brother out of his office. “I'll admit, I do miss Narook's noodle cups. Okay, but we're taking my police car. Never know when a call might come in.”

“You're the boss.”

They made it outside the front of the station a few minutes later, and just as Bolin had said, Opal was there to greet them. She was dressed in her usual daily outfit, the airbender wingsuit—with as much as the airbenders were doing to help people these days, having an easy, fast way to get around was essential for them, and the suits meant they didn't have to carry glider staffs with them everywhere they went.

“Hey, Opal,” Mako said, with a wave. “Good to see you again.”

She smiled, and waved back. “You, too. How have things been?”

“Oh you know, the usual.” Mako led the way around the side of the station, towards police lot. His car was close by, of course—being lieutenant came with certain perks, like a special parking spot. “Had to put a stop to a riot yesterday, and a couple days before that the Agni Kais were trying to knock over a Cabbage Corp. warehouse. Actually, all the triads have been getting a little more bold lately, so they've been keeping us pretty busy.”

“Sounds exhausting.” Opal waited for Mako to get in the driver's seat, and then hopped in the backseat, while Bolin joined his brother up front in the passenger's seat. “You know if the police ever need any help, the airbenders are always happy to step in.”

“Thanks, but we have everything under control for now,” he said, as he turned the ignition. A second later, he pulled out and headed down the street. “But if things decide to completely break down in the next couple days without Chief Beifong around, I'll let you know.”

“Wait, why's Lin gone the next couple days?” Bolin asked. His brow pushed together curiously, and he raised a thoughtful finger to his lips. “Is she going away with Kya for the weekend? Really, those two think they're being so sneaky, but they're not fooling anyone.” He grinned, and then pointed his thumb at himself. “Nothing escapes the incredible insight of the Bo-meister.”

“Bolin, you only know about those two because Korra and Asami told us last week,” Opal said, with a raised brow. “And even then I had to explain what they meant.”

“Uhhh, well, I mean—yeah, but I totally had a feeling before that.” He cleared his throat, and gave a nervous chuckle. “Maybe? Okay I'm just going to be quiet now. Shushing.”

“To answer your question, no, the Chief isn't having 'alone time with Kya',” Mako said. “She's transferring Kuvira to Zaofu on a police airship this afternoon. She won't be back until tomorrow night.”

“Ohhh that's right, I forgot that was today.” Bolin turned in his seat to look back at Opal. “Shouldn't you like, I don't know, go see her off? I mean, since she's going to Zaofu, and you don't live in Zaofu anymore, so you won't be able to visit her that much, and you just got back on good terms with each other?”

“Relax, Bolin. I said my goodbyes last night, and I'll be visiting Zaofu next week anyway, so I'll see her then.”

“Ohhh. Okay, that makes sense.” Bolin paused a moment, and then his face lit up. “Wait, you're visiting Zaofu next week?”

Opal chuckled, and gave her boyfriend a knowing smirk. “Yes, you can come.”

“Awesome, road trip! I did always like Zaofu, and it's been ages since I was last there. Oh, this will be so much fun!”

As Mako turned the corner onto the next street, the police radio on the dashboard hissed to life. “All units, please respond! We have an emergency at the prison! Several explosions reported, and prisoners are escaping! Repeat, prisoners are escaping! Last seen heading west past Future Industries tower towards downtown! All available officers, make pursuit!”

Bolin glanced down at the radio, his eyebrows lifted. “Oh, well that doesn't sound good.”

“Looks like a change of plans,” Mako said, as he shifted the police car into another gear. “Hold on.”

“Wait, what are you—whoa!” Bolin fell against the side of the door as Mako swung the car around, tires screeching. When he finally straightened himself, he held a hand to his head and blinked out the windshield. “We're about to be involved in a police chase, aren't we?” No sooner than he said it, the car's sirens went on, and Mako sped up. “Okay yeah, that's what I figured.”

“Hey Opal,” Mako said, glancing up at the rearview mirror. “About that help you were offering?”

“Just say the word.”

“Think you can be our eyes in the sky?”

Opal sat up straighter and moved towards the door. “I'm on it.”

“Here, take this.” Mako unclipped one of the radio receivers from the dashboard and held it back over his shoulder. “It's linked back to the radio in here. Just clip it to your wingsuit and hit the green button. You'll be able to communicate hands-free.”

“Got it.” Opal grabbed the radio and clipped it to the neckline of her suit, then opened the door. She coiled into position, and then with a single spin propelled herself out of the car with a gust of wind. She never fell towards the ground, as she lifted upwards with another whirl of air, spread the wings of her suit, and then moments later glided upwards towards the tops of the surrounding buildings.

“Ahh... she's amazing,” Bolin said, as he watched Opal disappear above the skyline. “Isn't she amazing?”

“Yeah, sure she's great. Bigger things to focus on right now.” Mako made a hard turn onto the next street and then lifted the radio mouthpiece to his lips. “You see anything up there, Opal?”

A hiss of static came in over the radio, followed a second later by Opal's voice, clear as day. “Not yet. I'm heading over a few blocks to the west... wait, I think I see something. Unmarked transport carrier heading west, and fast. Like, probably breaking fifty traffic laws fast.”

“That's gotta be them. Okay, keep on them and give us directions, we're heading your way now.”

Mako floored the petal and raced down the next street, following Opal's directions through the Dragon Flats borough until they came out in the middle of downtown. Pedestrians and satomobiles alike got out of the way in a hurry, as the police sirens split the air.

“There they are!” Bolin leaned out the passenger's side window and pointed at the next street over. A large, white transport carrier was weaving in and out of traffic, clearly in a hurry to get somewhere. At this point, there was no doubt about why.

Mako gave the wheel a sharp turn and took the first side street he came to. In a split second they were behind the fleeing vehicle, in hot pursuit. “Bo, see if you can do something to slow them down!”

“Wait, can I do that?” he asked, glancing back at his brother. “I mean, I'm not a cop, so—”

“Just do it!”

“Okay, okay, I got it!” Bolin leaned back out the window again and focused on the vehicle in front of them. He raised his fists, concentrated, and then tore up a few chunks of earth from the street, firing them at the satomobile's tires. Seconds before the chunks of rock struck the tires, a wide earth wall rose up from the ground to block them—courtesy of the fellow earthbender leaning out of the fleeing car's window. The earth wall then split into two pieces and rocketed forward at the police car. “Whoa! Don't got it!”

Mako cut the wheel and turned the car so sharp that it lifted onto two wheels for a moment. When the wheels finally set back down, he was forced to take another side street. “Alright, just hang on, I'm going to try something.”

“Wait, what are you going to—oh no hey whoa!” Bolin pushed back in his seat, as suddenly Mako was driving on the wrong side of the road. An incoming satomobile swerved, just narrowly missing them. “Oh, we didn't hit anything. Whew, that was close—car!” They swerved again, missing a second oncoming vehicle. “Another car! Watch out!”

“Would you calm down?” Mako said, as he expertly swerved around the third oncoming satomobile.

Bolin turned his head towards his brother, eyes bugging out of his head. “How am I supposed to be calm when you're driving like this!”

“Just sit tight, we have to catch up to them.”

A nervous groan made its way out of Bolin's mouth, as he looked out the passenger's side window. They were driving up on one of the elevated streets now, and down on the street below he could see the fleeing vehicle getting away. “Man, they're all the way down there! How are we supposed to catch them now?”

“I have an idea...” Mako shifted gears in the car again and then narrowed his eyes, focusing. “You're not going to like it.”

“I'm afraid to ask.”

“When I say, I need you to make a ramp.”

Bolin blinked, a slightly confused, if somewhat terrified expression twisting his face. “Wait, why would you need me to make a—”

“Get ready...”

“Mako, I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with—”

Mako cut the car towards the side of the road, driving straight at the guardrail and towards the drop-off to the street below. “Ramp!”

“Ohhhkay please don't kill us!” Bolin thrust his fists forward again, and an earth ramp rose up just in time for the car to hit it at top speed. In seconds, they were airborne, and Bolin was screaming.

“Ramp!”

Bolin managed to bend a landing ramp through his fit of terror, and the car hit at just the right angle to _not_ nosedive and explode. They landing was bumpy, a little violent even, but Mako kept the car upright and racing forward down the street, now close behind their quarry.

“Oh man... oh wow, we're alive.” Bolin fell back against his seat and exhaled a large huff. Then, he straightened himself and stared over at his brother. “Where on earth did you learn how to drive!”

Mako paused a second, then cleared his throat. “...Asami.”

“Okay, that...” Bolin raised an eyebrow and blinked, thinking for a second. “...yeah, okay that actually explains a lot.”

“Hang tight, little bro, we almost got them. Opal, think you can swoop in and try to slow them down?”

Opal's voice came in over the radio. “On it!”

A yellow and orange blur glided into view like a divebombing eagle hawk. Opal picked up speed until she passed the vehicle, then spun around in midair and kicked her feet downwards. The result torrent of wind smashed the windshield and forced the driver to slam on the breaks and cut the wheel. Tires screeched as the driver tried to regain control of the vehicle, but it was too late now—they had him.

“Now, Bolin!” Mako yelled, as he pushed the police car to go faster.

Bolin wasted no time, swinging his arms forward with a powerful thrust. Now that they were close enough, he was able to rocket up a large slab of earth directly underneath the swerving vehicle, knocking it airborne until it crashed on its side and slid to a stop.

“Yeah!” Bolin pumped his fist. “We got 'em!”

Five minutes later, the team had the driver of the fleeing vehicle, the passenger, and the escaped prisoners they'd been transporting in the back of the truck, all cuffed and sitting in a nice neat line on the side of the street. By now, a few other police cars had arrived to help out with the arrest. Of course, Bolin wasn't about to let them forget who had caught the bad guys.

“Oh yeah, in your face!” Bolin exclaimed, pointing at the arrested prisoners. “That's what happens when you cross the fabulous bending brothers!” He paused, then glanced back to see Opal standing next to him, glaring with her arms crossed. “Oh, and girlfriend! The fabulous bending brothers and girlfriend.”

“Alright, Bolin, I think they get the picture,” Opal said, leading him away. “Let's go.”

Mako, meanwhile, returned to his police car and lifted the radio to his lips. “Dispatch, this is Lieutenant Mako, reporting in. We've caught the escaped prisoners. I'm counting five escapees, plus two accomplices.”

There was a pause, and then dispatch replied, “Say again, lieutenant. Five escaped prisoners, you said?”

“Uh, yeah? Plus two accomplices, who I'm assuming are the ones who sprang them from prison in the first place.”

“Lieutenant, there were seven prisoners that escaped earlier. That's not counting accomplices.”

Mako's brow twitched. He lowered himself into the front seat of the police car and held the radio closer. “Seven? Are you sure?”

“Affirmative.”

Setting the radio back down, Mako looked out at the prisoners being rounded up into a separate police carrier. He watched them a moment, and then sank back against his seat. Seven escaped prisoners, but only five here... so then where were the other two?

* * *

“You guys alright back there?” The driver glanced up at the rearview mirror, looking at the two in the backseat.

“Fine,” came the response. He huffed, and started pulling off his prison uniform. “Tousa, pass me my clothes.”

“Cutting it awfully close, Garza, aren't you?” the driver asked.

Garza scoffed, and looked back out the window. It looked like they had gone unnoticed so far—the other escapees had worked well as a distraction. “Had to. Only way to do this was with the right timing.”

The driver merely shrugged, then reached down to turn off the police siren. He fidgeted a little, and adjusted his armor—damn police uniform was always shifting out of place. “If you say so.”

“How much time we got?” Garza asked.

“Thirty minutes, give or take a few. We should have plenty of time to get aboard, though, and I'll make sure you're not seen.”

A grin spread across Garza's face. “Good. Hurry up and get dressed, Tousa. We got an airship to catch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter, but that was mainly because of my stupid desire to tackle Shiro Shinobi announcing a pro-bending match (never do that if you value your sanity, by the way. It's hard. Like, infuriatingly so. Making up names for the players, trying to keep track of who's where, who gets knocked into what zone, who bends which element, who's on what team, remembering the rules of the game, etc., etc... I went over that scene like five times and I still probably messed something up), as well as wanting to have a police chase (to give me a reason to use Mako finally--also, Mako/Bolin brother interaction). I mean, I like how those scenes turned out, but they were annoying to write.
> 
> So yeah, Kuvira is finally on her way back to Zaofu to carry out the rest of her prison sentence. But, as you can see... things probably aren't going to go smoothly. Sorry for that bit of a cliffhanger, but hey... Tune in next time.


	10. Brace For Impact!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Transferring Kuvira to Zaofu's prison doesn't go as smoothly as planned, and Lin finds herself facing down overwhelming odds.

“Do you know where we are now?” Kuvira asked, looking out the slot in the platinum cell door. She couldn't see any windows from her position, which made determining their location herself impossible.

“Hmm...” Anraq wandered over to the nearest window on the airship and gazed outside. “Well I'm not really an expert navigator, but it looks like we're over a forest. And I see a lot of water in the distance. A lake maybe? Or a bay. Does that help at all?”

She thought a moment, pressing a finger to her lips. “Well, judging from how long we've been traveling so far... it's probably the forest just a few hours south of Serpent's Pass. Which means we're about halfway to Zaofu.”

Anraq looked back at her and lifted an eyebrow. “And you got that from me basically saying there are a bunch of trees and water down there?”

“Back when I was trying to unite the Earth Kingdom, I spent countless hours studying a map of the land,” she said, with a shrug. “I had to, in order to know where I was going and what I had left to do. I pretty much have the entire Earth Kingdom memorized.”

“United Earth Republic now, technically speaking.”

“Right, the Earth Republic...” Kuvira frowned and looked downward, a long sigh easing past her lips.

Anraq stepped closer to the cell, holding folding his arms across his chest. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing. It's just...” She paused and shook her head. It wasn't really something she wanted to get into, especially not during what should be a happier experience, her transfer to Zaofu. And yet... she felt like she could tell him. There weren't many people she let herself open up to, but Anraq had become one of them. “All the things I did, trying to help my people, trying to unite the nation, all the extremes I went to to bring peace and stability... and in the time since my defeat, others have done more than I ever did to help bring the people of the new Earth Republic together. It makes me realize that all my mistakes weren't just horrible... but completely unnecessary. I did this to myself, when I didn't need to. I should have just left things in the hands of others from the start.”

“Well... I see what you're saying,” Anraq said, with a slow nod, “but, I don't know if you remember, if you _hadn't_ done your whole Earth Empire thing, we'd still have the Earth Kingdom, and it would be in the hands of a doofus king that probably would have led it right back to where it was before. So, it's not like nothing good came of it. You technically sparked the creation of the United Earth Republic.”

Kuvira shot him a disbelieving look and frowned. “I appreciate the sentiment, Anraq, but that's giving me far too much credit.”

He simply shrugged, then leaned back against the far wall opposite the cell. “Think what you want, but I stand by it.”

“If you say so...”

The sound of an alarm abruptly filled the lower deck, and at the same time the red warning lights on the ceiling began flashing. Anraq straightened himself and looked up at the lights, eyebrows scrunching together. “Oookay, I'm no engineer, but that doesn't sound good.”

“That's an alarm for the engine...” Kuvira muttered, as she, too, stared up at the flashing red lights. “Should call the actual engineer before the propellers start failing.”

“You think the issue is that bad?”

She shrugged. “Can't be too cautious.”

Anraq didn't have to go looking for the engineer, though. Before he could even turn and head to the upper deck, a man in a gray uniform came hurrying down the stairs.

“Hey,” Anraq said, giving the man a wave. “Any idea what's wrong?”

“I'll know in a minute,” replied the engineer. He headed over to the rear of the lower deck, where a heavy metal door marked the entrance to the engine room. He pulled his arms through the air, and instantly the lock on the door spun free, and the door opened. “Probably nothing. Nine times out of ten it's just a coil that needs to be reset, should be fine.”

The engineer disappeared inside the engine room, and for a moment everything seemed normal. The red warning lights stopped blinking, and several moments after that the alarm cut out, as well.

“Huh, guess it wasn't anything serious after all,” Anraq said, with a shrug.

No sooner than he said that, however, a loud crash erupted from the engine room, followed by a shout and a thud. Anraq turned sharply towards the open engine room door, waiting, listening. Several moments past, too long for the engineer to not have reappeared yet.

“What was that?” Kuvira asked, trying to peer around the side of the small slot in her cell door. She could just see the engine room to the left of her. “What's going on?”

“I don't know...” Anraq shifted himself into a waterbending stance, and the cork on his waterskin popped open. A large stream of water hovered out into the air and coiled in the air above him, then he started towards the engine room. “Hold on, I'll be right back.”

Anraq disappeared into the engine room, and then Kuvira was alone. She listened, trying to hear something, anything, but there was only silence. Until...

_Boom!_

An explosion ripped through the engine room, blasting the heavy metal door clean off its hinges. Kuvira stumbled backwards and held an arm over her face, shielding herself from the billowing black smoke that poured out into the lower decks. She recovered quickly, though, and pressed her face close to the slot in the cell door, desperately trying to see through the dark smog.

“ANRAQ!” Panic set in when she received no answer. All she could see was darkness split by growing flames coming from the direction of the engine room, and no matter how loud she screamed, her friend never answered.

* * *

Lin staggered on her feet as the explosion rocked the airship. She steadied herself against the back of the pilot's seat and looked down at her feet—whatever happened came from the lower deck. “What on earth was that?”

“Fire in the engine room!” the pilot exclaimed, as he started turning knobs and flipping switches on the dash panels in front of him. “I've lost power to the main propellers... now the backup propellers!” He tugged on controls, but the airship started sinking down towards the forest below. “I can't do anything, we're going down!”

“Everyone brace for impact!”

Lin turned to the other officers on deck and lifted her arms swiftly through the air. The metal on the floor and walls raised up and coiled around them, securing them in place so they wouldn't lurch freely around the airship when they hit. When the rest of her officers were secured, she went to do the same for herself, but before she could, the nose of the airship smashed against the ground.

The next thing she knew, Lin was flying through the air. She smashed through the front window of the airship out into the open air of the forest, and desperately fired out her police cables to slow her descent. Just as the cables latched onto the airship, however, Lin felt her body smack into a tree branch. A pained groan burst from her lips as she flipped around through the air, and then she was falling, crashing through the trees and hitting every damn branch on the way down to the forest floor.

When she finally thudded against the ground, she coughed out a silent breath, air rushing out of her lungs; she couldn't move, she realized, not yet, too stunned from the fall. Likely the only reason that she was even alive was because of her police armor. Somewhere in front of her she could hear the airship smashing and grinding across the ground. She could feel it, too—the entire ground shook, as though gripped by the violent throes of an earthquake.

And then, the ground stopped shaking. Metal stopped grinding, glass stopped shattering, and everything was calm. Everything except for the lingering explosions that erupted throughout the airship. She counted three, four... and then nothing. Just the sound of flames burning against the otherwise quiet air.

Lin groaned as she started pushing her way back to her feet. She had to pause once on her knees, where she very nearly doubled over and heaved out the contents of her stomach. But she got a grip on herself and staggered up straight. A twinge of pain shot through her ribs and she slouched, arms wrapped around herself. Couldn't focus on the pain right now, had to make it back to the airship, had to save who she could.

It didn't take long to find the airship, even with her weary walk. She limped towards the wreckage, trying to get a sense for how bad it was—a few small fires burned across the lower deck, and there was a massive hole in the side, where the explosions had gone off. Add to that the shattered windows and mangled frame of the airship itself, and there was no way this thing was getting back off the ground. She didn't worry about that, though—she had to see if she could find survivors.

Her officers on the upper deck were hopefully alright; she had secured them well enough before the crash. Kuvira was probably the safest inside her cell, which was essentially built like a bomb shelter. That was, of course, if she hadn't been injured bouncing around like a ball during the crash. Then there was Anraq, and the engineer, both down on the lower levels where the explosions had taken place. Were they alright? Could she save them, or were they already gone?

Lin never got the chance to find out. No sooner than did she exit the surrounding brush and head towards the airship, a chunk of earth sprang up from the ground in front of her and collided with her chest. She released a surprised yell and fell backwards, crashing against the ground. The entire world spun around her.

“Hey there, Chief. Nice to see you again.”

Lin blinked, as her senses gradually returned to her. She knew that voice... but that was impossible. Couldn't be. Slowly, she sat up, looking for the source of the voice. She found it seconds later, when not one, but five figures appeared in front of her. She recognized three as some of the officers with her on the airship deck—Wong, Jun, and Aori. The other two...

“What... Garza, you...” Lin stared up at the scarred man, her mind racing to piece together how he could be there. Tousa, too, both of whom she'd arrested a year and a half ago for assaulting Kuvira. They should have been in prison. “How?”

“Oh it was easy,” Garza said, with a smug grin. “You see, we have a lot more friends than you realize, who think the same as we do. You really should have stayed out of our business, instead of defending that scum Kuvira. Things could have gone so much easier.”

“You arrogant son of a... uurgnh.” Lin recoiled on the ground, as a stab of pain shot through her chest. She almost fell flat against the ground, but managed to catch herself with her elbow.

“What's that, now? Speak up, Chief, I didn't quite hear you.” Garza took a few steps forward and lowered himself into a crouch so he was level with her, glaring. “You know, I just wanted to be a good cop. Really, I did. But having to guard that stain on humanity, day in and day out? Oh that ate on my last nerve... She _needed_ to suffer for the things she did, so we _made_ her suffer.”

“That you _ever_ called yourself a cop is an _insult_ to the good men and women who put on that uniform everyday,” Lin spat.

“The only insult here is you, _Chief_ ,” Garza replied, scowling. “You were always softer than you let on... too soft. A regular bleeding heart. And siding with Kuvira over the people of your own city? The people that she destroyed? _Disgusting!_ ”

Garza lashed out a fist, but he didn't even bother with bending. Instead, he connected his knuckles with the woman's face, sending her collapsing back to the ground.

Lin rolled over onto her front and pushed herself up to her hands and knees. Her arms shook, but they didn't let herself collapse. “Kuvira is paying for what she's done.” She spat out a glob of crimson, then wiped her lips clean. “We gave her a sentence and she's serving it, and your personal feelings about that don't give you the right to beat her to death! Which I assume is why you're here now...”

“Oh real observant there, Chief.”

Turning her head to look up at Garza, she shot a glare at him, brow low, a fire burning in her eyes. “You lay a hand on her... and I will _end_ you.”

“Ooh, very threatening. But you won't be around when we 'lay a hand on her'. We'll get to her eventually—nice and gift wrapped for us in that cell—but first, we're gonna deal with you.”

Lin curled her hands into fists, and stifled a cough that began to ripple in her chest. Without warning, she lurched up from the ground and thrust a fist forward, causing a block of stone to fire up from the ground. It struck Garza square in the chest and sent him stumbling backwards, but the victory was short-lived. The other four were on her in an instant, Tousa leading the charge.

A heavy earthen block launched her into the air, and then another collided with her backside. She hit the ground hard, bounced and rolled, until a third chunk of stone raced across the ground to meet her. She smashed against it, coming to a complete stop, and after that all she could do was lie there, helpless. She tried to move, tried to get up, but every twitch of her muscles sent an agonizing jolt of pain racing through her body like fire.

“Nice try, Chief,” Garza stated, wiping a line of blood from his lips. “Too bad you're nothing but an old has-been. Now then, let's get this over with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is the shortest chapter I've put up yet, but I wanted to be cruel for once and leave you with a real cliffhanger. I could have played out the entire scene and gone for my usual super long chapters, but I decided to mix it up. Please don't hate me too much :)


	11. Kuvira Unleashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Backed into a corner, Kuvira does everything she can to save Lin from a cruel fate.

"Anraq! Lin!" Kuvira held an arm over her mouth and coughed. Thick clouds of black smoke choked her, pouring in through the edges of her cell door. "Anybody!”

It was no use. No matter how much or how loud she yelled, she received no response. If she we going to get out of here, she had to do it herself. Making her way to the front of the cell, she leaned close against the door, testing it. The lock had cracked during the crash, and the hinges had loosened. Maybe...

Kuvira slammed herself against the door, felt it weaken. She did it again, leading with her shoulder, and then a third time. On the fourth hit, the door gave way with a creaking groan and crashed to the floor. She stumbled a moment, as the chain between her ankles caught on a piece of debris, but she was able to right herself and make her way through the lower deck. The smoke suffocated her, strangled her throat with hot air that drew harsh coughs out past her lips. Flames billowed on all sides, forcing her towards the stairs to the upper deck.

Kuvira shoved open the door to the large cockpit and then closed it behind herself, blocking out the smoke from following. What she found inside the cockpit elicited a surprised gasp from her throat—bodies, several of them. A few officers lay unmoving, wrapped in metal bindings on the floor and against the walls, and the pilot slumped against the dash, right in front of the shattered windshield. Whether they were dead or only unconscious, she couldn't tell.

But where was...?

“ _Lin._ ”

Through the windshield, she could see the police chief down on the forest floor below, beaten and barely moving as a group of her fellow officers took turns bending large chunks of earth at her. Even from up here, Kuvira could hear the woman's pained cries—they were _killing_ her. But _why?_ Why had Lin's own officers turned on her?

Kuvira hesitated, and looked down at herself; both her wrists and ankles were still shackled together with platinum. But they didn't know she had escaped her cell—she could flee, get away through the forest before they realized. And then from there...

 _No_. She wasn't going to run. She couldn't.

In spite of the chains binding her hands together, Kuvira raised her arms and bended the metal of the cockpit, opening the windshield wider until the hole before her was gaping. Then, she steadied herself, forced the metal paneling beneath her feet to cave inward. A second past as she sucked in a deep breath, and then the paneling lifted upward hard, fast, pushing her forward like a catapult. She launched out into the open air, falling down towards the ground below.

“Leave. Her. ALONE!”

The ground cratered beneath her when she landed, and in the same motion she slammed her fists down at her feet. Earth rippled outwards like a tidal wave and raced at the attacking officers, lifting them and throwing them off their feet. Yet at the same time, the undulating earth parted safely around Lin, leaving her unharmed. Or at least further unharmed. Lin still lied motionless on the ground, sprawled out with her eyes closed and breaths wheezing harshly out her lips.

The downed officers began to recover, and Kuvira prepared herself for them. She pulled her arms back, slid one of her feet to the side... and tripped down to a knee. With a frustrated yell, she looked down at herself—she had forgotten about the chains for a moment, which offered only a couple of feet in length between her ankles. Getting a wide base with her legs was impossible, which meant she wouldn't be able to bend properly.

In the seconds she spent worrying about the shackles, the officers recovered and made their counter. She looked back at them just in time to catch sight of three boulders flying towards her. With a desperate move she spun herself out of the way of the first, ducked below the second, and leaped up over the third.

She never saw the fourth one coming. Her feet hit the ground and the chain tightened, forcing her off balance. She stumbled straight into the path of that fourth boulder, and for an instant all she saw was a bright flash of colors as she spun back to the ground. Her chest tightened and felt numb, but she scrambled back up to her feet as quickly as she could—still, her platinum bonds caused her to stumble, barely able to stand upright.

A fifth hunk of stone crashed against her shoulder and then she was on the ground again, landing flat against her back. A dull throb surged through her shoulder. She winced, rolled back up to her knees. When she looked upwards at her attackers, she finally recognized the man leading the group.

“ _You_.”

“Well, lookie here,” Garza said, with a delighted grin. Like a lost polar bear puppy always in tow, Tousa was there with him, at his side. “I guess you saved us the trouble of having to come get you. What exactly were you expecting to accomplish when you're chained up like that? I don't care how good you think you are, Great Uniter, even you need a full range of motion to bend effectively.”

Kuvira didn't answer. Her mind raced, heart thumped against her chest—how were Garza and Tousa here? They had been arrested, thrown in jail... no, she had to stop worrying about that. It didn't matter. What mattered was that they _were_ here, and if she didn't figure something out quick, then they were going to finish what they started when she first came to prison.

Rolling backwards, Kuvira flipped up to her feet and stomped against the ground. A wall of earth popped up in front of her, and then with a dropkick she thrust it forward. The wall then split into three pieces and spread outward at the officers, scattering them. Kuvira landed on her back, but swung her legs around to spin up to her feet again. She had to keep on the offensive, couldn't give them room to breath. If they got even one opening—

A pair of police cables cut off her thought process as they wrapped around her ankles and tugged. The ground flew out from beneath her, and the next thing she knew she was flat on her back again.

“Nice try, but you've lost a step.” Garza took a careful step forward, fists raised in a bending stance—he wasn't taking any chances now. “It's been what, three years since you've used your bending? Come on... this isn't going to be much of a challenge.”

Kuvira groaned in frustration. She pulled her legs back, sent the police cables flying from around her ankles, and then swung herself back up to a standing position. The moment she did, however, a small notch of earth raised up behind her heel, and when she tried to take a step backwards she tripped, falling to her behind. The officers burst out with laughter.

“Now this is just _sad_ ,” Garza said, fighting back a chuckle. “Alright, well if you really want to do this...” He widened his stance and thrust his hands upward, causing a huge chunk of earth to tear itself up from the ground and hover between them. He raised it higher, ready to bring it crashing down atop her. “Then let's do it.”

The sound of police cables unraveling split the air, and Garza suddenly found his arms bound. He grunted and tugged at them, but they reeled in violently and forced him to drop the boulder.

“What did I say... about a laying a hand on her?” Lin said, as she wobbled back to her feet. Her legs shuddered and knees buckled, but somehow she found the strength to stand upright, even if every breath she took exploded a sharp pain through her chest.

“You stay out of this!” Garza yelled, tugging back with his hands. This time, Lin fell forward, catching herself on one knee. “I swear I’m gonna—”

_Thwack!_

The chunk of earth exploded against the back of Garza's head and dropped him down to both knees. He crawled forward a couple steps and scrambled back upright, tripping as he went, until he finally was able to turn around to see Kuvira back on her feet, her fists thrust forward at him.

“You little...” Garza yanked his hands free of Lin's police cables and scowled at her. “That's it, finish them!”

The other officers wasted no time. Garza and Tousa came in at Kuvira, bending a storm of rocks at her like shrapnel, while the three other officers—Wong, Aori, and Jun—converged on the barely standing Lin. The injured police chief stepped back and raised a wall of stone on either side of herself to shield from a pair of incoming boulders, but the resulting impact sent her flying off her feet as her defense exploded in a cloud of dirt and stone.

“Lin!” Kuvira tried to assist, but with her wrists and ankles still bound she could do little more than play defensively against Garza and Tousa's attacks. As she huddled there behind her own protective wall, shielding herself from the rock storm pelting the area around her, she could only watch as the other three officers lifted massive boulders to send crashing down on the defenseless police chief.

“Incoming!”

A whirling whip of water came slicing down in from the trees, swatting officers Wong, Jun, and Aori back away from Lin like a trio of bumble flies. The boulders they had lifted crashed back down to the earth harmlessly, giving the police chief time to regain her footing and stagger behind another defensive wall. Moments later, a familiar figure swopped in from up above, swinging along the tree branches with massive water-whips coiled around his arms. He landed next to Kuvira and instantly expanded the water around himself in a protective sphere, with several water tentacles sprouting out like octopus arms, and tipped like sharpened spears.

“Anraq!” Kuvira's heart surged at the sight of her friend. The last she had seen of him, he'd been trapped in the engine room when it exploded.

“Sorry I'm late,” Anraq said as he widened his stance and spread his arms out at the ready. “How you ladies hanging in there?”

“Had better days,” Lin groaned, as she concentrated on building up her defenses. Several layers of earthen walls now stood between her and the three recovering officers.

Kuvira put her back against her own wall and looked around the corner. Garza and Tousa were regrouping with their fellow officers, trying to better position themselves. “You're okay. I thought...”

“Of course I'm okay. What, you thought a little engine explosion was going to take me out? Please.” Anraq grinned, and wiped a finger against the bottom of his nose—it was bleeding. A closer look, and Kuvira realized that his clothes were torn and singed, and there were burns all across his arms and torso. “Best part of it is, when I was ejected from the airship, I landed in a _stream_ of all things! I think I'm starting to like this forest.”

Garza scowled, looking back and forth from Kuvira and Anraq. “Oh look, the goodie-goodie waterbender is here to save the day. Well fine, if you want a beating, too, we're happy to oblige!”

Garza fired several large rocks in Anraq's direction, but the waterbender whirled his arms and swatted away the projectiles with his water whips.

“You know, this fight seems a little mismatched,” Anraq said, with a thoughtful look. He then reached into his pocket and flashed a smirk over to Kuvira. “How about we even the odds a little?”

Kuvira didn't realize what it was that Anraq threw over to her until she caught the object in her hands—the key to her shackles. She hesitated only a moment to look back at him, her brow lowered as if to question him, but the moment he winked at her she wasted no more precious time in getting that key into the lock to unfasten her chains.

Garza, on the other hand, seemed to know—or fear—what the object was even before she started unlocking her shackles. He was already pointing at them, ordering the others. “Don't just stand there, stop them!”

Wong and Aori went after Anraq, but the waterbender was ready for them. When they launched their police cables at him, he sidestepped and swiped one of his water whips downward. It hardened into a sharpened blade of ice and cut the lines, rendering them useless. He didn't stop there. Waving his arms around in a whipping motion, all the water surrounding himself suddenly surged forward in a torrent. Aori put up an earth wall between them, but Anraq clenched a hand into a fist and then pulled his arm backwards, causing the water stream to split in two and snake around either side of the wall. Aori never saw it coming, as the water collided into him from both sides. Before he could even hit the ground, the water wrapped around his ankles and lifted him up into the air.

Anraq pulled his arms down, and then the water slammed Aori against the ground—once, twice, three times, and then with the fourth he tossed the officer away into the bushes. The man was already unconscious by the time he landed. Wong watched with his mouth gape, as his partner disappeared into the brush. He then turned to look back at Anraq, who made a hand motion for him to make his move.

“Come on now,” Anraq said, with a grin. “Show me what you got.”

Meanwhile, Lin was doing everything she could just to stay standing. Jun worked his way around her, trying to get a clear shot through her defenses, but every time he made an attack she repositioned her earth walls to block. Every move she made, however, rocked her body with pain. She staggered a moment, holding a hand to her mouth and coughing—blood sprayed out over her fingers, and she knew her condition was severe. She hadn't been injured this badly in a long time, and there was only so much longer she could keep this up before she passed out.

Jun fired one of his police cables up at the tree above her, pulling himself up overhead. When he was straight over her, he shot his second cable down. Lin looked up with a grimace and she threw herself backwards, rolling across the ground out of the way. Her entire body screamed at her, but she fought through it. She came to a stop on her backside and immediately fired her own cables up at Jun, who now had nowhere to go, caught in midair. The cables wrapped around his waste and then reeled in sharply, and for a moment they were caught in a tug-of-war, with Jun trying to reel himself back up to the tree branch with his own cable. Lin's cables pulled harder, though, and soon Jun's snapped and he plummeted towards the ground with a yell.

Before he landed, Lin stomped her foot against the ground and sent an earthen block shooting up to greet him in the air. He collided against it with a sickening thud, bounced away, and then slid across the ground towards Lin's feet. She immediately bound him with her cables and then encased him in an earth prison, up to his neck—the captured officer could only release a pained grunt and hang his head. With an exhausted sigh, Lin collapsed against the ground and didn't move.

“Would you hold still!” Garza shouted, as he kicked another boulder forward like a missile. Tousa followed, launching attacks of his own at the newly unbound Kuvira.

From the moment that Kuvira had unlocked the shackles and freed herself, a renewed sense of skill and confidence surged through her. It took only moments before muscle memory kicked in, and her legs and arms started moving practically on their own, acting out of pure instinct. She weaved around their attacks, redirected them, countered with graceful strikes of her own. She was a dancer, a fighter, a survivor—they couldn't touch her.

Kuvira slid across the ground, turned and raised a knee, then with a stomp sent a boulder shooting up out of the ground. She added an extra zip to it with a thrusting punch, and just as it reached the apex of its speed, she spread her fingers and whipped her arm backwards, causing the boulder to explode in a shower of rocks that sent Garza and Tousa scrambling for cover.

She wasn't done there. Her hands started moving rapidly, directing the individual earthen shrapnel in the air at her opponents—she wasn't about to let them get away that easy. They did what they could to defend themselves, but she knew she had them outmatched. They yelled and held their arms up, shielding themselves as the rocks pelted them relentlessly.

“What's the matter?” she said, with a wide grin. Her heart was racing, blood pumping—she hadn't felt this alive, had this much _fun_ , in ages. “You don't seem so smug now that you aren't beating on a defenseless woman.”

“Damn it... you bitch.” Garza recovered from the previous assault and grounded himself in a ready stance. “I swear I'll—!”

“You'll what?” Kuvira switched up her style, now raising her hands like a boxer and bouncing around on the balls of her feet. She felt light, loose—ready for anything they could throw at her. “Go crawling back into your hole, to hide like the frightened little weasel snake you are?”

A laugh left her throat as Garza sent another boulder at her; she easily deflected it with a simple punch that launched another boulder to knock it off course. Tousa ran ahead of his partner to make his own attack. He pushed his arms forward and levitated a pile of scrap metal from the crashed airship, twisting and sharpening it, and then whirled it through the air at her. Kuvira simply swatted each one out of the air, bending them harmlessly away in opposite directions. Then, she spun once and kicked her leg forward.

The ground beneath Tousa's feet softened, dropping him off balance, and in his moment of surprise he never saw the fist-sized rock firing at him through the air. It collided square against his head, and he dropped to the ground, unconscious. Moments later, Officer Wong fell into view, sliding across the ground covered in a wave of water. Within seconds, the water cooled and hardened into an icy prison, and he was trapped.

Anraq cracked his fingers as he moved next to Kuvira. Several water tendrils still sprouted around his body, waving and undulating as they awaited command. “Well, looks like the ringleader is all by himself.”

Garza grunted a surprised breath and took a step backwards, his gaze shifting over his fallen comrades. He didn't say anything, but the panic in his eyes spoke volumes on its own.

“Anraq, I got this,” Kuvira stated, moving forward. “You check on Lin.”

The waterbender lifted an eyebrow at her, but he didn't argue. He gave one more look at Garza, and then hurried over to the fallen police chief.

Garza watched her, swallowed back a lump in his throat. The hesitation kept him rooted in place for a moment, but he finally brought himself to make another attack. Kuvira blocked it with ease, and tripped him up with a counter. He stumbled, fell to his knees, but made another desperate strike. This time, Kuvira redirected the incoming chunk of earth directly back at him; it smashed against his chest so hard that it exploded into a storm of dirt and stone. Garza's eyes snapped open wide and he coughed, the wind rushing from his lungs. With the way he was wheezing, Kuvira knew she had cracked at least one of his ribs.

“You're a disgrace of a human being, and a coward.” She raised her arms, and instantly Garza lifted straight up to his feet as an earth prison wrapped around his body, leaving only his head free. “I should put an end to you right here.”

With a simple flick of her wrist, one of the airship's propellers wrenched free and flew through the air towards her. She held her arm up as the metal wrapped around her wrist, the propeller straightening and sharpening into the form of an blade. Moving closer to Garza, she held the edge of the blade against his neck and glared at him, brow low and emotion gone from her eyes. In that moment, she wasn't just Kuvira anymore. A certain coldness had taken over. She stood rigid, militant, ready to pass the judgment she saw fit upon this man.

In that moment, the Great Uniter had returned.

“Kuvira!”

She knew that voice—Anraq.

The sound of her name shook her focus. She took a step back and blinked, now looking down at Garza with full awareness of what she was doing. The man had his head bowed, tears streaming down his face. He hiccuped, with sheer terror written across his face, as the blade had started to draw blood from his neck. With a shocked gasp, Kuvira withdrew her arm and stepped back farther. She ran her fingers through her hair, squinted her eyes shut—what had she almost done?

Finally, Kuvira let the armblade fall from her wrist. She took deep breaths, steadying her nerves, and then turned away from Garza—he wasn't going to be hurting anyone now. Wandering over towards Anraq, she dropped down to her knees next to him. By now, the waterbender had removed Lin's armor, and spread a glowing glob of water across her body to heal her.

“You alright?” he asked, giving a concerned look.

“Fine...” she replied. She didn't look at him, instead staring down at the barely moving Lin. “How is she?”

Anraq breathed out a heavy sigh. “If I'm being honest? Not very good. There's bruising, broken bones, and I think I'm sensing torn ligaments. Maybe a collapsed lung. She's lucky she had that armor on, or she'd be dead.”

Kuvira swallowed, but kept her composure. “Can you heal her?”

“Without spirit water, there's only so much I can do with injuries this severe,” he said, with a shake of his head. “I should be able to stabilize her well enough, but we'll need to get her proper medical attention if she's going to recover. How far out are we from Zaofu?”

Kuvira thought a moment, looking back at the airship. No way that thing was getting off the ground again. “On foot? A couple days, maybe. Probably faster if I earthbend us the entire way there.”

“Radio...” It was Lin who spoke. Her eyes flickered open and she groaned, just able to lift her head to look at them. “The cockpit... wasn't damaged too badly. The radio should still... nnggh... work. Call Zaofu... they'll send transport.” Lin winced and let her head fall back again. Her breathing was still weak, choppy.

“Easy, Chief,” Anraq said, as he moved the glowing water up over chest. “Just rest. You've earned it.”

“I'll see about the radio, after I make sure they're all restrained properly.” She glanced back at the five downed officers, none of whom looked like they would be moving any time soon. “I'll see if there are any other survivors, too. It didn't look good, from what I saw in the cockpit.”

Anraq gave her a nod. “Alright, I'll stay with the Chief.”

Kuvira stood straight and sucked in a deep breath. “This is going to be interesting trying to explain.”

“How do you mean?”

“Why your prisoner is the one radioing Zaofu,” she stated, as she marched towards the airship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this just in, FIGHT SCENES ARE REALLY HARD TO WRITE. I swear, no matter how I write them, they just end up sounding weird and incoherent. I am so not very good at writing action and fight scenes, and even after going through this chapter three times I dislike it, but whatever, I'm sick of looking at it so I'm posting it now.


	12. Welcome to Zaofu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira is finally transferred to Zaofu, Lin shares a tender moment with a loved one and contemplates her future, and Anraq makes a surprising decision.

Suyin waited at the landing zone, foot tapping impatiently as the airship lowered into view. It had been nearly a whole day since the distress call came in, and 'surprised' would be an enormous understatement to describe how she felt about the information that came in. The fact that it had been Kuvira who called in had been shocking enough, let alone learning about the rogue officers that had not only sabotaged their airship, but also assaulted and nearly killed Lin...

Su hadn't slept at all since then. For the most part, she'd been pacing around her office sick with worry, praying to the spirits that her sister would be alright. The last she had heard, Lin was in critical condition, but stable, not that that did anything to settle her nerves. Now, though, the airship she'd sent out to pick them up had returned, and it couldn't land fast enough.

When the ramp finally lowered, Su stepped forward. First to exit the airship were five men dressed in Republic City police uniforms, all bound in platinum chains—the rogue officers that had caused this whole mess. A handful of her guards led them along, pushing and prodding them to keep up.

“Take them to holding,” she said, giving the line of officers a cold look. “We'll decide what to do with them later.”

“Yes, ma'am,” one of the guards stated, giving a salute.

When they were gone, Su turned her gaze back up to the ramp. Her heart jumped when she saw the next person to appear—Kuvira, being led along by another pair of guards, her hands and ankles also bound in platinum shackles. She immediately ran up the ramp and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace.

“Oh Kuvira,” she said, with a gentle sigh. “Thank goodness you're alright.”

“Thank you, Su,” Kuvira replied, sinking into the hug.

Su pulled back, hands on her daughter's shoulders. She gave a worried look, while her heart thumped against her chest. “How's Lin?”

Kuvira paused, and glanced back over her shoulder inside the airship. “She's...okay. Anraq healed the worst of her injuries, but she still needs time to recover. She's lucky...”

“Lucky because of you.” She looked into Kuvira's eyes and smiled. “Thank you. I mean that.”

“I couldn't just let them kill her...”

“I know. I'm proud of you.” Su breathed deep and then took a step back, hands coming to her hips. “And this is something I'll be bringing to the attention of the other world leaders.”

Kuvira's brow furrowed and she tilted her head. “Why?”

“Think about it,” she said. “You're a prisoner, Kuvira, but instead of escaping when the airship crashed, you saved the Republic City Police Chief, captured her attackers, aided the crash's survivors, and then waited for Zaofu to arrive to take you back to finish your sentence. If there's anything I can think of that qualifies as 'good behavior'—and that's putting it lightly—it's this. I'm sure I can get your sentence reduced because of it.”

Kuvira lowered her gaze, lips pursing in thought. “I...didn't even think of that.”

“Heads up, wounded coming though! Out of the way people!”

Anraq came into view, heading down the ramp and making room for the doctors to bring out the injured survivors from the crash—Lin, several of her other officers, and even the pilot, all being carried out on stretchers. The doctors hurried by, wasting no time in getting the patients loaded onto a transport to take them to the hospital.

Su watched closely, until Lin finally disappeared into the hospital transport. She breathed out an easy sigh, glad to know that her sister was in good hands. Then, she turned back toward that familiar waterbender. “Anraq, it's good to see you again.”

He nodded in greeting. “Ma'am.”

“Thank you for helping Lin. She'd be dead if not for you. Both of you.”

“Just doing my job,” he said, with a simple shrug. “But you're welcome. Besides, if the Chief didn't make it, then who would yell at me for listening to pro-bending matches during my shifts, right? I'd miss that too much.”

“Still, I owe you, Anraq. Anything you need.”

He pressed a hand to his chin and thought a moment, nodding. “Well, I suppose I'll keep that in mind then. I should get going to the hospital myself, though. I know I look tough, but these burns are really starting to sting.” He raised his arms a moment and looked down at himself. His police uniform was in tatters, most of it torn and partially singed off, and bright red burn marks had scorched across his arms and most of his torso from the explosion. With a wave, he hurried off to catch up to the hospital carrier.

Su smiled and gave a wave of her own, then looked back to Kuvira. “Alright, then. Just follow me, and I'll show you to the prison.”

* * *

“As you can see, your new cell has more space than your old one, including its own shower.” Suyin led Kuvira through the sliding cell door, and motioned her hand around the space. “I've even taken the liberty of having shelves put in, to store all of your books and other belongings.” She made her way over to the window and gazed outside. “The view overlooks the the mountains—nothing interesting, but it is scenic, at least. Of course, everything is still made of platinum, but then that's a requirement.”

Kuvira was quiet as she looked around the cell. It was certainly spacious, nearly twice as large as her previous cell. Just as Su said, the rows of shelves that lined the walls would make for excellent storage space for all of her books—at least, what had survived the airship crash. The toilet and shower were partitioned off for added privacy, and even the bed was larger. A table sat in the center of the cell to complete the setup, with a fresh Zaofu prison uniform folded neatly on one of the two chairs. It was... as nice a prison cell as anyone could hope for. And yet, something felt wrong about it, something deep down in the pit of her gut.

“Su, this is...too much,” she said, with a shake of her head. “I shouldn't be given this kind of treatment.”

“Nonsense.” Su waved off the comment and gave her a pointed look. “This isn't that much different than the other prison cells here, you know that. We may keep criminals locked up here, but that doesn't mean we have to treat them like animals. This isn't Republic City's prison. It's Zaofu's.”

“I...” Kuvira took another look around the cell. It seemed there was no getting around it. “Of course. Sorry.”

“Oh, and here's something I know you'll enjoy,” Su added, with a warm smile. “You'll be allowed to use the prison yard three times a week, in two hour blocks. There isn't any metal on the premises, but there is a small earth field you can use to get a workout.”

Kuvira felt her heart jump at the proclamation. The thought of being given yard time, actually being allowed to get exercise, to practice her bending... It was more than she could have hoped for. “Are you sure?”

“I think you've shown that you can be trusted with a couple hours of supervised bending. In Republic City, they kept you caged at all times, but as I already said—“

“—this isn't Republic City.” A large smile curled onto her face. “Thank you, Su.”

“You're welcome.” Su held a hand to Kuvira's cheek and leaned forward, giving a kiss to her forehead. “Now get some rest, you must be exhausted. I'll have your dinner brought up in a few hours.”

Kuvira nodded, and then made her way over to the bed. It had been a long couple of days, and right now a nap sounded wonderful.

Su started back towards the cell door, but paused on her way there. She turned to look over her shoulder, and again smiled at her daughter. “And Kuvira... It's good to have you home.”

* * *

Lin groaned as consciousness returned to her. Her eyes flickered open, vision blurred; shapes slowly came into focus, so slowly. Her head pounded and body ached, but she managed to move herself up off the bed. A jolt of pain flashed through her chest halfway there and she paused, allowing it to subside before continuing upright.

“Lin, sweetie, take it easy. Don't get up so fast.”

“What...” She knew that voice. It had always been familiar to her, but had grown far more so in the past few years. The sweetness of it brought a warmth to her heart that nothing else could. “Kya, is that you?”

“It's me, I'm here.” Kya leaned into view and reached forward, taking Lin's hands in her own. “I came as soon as I heard about what happened.”

Lin uttered another groan, giving Kya's hands an instinctive squeeze. “How long have I been out?”

“A few days,” she replied. “I've been here since yesterday morning.”

“And you've been sitting there this whole time?”

“Of course I have.” Kya smiled, and ran her thumb gently against Lin's hand. “I wanted to be sure I was here when you woke up.”

A quiet grunt of appreciation surged from her throat. “Hrm, well... I have to admit, you're a much more welcome sight than some stuffy old doctor.”

“Oh well aren't you the flatterer,” Kya said, with a smirk.

“It's what I do.”

Leaning closer, Kya pressed the back of her hand against Lin's forehead. “Are you feeling okay?”

Lin paused a moment, glancing down at herself. She twisted her body, groaned at the soreness in her muscles. “A lot better than I was before I passed out. I should be fine.”

“Good...” A breath of relief sighed out of Kya's lips. She looked downward, nodding slowly with a distant look in her eyes. “That's.. that's good.”

Lin raised a brow. “Is...everything alright?”

A pause followed, bringing with it a silence that lingered just a little too long to be comfortable. Kya held Lin's hand again and squeezed it, then looked up into her eyes. “You make me worry, Lin. With how many times you come home beat up, bruised, exhausted... And now this?” Her expression shifted with concern, sadness lingering in her eyes. “One of these days you'll be hurt too bad, and I'm not going to be able to heal you. Or I won't even be there to try.”

“Hey, hey...” Lin leaned close to her, resting a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. Her other hand raised to gently cup Kya's cheek. “It's okay, I'm fine.”

“This time. But what about next time? Or the time after that?” Kya's gaze lowered again, and then her eyes closed—no doubt to hide the tears that Lin knew were there. “I'm a good healer, Lin. One of the best, even... But I'm not perfect. You know that.”

Lin's throat knotted. She hated seeing Kya like this, lost in the grief of her past. Every time it happened, there was only so much she could do to comfort the woman, to bring her peace. “Kya... It's been twenty years. You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened to Yuka.”

Kya breathed out a long sigh and shook her head. “Easy for you to say. You weren't there. You weren't the one who couldn't save her.”

“Shh...” Lin pressed a finger to Kya's chin and lifted the woman's gaze upright, so she could look again deep into her eyes. “It's not your fault. It never was.”

“You can say it all you want...” she said, lifting her shoulders with a shrug. “...doesn't make it true.”

“Kya...”

Kya moved forward and wrapped her arms around Lin, pulling her close. She rested her chin against the other woman's shoulder and breathed deep. “Lin, you're an old woman. We both are. Your body can't take the kind of punishment it used to, and with how dangerous your job is... It's only a matter of time.”

Lin exhaled, closing her eyes. She, too, held her arms tightly around Kya. It was comforting, being able to hold someone so dear to her so closely. “I know that. And I know my job is dangerous, but it's still my job, and I'm good at it. I love it.”

“And I love you.” Kya squeezed her arms a moment, then moved back so their eyes could meet again. “Too much to stand seeing you hurt this much all the time.”

“I love you, too, Kya...” She held the woman's hand, linking their fingers together. Kya immediately tightened the hold, giving a passionate squeeze. “But I'm not sure what you want me to do.”

At this statement, Kya gave a knowing look, a look she'd given several times before. It meant only one thing, that Lin was dancing around a subject she knew full well was coming. “Lin... It's about time you start thinking of retirement.”

Lin recoiled with a scoff, arms folding across her chest. She always got like this whenever the subject came up—retirement didn't particularly appeal to her, and for more reasons than just liking her job. “Don't be ridiculous. I still have ten good years left, at least. And who would run the place when I'm gone? Mako? Ha, right. Or how about Saikhan? We know how well that went last time.”

Kya's brow lowered, and her lips curled down into a frown. “I'm being serious here, Lin.”

She grumbled quietly and looked away, a gentle sigh leaving her throat. “I know, I just... I've been police chief for so long. What else would I even do?”

“Well, you could start spending more time at home, with me.” Kya's brow lifted, and suddenly a renewed light came to her face. “We could even take time to travel. I could show you all the incredible places I've been... Oh, it'll be even better the second time around, with someone to share it with.”

“I don't know...” Lin took a moment to think, arms still crossed firmly over her chest. She pursed her lips together, breathed in deeply—could she really bring herself to retire? “I suppose that doesn't sound _terrible_. But really, this isn't a decision I can make just like that. I need to think about it, make plans, prepare a replacement chief... it takes time.”

“That's all I'm asking,” Kya insisted, giving Lin's hand another gentle squeeze. “That you start thinking about it. So maybe it isn't something you put off for another ten years? You deserve some time to finally relax.”

Another long moment past, and Lin sighed out a defeated breath, head lowering. She knew there could be no more arguing about the subject, not with Kya. “Alright... I _suppose_ I can start making plans. If I do it right, then maybe in a couple years the station will be ready to go on without me.”

Kya puffed out a chuckle. “You make it sound so dire. You'd be retiring, not dying.”

“That's the hope, at least.”

“Mmm...” Kya smiled gently and leaned in, planting her lips against Lin's and holding them there for several moments. A hot breath exited her mouth when she pulled back. “And in the meantime, you can at least take a vacation with me. When's the last time you actually had time off?”

“Well, I...” Lin thought a moment, eyebrows scrunching together. “I think I had a vacation, uh... was it two years ago? No, maybe three...”

Kya crossed her arms and lifted an accusatory brow. “You don't even remember, do you?”

“I'm not saying I don't remember,” she replied, with a quick clear of her throat. “But... I'm not saying I particularly do remember, either.”

“Well then, that settles it.” Kya beamed a smile. “When you get out of this hospital, you're on a two week vacation.”

“Kya, I can't just take time off like that. I have to schedule it and make preparations for others to cover my work.”

A soft, nervous chuckle found its way out of Kya's mouth. She scratched the back of her head, looking away. “Um, yeah, funny you mention that...”

Lin's brow lowered. “...what did you do?”

“Well, I _might_ have already put in a vacation request for you before I left...”

“You did what?” Lin said, eyes widening. The only way to get a vacation request to go through the station was to fill out the required form and sign it, which she had definitely not done. “But— how did you even...?”

“Oh I've always been pretty good at forging signatures,” Kya replied, with another guilty laugh. She waved off the question and shrugged. “And Mako said he'd make sure that everything is covered. You are the chief after all, who's going to deny you a vacation?”

Lin blinked at her a moment, trying to process that information. The things that Kya did sometimes... With a bemused scoff, she said, “Honestly, I don't know whether to be amazed or upset.”

A suggestive smirk twisted on Kya's face. “Maybe a little turned on?”

“...maybe a little.” Lin cleared her throat, fidgeting a little in bed as she felt Kya's hand glide softly along her thigh. “So, seeing as how I apparently don't have a choice in the matter, where are we going on this vacation?”

“Anywhere you want,” she replied. “Doesn't have to be one place, either. We could visit my mother down South. Oh, or maybe head to the Fire Nation to visit Izumi? It's been ages since we've seen her. Ha, I can only imagine what she'd say when she finds out we're together.”

“Probably something along the lines of 'it's about time'. If there's anyone who thought this was a long time coming, it's her.”

And that much was true. The two had been inseparable as children, growing up. 'Joined at the hip' is how Izumi used to describe them. There had always been an unspoken attraction between them, but neither had realized it until much later in life. Back then, they'd been too oblivious and too desperate, for different reasons—Kya desperate to escape the confinements of her home life and see the world, Lin desperate to appease her mother by becoming a cop. It had been distractions like those that got in the way of either one coming out and saying how they really felt.

Even after Kya returned from her time away, they didn't see much of each other. Lin had been far too busy with her police work, and even when they had found time to spend with each other, things were different. A distance had grown between them, and no longer were they the inseparable best friends they used to be; it made avoiding the subject easy. Before they could do anything to repair that gap between them, Kya's father had died, and she left to return to the Southern Water Tribe and take care of her mother. The next thing Lin knew, she had learned that Kya had fallen in love with and married a Water Tribe woman named Yuka.

Deep down, Lin had felt a certain hurt and regret over what could have been, but she could never be too angry about it. After all, she hadn't exactly made an attempt to make anything happen. What she could be angry about, however, was her not being there to comfort Kya after Yuka died. She had wanted to be there for her friend, but between her police work and her newly formed relationship with Tenzin, she could never find the time to visit. That was one of her biggest regrets, and one she still scolded herself for sometimes.

In the end, however, they had finally come together, even if it had taken far too long. It had begun innocently enough, with a dance between old friends at Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding three years ago. Lin had been partially intoxicated at the time, having had one too many of those irresistibly delicious raspberry cocktails, and Kya had made certain to take advantage of that to get her to unwind a little. The dance, though, had eventually turned into a quiet moment alone, away from the party. That quiet moment turned into a long talk, about the past and about their lives... and before either knew it, they had both finally opened up to reveal how they had always felt about each other. Just like that, a long-dimmed ember rekindled and they had decided to take the chance together that they'd never been able to before.

“Hmm, you're probably right...” Kya said, with a nod. “Still, it'll be good to see her again. Oh, but we have to visit the Tau Wong Springs Resort while we're there. They have this _incredible_ spa, and I swear you'll feel like a new woman when you come out.”

“A spa?” Lin's face contorted. “I don't really _do_ spas.”

“Well you will this time, and I'm not taking no for an answer. You can try arguing if you want, but you know I'll win.”

“Hrm... fine then.” She frowned a little, feigning annoyance. “We'll figure everything out when we leave.”

“That's my sweetie.” Kya smiled and leaned close again, giving the other woman a sweet, gentle kiss.

A knock sounded on the open hospital room door. “Uhh, excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but...”

Lin let out a surprised yelp and lurched back away from Kya. She knew that voice, and sure enough, she found that familiar man standing in the doorway when she looked. “Anraq! How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long, I swear,” he said, raising his hands up in defense. “I just, you know, didn't want to intrude on your conversation, and... uh, can I come in, or should I come back later?”

Lin rolled her eyes. “Oh, just come in. You're already here.”

“Uh, right, thanks, Chief.”

Kya straightened herself and took a step towards the guard, smiling. “Anraq, was it? You're the waterbender who healed Lin after the crash, right?”

“That's me,” he said, with a nod. “All in a day's work.”

“Well in that case, thank you.” Kya reached out to shake his hand, her expression growing a bit more solemn. “Really. If you hadn't been there...”

“I know, no need to tell me, believe me. At least those assholes will get what's coming to them.”

“Damn straight they will,” Lin said. “If Garza and Tousa thought we came down hard on them before, oh they haven't seen anything yet.”

Anraq nodded, then turned his focus to Kya. “So... you must be Kya, right?”

“Yes...?” She lifted an eyebrow, then glanced back at Lin with a subtle smirk. “Lin, have you been talking about me?”

Lin gave her a blank stare, frowning. “I make it a point never to talk about my personal life at work.”

“Oh, no, nothing like that,” Anraq insisted. “It's just—I mean, you're _that_ Kya, right? Avatar Aang and Katara's daughter? I'm just, ha, this is going to sound ridiculous, but... I'm a really big fan. Of your dad. And your mom. And all their friends. And you.” He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head and grinning slightly. “I just, I mean I read all about them when I was a kid, and... well yeah, this is really cool.”

“Is that right?” Kya's hands came to her hips, and she grinned at Lin. “You hear that? I have a fan.”

“Don't be too flattered,” Lin stated. “He always gets like this when he meets someone even remotely famous. You should have seen him when he first met Korra. Or me.”

Anraq deadpanned, shoulders slouching. “Thanks for that, Chief...”

“Oh don't pay any attention to her,” Kya said, with a flippant wave of her hand. “She's just grumpy—hates being in hospitals and all.” She laughed at Lin's subsequent groan. “And thank you, Anraq. You know, it's nice being recognized for once. Tenzin gets recognized all the time, leader of the airbenders and all that, yada yada. Even Bumi gets stopped sometimes for his service in the United Forces, but me? Pffft, who cares about the hip, spiritual sibling, am I right?”

Anraq blinked at her, actually looking genuinely surprised at the statement. “Are you kidding? You're one of the best healers in the world! Maybe I just appreciate that more than others because I'm a healer, too, but... I mean, that's _awesome_.”

Kya beamed at him, then looked back at Lin again. “I like him. Give this kid a raise.”

Lin merely rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Oh, and... one more thing,” Anraq said. He shifted awkwardly on his feet a moment, clearing his throat. “I'm sorry if this sounds a little forward, or, well, stupid, but... is there any chance I could get a few pointers? I mean, I trained in healing with your mother for a few years when I was in the South, but I think there's a lot I could still improve on.”

“Hmm... you want some pointers, huh?” Kya eyed him curiously, pressing a hand to her chin. “Alright, but I warn you, my lessons aren't cheap.”

“Oh!” Anraq straightened himself and nodded. “Right, of course. I can pay for lessons, absolutely. I didn't mean to imply—”

Kya cut him off with a laugh, forced to hold a hand over her mouth to calm herself. “I'm kidding. Really, it would be my pleasure to teach you a few things. It's the least I can do to thank you for patching up my girlfriend.”

A giddy smile spread across Anraq's face. “Excellent! Thank you, ha, this is so cool.”

“Speaking of which,” Lin said, as she sat higher in her bed, “I suppose I should be thanking you, too. You did good work out there, Anraq. Remind me to put you up for a promotion when we get back to Republic City.”

“Uhhh, about that...” Anraq said, tapping his fingers together. “See that's actually why I'm here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Chief, there's... something I need to ask you. A request, actually.”

“A request?” Lin's gaze narrowed. “Alright, I'm listening.”

* * *

“Breakfast! Rise and shine.”

Kuvira muttered out a tired groan as she awoke from a deep sleep. She yawned, stretched her arms out, and then rolled out of bed. Her legs barely caught herself, wobbling as she stood up still half-asleep. She really would have liked to sleep in another few hours, but the hungry rumble in her stomach was stronger than her desire for sleep, and whatever breakfast the guards had cooked up this time smelled amazing.

Another yawn left her mouth as she approached the cell door, prepared to take her tray of food and then sit and eat in silence. That was one the one thing that would take some getting used now that she was in Zaofu—the silence. With Anraq as her cell guard in Republic City, there had never been a dull moment, always someone to talk to. But now... well, it was back to quiet moments reading.

“You look a little heavy on your feet there,” the guard said, as he passed the tray through the slot. “This should help get you going.”

Kuvira's hands stopped halfway to the tray. She blinked at the guard, a sudden alertness bringing her fully awake. Pulling her hands back, she rubbed her eyes, blinked a few more times, and then looked at the guard again, wondering if she was delirious in a groggy stupor, still mostly asleep.

“Let's see, we got sausages and eggs today.” The guard lifted the tray slightly, frowning at the plate of food. “I actually did up the sausages myself. Would have done the eggs too, but the last time I tried to cook eggs I set my kitchen on fire—don't ask. It was a disaster.”

She definitely wasn't seeing things. Standing there on the other side of her cell door, dressed in the traditional green of Zaofu, was a very familiar face. “Anraq?”

“Mmhmm,” he said, with a simple nod. “That is my name, yes.”

“I thought you'd left for Republic City days ago... What are you doing here?” Her gaze lingered on him a moment, looking up and down. “And... why are you dressed like a Zaofu guard?”

“Oh, this?” Anraq took a step back and looked down at himself. “I know, green, not my best color, right? Between you and me, I look way better in Water Tribe blue. Still, it's a step up from the Republic City police's drab grey.”

“Anraq. Serious question.”

“Right, well, thing is,” he said, giving his throat a quick clear, “I did some thinking the past couple days while I was in the hospital. I thought, you know what, I'm kind of getting a little bored of Republic City. I mean sure, it's a nice place, lots to see, lots to do, got a great job, but hey, why not get out and see more of the world, right? And hey, this Zaofu place seems nice, I could always try it out, see how it goes...”

“ _Anraq_.” Kuvira took a steady breath and pinched the bridge of her nose a moment, trying to clear her thoughts. “You're rambling. Spit it out?”

“Ahem, right. Sorry.” Coming back to the cell door, he leaned close, pressing his face in front of the window and smiling. “What I'm trying to say is, I talked to Chief Beifong yesterday and asked for a transfer... you're looking at the newest member of Zaofu's police.”

“You're... being serious?”

“Of course I'm being serious,” he said. “What, you think I knocked out your guard, stole his uniform, and snuck up here just to deliver your breakfast?”

Kuvira blinked again, and set her tray down on the table. “And Su accepted you?”

“Mhm. Apparently she wasn't kidding when she said 'anything you need'. Soon as I asked about it, she said she could make it happen. Didn't even have to go into my speech about why I thought I'd fit in here. Kind of disappointing, actually. It was a good speech.”

“And so... that means you get to continue being my guard,” she said, with a slow nod of understanding. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.” He held out the tray of food again, smirking. “Breakfast?”

After a moment's hesitation, a gentle laugh left Kuvira's lips. She returned the smile, and took the tray from him. “Don't mind if I do.”

“Oh, and by the way, you have a visitor.” Anraq took a step back and started to unlock the cell door. “I know it's early, and technically visitor's hours haven't started yet, but... yeah, I'm not going to tell her to wait.”

Kuvira set her tray down on the table, but didn't sit down yet. She looked back to the door, watched it open, and felt her eyes widen at who walked into the cell—the Republic City Police Chief herself.

“Lin?”

The older woman nodded in greeting. “Kuvira.”

“I'm glad to see you're alright,” she said. She took a moment to look her over, noting that Lin's injuries seemed mostly healed. There was a slight limp to her walk, but other than that she appeared good as new. “But why are you...?”

“I'm here to thank you, for what you did.” Lin stopped a few paces in front of her, standing straight at attention. She breathed in deep, then eased out the breath slowly, posture slackening. “I'd have been a goner if not for you. Both of you. Look, this isn't easy for me to say, but... I had you pegged wrong. I knew you'd accepted punishment, and you were serving your sentence, and others seemed to think you were changing, but I didn't see it the same. I was the Chief of Police in charge of overseeing your prison, you understand. I couldn't afford to see you as anything more than another prisoner.”

Kuvira shook her head. “You don't need to explain yourself to me, Lin. I know all that... and it's not as though we had a meaningful bond before everything I did. You didn't have a reason to be easy on me.”

“Yeah, well I was wrong.” Lin huffed out a heavy breath, arms folding across her chest. “After that crash, you could have run. You could have left me to those men, could have let them kill me, could have escaped—we might never have found you. But you didn't. You stepped in when you didn't have to, and I owe you my life because of it.”

“Just like I owe you mine?”

“Hmph,” Lin muttered, lips curling ever so slightly into a smirk. “Suppose that makes us even, now doesn't it?”

“I suppose it does,” she replied, with a simple nod.

“Kuvira... you're a part of Su's family. Regardless of what you've done, that hasn't changed. They've forgiven you, they've accepted you back, and they're moving forward.” Lin paused, fidgeting on her feet. Looking downward, she sighed again and shook her head. “But I'm also a part of that family. And, well... that makes _us_ family, too. What I'm trying to say is, I'm... also willing to move forward. Like Su loves to keep reminding me, people deserve a second chance. You most of all, I think. So...” Lin extended her hand, looking Kuvira squarely in the eyes. “Will you have me? As part of your family.”

Kuvira stared at the Chief's hand, half expecting her to pull it back as a joke. When the offer didn't disappear, she reached out and shook Lin's hand, grip tight and firm. “Yes... of course.”

Lin gave an affirming nod. “Well, good, then. In any case... I should get going. Kya will have a fit if she knows I'm out of bed already.”

“Take care, Lin.”

“You, too.” Lin started back towards the cell door, but stopped a moment, looking back. “And Kuvira, if there's anything you ever need...”

Kuvira smiled, returning a nod of her own. “Thank you, Chief.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so another really long chapter here, but this time it's for a totally legitimate reason... that being I just didn't want to stop writing that Kyalin scene. I really didn't mean for it to go that long, but damn it, I love those two together. I'm definitely going to be writing a full Kyalin fic after this one is over, to explore all that backstory I scribbled down in that scene.
> 
> And yes, I headcanon that Kya was married once before, and that's why she wears that betrothal necklace. Leave it to me to add extra drama to it though.
> 
> So this was a breather chapter obviously, after those last couple of action packed ones. Mainly just setting up Kuvira's new status quo as a prisoner in Zaofu, rather than Republic City. The good news is, it should only be another couple of chapters before I get to the big, main plot. I'm really excited to get to it, there should be a lot of cool moments... or, you know, it'll come out sounding ridiculous, but hey, at least I can say I tried.


	13. Dancebending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira struggles with her growing feelings towards Korra.

Kuvira closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. It had been so long since she could take this kind of time to simply enjoy the feel of a cool breeze on her face, the warmth of the sun against her skin... It brought a smile to her face. Letting out her breath, she opened her eyes again and looked around the prison yard. It wasn't particularly large, but did include a small earth field at the center to be used for her bending. The entire area was surrounded with platinum walls, of course, and there were several guards posted along the walls to watch her, but that was still more than enough. She had no desire to start trouble, only to get in some practice.

“So, way better than being cooped up in your Republic City cell, huh?” Anraq said, smirking at her.

Kuvira glanced back at him with a grin of her own. “You have no idea.”

She waited for him to unlock her shackles, and then made her way towards the field of dirt and stone. As soon as she felt that connection between herself and the ground beneath her feet, excitement surged through her. With a single stomp, she sent three large chunks shooting up from the ground, and with a follow up punch she launched them towards the far prison wall. The earth smashed to pieces, and then she slid a foot backwards to pull the resulting cloud of stone back towards her. She spun once, swinging her arm; the stones flew through the air around her as though a stream of water, coiling around her and then exploding outward.

Kuvira continued with another kick, this time raising a tall stone pillar up from the ground. She breathed easy, took a step back, and then glided forward on her feet with a swift punch that broke off the top of the pillar and sent it launching forward. A second kick sent the middle part of the pillar shooting after the first, and then with a spinning, sweeping motion of her leg, the bottom of the pillar followed. Each of the tree stone projectiles thudded into the wall, one after the other, shaking the entire prison yard. With a pleased grin, she guided her hand back through the air and reset all the earth she had used so far into the ground.

For the better part of an hour she continued like this, gradually adding more complex attacks. Since there was no actual target, she focused on a single spot on the far prison wall, pretending it was an invisible opponent. It was actually quite easy to imagine Garza's ugly mug staring back at her, and each time she drove a stone against it she smirked. Her heart fluttered, and not just from the physical exertion—she had almost forgotten just how much she loved bending. After the airship crash, when she had fought off Garza and his men, she had been able to get a small taste of that again. Now, though, she could cut loose and really enjoy herself, feel her blood pumping and heart pounding, fingers tingling.

“You know, for someone who hasn't done any serious bending in over three years, you are really on point,” Anraq said, as he watched her.

“Well, it's like you said.” Kuvira raised a boulder into the air, arms lifting straight. She spun around and spread her arms out, causing the boulder to split in two, each half shooting off like missiles in either direction. “Like riding an ostrich horse, right?”

“Heh, I did say that, didn't I?” Anraq gave a chuckle, then knelt down to pick up a small, fist-sized rock. He tossed it up and down a few times in his hand. “But I wonder, how's your accuracy?” With a challenging smirk, he threw the stone high up into the air.

Kuvira wasted no time. She immediately planted her feet against the ground and thrust one of her hands forward. An equal sized stone of her own flew up from the ground and collided squarely with the one that Anraq had thrown, knocking it out of the sky.

Anraq's eyebrow lifted. “Huh... okay, pretty damn good apparently.”

“I learned almost everything I know from Su,” Kuvira said, wiping a line of sweat from hr brow. “She's one of the best earth and metalbenders I've ever known.”

“Almost everything, huh? And where'd the rest come from?”

She shrugged. “My own style, just little things I've picked up over the years. My dancing in particular adds an entirely different feel to my style.”

“I noticed,” he replied, with a nod. “You don't fight like a typical earthbender, all powerful and flatfooted. Actually you have a lot in common with a waterbender, with how fluid your movements are.”

“I prefer to be nimble on my feet.” Kuvira bounced up and down on the balls of her feet a few times, shifting her stance and bringing her fists up. “Always moving, always ready to counter. Usually, my opponents aren't expecting it. They think I'm just like every other earthbender, so it catches them off guard with how much I move around.”

“Hmm, that does seem handy.” Anraq held a hand to his chin, thinking a moment. Then, he took a few steps back away from her and took a stance of his own, one hand held against the waterskin at his hip. “Go on, toss me one.”

Kuvira gave him a curious look, wondering if she was actually allowed to do that. She glanced up at the other guards on the wall, but they didn't seem to be doing anything to stop it. So, she shrugged, and then fired a rock at Anraq.

“Ah, come on.” Anraq waved his hand forward and a stream of water flew out from the waterskin, striking the rock out of the air with ease. “That one was easy. Pack some punch into it.”

The smirk he gave her sent a competitive twinge through her body. Her eyes narrowed and she widened her stance. This time, the rock she fired covered the distance between them in a blink. Anraq's eyebrows lifted as he took a step backwards and swiped his water down at the projectile, just able to swat it away before it hit him.

“Now _that's_ what I'm talking about!” he stated, with a laugh. “Alright, give me another.”

Kuvira's eyes narrowed. A smirk of her own cut across her face, and this time she put everything she had into it. The rock shot so fast across the field that Anraq never had a chance to get his water down to deflect it; all he could do was let out a small yell and dive out of the way, just narrowly evading it.

“Whoa!” he said, straightening himself back on his feet. “Okay, _that_ one was fast.”

“You did say pack some punch into it,” Kuvira said, with a simple shrug.

“Yeah, well, I didn't say try to take my head off.” Anraq brushed himself off, then raised a mocking brow at her. “I mean, do you _want_ your sentence increased for taking out a guard?”

Kuvira smirked wider, arms crossing over her chest. “You keep moving your lips, but all I hear is whining.”

“Ha ha,” Anraq muttered, with a roll of his eyes.

She fought back a chuckle, then worked to reset all the earth back into the field. “Anyway, I think that's enough bending for now.”

“What, already? You still have another hour left out here.”

“I know, “ she said. “I want to try something else for a while.”

Anraq took a step back, watching her curiously. Once the field had flattened evenly, Kuvira made her way to the center and took in a deep breath, calming herself. When she felt focused enough, she slid one of her legs back and then spun herself into a familiar dance routine. In the moments that followed, she blocked out everything else around her, lost herself to the rhythm and the motions. For so long she had only been able to dance in the Spirit World, and though that was wonderful also, it could never quite compare to dancing with her physical body, something she hadn't done since what seemed a lifetime ago.

She only stopped when her breathing began to grow heavy, and a thick line of sweat ran down from her brow. With a spinning leap, she finished her routine by landing low on one leg, her other extended forward and arms held out at her sides for balance. She breathed deep, held it, and then finally straightened herself. When she turned around, she found Anraq staring at her with his mouth partially agape.

“Something wrong?” she asked, with a teasing smirk.

“Uhh... no, just...” Anraq blinked, still staring. “That was, uh... I mean that was...”

Kuvira moved towards him and reached out with a single finger. She used it to push up on his chin and close his mouth. “Your jaw is hanging.”

“...right. Thanks.” He cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly on his feet. “Anyway, uh, I think that's about all our time, so... we should probably get you back to your cell now.”

* * *

Kuvira steadied her breath and opened her eyes, greeted by a familiar field of pink flowers and large, lilypad shaped trees. This particular part of the Spirit World had become the usual meeting place for herself and Korra; it was peaceful, and the wide open fields were excellent for their dance lessons. Kuvira had become very impressed with how quickly the Avatar learned from those lessons. It had taken herself years to master what Korra had picked up in a little more than eighteen months. That could just be due to the Avatar's natural ability to grasp new abilities quickly, though Kuvira liked to think it was because she was a good teacher.

“Hey.” Korra's spirit suddenly appeared in front of her, phasing into a solid form and waving.

“Hello,” Kuvira said, smiling. “It's good to see you again.”

“And you, too.” Korra came close and wrapped her arms around the other woman, hugging tightly. Kuvira returned the embrace briefly before they separated again. “How's Zaofu treating you?”

“Wonderfully, actually. I have a more comfortable cell, I'm allowed time to workout and practice my bending, and because I'm back home I get more frequent visits from Su and everyone else. It's... really nice.”

A warm smile came to the Avatar's lips. “Well that's great to hear. And how's Anraq doing?”

“He's Anraq,” was her reply, with a gentle laugh. “So, about as well as you'd imagine.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Korra said, with chuckle. “A shame we won't be able to train together anymore, but between you and me he was starting to give me a run for my money as far as waterbending goes.”

Kuvira nodded. “My transfer to Zaofu definitely changed some things. I'm just glad we can still see each other in the Spirit World. I... really would have missed your visits otherwise.”

“Yeah, I would have, too.”

“So... did you want to start with our dance lessons again?”

“Oh, I actually have something I want to teach you this time,” Korra said. “I think you'll enjoy it. Come here.”

Kuvira gave the Avatar a curious look, but didn't protest as they stood across from each other.

Korra turned her body slightly to the side and held one of her arms forward, elbow slightly bent. “Now, stand like I am and cross your arm with mine.”

Again, Kuvira followed the instructions. She turned her own body to the side and held out her arm, placing the backside of her own wrist against Korra's.

“Good. Alright, now start circling me, counterclockwise.”

Kuvira furrowed her brow, confused, but did as she was told. She crossed her feet from side to side, guiding herself along in a circle. Korra did the same, so they both were circling the other, with their crossed wrists remaining at the center between them. “What exactly are we doing?”

“I'm teaching you a new dance style. Well, sort of.” Korra pursed her lips, as though thinking about how best to explain. “See, these are actually airbender moves, but they can be applied like a dance almost. I was doing some thinking about your bending style, and I realized that it would really lend itself well to the spiral motions of airbending, even if you can't actually airbend.”

“Huh... I suppose that's not a terrible idea. Applying new moves to my personal bending style is never a bad thing.”

“Exactly. And what better way to teach you than with a dance, right? Jinora actually helped me come up with the routine. She calls it dancebending.” Korra chuckled, and then shifted her movement to the other direction. “Now, just follow my lead.”

Kuvira watched closely, following Korra around in a circle. When Korra stepped in closer, she did the same, and then they both moved back out again. The routine grew more complex as they went, adding more spins, steps, and holds, with each of their movements mirroring the other. Kuvira picked up on the style quickly enough—her own dance background helped in that regard—and after walking through it several times she could keep up at full pace.

They practiced for hours. Unlike in Republic City, where Kuvira had been limited to an hour of Spirit World travel at one time, she had no such limit in Zaofu. They took full advantage of that, going through the routine countless times until Kuvira had nearly mastered it; Korra wasn't the only one who could master new skills quickly, as she intended to prove.

As time went on, however, Kuvira's zeal and eagerness to master the new routine pushed herself a little too hard. At one point in particular, she pulled back too hard on Korra's arm during one of the spins, causing them both to collide with each other on the swingback. The next thing Kuvira knew, they were both on the ground in a tangle of limbs. She grunted, trying to push herself up, but succeeded only in stumbling and falling flat on her backside, while Korra tripped and landed atop her, knocking the wind from her lungs.

“Urgh...” she grunted, blinking up at the sky. Several moments past before she felt her chest settle and regain its breath.

Korra raised herself up on her hands, looking down at her. “You alright?”

“Uhh...” Kuvira looked straight upwards, just now noticing how close Korra was to her. It didn't help that the Avatar was still lying on top of her after the fall. Before she could calm herself otherwise, her heart started thumping in her chest. “Yes, I'm... I'm fine.”

“I guess that's enough dancing for one day, huh?” Korra chuckled and sat up on her knees.

“Right...”

“Everything okay?”

Kuvira blinked again, unable to help but notice that Korra's legs were still straddling her hips. She could feel a sudden heat rushing to her cheeks. “Yes, everything is... great. I'm just, uh... tired. That’s all.”

“Yeah, it is getting pretty late.” Korra breathed out a sigh and then finally, _finally_ , stood up. She reached a hand down to help Kuvira. “Asami’s probably home by now, and I’m meditating in the middle of the living room, so… I should get back.”

“Uh, right. Asami.” Kuvira shook herself free of her thoughts and then grasped Korra's hand to pull herself up to her feet. “How are things going between you two, anyway?”

“Oh, things are great,” she replied, with a beaming smile. “I've actually moved into her place recently, so we get to see a lot more of which other, which is nice since she's been working so much lately.”

“I see.” Kuvira nodded, swallowing a knot in her throat. “Well, that's.... that's good. I'm glad to hear it.”

“Thanks.” Korra flashed a smile, and then pressed her fists together, preparing to leave the Spirit World. “I should get going now. It was nice seeing again, like always.”

She nodded slowly, watching as the Avatar faded out of sight. “You, too, Korra.”

* * *

When Kuvira's spirit returned to her body, she opened her eyes and puffed out a hot breath, immediately falling back onto her hands. As spacious as her new cell was, it felt strangely claustrophobic right now.

“Damn it,” she muttered. She swallowed, then wiped a nervous sweat from her brow. She _had_ to stop getting like that around Korra. Why did she have to feel _that_ way about her?

“So, how’d that go?” An interrupting voice ripped her straight out of her thoughts. “You were meditating an awfully long time.”

“Huh?” Kuvira blinked over at her cell door to see Anraq's face looking back at her through the slot. “Oh, it was… fine. You’re still here?”

“Yeah, I took an extra shift tonight,” he said, shrugging. “Wing and Wei stopped by while you were in the Spirit World, actually invited me to go out to a bar with them, but… you know, I just wasn’t feeling it tonight. Figured I’d earn a little extra cash instead.”

“I see…” Kuvira stood up and calmed her breath, running her fingers back through her hair. “Well, while you’re here, then, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Hypothetically speaking… if you had feelings for someone who was in a committed relationship with someone else, what would you do about it?” This wasn't a typical question that Kuvira would ask someone. For as long as she could remember, if she had wanted something, she went after it without hesitation, and didn't let anything stand in her way. But _this_ situation... it was different, more delicate. _Korra_ was different.

Anraq raised a brow and forced out a mocking chuckle. “Oh boy, asking me for relationship advice? I can’t say I exactly have the best track record with that stuff but if you _really_ want my opinion…”

“Please.”

“Alright.” He thought a moment, holding his hand to his chin. “Well, I’d say I definitely wouldn’t do something brazen. If the person I had feelings for was in another happy relationship already, then… I mean, what am I supposed to do, try and steal her away? That’s a bit selfish, don’t you think?” He pressed his lips together, shrugging. “Especially if I wasn’t sure she even felt the same way. I mean, that would only cause problems, and if this person were, oh, say, _the_ _Avatar_ … it could get really messy.”

Kuvira's jaw tightened. “I-I never said who it was.”

Anraq raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, I didn’t think there _was_ anyone. This is all just hypothetical, right?”

“Uh, right…”

“Look, my point is that if you love someone, you want them to be happy,” he said. “And if they’re already happy… then what’s the point in trying to mess with that? Just let them be happy… and be happy that they’re happy. And... I think I just used the word 'happy' way too many times there.”

Kuvira forced out a chuckle. “Thank you, Anraq…” She shook her head, making her way over to her bed. He had told pretty much exactly what she had already been thinking herself, so she couldn't say it particularly _helped_ much... but it did reaffirm that she had to continue ignoring her feelings towards Korra. Of course, that was easier said than done; it seemed like those feelings only grew stronger each time they met.

“So... you okay?” Anraq said.

“Yeah. I just... I should probably get some sleep now.”

He nodded, then reached up to the door slot to close it. “Alright, then. G’night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there isn't a lot that actually happens in this chapter, but I feel it's pretty important for Kuvira's development as far as this story goes. She knows that she can't get involved with Korra, or even try. There are too many reasons why it wouldn't work. The problem is, there is now absolutely no denying to herself how she feels about Korra. She can try to bury those emotions as much as she wants, but sooner or later she's going to have to confront them, and the longer she tries to hide from it, the worse it's going to be when it finally comes out.
> 
> On a side note, just 1 or possibly 2 more chapters before I can finally introduce the major villains and get the main plot rolling. So excited.


	14. From the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira finally comes clean about her feelings. Elsewhere, sinister forces start to gather.

“You need to move sometime, you know,” Kuvira said, tapping her fingers gently against the tabletop.

Anraq squinted down at the Pai Sho board, his hand raised above it. He couldn't yet figure out which tile to move, though, and so his hand remained hovering there in hesitation, fingers wiggling back and forth. Kuvira leaned her elbow against the table, resting her head in her own hand. A smirk curled across her face—watching her friend struggle with the decision greatly amused her, especially considering how far into the game they were. One wrong move, and it was over.

In the past year and a half since arriving at Zaofu, they had both learned that the prison rules were a little more lenient here—at least, for Kuvira anyway. She still felt as though she was being given preferential treatment, even though Su assured her it was because of her good behavior, and because of her actions during the airship crash on her way to Zaofu—actions that, after much deliberation with the world leaders, had also earned her a three year reduction in her sentence. Whatever the reasons, she was allowed certain amenities that she hadn't had before, such as Anraq being allowed into her cell to play Pai Sho with her, in spite of him being her guard, or the radio that she had been allowed to have. It certainly made passing time easier.

Unfortunately for Anraq, he wasn't necessarily that good at Pai Sho. Oh, he had been improving over the past few months, but the disparity in their skill level at this game was still remarkable. Even when Kuvira took it easy on him, he had little hope of posing that big a challenge. Still, it was his company that she enjoyed, not his skill at Pai Sho.

“Okay, I think...” Anraq muttered, placing a finger against one of the tiles. He stared at it a long moment before finally sliding it forward. “That should be good.”

“Hmm, well you're right, it is definitely good,” Kuvira said, with a simple nod. She then immediately took one of her own tiles and jumped it over his. “Just not for you. I believe that's game.”

The waterbender's eyes widened, and he leaned closer to the board, studying it. “What? But... wait, no. How...?”

“Well, you lasted longer than usual this time,” she said. “I think that's something to be proud of.”

“Ugh.” Anraq bowed his head, sighing. “Okay, I think I've had my ass kicked at Pai Sho enough for one day. My shift is about over, anyway.”

“Try again tomorrow?”

He laughed a bit as he stood up, placing his hands on his lower back. He tilted backwards, cracking his spine. “Yeah, yeah, like always. Even if it is a futile effort.”

“Hey, you're getting better,” she said, as she stacked up the tiles neatly on the board. “Really.”

“At a snail sloth's pace, maybe. In any case...” Anraq stifled a yawn, and headed back towards the cell door. “I should get going. I'm meeting some of the other guards down at Bau's later for drinks. Oh, and by the way, did you want me to pick you up a cake or anything for tomorrow, or...?”

Kuvira blinked at him. “A... cake?” A second later, she remembered. The way time passed in here, it was hard keeping track of the date sometimes. “Right, my birthday... uh, yeah, sure. Cake sounds good.”

“Cake it is,” he said, giving a friendly salute as he headed out of the cell. “In the meantime, enjoy your date with the Avatar.”

Kuvira flinched, jaw tightening. “ _Don't call it that_.”

The tone in her voice surprised herself—hissing, biting, defensive. She knew that he was only joking, but regardless, the remark put her on edge. Although neither she nor Anraq had actually acknowledged it out loud, by now he had well figured out how she really felt about Korra. It would have been hard not to, with how much she had talked about her lately—she had to talk to _someone_ about Korra, after all. If she didn't, she knew she'd probably explode from keeping everything she felt about the Avatar bottled up. Someday she would get over those feelings... she _had_ to. That day wasn't now, though. Or any time soon, most likely.

“Uh... right. I didn't mean... sorry.” Anraq cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly. He then let out a quiet sigh and exited through the cell door, locking it behind him. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

When he was gone, Kuvira exhaled and buried her face against her hand. She had hoped that she would have moved past her attraction to Korra by now, but it was worse than ever. Focusing during their meetings in the Spirit World was more difficult than ever, and every time she heard Korra mention Asami, it made her stomach flop.

 _Selfish_ , she told herself. _You're being selfish. She's happy, so let her be happy_.

Easier said than done.

With another sigh, she shook her head and sat down on the floor, cross-legged and back straight, fists pressed together. She breathed in deeply, slowly letting it out as she drifted off to the Spirit World.

* * *

“Are you sure you don't want to do anything?”

Kuvira breathed pleasantly, eyes still closed. She had been lying in the grass like this for the past twenty minutes, just relaxing. For the first time in a while since she started coming to the Spirit World, she didn't want to explore, or dance, or do much of anything. She just wanted to lie there and be at peace. That, and ignore the constant pounding in her chest.

“I'm sure,” she replied, bringing her hands down over her abdomen.

Korra leaned back on her hands, looking down at the other woman. “Just want to relax, huh? I get that. It's actually been pretty crazy for me back at Republic City lately. Between training both physically and spiritually, and doing my duties as the Avatar, working with the police, helping with diplomatic disputes... I barely get a chance to rest.”

Easing an eye open, Kuvira glanced up at the Avatar. “If you're that busy, then how do you still find the time to visit me here?”

“Oh, you know me. I make time.” Korra chuckled, and then lowered herself to the ground as well, gazing up at the sky. It was dark, and instead of stars, the sky was filled with rippling lights, similar to the Southern and Northern lights in the physical world. The only difference was that these lights were bright pink and purple. “Besides, it's your birthday. Or, at least it is tomorrow. You know I wouldn't miss that.”

Kuvira smiled, while trying to ignore the growing thumping of her heart. “I appreciate that, thank you.”

“I'm only sorry I couldn't get you a gift this year. Kind of hard to bring you something in the Spirit World... but things should be hopefully be settling down around here in the next couple of weeks, so I should be able to visit Zaofu soon.”

A heavy sigh left Kuvira's lips, as she lifted a hand to touch the cool metal of the pendant around her neck. She still hadn't taken it off, not since Korra had first given it to her. If it had meant that much to her back then, it only meant even more to her now. “Don't worry about it, really. You've already given me so much...”

Korra turned her head to look over at, smiling. “Of course I have. You're my friend, Kuvira... one my closest ones. I know a few years ago that sounded impossible, but you've come a long way since then. We both have.”

Kuvira's throat knotted. She kept her gaze pointed upward for several moments, then turned her head to look away. “Sometimes, I wonder if I really have. Sure, I've changed some. You seem to think so, anyway. Su and the others seem to think so. But sometimes... it doesn't feel like it to me.”

“What are you talking about? Of course you have.” Korra held herself up on her arms and leaned closer, a hand coming to Kuvira's shoulder. “Is there something you need to talk about?”

 _No, no don't do it_.

She shook her head. “No, it's nothing. Really. Just... thinking things I shouldn't be.”

“Are you sure?” Korra brushed a messy strand of hair out of Kuvira's face. “You know I'm here for you, whatever you need.”

The moment that Korra's fingers grazed against the side of her face, Kuvira lurched away, her face growing red hot. “I said I'm fine!”

Korra pulled her hand back, eyebrows lifting with concern. “Okay... I didn't mean anything by it.”

Kuvira sat upright and closed her eyes, then promptly held her face in her hand. “No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell, I just...”

 _Don't do it_.

“...I've been struggling with some things lately,” she continued. “Feelings I've been having.”

Korra pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around them. “Feelings about what?”

_DON'T DO IT!_

“...Feelings about you.”

A long, agonizingly slow moment followed. She didn't look at Korra, couldn't bring herself to do so. There weren't exactly many ways to interpret what she had just said. She shouldn't have said it. Oh, she _really_ shouldn't have said it.

“Kuvira...” Korra's voice was hesitant, contemplative. Her tone, though... she knew. “What kinds of feelings, exactly?”

All Kuvira could hear in those next few moments was the pounding of her own heart. She swallowed, lowering her head even farther. “Korra, I think I'm... I think I love...”

No, she couldn't. She had to stop, now.

A split second of hesitation followed, and then Kuvira finally bolted up from the ground. “I'm sorry, I— I can't.”

“Kuvira, wait!”

She could have just let her spirit drift back to her physical body after that. It would have been the easiest thing to do, to end things right there and leave. But for whatever reason she just marched away, quickening her pace until she was practically jogging. Perhaps a part of her wanted Korra to follow... either way, she kept going deeper into the Spirit World, until she found herself in the middle of a thick, gnarled forest.

A small breath of surprise left her lips, as she looked around the forest. It had only been a few minutes, yet gone was the field she had been in previously. The trees here were twisted, and messy, but the vines that hang down from the branches above glowed like lanterns—beautiful, if in a haunting, eery sort of way. Bringing her focus away from the trees, she glanced back over her shoulder, half expecting to see Korra there—she wasn't.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it,” she muttered, as she set herself back against one of the trees.

That couldn't have gone worse if she tried. It would have been better if she had just actually come out and said how she felt, but instead she'd only half-said it and then run away. What had happened to her confidence, her unshakeable resolve? Where had _that_ gone? Why was she so damn afraid and nervous when it came to Korra?

The sound of footsteps drew away her attention. She knew who it was, and a part of her wanted to keep going, to get away... but for some reason she couldn't bring her legs to move. So she just stood there, waiting.

“Kuvira?” Korra made her way through the trees, stopping when she arrived next to the other woman. She tentatively reached out, hand pausing for a moment before coming to rest on Kuvira's shoulder. “I think... there's something we need to talk about, huh?”

Kuvira flinched at the touch to her shoulder, but she didn't pull away. “I suppose so...”

“So... how long have you felt this way?”

She shrugged, still looking away. “I'm not sure. A few years, maybe? It took me a while to realize it, but now... it's all I think about, when I'm around you.”

“Well... this is good,” Korra said. “That we're talking about it, I mean. Instead of keeping it bottled up?”

“Right...” Kuvira squinted her eyes shut a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “Korra, I'm not stupid. I know nothing can happen between us. I know you're with Asami, and I know you're happy with her. And even if you weren't, I'm just... me.”

Korra moved around in front of Kuvira, to face her. “But that doesn't change the way you feel, does it?”

Kuvira finally glanced up at her, and then gently shook her head. “No, it doesn't.”

“And these feelings you have... is it just infatuation, like a crush? Or are you really...?”

“I don't know,” she insisted, with a quiet groan. “It feels... different than the love I had for Baatar. I think that might just be because I knew he loved me in return. I could be open with him how I felt, obviously. But with you... well, it's different.”

Korra nodded, then folded her arms across her chest. “I see...”

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything.” Kuvira turned to walk away, shaking her head with frustration. “I... I should go. And maybe we shouldn't have these Spirit World visits anymore, it just makes things awkward.”

“Now wait a minute.” Korra reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. “We're not leaving it like that. You're right... I'm with Asami, and I'm very happy with her. And I would never do anything to hurt her. So... no, nothing is going to happen between you and me. But that doesn't mean I want to cut you out of my life. Believe it or not, you're an important part of it.”

Kuvira felt her throat go numb again. She stared at Korra for as long as she could bear it, until finally she had to look away and close her eyes. “You're an important part mine, too. More important than I ever could have imagined.”

“So then let's work through this,” Korra insisted. “Now that I know how you feel... and now that you know I don't feel the same way, maybe you can try to move past it? I'm not saying it will be simple... but at least you're not struggling to keep your emotions hidden anymore, right?”

“Maybe...” She sighed, then gradually moved her gaze back up to look at Korra again. “So you're not angry, then? Or... weirded out?”

“Of course not. Maybe a little flattered, but...” She exhaled deeply, then reached down to take hold of one of Kuvira's hands in both her own. “Look, Kuvira. I may not love you the way you love me... but I still love you as a friend. That's not going to change. I still want you in my life.”

Kuvira shut her eyes, and sucked in a deep breath, steadying herself, trying to regain any semblance of her usual confidence and poise. “I understand. Thank you, Korra.”

“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, this went way better than the whole love triangle thing between me, Mako, and Asami, way back when we first met.”

“I... don't think I've heard that story.”

Korra broke out into a laugh. “Oh man... let me tell you all about it, then. You're in for a real treat with this one.”

* * *

“Your move.”

Daruka mumbled something under his breath and slid one of his Pai Sho tiles forward. “This is hopeless.

“Well, if you keep playing like that it is,” Osamu replied, as he moved one of his own tiles. “You're playing like an amateur tonight.”

“Just not in the mood. We've been out here for three days longer than we should have.” Daruka puffed out an annoyed grunt, and moved another of his tiles. “Damn shift delays.”

“Well, look on the bright side,” Osamu said. “We're getting some hefty overtime pay for this.” He paused a moment, and then moved another of his tiles. Just a few more moves and he'd have this game won. “Besides, it's not as though guard work is the most involved job in the world. Really, we just sit here most of the time. And at least we get some fresh air out here—the other guys inside are stuck underground all day.”

Daruka scoffed out a laugh, moving another tile. “True, I suppose. Who's bright idea was it to build a prison cell under a mountain, anyway?”

“Don't look at me, I don't make the decisions. I'm just another lowly White Lotus guard stuck at some remote prison for three weeks out of the month. Just like you.” Osamu moved another tile and smirked. “Yeah, you're toast.”

“Ugh, this is stupid.” Daruka sat back in his seat and folded his arms, staring down at the Pai Sho board. “I got nothing.”

“So you're saying you forfeit?”

“Yeah, fine, whatever.” Daruka got up from his seat and headed towards the bushes nearby. “I need to take a leak anyway.”

Osamu chuckled, then looked over at his other fellow guard sitting watch outside. “Hey, Iruk, you want to give it a go?”

Iruk glanced back over his shoulder and gave the Pai Sho board a long stare. “You know I can't play that game for the life of me.”

“Ah, come on, it'll be fun.”

“How about I don't and say I did?”

“Fine, be a spoil sort,” Osamu said, with a roll of his eyes. “One of these days, though—”

_Tzzzztttchhh!_

The sound of electricity split the air, followed by a nearby scream of pain. Osamu snapped his gaze towards the shout, but he already knew who it was—Daruka, who had gone off into the bushes. A bright glow of blue erupted from the treeline, and soon the man's screams silenced.

“What in the world was that?!” Iruk bolted out of his seat and pulled the water out of his flask, sinking into a waterbending stance.

“I don't know...” Osamu made a fist, and ignited a bright orange flame in the shape of a knifeblade. He held his fist forward, using it as a lantern, and crept towards the darkness. “Daruka? You there?”

A whistling sound rang out through the air a second later, the sound of projectiles zipping towards them. Osamu saw them coming in time, ducking out of the way just as the ice blades sliced through the air where he'd been only moments before. Iruk, however, wasn't so lucky. One of the ice shards skewered the waterbender's shoulder and sent him tumbling backwards. A second punctured his leg and dropped him to one knee, and the third hit his throat with such force that it kept on going out the other side. He collapsed to the ground, sputtering and coughing on his own blood.

“Shit!” Osamu shouted, as he scrambled back up to his feet. He ran for the entrance to the prison behind him, built into the mountainside, but before he could make a grab to open it, a hand made of metal flew at him and grasped one of his wrists. It kept going, pinning his arm against the door, and wouldn't let go no matter how hard he tugged at it.

Looking back over his shoulder, Osamu noticed several figures appearing from out of the darkness. He kicked his leg forward, unleashing a desperate wave of fire, but it was futile. The smallest of the three figures waved an arm and dispersed the flames with ease, and then crouched with two fingers of each hand extended. Lightning sparked around those fingers, and in that moment Osamu knew he was dead, even before the bolt of lightning struck his chest.

* * *

“The White Lotus is under attack!” one of the guards shouted. “I repeat, the White Lotus is under attack! We need backup! If anyone can hear us, please!”

The only response he received through the radio was static—no signal. Before he even got a chance to try again, the radio exploded in a blast of lightning. He recoiled backwards, punching in the direction of the attack and firing a chunk of stone forward. It never struck its target. Instead, an counter projectile followed, racing through the air towards him. The last thing he saw was an iron hand with fingers tipped like claws flying at his face.

The remaining White Lotus guards fell back towards the elevator. There were only three intruders, and yet somehow they had managed to overpower a dozen members of the White Lotus thus far; now there were only a few more left. A blade of ice surged through the air, cutting with a quickness and accuracy near impossible to avoid. Two more White Lotus guards went down, and then there was only one.

“P-please,” the lone firebender said, his back pressed up against the door to the elevator. “I have a family.”

“Oh really? I had a family too, once.” The voice was female, biting in a playful, mocking tone. “We didn't much get along.”

A flash of lightning followed, and the last White Lotus member fell dead, with a charred hole burnt through his white and blue uniform.

“Well, that was mildly amusing,” the girl replied, as she walked straight over the bodies littering the floor. “Are we almost there now, Avan?”

“Just down the elevator.” The man called Avan stepped forward and pressed the button to call up the lift. “Then one more locked door to get through, and we should be there.”

“Good. I'm starting to grow bored of this. Are you coming, Yuruk?”

The remaining man glanced back over his shoulder, watching the corridor from where they had come, as if expecting more guards to show up any moment. When no one appeared, he huffed out a grumble and made his way over to the other two.

The elevator took them far, far below ground, and opened into an antechamber of sorts. An enormous metal door stood at the far wall, marked with chains and a heavy duty locking mechanism not meant to be opened by a single person. The trio made their way up to over to the door and paused, gazing up at it.

“Must take five metalbenders to open this thing,” Yuruk muttered. “What exactly are we supposed to do now?”

“Stand aside.” Avan moved past him and shifted his legs into a wide base. He breathed in deeply, eyes closed, and then slowly let the breath out. Thrusting his arms forward, he clenched his good hand into a fist, and the locking mechanism began to spin. When he pulled his arms back, the door clicked and then started to rise up into the ceiling. It went slow, but steady, until it finally opened completely and allowed them entrance beyond.

“Hmph,” Yuruk said, as he looked up at the open doorway. “Not bad.”

“Yes, you are a useful one, aren't you?” the girl stated, as she strolled forward. “Can we get this over with, already?”

“Yes,” Avan stated, taking the lead. “Let's get what we came for.”

* * *

_Let go your earthly tether. Enter the Void. Empty, and become wind._

“I was beginning to wonder when the Red Lotus would return for me.” Zaheer opened his eyes and looked down at the three who entered his cell. He remained floating there in the air for several moments, before finally lowering himself to the floor, standing. He gave the trio a long look, not recognizing any of them. “And I see the order has expanded with new members.”

“You don't know the half of it.” One of the three stepped forward, a tall man with a long ponytail and thin mustache. He wore shoes and a single glove made of earth—in place of his other hand, a metal prosthetic, tipped with claws. “While you've been locked up in here, the Red Lotus has grown a hundredfold.”

Zaheer raised an eyebrow. That news was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. “I see. And who are you?”

“My name is Avan,” he replied, with a single nod. “Former commander of Ba Sing Se's Dai Li, before the group was disbanded with the creation of the United Earth Republic. I found a new purpose with the Red Lotus, and now here I am.”

“And you?” He moved his gaze over to the shorter man, whose hair was tied up in the back, and who wore a waterskin at his hip. A large scar cut down around his chin and long his neck.

“Yuruk, formerly of the Northern Water Tribe,” the man stated. “Did time for trying to assassinate those twin brat chiefs. I broke out.”

“I see...” Zaheer then looked over at the third individual. The girl was young, probably no older than he was when he first joined the Red Lotus. While he had no issue with members joining young, the fact that she had been taken along on this particularly dangerous mission to storm a White Lotus prison both concerned and intrigued him. “And what about you?”

“I'm not really big on introductions,” she replied, with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But if you need something call me, Aoi will do.”

“And is that your real name?”

She raised her brow at him. “Would it matter?”

“Given that we are all members of the Red Lotus, I would expect there to be a certain level of trust between us.”

“Then I suppose you'll just have to trust that it's my real name.” The girl called Aoi smirked at him, with her arms folded smugly across her chest. “And because I see the skepticism in your eyes, don't let my age fool you. I guarantee I'm a much better replacement for that other firebender you had before me. What was her name, again?” She pressed a finger to her lips and let out a thoughtful breath. “Hmm... well, it doesn't matter, she's dead anyway.”

Zaheer's gaze narrowed at the girl. “I'd advise you to choose your words more carefully.”

“Oh? What's that, are you getting upset?” Aoi held a hand to her chin and looked him square in the eyes, still smirking. “And here I thought you were supposed to be free of worldly desires and all that nonsense. Doesn't seem very enlightened of you to get all grumpy just because I happen to point out that your ex-girlfriend was a half-baked amateur firebender who relied so much on her third eye that she blew herself up with her own bending. Really, it doesn't get much more pathetic than that.”

Zaheer breathed in deeply, slowly, calming himself. He let his eyes close, and repeated his mantra to himself in his head. _Let go your earthly tether. Enter the Void. Empty, and become wind._ A moment passed, and then he opened his eyes again. “If you're trying to rile me up, it won't work, although I admire your drive.”

“Don't let her get to you,” Avan said, giving the girl a quick look. “That's just how she is. You learn to tune it out.”

Aoi rolled her eyes. “Such a killjoy. At least let me have my fun.”

“We have more important things to worry about right now.” Avan moved forward, and with a few simple hand movements, the chains around Zaheer's arms and legs snapped off, freeing the man. “Zaheer, the Red Lotus is stronger than it's ever been. New members join our cause everyday, and though we've been in hiding for the past eight years, we feel we're ready to strike once again. But while we have the muscle already, you're still the brains behind everything. We await your command.”

“Yeah, and we've been waiting long enough,” Yuruk affirmed. “What do we do first, go after the Avatar?”

“No, the Avatar will come to us, in time,” Zaheer stated. “We need to be smarter than before. Last time, we let our obsession with taking out the Avatar get in the way of our overall purpose, but we won't make the same mistakes.”

Aoi hummed out a bored sigh, while looking over her nails. “So then, what?”

“We start directly at the seats of world power,” he said. “We create chaos swiftly, and without warning, and this time we do it with the full might of the Red Lotus, not just the few members we had before. We'll start with the smallest nation, and easiest to topple.”

Avan folded his arms, nodding. “Just say the word.”

“Gather our members together,” Zaheer said, as he lifted up off the ground, finally free of his chains after eight long years. “We're going to Zaofu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooookay, so big things happening here, and we're finally at the main plot! And yes, it is the Red Lotus returned. I figured that there was still a lot more that could be done with that, given that the Red Lotus thing was never really fully resolved at the end of Book 3 (seeing as how they said they didn't know how many more Red Lotus members were still out there). Plus, I love Zaheer as a villain, so it'll be fun to write him and his new crew.
> 
> As for the Korvira scene, oh there were so many ways that could have gone, and I spent like two hours just pacing back and forth trying to decide how to do it. I could have just had Kuvira cave in and go for a kiss, but that felt cliche to me, so I actually went with her admitting her feelings and talking it out with Korra, and both of them coming to an understanding. I also didn't want to create too much drama between them yet, since... well, it's not over yet.


	15. The Red Lotus Blooms Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zaofu is under attack, and Suyin Beifong finds herself facing overwhelming odds.

Hong Li glanced up at the horizon, watching the sun dip low behind the mountains. Then, he looked at the clock. It was time. “Alright, lock it down for the night,” he said, lifting the radio to his mouth. The domes of Zaofu began their ascent a moment later, rising up to conceal and protect the city. These domes had only just been finished last year, after the originals had been dismantled by Kuvira. They were larger and more durable, made from platinum, and more impenetrable than they'd ever been.

At least, that was the belief.

With the guards' attentions turned away from the sky, however, none of them noticed the small spec of a figure floating in up at the apex of one of the domes, drifting within them just before it closed tight for the night. Within seconds, that spec glided down into the city and landed on a secluded rooftop, behind the branches of a cherry tree.

“You can put me down now,” Aoi said, shooting an annoyed look up at the man carrying her. “Honestly, why I ever agreed to let you put your dirty old hands on me...”

“If I could have taken _anyone_ else, believe me, I would have.” Zaheer set the girl down and then crept towards the edge of the rooftop to scan the area. He had a great patience and tolerance for grating personalities, but this girl had proven to know exactly how to push that to its limits.  
“But you're the smallest and easiest for me to carry while flying.”

“Yes, yes, and you can't do this alone.” Aoi planted her hands on her hips, rolling her eyes. “Rather disappointing, if you ask me. The great Zaheer, the man who unlocked the ancient airbending technique of flight, needing the help of a teenage girl. Now that will make for a sad story in the history books.”

Zaheer narrowed his eyes at her momentarily, then again looked out over Zaofu. He took careful note of the guard patrols—they were going to have to time this perfectly to have a chance. “None of us can do this alone. If we're to return the world to its natural order of chaos, then we must stand united and act together.”

Aoi folded her arms and pouted. “Seems a bit counterproductive, really. You want to create chaos and destroy the current world order, yet to do that we have to 'stand united and act together', which is the complete opposite of chaos.”

“To reach your destination, you must often times travel to places you would otherwise never visit.” Zaheer held a hand to his chin, rubbing his fingers along his cleanly shaven face. It felt good to be free of his ragged hair and unkempt beard after so many years. “What you think of as counterproductive is a necessary step in achieving our ultimate goal.”

“Is that your attempt at sounding deep and enlightened?” she asked. “Oh please, do try to come up with something more pretentious, I don't believe I rolled my eyes hard enough.”

A heavy breath eased from his lips. He repeated his mantra to himself again, to calm his mind. “Perhaps later. We have a job to do right now.”

They waited for another hour, watching the city and allowing a full darkness to settle in; they would need the cover of night. When Zaheer was sure he had the guard routes memorized, he motioned to Aoi to follow him and then leaped off the rooftop. With a single spin, he unleashed a quiet gust of air from his feet that slowed both their descents, so they were able to land softly on the ground below. Keeping to the shadows, he led the way behind a series of columns that held up the entrance to a building.

A patrol of two guards neared their location, and he motioned a silent signal to Aoi. She merely smirked, turning her attention to the guards and poising herself to strike. A pair of shuriken knives flicked out from beneath the sleeves of her red and black outfit, and as soon as the guards came within range, she leaped out from behind them. The act took mere seconds, from the time she flipped over their heads and thrust the blades into the sides of their necks, to when she landed behind them and dragged their still falling bodies back behind the next pillar into the shadows. Zaheer further aided her with a spiraling wave of air that pushed the bodies through a line of nearby hedges and fully out of sight.

“Get dressed quickly,” he stated, as he started pulling the uniform off one of the guards.

“Excuse me, but I'd like some _privacy_ first.” Aoi crossed her arms and glared at him.

Zaheer glanced back at her and sighed, then pulled one of the guards into the next bush, until he couldn't be seen. Why he had to be working with a teenage girl...

“Well now this is just ridiculous,” Aoi said, a few minutes later. She shuffled into view, pulling at the guard uniform she wore to try and keep it in place. It was a little big for her, but at the very least it wasn't falling off. “Green is definitely not my color. Can we hurry this up?”

Zaheer lifted the helmet onto his head, completing his uniform. “Just follow me.”

Now that they were garbed as Zaofu guards, the pair was able to move relatively freely throughout the city. They needed only to make sure that they kept to a calm, steady pace, as though they were an ordinary pair of guards on patrol. Given the cover of darkness and that their route never passed too close to another patrol, it made determining that they didn't belong impossible.

Zaheer navigated his way through the back streets of the city. He kept his attention pointed straight ahead as they passed by another patrol, and the other guards didn't give them so much as a second glance—merely a passing wave of acknowledgment before they were on their way. When they were alone again, Zaheer turned a corner and led his partner down a sloping hill towards the wall of the dome.

“So you just happen to know of a secret way into Zaofu?” Aoi whispered, as she gazed up at the massive dome overhead.

“I entered this city in a similar way before,” he said. “My contact then had a different tunnel beneath his home, but there was another just in case something went wrong with the first.” He gave one more careful look around to make sure that they were alone, and then dropped down into a gutter behind a line of trees. He knelt low against the ground, feeling around in the moss until his fingers grasped an iron ring. When he tugged at the ring, a wooden trap door lifted up, revealing a long staircase that descended into darkness. “And it looks like it still hasn't been discovered.”

“My, how convenient.” Rather than simply ignite a flame in her palm to light the darkness, Aoi pulled a flashlight out of her robe. Then, she descended the stairs, leading the way.

The act didn't go unnoticed by Zaheer. He glared at the flashlight, eyes narrow. Now, why would a firebender need a flashlight? He remained quiet about it, though, instead merely following the girl down the stairs.

The tunnel below led them out past the walls of Zaofu, deep below ground, and eventually to another set of steps that led upwards to a second trapdoor. Aoi removed the lock on the door, then pushed up on it and ascended out of the tunnel, with Zaheer following closely behind. They found themselves somewhere in the mountains, up on a slope between two large boulders. Zaofu stood about half a mile in the distance. The two continued, making their way through the trees towards the Red Lotus camp, where their fellow members were waiting.

“About time.” Yuruk looked up from his spot on the ground as they approached, his arms planted firmly across his chest. “Was considering a nap.”

“Quit your complaining,” Avan muttered, giving the scarred man a narrow glance.

Zaheer looked over the camp, eyes scanning over the two dozen Red lotus members that had accompanied them for this operation. “The path into Zaofu is nearby. Follow me, and remember our objectives—remember who we're after. Civilians are off limits, but anyone else who gets in our way is fair game. If everyone plays the role they've been given, then Zaofu will fall by morning.” He breathed out a calming breath, and then turned to lead the way. “Now, let's get to work.”

* * *

Anraq leaned back in his seat, feet propped up against a small table and holding a plate of cake in his hands. He took a bite, savoring the flavor for a moment before swallowing. The radio at his table played upbeat tempo jazz music in the background, and without even realizing it he began humming along with the beat. It was nice, just to sit there and relax, especially after getting his behind handed to him at Pai Sho over and over and over again for the past couple of hours. Either he was getting worse at that game, or Kuvira was getting better.

“Good evening, Anraq.”

He lurched back in his seat a moment, pulling his feet off the table. He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed Suyin appear until she was standing right next to him. “Oh, ma'am. Good evening. What brings you here?”

“I'm here to visit Kuvira.” she said, with a simple nod. “It's important.”

“Oh, right, of course.” He immediately got up from his seat and moved towards the door to unlock it. “Kuvira, visitor!” He then stepped off to the side, letting Su pass. “Go right in.”

Inside the cell, Kuvira sat straight up on her bed, putting the book down that she'd been reading. It was late—too late for visitors usually. “Oh, Su, it's good to see you. I wasn't expecting to see you here so late, though.”

“I know, but I needed to see you as soon as possible, and I didn't want to wait until morning.” Su approached the bed, and pulled out several folded papers from her pocket. “Here, look at this.”

Kuvira took the papers from her and opened them. “What is it?”

“I've been thinking a lot lately,” she said, “and I realized that there's one thing we never did for you when you were growing up, something we should have done a long time ago. I imagine it's at least part of the reason why such a rift formed between us over the years, and why you never felt like a full member of our family.”

As Kuvira's eyes scanned over the words on the paper, she felt her hands start to tremble, and the breath catch in her throat. This couldn't be right. It... it was a joke. It had to be.

“I know it's so long overdue...” Su continued, with a heavy sigh. “But like I told you before, this time around I'm going to do things right with you. I don't want to make the same mistakes. If you're a part of this family, then it should be one hundred percent official.”

“Su, these are...adoption papers?” she uttered, still unsure if she was seeing this correctly.

The older woman nodded, reaching out to place her hand on Kuvira's. “Yes, they are. Kuvira, it's well past time you took the Beifong name.”

Kuvira blinked, and turned the papers over. This wasn't a joke. Everything was here, all in order—all her information, Su and Baatar, Sr.'s signatures, and her full name written at the top: Kuvira Beifong. All that was required was her own signature. Everything seemed suddenly hazy, as though she had entered a dream, one that she had long imagined coming true. And yet, at the same time, she felt a sinking feeling churn in her gut, spiked with a mix of dread.

“Su...no, no this is...this too much,” she said, with a shake of her head. As much as she wanted this dream, she knew it couldn't happen. “I can't do that to you.”

Su lifted a brow, puzzlement twisting on her face. “Kuvira, what on earth are you talking about? Do what to me?”

“Have you even thought about what this would mean?” she questioned. “For you to adopt one of the worst criminals in the world? Imagine how that would look, what other people would think of you... and what the Beifong name would become associated with. I'm not going to let you ruin your name like that.”

“I don't care about what other people think,” Su said, with a shake of her head. She gave Kuvira's hand a firm squeeze, and looked into her eyes with sincerity. “All I care about is that you're my daughter, and going forward I don't want anyone to be able to doubt that. I've already talked this over with the rest of the family, and they agree. We want to welcome you, officially, as Kuvira Beifong.”

Kuvira went quiet a moment and hung her head. She had often times imagined those words coming out of Su's mouth, and yet now that she heard them, the dream came crashing down around her. “Years ago, when I was a kid...I would have done anything for this, to be completely accepted by you. Being a Beifong would have meant the _world_ to me. But now? No...too much has happened, Su. I...I can't. I won't.” She breathed out a deep sigh, and pushed the papers back into Su's hands. “I'm sorry.”

Su took the papers and paused, looking down at them. Her expression sank, but she soon nodded and began folding the papers back up. “Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed... but I understand. If you ever change your mind, though, I want you to know that the offer is always open.”

“Alright...” Kuvira nodded, swallowing a knot in her throat. Perhaps someday things would change, and she really could live her dream of being a Beifong. But right now, she knew she couldn't. “Thank you.”

“I'll let you get some sleep now. Goodnight, Kuvira.”

* * *

Suyin breathed a long sigh as she looked down at the adoption papers in her hand. She had been so sure that Kuvira would be happy with the offer. Then again, she supposed that Kuvira would have been, had she made the offer twenty years ago like she should have. Su had taken in the young girl, given her a home and a family, raised her, loved her...and yet had never taken the last step and officially adopted her. Add to that how she hadn't been as expressly open with her love towards Kuvira like she had her other children, and it was no wonder why the girl hadn't ever really felt like a part of their family. How had she gone so wrong with Kuvira back then? And why had it taken her so long to realize it?

Su folded the papers again and placed them neatly into her pocket. Perhaps one day, Kuvira would change her mind; she hoped so, at least. Now, though, it was late, and she was tired. A deep yawn eased from her lips, as she strolled along the empty street towards her home. Zaofu was quiet at this time of night, peaceful...

 _Too_ quiet... _too_ peaceful. She stopped a moment and turned around, looking over the streets of Zaofu—it shouldn't be this empty. Where were the guards? Just from where she was standing, she could see three separate routes that should have had guards patrolling, and yet there was nothing, no one.

“What on earth...” she muttered, turning back around.

A dark shadow of movement ran past a nearby building, and she snapped her gaze towards it—too late, as the figure disappeared a moment later. A second figure moved into view, but again it was gone before she could get a clear look at it. A third followed, and then a forth, and before she knew it a whole group of unknown figures burst from the shadows. A storm of fire, rocks, and water converged on her, and she was only just able to raise an earth wall to guard against it in time. She then forced the ground beneath her feet to slide herself backwards, creating more distance between herself and the attackers.

She immediately dropped into her bending stance, legs wide, knees bent, one fist held straight forward and the other raised above her head. Now she got a clear look at her attackers—hooded uniforms of red and black, fitted with metal armor along their arms. Five of them, she counted, all dressed identically, and from what she could tell when they attacked a second time, two earthbenders, two firebenders, and one waterbender.

Su stomped two large earthen pillars up from the ground and kicked them at her assailants, then once again slid across the ground farther away, evading their attacks. The odds weren't in her favor right now, and as confident as she was in her abilities, she couldn't risk a five on one fight with no backup.

Damn it, where were her guards?

Using the earth beneath her feet to push her run along with extra speed, she fled down the empty streets. A quick look over her shoulder, however, revealed that her attackers were close behind—had to slow them down. On her way around the corner of a building, Su grabbed at the air and swung her arms around. A large slab of metal paneling peeled off the side of the building and then launched around the corner at her pursuers; she heard a few surprised shouts follow, as the metal panel hit its mark.

In the time it took her to arrive at her home, she had shaken her attackers, but she knew it was only temporary. She had to get inside and wake her family, and then get a call out to the guard station to warn the captain, or anyone who answered. At this point, she didn't want to think about the reason why so many of her guards had seemingly vanished; she only hoped they were alright.

“Suyin Beifong. It's been a while, hasn't it?”

Su slid to a stop halfway across her courtyard and looked up towards the sound of the voice. There, standing on the roof of her home, was a man dressed in a Zaofu guard uniform. But she knew the face of every guard she'd ever hired—this wasn't one of them. No, his face was familiar for an entirely different reason, and when she finally realized why, her eyes flew open wide.

“Zaheer!” she called, voice shaking with a startled tone. No, this couldn't be—there should be no way. “How... you're supposed to be in prison!”

“And so I was, until the Red Lotus finally returned for me.”

Su slid one of her legs back a step, staying on guard. “And now you're after me...why, because I ended your third eyed freak of a girlfriend?”

Zaheer straightened himself, hands clasping behind his back. The calmness in his demeanor faltered ever so slightly, becoming more solemn. “It's true, you took away someone very dear to me. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because of your position as the matriarch of Zaofu, and as a world leader. I shouldn't need to remind you what that means to the Red Lotus.”

“You have some nerve to think you can march into my city and assassinate me.”

“It isn't nerve that brings us here today. Only the desire to free your people from the rule of a deluded coward, whose inability to take charge and open her city up to the rest of the world has led to the creation of a secretive, elitist society that assumes it can continue hoarding its natural advancements and resources without repercussion.” Zaheer lifted up off the rooftop, floating higher into the air above the courtyard. “I'm here to put an end to that delusion. No longer will you keep your citizens caged like exotic animals, and no longer will you shield Zaofu's progress from the rest of the world. That is something to be shared with all the people of the world, to do with as _they_ decide—not you.”

Su's brow lowered, a growing fury surging through her. “The only delusional one here is you, Zaheer, if you think I'm going to roll over and allow you to upheave my city.”

“I don't believe you understand the position you're in,” Zaheer stated. “The Red Lotus has already infiltrated the city, your guards are indisposed, you're all alone—no one is coming to help you. Your time is up.”

“Come down here and face me, and we'll see whose time is up!”

An amused smirk came to Zaheer's face. He lowered himself a few feet, but remained hovering well out of reach. “I could, but why waste the effort? What you don't seem to realize is that the Red Lotus has grown, blossomed into something far greater than we were before. No longer are we the few handful of members who struggled to kidnap the Avatar—now, we are many.”

Figures began moving into the courtyard from the shadows—more Red Lotus members, same as the ones who attacked her earlier. There were far more than five this time, though; she counted eight, ten, thirteen... no, fifteen...seventeen? Too many. Way too many.

“By all means, fight back if you must,” Zaheer said, gazing down at her. “It would be a disappointment if the esteemed daughter of the great Toph Beifong went down easy.”

Su immediately twisted her body and dragged her arms through the air. Several large sheets of metal paneling whirled around her body and then dropped against the ground, standing upright to protect herself on all sides. Her eyes sharpened and jaw tightened, heart pounding against her chest. This was it.

“If you want me, I'm right here!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is where things really start to pick up. I'm very excited to write these next few chapters, as the main plot really gets going. You all are in for a wild ride, I just hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> And also, in regards to the adoption thing with Kuvira, as far as I could find, it was only ever stated that Su's family "took in" Kuvira as a girl, but made no mention of them officially adopting them (at least from what I can remember, I haven't watched Book 4 in a while). So I figured that, if they had never actually made that official, then it could have contributed to Kuvira feeling alienated from the family, especially when it came to how they treated her vs. their actual children.


	16. Blood Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chaos in Zaofu continues! Anraq crosses paths with someone from his past, the Beifong family stands together, and Su makes a decision that will determine her fate. Also, a word of warning: don't mess with Huan's sculptures.

The sound of an alarm awoke Kuvira from her slumber. She bolted straight upright, eyes flying open and heart leaping up into her throat—the alarm was loud, a blaring cacophony that threatened to split her eardrums in two. Holding her hands over her ears, she shifted herself out of bed and scrambled over to her cell door.

“Anraq! What in the world is going on?”

The door slot opened a moment later, Anraq's face appearing in the window. “Uh... I'm not entirely sure, actually. I _think_ this alarm means all the automatic locks in the prison just opened.”

Kuvira lifted an eyebrow. “Why would the automatic locks have opened?”

Her own cell was manually locked, and was secluded from the main area of the prison. Most of the other cell blocks, however, were rigged with electronic locks, and all the cell doors in each block were connected to the same line—they could all be unlocked and opened with the press of a few buttons in the control room. There was almost never a reason to do this, however, especially in the middle of the night and when the cell blocks were filled with prisoners.

“Hey, you're asking the wrong guy,” he said, with shrug. “I'm the newest guard here, remember? But just hang tight, I should probably go check this out and see what's going on.”

Anraq disappeared through the door at the end of the hall, and Kuvira was stuck waiting, still covering her ears to drown out the alarm. Why they ever needed to make the alarm this damn loud, she would never know. Yet, even over the alarm she could hear shouts coming from the other side of the door at the end of the hall, followed by a loud crash, and a bang. Through the window she saw a flash of fire, bathing the darkness with a bright orange glow. The fire extinguished a moment later, and then there was nothing, nothing except the still blaring alarm.

Several moments past, and then the door opened. Anraq stumbled in, one sleeve of his uniform burned completely off. Fortunately, he didn't look too badly injured, only a few minor burns near his elbow. “Okay! So, all the prisoners have been freed from their cells, and I just got attacked by some freaks in red uniforms that I've never seen before. Oh, and I didn't see any other guards. Well, I did see a few, but they weren't looking too good. In that they were dead.”

“ _What?_ ” Kuvira's eyes widened, and a sick feeling sank deep in her gut. Something like this didn't just happen—this had to have been planned by someone. “Can you get in touch with the guard captain back at the station?”

“I tried,” Anraq said, with a shake of his head. “No one's answering the phone, and my radio is only giving me static.”

She felt her jaw tighten, throat knotting. If all the prisoners were free, then there was no way that the guards in the prison would be able to stop them all, and if the prisoners then made it out into the city... there would be chaos. All of the guards in Zaofu would probably be more than enough to stop them eventually, but by then what kind of damage would have been done?

Kuvira snapped from her thoughts when she heard her cell door sliding open. Anraq stood there looking at her a moment, then motioned for her to follow him.

“Don't just stand there, let's move,” he said.

She blinked at him. “But... wait, what?”

“As far as I know, I'm the only guard left in one piece in this prison, and I need to get outside and see if I can regroup with the other guards in Zaofu,” he explained, as he made his way over to the storage locker at the far side of the room. “And then start rounding up prisoners. Damn sure not going to make it alone, and quite frankly with those goons that attacked me—who were definitely _not_ prisoners—something big is going on. Point being, I could use the help.”

Kuvira hesitated a moment, then tentatively made her way out of the cell. “You're sure?”

Anraq turned to her and tossed a couple metal armguards at her—the same sort she used to wear, with multiple layers of metal strips that could be peeled off and utilized as projectiles. “I trust you, Kuvira. Besides, we make a pretty damn good team, am I right?”

“Well... I suppose,” she said, looking down at the armguards in her hands. She paused only a second before fitting them over her arms.

“Probably going to lose my job over this, but...” Anraq shrugged and then made his way over to the door at the end of the hall. He looked out the window, waited until the coast was clear, and then waved at her to follow. “Better than my life, in any case.”

Out in the corridor beyond, two men in red and black uniforms had been pinned against the wall in a block of ice. Kuvira stopped briefly to look at them, and then glanced back at Anraq. “Your work?”

“Yeah,” he replied, with a small smirk. “I don't think they were expecting a waterbender.”

“Nice.”

Their way out of the prison went mostly unopposed. They didn't run across anymore men in those unknown uniforms, only a few straggling prisoners still lingering about the cell blocks. Kuvira disabled them easy enough, pinning them to the walls with a few metal strips from her armguards. They did, however, pass several other guards lying on the floor—dead, Anraq determined, when he checked on them. He tried remain calm as they continued our the prison, but Kuvira could see the anger in his eyes—these were guards that he had gotten to know since moving here, friends who had been cut down in the chaos of...whatever this was.

When they finally made it outside into the city, they realized why the prison had been so empty on their way out—most of the prisoners that had been released were now freely fleeing through the streets. Kuvira wasn't entirely sure where they were going—the domes were closed right now, which meant no way to leave Zaofu—but she was sure they could find plenty of ways to cause problems before morning, when the domes opened again.

Anraq ran ahead a ways and looked around, eyes sharp and narrow. “I don't see any other guards... anywhere.”

Kuvira took a moment to scan the area, too; he was right, she realized. Prisoners were escaping, yet there were no other guards to be found. By now, a city-wide alarm should have been sounded, and guards should be springing into action to round up the prisoners. Instead... nothing.

“We should find Su, let her know what's going on. Her home isn't far from here.” Kuvira looked around a moment longer, then took off down the street. “I know the way, come on!”

They didn't make it very far, however, before several figures emerged from the shadows—three men, all dressed in those same red and black uniforms. The assailants went straight for Anraq, drawn to his guard uniform like moth wasps to a flame. Kuvira took out the first one she saw, firing out a pair of metal bands from her arms; one latched around the man's wrist, the other around his ankle. With a few waves of her hands, the metal bands spun the man through the air until he came crashing down against the ground.

Anraq slid back a ways and unleashed the water from his hip flask just in time to guard against a sweeping wave of fire. He countered, whipping his water forward and latching it around the man's ankle. With a tug of his arms, the man's leg kicked up out from under him and dropped him hard on his backside. Anraq kept moving, whirling his arms back—the water lifted the man up from the ground and then tossed him through the air, into the window of a nearby building.

The remaining attacker stomped the ground and shot an earthen pillar towards Anraq. The waterbender flipped backwards out of the way, then ducked low against the ground to narrowly avoid an incoming boulder. The assailant never got a chance to make a third attack, as Kuvira kicked up a chunk of earth directly beneath his feet and launched him through the air, up onto the roof of the building behind behind him.

Anraq took a moment to brush himself off, then returned his water to the waterskin at his hip. “You see, we're a good team.”

“Hrm, so we are,” she agreed, with a simple nod. “Now let's hurry, we have to—look out!”

Kuvira lunged in front of Anraq and swung her arms out to one side. The incoming projectile—a metal hand with sharpened claws—arced around them in a circle as she safely guided it out their way, and then sent it shooting back from the way it came. No sooner than she did that, a second projectile, a glove made of earth, latched around her wrist and tugged her backwards against the wall of the building behind her. The impact stunned her momentarily, bursting the wind from out her lungs. When her head cleared a moment later, she looked forward just in time to see a storm of ice blades racing towards her through the air.

“Look out yourself!” Anraq called, as he moved in front of her. The water from his flask surged outward to form a wall, hardening into solid ice a split second before the incoming blades pounded against it. When the attack finally ceased, Anraq liquified the water again and wrapped it around both his arms in the form of long whips.

Kuvira glanced up at the earth glove holding her wrist and gave it a hard punch with her free hand. The earth crumbled, allowing herself to pull free. “Close call. Thanks.”

“Likewise,” Anraq replied. “But we got company.”

Two figures approached. The taller one held up an arm, fitting the clawed metal hand back onto his wrist. The other, the shorter of the two with a long scar cutting down his chin along his neck, coiled a large sphere of water around himself.

“Well, well, Avan, looks like we got ourselves a couple of fighters,” the waterbender stated, with a slight grin.

The man called Avan held his hands behind his back, standing straight and stiff. “So it does. Good, then. I've been a bit disappointed so far with these Zaofu guards.”

When the men stepped into the light of the nearest lamppost, Anraq's demeanor faltered. He straightened himself slightly, eyebrows lifting and mouth gaping open. “What...? No... no way.”

The opposing waterbender paused a moment and lifted an eyebrow. A brief moment passed, and then a laugh burst from his throat, lips curling into a wide smirk. “Well would you look at that! Of all the people I would have expected to find in Zaofu... How _are_ you doing, Annie?”

“...Yuruk?”

Kuvira's brow twitched, and she glanced at Anraq. “You... know each other?”

“You could say that...” Anraq muttered, shifting his stance. He frowned, a spark lighting in his eyes. “He's my cousin.”

* * *

A ball of fire exploded at Su's feet. She leaped backwards, skidding across the ground out of the way, but a wave of water crashed against her backside. A massive boulder followed it, crashing down from above; she was only just able to spin out of the way, sweeping in one of the metal panels to act as a shield. Another burst of flames followed. She kept moving, never slowing down, constantly on the defensive or countering—she couldn't afford to stand still. A single mistake could mean her end.

Thus far, Su had been able to land a few good shots on her attackers, but there were far too many to deal with. Every time she landed a hit on one, two more attacked her and forced her back on the defensive. It was all she could do just to protect herself.

They backed her farther into the courtyard, between a row of Huan's metal sculptures. A rapid series of ice spikes flew up from the ground below her, forcing her to move the ground beneath her feet to throw herself backwards out of the way. She just narrowly escaped being skewered, though Huan's sculptures were not so lucky—several of the twisted metal structures split to pieces as the spikes crashed through them.

The air filled with a blaze of fire. Su ducked low and jumped backwards, feeling the heat from the flames scorch the back of her neck. As she did, a thin film of water raced across the ground beneath her feet, and a moment later it cooled into smooth ice. Her balance wavered immediately, feet slipping out from beneath her. When she hit the ground, she rolled and kept moving until she felt solid earth, then jumped back upward—right into the path of an incoming boulder.

The impact knocked her senseless, filling her vision with a flash of bright colors, and the next thing she knew she was lying against the ground with the world spinning above her. She tried to move again, tried to leap back into action as though she were fine, but the moment she did a dull pain ripped through her shoulder. Broken, she realized... it had to be broken.

She forced herself to roll over onto her side, just barely able to sit upright. When she did, she saw the Red Lotus moving closer, converging on her, ready to attack and end her right there. She winced, a pained groan gasping from her lungs. She had to get up, had to do something, _anything_.

But what _could_ she do?

“Get the _fuck_ away from our mom!”

“And get off our damn lawn, you freaks!”

A metal projectile shot into view and collided with the back of a Red Lotus member's head. He stumbled forward, staggering a moment before collapsing flat on his face. The small metal object ricocheted to a second Red Lotus member, knocking him clean off his feet. A second projectile soon followed, thudding into the gut of another attacker and dropping him to his knees. A third zipped in and crashed against another man's head, then bounced into another's backside. It was then that Su realized what the projectiles actually were—power discs.

“Wing, Wei!” Su called, pushing herself higher up on her arms.

There at the back entrance of the estate, overlooking the courtyard, were her twin boys, standing next to a rack filled with power discs. They took turns bending the discs at the group of Red Lotus, taking potshots at whoever they saw. Now that the Red Lotus knew Wing and Wei were there, however, they began to defend themselves, putting up walls between themselves and the twins. It didn't matter, though—the rack emptied soon enough, and then the twins began their true assault.

Wing and Wei jumped down to the courtyard in unison, slamming their fists against the ground. Earth raced forward like water, rippling and undulating towards the Red Lotus. Even if the attack didn't do much damage, it at least pushed them back away from their mother, allowing Su an opportunity to get back to her feet.

“Get out of here, you two!” she said, as she bended another large metal panel between herself and her nearest attackers. “It's too dangerous!”

“Forget that!” Wing replied, kicking several large boulders at the Red Lotus. He managed to take out one of them, but had to jump back and defend against a counterattack from several others.

“No way we're leaving you!” Wei was relentless, punching rock after rock after rock at anyone wearing red and black he saw.

In spite of both their efforts, though, the odds were still not in their favor. As the Red Lotus began to regroup, they were able to better defend and counter the twins. In minutes, Wing and Wei were both on the defensive, doing everything possible just to defend themselves, let alone attack. At the very least, it drew some of the fire away from Su; it gave her an opportunity to bend her slab of metal through the air and smash one of the Red Lotus goons through a gazebo. Even with only one good arm, she could still put up a fight. What she didn't see, however, was a massive chunk of stone careening towards her from behind.

"Mom, look out!" That voice didn't belong to Wing or Wei.

Another solid metal sheet spun between her and the boulder, deflecting the attack away at the last moment. The defender responsible for the save ran up next to her, putting his back to hers.

Su panicked when she realized who it was, in his pajamas and hair standing straight up on end. "Huan! What are you doing?!" Huan was an artist, not a fighter—Wing and Wei could handle themselves, she knew, but Huan had never seen combat before in his life.

"Helping my family," he said, as he moved the metal panel to block against an incoming fireball. The impact shook him off balance and he stumbled backwards, nearly falling. "Who are these people? And why are they..." His voice caught in his throat, as his gaze traveled towards his ruined sculptures, now nothing more than twisted scrap heaps. "My _sculptures!_ "

"Huan, focus, you need to get out of here!" Su said. She kicked up a wall of earth and widened it in front of herself. Several spheres of ice exploded against it only seconds later. "All of you! I can handle myself."

Huan didn't seem to hear her, though. He scowled, pushing his metal panel forward to scatter the nearest Red Lotus attackers. Then, he ran over to over of his broken sculptures and bended several lengths of the twisted frame. "That's it." He turned, then shot one of the beams through the air. It struck a Red Lotus goon and sent the man reeling head over heels. Huan fired off another shot, then another another, and another, shouting between each attack. "I am sick. Of people. Destroying. My art!"

"Huan, be careful!" Su staggered as the ground beneath her feet burst upwards, pushing her of balance. She managed to stay upright, but her shoulder screamed with sharp pain as her body twisted.

A fireball erupted in front of Huan, knocking him backwards. He shot off one final beam from his sculpture before he hit the ground, but it struck only air. Wing and Wei leaped in front of him, putting up a wall to block several more shots of fire, and Su fell back to join them. The four formed a circle, desperately defending each other against every incoming attack. Fire, water, and earth filled the air, and soon the Red Lotus had them surrounded; there was nowhere left to go.

"Keep your heads down!" Su shouted, as she raised another line of metal panels around herself and her sons. Wing, Wei, and even Huan helped to reinforce the shield with a second layer of earth. All they could do now was huddle in behind the wall and utilize every ounce of effort left in their bodies to keep it maintained against the relentless assault.

Su grunted in pain. The adrenaline from the fight was beginning to fade, and now the pain in her shoulder throbbed much more noticeably than before; she couldn't even move that arm now.

"Where's your father?" she asked, glancing up at their home. The lights were on, and she knew that Baatar had to be awake now.

"Inside, trying to reach Captain Hong Li on the phone," Wing said. A boulder thudded against the wall, and he pushed back harder, adding more earth behind the paneling.

"But he can't get through to anyone," Wei added. "No one's answering."

Su exhaled, gaze tilting downward. "I'm afraid that's because there's no one left to answer. They must have taken out every guard they could find before coming after me."

"But who are they?" Huan let out a shout when a jet of flames scorched above the top of the wall. He fell backwards, but pushed harder at the earth, strengthening it.

"The Red Lotus," she replied. "They freed Zaheer from prison and now they're picking up where they left off—taking out world leaders and tearing down nations. Apparently, they decided to start with me this time."

"So then what are we supposed to do?" Wei asked.

A heavy breath left her lips. What _could_ that do? There were too many enemies to fight against, and no one else was coming to help them. She wished she could retain her resolve and confidence, but it seemed so hopeless. "There's nothing _to_ do. You should have stayed inside with your father..."

"No, we shouldn't have," Wing said, shooting her a look. "You're our mother. This is our _family_. No way were we sitting this out."

Huan nodded. "We had to do this. Together."

Su gazed back at her sons, throat knotting with a powerful mix of love and appreciation. With a gentle smile, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around them. "Together, then. As a family."

Wei looked up after a brief pause, his eyes narrowing. "Uh...anyone else notice that the attacking stopped?"

Su blinked and pulled back. Wei was right; the Red Lotus had ceased their bombardment. But why...?

"I think this has gone on long enough. No need to drag this out and continue risking my men." Zaheer's voice.

"Su..." And _that_ voice...

Su's eyes snapped wide open. She immediately stood up straight, and with a single arm motion she collapsed the wall surrounding them so she could see the back entrance of her estate. Her heart leaped into her throat when she saw her husband there, on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. A girl stood behind him, holding the blade of a shuriken knife against his neck. The girl curled a sinister grin into her face when she saw Su's panicked expression.

" _Baatar!_ " she uttered, reaching out with her good arm. "Please, don't..."

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Surrender now and accept your fate, before anyone suffers for you." Zaheer floated down from the air above, landing next to Baatar, Sr. and the girl. "And Aoi... don't kill him unless I tell you to."

Aoi rolled her eyes and uttered a disappointed sigh. "Yes, yes, whatever you say."

" _Let him go_ ," Su said, taking a step forward. Her tone wasn't defiant, though, nor commanding. Rather, it was desperate, pleading. "Please. _I'm_ the one you're after, not him, and not my sons."

Zaheer lifted his chin, and stared down at her with that mockingly calm expression of his. "Surrender, and your family will be unharmed."

Su paused, jaw tightening. She stared at her husband for several moments, fighting back the wetness forming at the corners of her eyes. She turned to her sons next, shared a long, silent look with them. Then, she looked downward at the ground, vision blurring.

"Mom...?" Huan said.

The twins remained silent, keeping their focus on their father. Their fingers twitched, though, as if waiting for the right moment to act.

“Su, don't do it,” Baatar said. “Just get out of here, I'll be fi—ungh!” The girl holding the knife to his neck silenced him with a quick chop against the back of his head. He grunted, head bowing, dazed.

“Stop!” Su pleaded, taking a step forward. Her heart pounded like thunder in her chest.

“I'm offering you a choice here,” Zaheer stated. “I _could_ order the attack again and wipe out all of you. Or... you could step up for once and control the outcome. Those are your options.”

She bowed her head, eyes closing. How many times was this going to happen? How many times could she keep risking her family's safety because of her own cowardice? Her reluctance to accept responsibility, to surrender, to _sacrifice_... How could she do that to them again?

Zaheer narrowed his eyes. "Well? What's it going to be?"

"Okay," she replied. Her voice came out in a pale whisper. "You win, Zaheer. Just please...don't hurt my family."

  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I actually don't have much to say at the end of this chapter. A lot of action in here obviously, and it was fun to write the Beifong family (at least the ones that were present there and could actually fight) fighting together. Even if that all goes to crap a short while later...
> 
> Su has kind of a history in screwing things up and putting her family at risk (ex: her failed assassination attempt on Kuvira that put Wing and Wei in danger when they were caught) due to her reluctance to actually confront things directly and take responsibility (see: her refusal to reunite the Earth Kingdom, leading to Kuvira's eventual betrayal), and refusal to surrender (refusing to pledge fealty to Kuvira, leading to her entire family getting thrown in prison). I feel like, eventually, she would finally realize this and start putting her family's safety first, whatever the cost to herself.
> 
> Only other thing I have to say is... I really don't want to write the next chapter.
> 
> Cheers.


	17. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anraq battles his cousin, Yuruk, while Kuvira makes it to the Beifong estate to fight off the Red Lotus. Su says her goodbyes to her family.

Kuvira crouched into a bending stance, glaring at the opposing waterbender named Yuruk. “He's your _cousin?_ ”

“We're not close,” Anraq insisted. He coiled his water from his arms around his body, shielding the both of them in a rippling sphere.

Yuruk chuckled, an amused gleam coming to his eyes. “Fancy meeting you here, Annie. All the way in Zaofu... I thought you were still down South.”

“And I thought _you_ were still in prison.”

“Prison didn't much agree with me,” Yuruk said, with a simple shrug. “Figured I'd get out and find something more interesting to do, and with the Red Lotus, I've found just that.”

Kuvira's eyebrows lifted at his words. “The Red Lotus?”

She remembered that group—the same group that had kidnapped Korra eight years ago, poisoned and nearly killed her... killed the Earth Queen, nearly wiped out the new Air Nation... the group that had been the entire spark behind Kuvira becoming the Great Uniter in order to bring the Earth Kingdom back together. Ever since Zaheer had been imprisoned, no one had heard from the Red Lotus, but if they were back, if they were _here_...

A gasp burst from her lips as she made the revelation. “ _Su_. They're after Su!”

“Well, aren't you the bright one,” Yuruk chuckled. “Of course, by now she's already been taken care of. Only thing left for us to do is pick off the stragglers who feel like getting in our way. Like you, for instance.”

Panic flared through Kuvira's chest. Her stance faltered and she snapped her gaze sideways towards Anraq. “We have to get to Su, _now_. We have to help her!”

“Then you'd better get going,” he replied. Anraq shifted his stance, and several long tendrils sprouted out from the water sphere surrounding them. Meanwhile, the back of the sphere opened, allowing a way for Kuvira to retreat. “I'll hold off these two.”

“What? That's _crazy_.” Kuvira looked back at Yuruk and his partner, Avan. She could tell by the way they carried themselves, they weren't your average benders—they knew what they were doing. “I can't let you fight them _alone_.”

“Like you just said, Su needs our help. The longer we take, the more likely we get there too late... so one of us needs to get going now.” Anraq forced his water to push Kuvira out of the sphere behind him, urging her to go on. Then, he took a few steps forward. “So go. Now!”

“Ah, Annie, ever the white knight.” Yuruk chortled, lowering himself into his own bending stance. His water coiled around his arms and hardened into long blades of ice. “You do remember how this went last time, don't you?”

Anraq held his focus on his cousin. “Kuvira, go!”

“Just...be careful.” Kuvira wasted no more time. She took a step back, turned, and then ran. The earth surged beneath her feet, carrying her along at increased speed down the street.

Yuruk's gaze narrowed at the fleeing woman. “Avan?”

Avan immediately sprang into action, gliding along the ground atop his earthen boots in pursuit. He thrust his arm forward, and his metal hand shot through the air. It didn't get far, though—Anraq swiped one of his water whips down and swatted the projectile out of the air. Then, he wrapped a second whip around the earthbender's leg and tugged, stopping his advance.

“Yeah, I don't think so,” Anraq said, yanking the man backwards through the air. Avan twisted his body in mid-flight, landing back on his feet in a crouch. “You want to get to her, you go through me.”

“Well, I've done it once before,” Yuruk said. He grinned, pulling his icy armblades back in preparation to strike. “Might as well do it again.”

Yuruk and Avan both came in at once. Anraq stepped back, sweeping his water whips at the pair and trying to keep his distance—it didn't work. Avan glided in across the ground as though on skates, weaving around the attacks, and Yuruk was just as light on his feet, ducking and evading with ease. When Yuruk leaped forward to swing his blades, Anraq hardened the water shell around himself into solid ice. The blades clanged off the shield, but the force split a large crack along the surface—a crack that then exploded when an earthen pillar collided with it.

Anraq retained his balance as he liquified the ice back into water and swirled it around himself in a torrent. He shot the stream forward at them, split it into two separate waves, and sharpened the tips into spears. Avan raised a stone wall to block the attack, but the stream further split into two more halves, gliding around either side of the wall and crashing against him. He stumbled backwards, twisting his body to regain his balance. His stance widened, and the earthen boots on his feet again gripped the ground and glided him along unhindered.

Yuruk, on the other hand, bended the incoming stream around his body and froze it into ice. With a forward sweep of his arms, the ice cracked, split, and then exploded in a shower of icy shrapnel. Anraq shielded himself by raising a hardened wall of water, then twisted his bending stance to counter again. Before he could get off an attack, however, a feeling of fire raked across his backside. He stumbled forward and fell to one knee, his water splashing down around him to the ground. Avan barely even had to move as he guided his clawed metal hand through the air again, this time slashing Anraq's arm.

Anraq shouted in pain, but quickly staggered back up to his feet. He ignored the blood dripping down his arm and raised his water back up to shield himself with another sphere. This time, he began firing a relentless storm of bladed, icy projectiles at his foes—at the very least, it forced both Yuruk and Avan to defend themselves, giving him a chance to regather his thoughts. Two opponents, both masters of their element—Anraq wouldn't consider himself a master waterbender, even after his training with Korra, and even _if_ he were, Yuruk had always been his better. Throwing this metal-handed earthbender into the mix only made things that much more difficult.

As Anraq's water sphere began to shrink, he ceased his attack—he was running out of water. With a sliding step backwards, he drew his arms back through the air and returned as much water as he could to himself for another attack. He never got the chance. Yuruk liquified the ice shield he'd used to defend against the previous assault and sent it spinning towards him. It hardened a second later into an icy drill, and when it collided with Anraq's water sphere, it penetrated clean through with barely any resistance.

Araq's eyes widened. He turned his body to the side to avoid the attack, but the drill grazed along his chest, ripping open flesh and drawing blood. His water sphere again splashed down around him as he hit the ground and rolled. But he couldn't just lie there; he had to get up, had to keep fighting. All in one motion, he returned to his feet and regained his posture, sinking into his bending pose. His water returned to him, again coiling into a protective sphere. As much as he attempted to remain calm, however, he couldn't hide how heavy his chest heaved, struggling to take in air. His knees shook, posture drooped, vision started to blur—he was losing, and badly.

“Well, you almost put up a good fight,” Yuruk said, as he prepared another attack. His water hardened into ice again, splitting into multiple blades. “But you're just not good enough. Never were.”

“Go screw a wolf bat,” Anraq spat. “I'm still standing.”

Yuruk smirked. “For now. But I think it's time we finish this.”

* * *

Wing looked to his mother. “Mom, what are you doing?”

“You can't just give up like that!” Wei added, raising his fists up and dropping into a bending stance. “Come on, we can take him!”

“Wing, Wei... stand down,” Su said, gaze lowering to the ground. “Please.”

Huan took a tentative step forward, reaching out a hand to his mother's shoulder. “Mom... you can't. We said we'd do this together.... and we meant it.”

“I know what we said,” she replied. “But I can't put you all at risk again. I keep doing that... time and time again, because of my own failings. Well, no more. This time, I protect my family.”

Wei stared at her, eyes softening. His posture slackened, and he exited his stance. “But... Mom, you can't...”

“You can't trust anything this guy says,” Wing insisted. “You think he's just going to let us go when he's done with you?”

Su looked back at her boys, tried to fight the growing knot of emotion tightening in her throat. “And what choice do I have? Either we keep fighting and we all die... or I take responsibility for once in my life, and at least the rest of you have a chance.”

“Mom...”

“I love you all so much,” she said. She reached out, pulling them all into a hug. At this point, she could no longer hide the tears from leaking out her eyes. They stained her cheeks, dripped down from her chin—but she retained her composure, didn't break down. “And I am so proud of you. All of you.”

“We love you, too Mom...”

Su wanted to hold onto them forever, but she knew it couldn't last. She had to pull away, had to accept her fate. She had to protect her family.

“Please, Zaheer... don't make them watch this,” Su said, turning to the Red Lotus leader. “They don't need to see it.”

Zaheer paused a moment, breathing in deeply, eyes closing. When he exhaled, he opened his eyes again and then nodded. “Very well. Take them away.”

Several Red Lotus members came forward and pulled the three boys away. They tried to resist, shouting at them to let go, but it didn't do any good. Wing and Wei called for her—their frantic pleas, begging for her not to do this, cut like daggers into her heart. But there was no more choice, no going back now.

“Alright, you,” Aoi muttered, pulling Baatar up to his feet. She pushed him forward, forcing him to walk. “Get moving.”

Su looked again to Zaheer. “Please... a moment with my husband?”

Zaheer glanced to Aoi and gave a simple nod. The girl sighed, rolling her eyes, and then promptly marched Baatar over to his wife. The poor man was still caught in a slight daze from the previous blow to the head.

“Baatar... sweetie, can you hear me?” Su asked, cupping a hand to her husband's cheek.

He groaned slightly, eyes flickering open wider to look at his wife. “Su... you can't do this. Please... please, don't. I need you... your _family_ needs you.”

Su hesitated, a new flow of tears rushing down her cheeks. Her throat tightened and lips quivered, but still she remained strong. Leaning forward, she held her arms around her husband, pulled him close. “The others... Opal, Junior, Lin... Kuvira. Tell them... Tell them I'm sorry. Tell them I love them.”

Baatar sank against her, chin resting against her shoulder. “I love you, Su. So much...”

“I love you, too,” she said.

“Forever and always?”

“Forever and always.”

Su pulled back a step, and then leaned in to kiss him. She held it for as long as she could, never wanting to let go. When she finally did pull away, Baatar staggered, coughing out choked sobs. His head hung, and tears ran thick down his cheeks. He almost fell when Aoi shoved him away from his wife, but the girl held him up and forced him to keep walking.

When all her family was gone, Su finally turned to Zaheer. She breathed in deep, let it out slowly through her nose... and then she glared at him, her tears finally ceasing. “You won't succeed, Zaheer. You may win here, you may kill me... but others will stop you. The _Avatar_ will stop you.”

“Oh, I'm counting on it,” he stated, as he approached her. “She and I have unfinished business, after all. In the meantime, the Red Lotus has much to accomplish, and I'm afraid you won't be around to see it.”

Zaheer half-spun his body, whirling his arms around in a circle. A swirl of air sprang to life, surrounding Su's head in a bubble. It spun faster, and faster, until the air from her lungs began to leave her, sucked out into the vortex.

“Oh, and should you happen to meet P'Li in the next life,” Zaheer stated, his brow lowering, “tell her who sent you.”

Su tried to stand strong, tried to stay upright, to fight the growing fog in her head, but it was futile. Dark spots began to form in front of her vision. She fell forward to her knees, holding herself up with her good arm, still trying to fight it. A weak, empty gasp coughed out of her lips, and soon the spots grew to a thick cloud, until all she could see was darkness. Another moment, and the world faded away.

She didn't even feel herself hit the ground.

* * *

Kuvira raced around the corner, tearing up the ground as she went, using every last bit of bending ability she possessed to carry her along fast enough, to get there in time. The Beifong estate came into view moments later, and she sprang up from the ground, catapulting herself through the air. The ground flew by beneath her, and within seconds she cleared the wall surrounding the property, landing square in the center of the outer courtyard gardens. She never slowed her actions, instantly setting herself into her bending stance, prepared to fight off an army of Red Lotus if she had to.

But there was no one there.

The courtyard was a disaster, with holes and trenches and divots ripped across the ground. The gazebo was in shambles, Huan's sculptures nothing but scrap metal, and the grass had been scorched in various places, garden flowers burned to ashes. The battle had already taken place.... and she had missed it. Cautiously, she crept forward, remaining on her guard.

“Su?” she called, as she scanned the courtyard for signs of anyone. Perhaps they had been able to get away. “Su, are you—”

Her voice caught short in her throat when she saw it. Her entire body went cold, and her heart surged up into her chest. A numbness erupted in her throat and soon spread down to her fingers, which she suddenly realized were trembling. When she stepped forward, her legs buckled. She stumbled, only barely managing to catch herself before she fell. It couldn't be... it couldn't...

Suyin lied motionless in grass, sprawled out on her side with her eyes closed. She looked... peaceful, as though she were sleeping—she  _had_  to be sleeping. Deep down, Kuvira knew otherwise, but she fought that thought away, pushed it out of her mind. Su was okay, she'd be fine...she had to be.

Kuvira crept closer, heart pounding in her chest. “Su...?”

She dropped to her knees at Su's side and reached out a gentle hand, resting it on the woman's shoulder. A pause followed as she gathered her nerves, then she pushed her hand, trying to shake Su awake. There was no response. Kuvira shook harder—still nothing.

“Su... wake up,” she uttered. Her voice was weak, barely more than a whisper. “Please, Su, don't... don't do this. Wake up. _Please_ _wake up_.”

Nothing.

It was then that she knew.

Kuvira coughed out a harsh sob, holding a hand up to her mouth. Another cough followed, and she knew she couldn't hold herself together. A pain unlike anything she had ever felt before exploded in her chest—sharp, biting, and deep, down to her very soul. She pulled Su into her arms, held her close, lovingly. Several more choking sobs gurgled in her throat before she buried her face into Su's shoulder, as some half-hearted attempt to stifle her emotions.

It didn't work. Tears erupted from her eyes, and her breaths wheezed out unevenly, split by wailing hiccups and drowned coughs. She held Su tighter, cried harder—there was nothing holding her back now. She lost herself to her grief.

“I'm s... I'm sor... ry,” she uttered, words barely forming in her throat between her uncontrolled sputtering. “Too l...ate... I was t... too... too late. I'm sorry... so...s...sorry.”

In those moments that she held onto Su's body, limp and unmoving in her arms, Kuvira the woman disappeared, instead replaced by Kuvira the girl. She was eight years old again—lost, orphaned, helpless. Her entire world crumbled around her, and all she could feel was pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *deep breath*
> 
> I'm so sorry...
> 
> Really, I am. I hated writing that, I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest the entire time. And, originally... Su was supposed to survive this. But... narratively, I realized the story would work much better if she didn't. And believe me, I hated myself when I figured it out, because, as a writer, I have to go for what makes the more compelling story, even when, as a a fan of the series and character, I died a little on the inside.
> 
> So again... I am sorry. I'm going to wallow in a corner drowning in my feels now.


	18. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The survivors from the attack on Zaofu regroup and try to come up with a plan to deal with Zaheer and the Red Lotus.

A ball of ice exploded point blank in front of Anraq's chest, multiple bladed shards driving into his flesh as the impact rocketed him backwards across the ground. The shards didn't cut deep, but they hurt enough and were numerous enough that he couldn't sit up. He could only lie there, twitching and groaning in pain. He had tried... but just like last time, Yuruk had beaten him. Perhaps he might have stood a better chance in a one on one fight, but with Avan there, as well... he never had a chance. At the very least, he hoped he had bought enough time for Kuvira to help Suyin.

"Game's over, Annie.” Yuruk strolled forward, a blade of ice forming over his arm. “Give it up."

"Never...not again,” Anraq replied, coughing out a mist of blood. “You'll have to _kill_ me."

Yuruk smirked. “That right? Ah well... this was fun. While it lasted, anyway.”

"Let's hurry this along already,” Avan stated, standing stiff with his arms clasped behind his back. “We've already wasted too much time as it is."

"Yeah, yeah.” Yuruk pointed the ice blade down at his cousin. “I'm on it."

Before he could deliver the fatal blow, however, a metal beam careened through the air and collided with Yuruk's gut. His mouth puffed open with a sudden loss of air as he flew backwards, hitting the ground and rolling to a stop at the base of a nearby lamppost. He lay there for a moment, unmoving, until finally pushing himself back to his knees.

"Get them! Push them back!"

Avan turned towards the shout, immediately flying into the defensive as several boulders launched towards him. He glided out of the way of one, punched another off into a different direction, and flipped himself up and over a third. Then, he skated backwards on his earthen boots, stopping next to the still recovering Yuruk. Within moments, several members of the Zaofu security force leaped into view, putting themselves between Anraq and the two Red Lotus.

"Damn it!” Yuruk groaned, as he staggered back to his feet. “I thought we got all the guards!"

Avan lowered himself into a guarded stance. "Evidently, we missed a few."

The four guards took their own stances, acting in unison as they prepared to attack. The man at the front of the group kicked a boulder up from the ground, hovering it in front of himself. “Men, prepare to attack!”

Yuruk looked back and forth between the guards and moved backwards. He shifted his own stance, and a swirling torrent of water surrounded himself and Avan. " _Tsch_ , whatever. Let's just get out of here. We need to regroup with Zaheer."

“Agreed...” Avan stated. “We're done here.”

Wasting no time, the pair turned and fled away down the street. The guards didn't bother to pursue—even if they could catch the fleeing pair, there were only four of them, and they all looked either exhausted, injured, or a combination of the two. There was no need to start a fight that didn't need to be fought.

When the Red Lotus was gone, one of the guards turned back towards Anraq and knelt beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Captain Hong Li...” Anraq coughed, and then lifted his arms, waving them across his own chest. The ice shards jutting out of his body liquified and then pulled away, draining onto the ground. That felt better... “Heh, nice timing."

“You're Anraq, that right?” Hong Li asked. “The waterbender?"

He flashed a simple thumbs-up, and curled his lips into a weak smirk. "Yup...guilty there."

Hong Li took a moment to examine Anraq's condition—his brow twisted with concern at the severity of the injuries. "I don't suppose you can heal yourself?"

"In this condition...not very effectively." Anraq bended a glob of water off the ground and began running it along his chest. The water immediately began to glow, soothing some of the pain out of his body. “But enough to keep myself alive, at least.”

"Alright, we got you.” He turned to two of the other guards and waved them forward. “Get this man a stretcher. We need to get him to the hospital.”

"No, not the hospital.” Anraq grunted out a pained gasp as he sat upright. He took a moment to catch his breath, keeping the his hand with the healing water moving over his chest, and then slowly rose to his feet. “The Beifong estate. We need to hurry... they're after Suyin."

Hong Li's eyebrows lifted, and immediately he stood upright as well. "Dear spirits...” Turning to his men, he waved them onward. “Okay, you heard him, men. Let's move!"

Anraq hesitated momentarily, as Hong Li held an arm around his shoulder for support, helping him walk. "Where are all the other guards?"

"This is all I've been able to round up,” the captain replied, with a shake of his head. They hurried along the street as quickly as they could, all remaining on guard in case of another surprise attack from the Red Lotus. “Anyone else...I fear we're too late."

"Damn it...” Anraq muttered. “Red Lotus bastards."

"Everything will be fine. If we can just regroup with the security forces in the other sectors of Zaofu, we can figure out a counter strategy, and—” Hong Li paused a moment, listening in silence. Then, he held a fist up and waved it forward, ordering his men to hide behind a line of nearby bushes along the street. “Everyone down, now."

No sooner than they got into position, safely hidden out of sight, a large group of Red Lotus marched around the corner. The group was led by a man with a shaved head and scar over his left eyebrow, and a younger girl with long dark hair tied up with a fire nation-style pin.

"We should just kill them, Zaheer,” the girl stated, with a frustrated breath. “They're a waste of our time.”

"No, Aoi.” Zaheer glanced at her, narrowing his gaze and frowning. “We gave our word that we'd leave them unharmed. There's no need to kill them now."

"Well we can't just leave the entire Beifong family here,” she insisted, planting her hands on her hips. “That husband of hers will just step in and rule in her place. Or one of her sons."

Zaheer breathed in slowly, considering her words. He nodded. "You're right. We'll keep them captive for now, and figure out what to do with them later. Perhaps they will yet be of use to us."

“Whatever, do what you want,” Aoi muttered. “But if you think you're going to stick me on guard duty, you're getting a bolt of lightning right in your chest.”

“You worry too much, Aoi,” he said. “I have far more important uses for you than delegating you to guard the Beifong family. In the meantime, I'll need to make an announcement to the people of Zaofu come morning, and then the Red Lotus can move on to continue its goals. I hear this new United Earth Republic is ruled by three prime ministers now—that sort of system is doomed to fail, and we should put a stop to it before the people suffer.”

Hong Li waited until the Red Lotus passed, then looked up from the bushes. "Okay, coast is clear." He gave another wave for his men to follow, then assisted Anraq back to his feet.

Sir...” one of the guards said, giving the captain a worried look. “If they've already taken the Beifong family captive, then..."

The captain eased out a long breath, and kept his focus pointed forward down the street. He knew what that guard was implying. "...Let's just keeping moving.”

* * *

The silence inside the Beifong mansion was deafening, split only by the steady metronome of a ticking clock on the wall. Kuvira sat at a desk—Su's desk—and stared at the framed family portrait in her hands. Everyone was in it—Su, Baatar, Baatar, Jr., Wing, Wei, Huan, Opal... and even herself. Her face had at one point been torn out of the photo; she could see the marks where it had been ripped, no doubt during her time as the Great Uniter. Since then, though, the missing piece had been taped back into place, returning her to the portrait, to the family.

She remembered the day they took this picture. It had been Su's birthday, maybe... fifteen years ago. Kuvira had only been sixteen then, still training to join the Zaofu security force, and rigorously practicing a new dance routine for an upcoming recital. She missed those days. Things had been so much simpler, back then. They had all been so happy, so many smiles... If only they had known how events would play out in the upcoming years, perhaps they wouldn't have smiled so much.

A quivering, sorrowful breath exhaled past her lips, and she dropped the portrait down on the desk. Those days were long gone, and now there could be no returning to them, no matter how much she wanted. That dream of being a part of the Beifong family, complete and happy again... it was gone. With Su's death, and the others taken who knew where, how could their family ever be whole again?

“Kuvira! Suyin! Anybody?”

Kuvira gently lifted her gaze, staring blankly at the open doorway of the office. She knew that voice... Anraq. While a small part of herself lifted at his voice, overjoyed to learn that he was alright, she lacked a drive to truly show her relief. She simply stared, expression remain cold and solemn. She couldn't even bring herself to respond.

Anraq called for her again, followed by several other voices—more guards. Perhaps the Red Lotus hadn't managed to completely wipe out Zaofu's security force after all. Still, she remained quiet, lowering her gaze back down to the family portrait. She stared at it for as long as she could bear, before finally looking away and sinking back into her seat.

“Kuvira!” Anraq appeared in the doorway, finally locating her in the office. He immediately hurried towards the desk. There was a heavy limp in his walk—he more staggered across the floor than walked, his posture slouched, and there was fresh blood staining his uniform. He could barely hold himself up on his own two feet. “Are you alright? What happened? Did you find Su?”

She stared back at him a moment, and she could tell from his widened eyes and sharp inhale of surprise that she didn't need to say anything to get the point across. Her eyes must have looked a mess with how long she had been crying—puffy, bloodshot, and plastered with the sticky remains of tears long dried up. With a low sigh, she merely looked towards the couch, where she had carried Su's body earlier.

When Anraq followed her gaze and finally noticed Su lying there, lifeless, he stumbled against the desk, barely able to hold himself up. “Kuvira, I...” He swallowed, and looked away, eyes shut tight and face contorted with grief. “I'm so sorry...”

“I didn't make it in time...” she uttered, in a hoarse whisper. “I tried, but... I was too late.”

Anraq turned to her, leaning close with a consoling look. He reached out to her, and took one of her hands into his own. "Don't do that... don't put that on yourself."

Kuvira shook her head. A renewed well of tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. "She's gone, Anraq. And I couldn't help her. I should have _been_ there, I should have..."

"Hey, hey..." Anraq lowered himself closer and held his arms around her, letting her sink against him and sob into his shoulder. "You did everything you could."

The sound of footsteps entered the room. "Anraq? ...Kuvira?" Captain Hong Li approached them, but stopped halfway when he noticed Suyin's body lying on the couch. His eyes steadily widened, a look of distress coming to his face. "Spirits, no... Is she...?"

Anraq glanced down a Kuvira, still hugging him and crying against his shoulder. Then, he sighed and looked to Hong Li. "Yeah. She's... We didn't make it in time."

Hong Li bowed his head, eyes closed. "These Red Lotus scum..."

"We need to figure out a plan," Anraq stated. "Where are the other guards?"

"Securing the rest of the mansion," he replied. "Looks like the Red Lotus cleared out, for now."

"You remember what we overheard. Zaheer is making an announcement to Zaofu in the morning, then they're moving on." Anraq paused, glancing back down at Kuvira. "And...they have your family captive."

Kuvira choked her sobs to a stop, and looked up. "They have my family?" She pushed away from Anraq and rose up from her seat, her hands gripping tightly the edge of the desk. "We have to _save_ them."

"With six people, half of whom are already injured and exhausted? That's suicide," Hong Li stated. "We don't even know where they're being held, and even if we did it would take too much time to rendezvous with the security forces in the other city sectors—the Red Lotus will be gone by then. I've tried getting a call out, but apparently they disabled our communications before they struck. They came prepared, I'll give them that..." The captain paused a moment, breathing in deeply. Then, he turned a narrow gaze to Kuvira. "Besides, you should be getting back to _prison_..."

"To what end?" Anraq countered. "Sure we could lock her up again, but there's no one left to run the prison, plus all the other prisoners are freely roaming the streets. We need to worry about rounding them up first, before they start taking over what's left of the city. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have Kuvira on our side for that."

Hong Li glared at him. "And you trust her not to just run away first chance she gets?"

Anraq returned the glare, not backing down. "Yeah, I do."

"We need to warn people." Kuvira looked between the two of them, taking in a deep breath to steady her nerves. For a few moments at least, she could try to keep her head clear. "The Red Lotus isn't going to stop at Zaofu—every world leader and government is in danger. We have to let them know that Zaheer is out of prison so they can prepare themselves. And hopefully catch him before anyone else falls victim." She breathed out a heavy sigh, and glanced over at the couch, at Su. "And the rest of her family... _my_ family... they need to be told about what happened."

"And what exactly do you propose?" Hong Li asked, crossing his arms over his chest. His suspicious glare did little to hide the skepticism he had in listening to her. "If our short range communications are down, I don't have much hope for long range being up and running. By the time we're able to get a word out to the other nations, the Red Lotus will be gone."

"Maybe, but we know who they're going after next." Anraq lifted a hand to his chin, thinking. "We overheard them say they're targeting the Earth Republic's prime ministers, and we know they're staying in Zaofu until at least tomorrow morning. If we leave now, we could get word to others before the Red Lotus gets in gear to strike next."

"We should go to Republic City," Kuvira said. "As much as I dislike President Raiko, he has the means to get a message out to the other nations fastest. That, and maybe he can do something about sending a force to preemptively stop Zaheer. The Avatar... Korra would be a big help."

"And who's going to go to Republic City?" Hong Li said, holding his glare. The conversation so far had done little to sway his demeanor. " _I_ have to stay here and try to get some semblance of order back to Zaofu, before the escaped prisoners make a damn mess of everything. I suppose _you'll_ want to go."

Kuvira closed her eyes momentarily and sighed. "I know I shouldn't... I still have a prison sentence to serve. But...we don't have a lot of options right now. Besides..." She looked to Su again, fighting back the distraught lump lodged in her throat. "I have to... I should be the one to deliver the news. To Opal...and to Lin."

Hong Li uttered a groan. "This is _unbelievable_..." Pinching his fingers against the bridge of his nose, he shook his head, sighing. "But I guess we don't have much of a choice, do we?"

"If it puts you at ease, I'm going with her," Anraq said. "I pretty much have to."

"What? You shouldn't be going _anywhere_ in your condition," Kuvira said, with a concerned glare. "You can barely stand."

At this point, Anraq had fallen back against the desk, arms shaking just to hold himself up. "I'll be fine...I can keep myself stable enough until we get to Republic City, at least.” To prove his point, he waved his hand through the air and pulled out a small stream of water from his flask. The liquid formed a bubble around his hand and started to glow, then he held it against his chest to start healing himself again. “Besides...how else are you going to convince Raiko to hear you out, instead of just, you know, arresting you as soon as you land?"

"If you're sure...then alright. It _will_ be good to have you."

"I can't believe I'm saying this...but fine," Hong Li muttered. "I'll put together an official missive for you to take, too. That should help get the president to listen to you. Get ready soon, and we can try to get you out of here." He paused a moment, brow twisting with thought. "At this time of night, the train isn't running, which means you'll need to take an airship. The smaller ones can be manned by two people, and they're faster—should get you to Republic City in about ten hours. The problem with that..."

Kuvira nodded and looked out the window, up at the domed walls around the city. "We'll need to lower the domes first..."

"Right." Hong Li pressed his hand against his chin, and hummed out a thoughtful breath. "That means I'll have to head to the control tower, while you two make your way to the launch pads and grab an airship. We'll have to do it quick, because once those domes open, the Red Lotus will know something's up.”

“We can handle it,” she assured, with a soft breath. She knew they could always wait until the next day, when the Red Lotus was gone, but those were precious hours that they couldn't afford to lose. Every second they wasted was a second more that Zaheer got closer to assassinating the Earth Republic's prime minsters, and who knew what else. “I'll need to change first... can't show up to Republic City in my prison uniform.”

“That should give me time to put together a missive,” the captain replied. “There should be some forms in Suyin's desk.”

Anraq pushed himself away from the desk, staggering for a moment before steadying himself. “Alright, then... let's get this mission underway.”

* * *

“Hey, you almost ready in there?”

Kuvira eased out a long breath, as she looked back at herself in the mirror. She almost didn't recognize herself—for the past five years, she had been trapped in prison, hair constantly loose and not able to be properly treated, only allowed to wear her prison uniform... but now, she almost looked like her old self again. She had pulled her hair back into a long, braided ponytail, and for the most part it sat neat atop her head—a few stray strands stuck out here and there, but there was only so much she could do with it in on such short notice.

More than just her hair, though, were the clothes. Once again, after so long, she wore the traditional green robes of Zaofu. It seemed so... foreign to her, and yet so familiar at the same time. To complete her outfit, she raised her arms and floated over the metal plates of armor sitting on the nearby mannequin. Since it was a little small for her, she expanded the metal just a bit so it would fit, and then finally wrapped it around herself into place—chestplate, pauldrons, armguards, and all.

Her heart fluttered a little, and her stomach knotted, when the armor was in place. This wasn't the same armor she used to wear when she was a member of the Zaofu security force, and certainly not her uniform as the Great Uniter. This was _Su's_ armor. It felt... wrong to be wearing, and yet at the same time it felt right. She couldn't find a way to explain it to herself, but she _knew_ she had to wear this armor—she felt it deep in her heart.

“I'm coming out,” she stated, as she turned to leave the bedroom.

She stopped halfway to the door, though, when something caught her eye—a jewelry box on the dresser. Again, she felt her stomach twist, but she turned to the box and opened it. Inside, she found one of Suyin's forehead gems, set on a thin metal ring to be worn around the head. For a lingering moment, she just stared at it, debating with herself. She exhaled a deep breath, closed her eyes... and held a hand out—the jewelry floated up into the air, hovered above her head a moment, and then resized to fit perfectly around her forehead. Finally, she closed the jewelry box and exited the room.

When the door opened, Anraq stood straighter, still teetering off balance on wobbly legs. He blinked at her a moment, while his mouth started to lower slightly and his eyebrows lifted. “Uh... wow.”

Kuvira furrowed her brow at him. “What?”

“Huh? No, it's... nothing,” he said, with clear of his throat. “It's just... I mean, I've never seen you in anything but your prison uniform. You look... you look nice.”

“Oh,” she said, with a blink. Her mouth curled a bit into a small smile. “Thank you.”

As they turned to leave down the hallway, Captain Hong Li appeared around the corner and approached, a sealed letter in his hand. He stopped in front of them and held out the letter for her to take. “Alright, here. This is an official missive detailing the events that happened here, and explaining _exactly_ why you're the one going to Republic City. It contains Zaofu's official seal, and since Su isn't... I mean, well... my signature should suffice.”

Kuvira nodded, then slipped the letter into the pocket of her robe. “Thanks, Captain. You know, you've come a long way since I was security captain... I remember when you could barely bend a meteorite.”

Hong Li recoiled nervously a moment, stiffening. “Oh, uh, well... thank you. I think.”

"You're welcome," she replied. Then, she paused briefly, her expression growing more solemn. "And please... Su shouldn't be buried until her entire family can be here for the funeral."

The captain sighed, nodding slowly. "We'll get her body to the morgue... Until you come back. All of you."

“Alright,” Anraq said, patting a hand on Kuvira's shoulder. “You ready to move out?”

“Yeah.” A determined spark came to her eye, brow lowering and expression hardening. They had a job to do, and by the spirits they were going to do it right. “I'm ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much happening in this chapter. I kind of wanted a slower, calmer one, to catch a break from the... heaviness of the past couple. Even if there is still a little more tugging at the heart strings with more of Kuvira's reaction in the aftermath.
> 
> Oh, and I wonder if anyone caught who Hong Li is (hint: he was the young guard that Aiwei tried to frame for betraying Zaofu in Book 3. He's come a long way in the 8 years since!)


	19. The Lightningbender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira and Anraq make a daring escape from Zaofu.

"I don't see anyone out there, do you?" Anraq asked.

Kuvira peered over the wall and scanned the airfield. All she could see was a line of airships ready and waiting to be used. No Red Lotus guards anywhere. Perhaps a bit of luck was on their side—they had already run into a few Red Lotus on the way here, though fortunately Kuvira had been able to disable them quickly enough. Anraq wasn't in much of a condition for combat right now, though, which meant that the fewer enemies they encountered on their way out of Zaofu, the better.

"Looks clear to me," she said, as she hovered the slab of metal they were standing on farther into the air, allowing them to gently float over the wall to the other side. "Hong Li should be waiting for us up in the control tower now."

Anraq stole a glance back over his shoulder. The control tower stood in the distance, overlooking the landing zone. "Which means once we're in an airship, those domes will open, and we get the flameo out of here. See one you want to take?"

Kuvira looked over the line of airships, approaching cautiously. Her eye caught a couple on the end—smaller, sleeker vessels, able to be manned with a minimal crew and much faster than the larger models, just as Hong Li had said. "Down there, the speeder models."

She led the way, still on guard—there was no telling if or when the Red Lotus would pop up. It actually surprised her a little that they had left the airfield unguarded. Then again, with the domes up, perhaps they had simply felt there was no need. It made sense, considering they had more important things to be taking care of... such as Su's assassination. Kuvira clenched her jaw at the thought, and pushed it out of her mind. She couldn't afford to dwell on her grief right now—there would be time for that later.

When they made it to the nearest speeder airship, Kuvira opened the hatch and ushered Anraq ahead of her. She stole one more look back over her shoulder to make sure the area was clear, and then followed. This particular airship model was less than half the size of the normal ones, with only one deck, a small cockpit, and enough standing room for approximately only ten passengers—no seats, no tables, no separate quarters, or anything like that. It certainly didn't have the amenities of a fully equipped luxury model, but it did have speed, and that's what they were after.

"So, it's probably a little late to ask this," Anraq said, as he stared down at the controls on the cockpit. His expression twisted with uncertainty. "But you do know how to fly this thing, right?"

"To a point," she said, sitting in the pilot's seat. "It's been a while, and I never actually flew myself a lot, but I know the gist. Enough to get us out of here and to Republic City, at least. Landing on the other hand..." Well, landing was always the hard part.

"Right, well, get this thing started."

Kuvira flipped a few switched and turned several knobs on the dash, and soon the airship sprang to life. The propellers began to spin, the engine hummed, and the dash lights glowed. Almost immediately afterward, a loud creaking, groaning noise split the air. Looking out of the windshield, Kuvira noticed seams beginning to form along the dome above them, gradually widening as the individual segments came apart. That was their cue.

"Just a couple minutes," she said, as she turned a dial and pressed another button. "Then the airship will be ready to fly, and by that time the dome will—"

An explosion silenced her words. The airship shuddered and slid across the landing zone, one of the propellers erupting in a blaze of fire. Kuvira and Anraq lurched out of their seats and rolled across the deck, until the airship ceased moving and they could regain their balance.

"What on earth was that?!" Anraq said, as he staggered over towards the hatch.

He hit the release button with his palm to open it, and when he did, he let out a yell and jumped backwards, falling to the floor. A blue bolt of lightning ripped in through the open hatch and struck the ceiling—instantly, sparks showered the deck, and several pipes burst. A fire blazed along several now-exposed wires. Filling the cockpit with smoke. With a grunt, Anraq sat upright again, holding an arm over his ribs.

"Shit..." he uttered.

Kuvira clambered over to him to look out the hatch. Some hundred paces away stood a lone girl in the center of the landing zone. But not just any girl—she wore the red and black of the Red Lotus, though her uniform was different than the others. She wore no hood, instead with her hair styled up with a fire nation pin holding it in place. The shoulders of her robes were pointed, and tipped slightly upwards, and there was a gold trim interwoven with the usual red and black. Even from this distance, Kuvira could see the grin on the girl's face, as she charged up her fingers with another spark of electricity.

"Off the airship, now!" Kuvira grabbed Anraq's collar and yanked him down out the hatch, onto the metal surface of the landing pad beneath.

No sooner than they landed, another bolt of lightning exploded against the airship, this time striking the engine. The entire structure erupted in a massive fireball, raining burning metal shrapnel in all directions. Kuvira rolled over Anraq to shield him, while sweeping her arm upwards. A wide section of metal launch pad peeled upwards and wrapped over them. It protected them from harm, though Kuvira could feel the heat of the flames as they blazed around her. Only when things finally settled down did she unwrap the metal shield and help Anraq back to his feet.

"So much for getting out of here unnoticed," she said, giving the girl in the distance a glare. As if to mock her, the girl started marching towards them slowly, completely casual.

Anraq groaned, leaning against Kuvira for support—he could still barely hold himself upright. "It's that girl... I saw her talking with Zaheer earlier. Called her... Aoi, I think. Something tells me she's not like the other Red Lotus flunkies."

"Something tells me you're right..." Kuvira's jaw tightened, as she watched the girl come closer. "She's so young... barely looks sixteen."

"Yeah, well that teenager wanted to kill the rest of your family," Anraq replied. "Zaheer is actually the one who talked her out of it... as strange as that sounds."

She narrowed her eyes, then stepped in front of Anraq. "Start up one of the other airships. I'll deal with her."

“Uhh... yeah, I don't know... how to do that?” Anraq said, turning a confused glance towards her.

“There should be instructions underneath the pilot's seat,” she said. Raising her arms, she lifted up several large slabs of metal from the landing pad and floated them in front of herself. “You can follow instructions, right?”

“Right, yeah... I'm on it.” Anraq watched a moment longer, then limped towards the next airship. He didn't even make it halfway there before the girl fired off another lightning bolt.

This time, though, Kuvira was ready for it, and spun one of the metal slabs directly in the path of the lightning to deflect it. “How about you try picking on a fresh opponent?”

Aoi tilted her head to the side, smirking. “Well, aren't you the spirited one. You do realize I can't allow you to leave, though. I imagine you're off to go warn people about us and all—we can't have that.”

Shifting her stance, Kuvira twisted the metal slab into a giant spike. “You can try, but I don't think you know who you're dealing with. You're in over your head, girl.”

“Oh, don't let my age fool you. You'll find I'm plenty capable. More than enough for you... _Kuvira_.” An amused laugh chortled out of her mouth at Kuvira's surprised expression. “Please, you're remarkably easy to recognize. That mole is pretty distinctive, you know.” She smirked, and pointed a finger against her cheek, directly below her right eye. “But this is interesting... Last I heard, you were in prison.”

Kuvira's eyes narrowed. She couldn't let herself get caught in a conversation with this girl—they were wasting too much time. Instead, she thrust her hand forward and launched the metal spike through the air, directly at her opponent. It traveled the distance in the blink of an eye, directly on target... and then clanged against the ground harmlessly.

Aoi spun out of its path with ease, her motions fluid and skillful. She finished her spin in a crouch, two fingers of each hand extended, one hand held forward and the other back, raised higher than the other. Her fingers ignited with electricity, and with a simple step forward she fired another bolt of lightning.

Kuvira moved another metal slab to block the attack, then shot it forward at the girl. Again, Aoi dodged effortlessly, ducking beneath the projectile and then blasting forth yet another stream of lightning. Kuvira flipped out of the way, slid her leg back across the ground, and then held her arms forward. Several metal plates lifted up from her armguards and then launched forward in rapid succession. She didn't need to defeat or kill this girl, only delay her long enough so they could get the airship out of the city. Perhaps if she could wrap one of the metal bands around Aoi and throw her far enough away, they could—

Her thoughts ceased abruptly when she saw Aoi move. The girl's actions were almost inhuman with how precise and graceful they were. She ducked, spun, and evaded each of the incoming projectiles, still barely showing any effort. Each time she dodged, she countered with a lightning bolt, forcing Kuvira to defend herself between each new attack. As their exchange continued, however, Kuvira's brow scrunched with confusion—or was it concern?

To be using lightning, Aoi had to be a firebender, there was no question about that. And yet, she hadn't yet actually used fire, only the sub-bending form of lightning. But why? She could be adding more, different attack patterns to her style, but still she stuck with the lightning. It seemed almost debilitating to Kuvira, for Aoi to be limiting herself solely to lightning, when her firebenending had to be at least on par or better—one didn't simply skip over firebending directly to lightningbending, after all. Still, this girl's lightning was remarkable, regardless—Kuvira had never seen anyone charge it so fast, and weave it into their style so seamlessly, as normally as if she _were_ firebending.

The rumble of an engine and the whir of propellers filled the air. Kuvira glanced back at the airship—Anraq had managed to get it started. It would take a few more minutes to warm up and get be ready to fly, though, which meant she still had time to get rid of this girl.

“Eyes on me!” Aoi yelled.

Kuvira looked back again to see an incoming jolt of lightning scorching through the air. She flipped up another metal slab to guard against it, but in her haste she made the mistake of pressing her hand against the back of it—a surge of electricity flowed from the metal into her body, eliciting a sharp scream as she fell backwards, dropping to one knee. At the very least, she hadn't taken a direct hit, but the blow still stunned her, and left her gasping for air.

“Well, that was fun,” Aoi stated, as she approached the downed woman. Her fingers began charging again with lightning. “But it looks like you're already done. Such a shame...”

“You shouldn't... be so smug.” Kuvira stood straight again on shaky legs, trying to shake off the tingling after-effects of the electrocution. “We've only just started.”

“Please, I can smell your humiliation from over here,” Aoi replied. She waved her hand in front of her herself and contorted her face, as though fanning away a terrible scent. “For someone as renowned as the Great Uniter, I would have expected more from you. Oh well... time to end this.”

Kuvira waited, prepared herself, and the moment that Aoi cast her arm forward, she raised her own arms and peeled the metal paneling upwards at the girl's feet. The lightning struck the metal shield harmlessly, and from there Kuvira pushed forward. The paneling continued to peel back towards Aoi, dropping the girl off balance. She tried to catch herself and get out of the way, but Kuvira widened the panel. With one more hard push with her arms, the paneling fully peeled away and wrapped over Aoi, rolling backwards in a long strip across the launch pad.

With Aoi restrained, she turned to the airship and immediately raced aboard, jumping in through the hatch. “Get this thing off the ground, now!”

“Uh, you told me how to start it, not fly it!” Anraq said, shouting back over his shoulder.

“Disengage the landing gear and then pull back on the controls!” She turned back around to face the open hatch. The metal paneling that had wrapped around Aoi began to surge with a spark of blue electricity—and, at last, flames.

“I should _really_ not be the one doing this!” he said, as he fumbled around the dash.

Anraq found the landing gear a moment later, and switched the knob over to disengage. Then, he grasped the controls and tugged back on them—the airship instantly lifted skyward, climbing rapidly into the air. _Too_ rapidly. The angle of ascent increased sharply, and Kuvira lost her balance, rolling forward towards the open hatch. She managed to reach out and grasp onto the edge to stop herself, but still she dangled freely in the open air. To make matters worse, down below, the wrapped paneling around Aoi exploded in a burst of lightning and flames, and the girl was free again.

Aoi turned sharply towards the fleeing airship and shot off several bolts of lightning, one after the other. Kuvira acted out of instinct, reaching upward with one hand and bending some of the side paneling off the airship—not enough to damage the vessel, but enough to put between herself and the shots of lightning. There was no way she was going to allow the same thing happen to this airship as the last one—they were getting out of here, damn it.

Finally, as the airship traveled higher and began to exit Zaofu at last, Aoi's lightning bolts grew less accurate, to the point where Kuvira didn't have to block them anymore. With a breath of relief, she bended the paneling back onto the side of the airship and then pulled herself back inside. Only after she had closed the hatch did she allow herself to flop onto her backside, chest heaving with exhaustion.

“We made it...” she muttered, letting her eyes close.

“Yeah, I'd say that went... well,” Anraq said, with a steady nod. “But, uh... you want to take over the controls here? I only know how to ascend, apparently.”

* * *

Zaheer floated calmly high in the air, legs crossed in the lotus position and hands resting on his knees, eyes closed. He breathed in deeply, evenly, allowing his mind to clear and be at peace, to enter the void... until a frustratingly familiar voice called him back to reality.

"We may have a bit of a problem," Aoi said, as she approached, strolling casually through the gardens with her hands at her hips. "If you care enough to come down from there, that is."

Zaheer exhaled and opened his eyes, gaze turning downward at the girl. "And what might that be?" When he received only an annoyed glare as a response, he frowned slightly and then lowered himself to the ground.

"That's better," she stated, with simple nod.

"What is the problem, Aoi?" He glanced upward. "I assume it has to do with why the dome opened."

She cleared her throat, and shifted her weight to one leg. "Yes, quite. A couple of sneaky little weasel snakes took an airship out of Zaofu, no doubt to go warn people about us."

Zaheer's eyes narrowed. "And you didn't stop them?"

"Oh I tried," Aoi replied, with a dismissive wave. "Even blew up their first airship. But I couldn't stop them from leaving." She crossed her arms over her chest, smirking. "Not that they defeated me, of course. They only got away because they ran like cowards. How _shameful_."

"Do you realize what this means?" Zaheer said. The absolute lack of care that this girl expressed didn't sit well with him. He knew she was talented, but her attitude needed work. A lot of work. "Our element of surprise will be gone soon, once they reach their destination. That will make our job more difficult."

"So what? I don't know what you're so worried about. After all, we just took out a majority of the most well trained security force in the world, and with only a handful of our members. Let the world prepare for us—they still won't be able to stop us."

Zaheer breathed in again, calming himself. "That may be true, but that will inevitably lead to other nations preemptively attempting to take us down, and I've no doubt that the Avatar will lead that charge. I wanted to save her for later, when we were further along with our goals." He raised a hand to his chin, thinking. "We may need to prepare to deal with her sooner than I expected."

"Hmph, the _Avatar_ ," Aoi said, with a widening grin. "I do hope she puts up more of a fight than the Great Uniter. That was just sad."

Zaheer pushed his brow together, staring at her. "When did _you_ face Kuvira? You couldn't have been older than ten during her campaign."

"Oh, I meant just now," she replied. "Sorry, did I forget to mention that? My mistake. She was one of the two who took that airship."

"That... is concerning" he muttered. He paused, and paced a few steps to the side. "I knew she was in Zaofu but I thought she was still in prison. Her cell wasn't in one of the main cell blocks that would have been opened during the release..."

"Hmm? And how would you have known that?"

"Don't worry about it," he said. He shifted his gaze to off to the side, still deep in thought. "Perhaps the world saw fit to give her a second chance and ended her sentence early..."

Aoi shrugged. "Well, she definitely wasn't dressed like a prisoner. Full armor and ready for combat, actually. Not that it mattered—she was still woefully disappointing. I didn't even have to firebend to match her."

"Whatever the reason, if she _is_ free, then she must be dealt with accordingly, before history repeats itself," Zaheer stated. "In a short few years, she became one of the worst dictators we've ever seen, and nearly destroyed any chance of freedom that this world had. Such a thing is unforgivable, and as such, she cannot be allowed a second chance. If the world has decided that punishing her is meaningless, then she will face _our_ judgment. Otherwise, she _will_ pick up where she left off, mark my words."

"Whatever you say." Aoi merely rolled her eyes, as she started to leave. "In the meantime, I need my beauty sleep."

Zaheer looked back at her, then slowly began to rise into the air again. "Before you do, find Avan and tell him to begin dismantling the domes. It's time Zaofu lost the foolish notion of shutting itself off from the outside world."

* * *

Yuruk planted his arms tight across his chest. "And how exactly do you intend to do this? The whole thing is made of platinum, and even you can't bend that."

Avan glided across the ground, towards one of the open sections of the Zaofu dome. "The plates are platinum, yes, but the inner mechanisms, the gears and joints...they are not."

"Okay... but I still don't see how you're going to rip these things off by yourself," he muttered. "There's a reason why the dome is rigged to an automatic mechanism, and they don't just bend it shut."

"Have a little faith," Avan said, as he raised his arms.

The metalbender breathed deep, closed his eyes, and then slowly began dragging his arms back through the air. The joints of the dome plate creaked and groaned, and soon began to bend inward. Within seconds, the entire joint caved, imploding in on itself. One more pull of Avan's arms, and the entire joint ripped away, causing the enormous platinum plate to fall free and crash to the ground below—the earth shook at the impact, as though stricken by a quake.

"Oh..." Yuruk blinked, staring forward with his mouth partially agape. "Okay, I'm officially impressed... no need to show off."

"You should go, get some sleep if you wish," Avan said, as he moved to the next plate. "There are many more sections to go, and many more domes. This could take a while."

* * *

"You should be resting," Kuvira said, glancing at Anraq.

The waterbender let out a tired groan, and shifted in his seat. "I'll be fine... Not even that tired really." In spite of his insistence, however, his voice was weak, and pained.

"It's still a couple of hours to Republic City, and you're still hurt," she said. "You haven't been able to heal yourself that well, either."

Anraq huffed, staring out the airship windshield. The sun was just now being to poke up over the horizon. "I'll live. At least until I can get to a hospital when we land."

"Anraq..."

He waved her off. "Just forget it. Besides...we should be in range for the radio to reach the city. You should probably call ahead and let them know what's going on."

She paused, and looked down at the radio on the dash. It was true, they were close enough now for the signal to reach. And yet... "I can't. I... I have to tell them in person."

"But the more time we waste—"

"I know, Anraq. But I just... I don't want Lin or Opal hearing about it from someone else, some random official... I should be the one to tell them."

Anraq sighed, turning his head. "Yeah, I get it... But still, you should at least let them know you're arriving. Otherwise you might start a panic when you land. You know, former criminal dictator arriving in an airship, dressed in full combat gear... Probably wouldn't look good."

"Well I can't just call them up and say I'm flying in," she counted, with a lifted eyebrow. "They'll meet me at the landing zone with half the police force ready to take me out. Or just shoot us down when we get close."

"Okay, I see your point..." Anraq glanced down at the radio a moment, then sighed. "Fine, let me... Should already be on the right frequency." He grabbed the radio and held it to his lips, clicking the button. "Greetings, Republic City air control. Don't know if anyone can hear this, but I'm coming in soon in a small speeder ship, going to need a place to land. Over."

Static hissed out of the speaker for a brief second, until the signal cleared and a voice replied, "Copy, and where are you headed from? Over."

"Zaofu, actually," he said. "We're coming in on...official business." He waited a moment, but when he received no reply he smacked his forehead with a sigh and clicked the button again. "Yeah, uh, over."

"Alright, we'll find a place for you to land. How far out are you? Over."

"About two hours, so no rush." Anraq paused a second, thinking. With a subtle breath, he then added, "And... if you could contact Chief Beifong to meet us when we land, I'd appreciate it. Over."

A pause, and then, "Uh, copy, but the police chief is a busy woman...can't make any promises. Over."

"Like I said, it's official business," he replied. "She's going to want to meet with us... immediately. Just tell her it's Anraq, she'll come. Over."

"I'll see what I can do," the air controller said. "In the meantime, have a safe flight. Contact us again when you're on approach, and we'll give you further instructions. Over and out."

Anraq replaced the radio on the dash and then sank back in his seat. "See, just need to know how to talk to them."

Kuvira breathed out a sigh, slowly nodding her head. "I only hope I'm ready to face Lin by the time we get there..."

"Hey, I'll be there, too," he said, bringing a hand to her shoulder. "You won't have to do it alone."

Turning to him, Kuvira gave an ever so slight smile of appreciation—it really was nice to have Anraq there with her. "Thanks. Now... let's get to Republic City."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you knew they weren't going to get out of Zaofu that easily. Had to run into some trouble, and hopefully I gave you an interesting fight scene with Aoi, her first fight scene so far, so you start to learn more about her. I won't give away any spoilers, but she's... a key character.
> 
> In any case, next chapter is the one I'm going to die from writing again... my heart can't take this abuse, I swear.


	20. Ill Tidings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira arrives in Republic City, bringing with her the terrible news of what happened in Zaofu.

Lin cringed, as the airship thudded against the landing pad. The vessel creaked and groaned, sliding across the metal surface and kicking up sparks as it went. Fortunately, the landing crew was able to stabilize it with metal cables before the thing crashed and made a real mess. Whoever was flying that airship clearly wasn't a professional pilot, or if he was, then not a very good one. Then again, if Anraq was the one piloting, she supposed it would make sense—he had always been a fine cop, but never a pilot. Still, she couldn't imagine why they would let him fly, if that were the case.

With her hands held firmly against her hips, she approached the airship, just as the hatch began to lower. Sure enough, the first one to step off was that familiar waterbender.

"Hey, Chief," Anraq said, with a wave. He limped forward down the ramp, barely stable on his feet.

“Anraq, it's good to see you. But... what brings you to Republic City? I wasn't expecting any important business from Zaofu.” She took a moment to look him over—his uniform had been torn, and stained with deep red, and long scratches raked along one of his arms. He wobbled on his feet, knees practically ready to give out, and his expression drooped with exhaustion. "And what the flameo happened to you? You lose a fight with a wolverine jackal? You look terrible."

“Uh... yeah, about that. That's actually why I'm here." Anraq exhaled deeply and straightened himself. "Alright, Chief, listen to me. Something big happened in Zaofu. Something... bad. Horrible, actually...”

Lin raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?" A pause followed, and when he didn't answer right away, she folded her and across her chest, glaring. "Well? Spit it out.”

“I... can't be the one to tell you," he said, with a sigh. "There's someone else who should. Now... try not to freak out or anything, but...”

Lin's brow scrunched with confusion, and when Anraq looked back over his shoulder at the airship, she followed his gaze. When she saw the next person to exit the hatch and step down the ramp, her eyes expanded, eyebrows lifting.

“Kuvira! What in the—" She turned a glare towards Anraq. "You'd better have a damn good explanation for this.”

“Lin, please," Kuvira said, coming forward. "I can explain... everything.”

“Then start explaining," she said. "I know I said I'd be there if you needed anything, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind. What are you doing out of prison?”

“Zaofu was attacked.”

"What?" Lin blinked, taking a moment to make sure she had heard that correctly. When she was sure she hadn't been hearing things, she asked, “ By whom?”

Kuvira took in a deep breath and slowly eased it outward before answering. “The Red Lotus.”

“ _What?_ "

That couldn't be right. The Red Lotus... No one has heard from then since Zaheer and his gang had been defeated. They couldn't be back, there was no way.

Fighting a growing panic in her chest, Lin looked past the other two at the airship. It didn't make sense for Anraq and Kuvira to have come alone for this, especially since Kuvira should still be locked up. Her sister should have at least come with them.

"...where's Su? Why didn't she come to tell me this?" Her gaze lingered on Kuvira a moment, now recognizing the uniform the woman wore. "And why are you wearing her armor?"

"Lin, I..."

"Why are you _here_ Kuvira?" Her tone grew harsher, more urgent. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. "What happened?”

“Lin, Su is..." Kuvira glanced downward, a solemn grief coming to her face. Her throat tightened, and a wet glob of tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. "She's gone.”

“Gone? What do you _mean_ gone?" Deep down, she knew what Kuvira meant, but she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to _accept_ it. She had to hear it bluntly, she had to hear Kuvira actually say it. Reaching forward, she grabbed the woman by the shoulders and pulled her closer, staring at her eyes. Her next words bit with a distress she didn't know her voice was capable of. " _Where's my sister?_ ”

“She's _dead_ , Lin!" Kuvira shouted the answer, and then bowed her head, a quivering sigh bursting from her throat. "She's dead... and I couldn't save her. I tried, but I... I was too late.”

“It was Zaheer, Chief..." Anraq stated, glancing away at the ground. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "The Red Lotus freed him from prison and he came to Zaofu first. I don't know how they got in, but they took out most of the security force, emptied the prison... killed your sister, captured her family... The remaining guards are trying to restore order, but... things don't look good.”

“No..." Lin released Kuvira and took a staggering step backwards. Her knees buckled, threatening to give out, and an abrupt, numb pain gripped her chest. Everything felt so...cold, all of a sudden. She felt dizzy—the world was spinning, and she couldn't find a way to make it stop. "No, no, this isn't... it's not right. It can't be... you're wrong. That's it, that's... that's it.”

“Lin, I'm sorry... I can't..." Kuvira hung her head, eyes closed. She reached into the pocket of her robe and held out a sealed letter. "Here. This is a missive from the Zaofu security captain. It details everything that happened.”

“Keep it," she uttered, stumbling a few more steps away. She turned from them, a hand on her forehead. "It won't... do me any good. Just go... Mako is down below with a police squad. Show it to him, have him take you to the president. I can't... I need to be alone.”

Kuvira paused, then cautiously approached the older woman. She held a hand out, rested it on her shoulder. “Lin...”

Lin immediately tore herself from the touch, swatting Kuvira's arm away. “I said _go_ , damn it!”

Kuvira recoiled backwards, staring at Lin a long moment. When the woman didn't turn back around, she glanced towards Anraq and then bowed her head with a sigh. "Let's go..."

Lin waited until the two were gone. She looked up to see that the landing crew had already left, as well—she was alone. Finally, she allowed her legs to give out; they had only barely been holding herself upright. When she dropped to her knees, she slouched forward, head hanging and a hand pressed over her mouth. Then, she did what she never let anyone see her do.

She coughed out a grieving sob, and began to cry.

* * *

President Raiko folded his fingers together atop his desk and leaned forward, looking back and forth between the two. "Alright... Let's hear this idea of yours."

Asami sat up straighter in her seat, and lifted up a large rolled up piece of paper. “Okay, as you know, Republic City's public transportation in recent years has been... shaky, to put it mildly." She unrolled the paper on the desk to reveal a map of the city. "With the area around the spirit portal still in need of more repairs, and the Spirit Wilds having steadily spread out all over downtown, navigating the lower streets has become a veritable nightmare for most. Even with the elevated streets, it makes travel take longer than it should. But we think we've come up with a solution." Glancing to the man in the seat beside her, she added, "Varrick, would you like to explain?”

“Gladly!" The eccentric water tribe native shot up from his seat to a standing position, then gestured from Asami to himself. "Okay, so Asami comes to me one day saying we need to come up with a safer, more efficient form of public transportation, and of course I agree. I mean, I can't say I know the woes of taking the bus myself—that's what I have a driver for, you know—but I can certainly imagine the turmoil. Even my driver has troubles getting around here sometimes. Why, just last week he nearly crashed into a rogue spirit vine that grew across the street overnight!" Varrick spread his arms out wide to illustrate the size of the vine, and continued his story with all manner of hand gestures to go along with it. "I said, Qwam, these are the kinds of things you need to look out for when you're driving me around. What if I'd been in the middle of having my callouses scrubbed? Could have jammed my foot against the seat, broken a toe, then I'd be walking with a limp, probably missed some very important meetings, wouldn't be able to help Zhu Li out around the house with Iknik, Jr., and really the whole thing would have been a disaster!”

“Varrick..." Raiko said, with an unamused glare. "The point, please.”

“Right! Well, after a few hours sweating out ideas in my sauna, the solution finally came to me—trains!”

The president gave him a puzzled look. “We already have trains, and I wouldn't say that they're effective transportation for citizens to take on a daily basis, in that they only go in and out of the city.”

“No, not _those_ trains!" Varrick insisted. "New ones. Underground!”

At this bit of information, Raiko raised an intrigued eyebrow. “I'm listening.”

“See, we've devised a way to create a subterranean railway that could connect the various major city neighborhoods," Asami explained. She unrolled a second paper, this one detailing the blueprints of a series of tunnels to be built beneath the city. "It would be a fast, efficient way for people to make their daily commutes, and since it's underground we wouldn't have to worry about navigating spirit vines.”

“This will revolutionize the city's public transportation as we know it!" Varrick chimed, pointing a finger directly at the president. "I propose we call it the Varri-rail. Charge a reasonable, nominal fee for use—or heck, even sell yearly passes; people will eat that right up!—and bam, the city gets a new source of income, and citizens get a better way to get around the city. Everybody wins! Plus, with both Varrick and Future Industries working on the project, it'll be done in no time!”

“Hmm..." Raiko held a hand to his chin, as he considered the proposal. "I'll admit, that does sound like it could work.”

“Well, of course it'll work," Varrick said. "My ideas _always_ work!”

Asami turned to him with a frown. "Right. Like the _time machine_ you tried to build last year?”

“I already _told_ you, the lab explosion was just a minor setback," he replied, bringing his arms across his chest. "I'll get around to cleaning it out eventually, and when I do, watch out! I'll get that baby working yet, and then we'll see who's laughing.”

“ _Ahem_ ," Raiko said, trying to steer the conversation back on course. "In any case, I'll look over your plans further, and if I like it, then I can see if we have room in the budget for—”

The door to the president's office slammed open. A new arrival marched straight inside, hurrying forward to the desk: Mako, in full police uniform. He stood straight and saluted. “Sir, I'm sorry to barge in like this, really, but—”

“Lieutenant!" President Raiko stood up from his seat, hands planted firmly against the desk. "What is the meaning of this? I'm in the middle of a meeting here!”

“I know, and I'm sorry, but... this is important," Mako insisted. "It _really_ can't wait.”

“Well make it quick!"

Mako cleared his throat, then held out the open envelope he'd been carrying. “Here, take a look at this...”

Raiko stared at him a moment, skeptical. Then he took the envelope and pulled out the letter inside to read it. As his eyes scanned the words, they steadily widened, horrified. “This is... oh spirits.”

“Mako, what is it?" Asami asked, glancing up at her friend. "What's going on?”

“There was an attack on Zaofu," he said. He hesitated, exhaling deeply before continuing, "It was the Red Lotus... _Zaheer_ is out of prison.”

“What?" Asami stiffened in her seat, hands gripping the sides tightly. He gaze wavered, moving across the office. "Oh no...”

“And that's not all..." Mako took another breath, eyes closing. "They got to Suyin. She's... she's gone. Dead.”

“Come again?" Varrick furrowed his brow, glaring up at the lieutenant. "Did you just say that these Red Lotus nutjobs are back? And they _killed_ Suyin?”

“Yes... I'm sorry. I know you two were friends.”

“...Zaofu was supposed to be the safest city in the world." Varrick sank back into his seat, and a grim seriousness descended over his face that he didn't normally show. "I should have helped design it to be safer...”

Asami bowed her head, fingers pressed against her eyes. “How did this happen...?”

“I'm afraid we still don't know." A new voice, this time. An...oddly familiar voice to those in the office, and yet no one could quite place it. "But what we do know is that the Red Lotus aren't going to stop at Zaofu. And they've already taken the rest of my family hostage.”

Raiko snapped his gaze towards the open doorway, eyes nearly popping out of his head. Now he knew where he'd heard that voice before. “Kuvira?! What—” His gaze shifted to Mako. "What is she doing out of prison?!”

Kuvira stepped farther into the office, up to the desk. “I'm acting on behalf of Zaofu, at least for the moment. If we could have sent someone else, we would have, but... there was no one. If you keep reading that missive, it should explain as much.”

“Yeah, and don't bother asking about the prison in Zaofu." A man wearing a torn Zaofu guard uniform moved next to Kuvira. He limped up to the desk and practically fell against it. "That's a different kind of mess right now."

"Anraq, careful," Kuvira said, as she held an arm out to support him. "You'll hurt yourself more than you already are."

"I'm fine," Anraq muttered. He sucked in a deep breath and stood straighter, focusing on Raiko. "You're just going to trust us on this, President. It's bad, and it's only going to get worse.”

Raiko looked back up from the missive—damn thing _did_ explain why Kuvira was here, but that didn't mean he had to play along with it. “ _Trust_ you? Trust _her?_ Are you out of your mind! Have you forgotten what she did to this city?”

“Mr. President, I know what you think of me," Kuvira said, with a deep breath. "I know what many people think of me. And I'm aware that I still have a long sentence to serve, but right now... right now I'm doing what I can to help. For Su, for my family, for Zaofu... and the other nations who are at risk with Zaheer back. Right now, that involves informing you of what happened. And after that... I want to assist however I can, to stop Zaheer and get my family back."

“This is _outrageous!_ Lieutenant, arrest her at once!”

“Uh...” Mako lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Kuvira. Then, he turned his gaze around the room.

Mako was the only other bender in the room, aside from probably Kuvira's injured friend. Raiko and Varrick certainly wouldn't be any help, and while he knew Asami could handle herself in most situations, she didn't have her Equalist glove on her. Kuvira was someone who required heavy backup to arrest, and he didn't even have any platinum cuffs with him. Combine that with the numerous sharp metal objects around the room—pens, paperweights, a ship in a bottle, and all other manner of office supplies—it probably wasn't a good idea to start something if Kuvira wasn't looking for a fight.

"I'm not really sure...if I should?" he said, giving Raiko a concerned look.

"Lieutenant, I order you to—"

“Raiko, hold on!”

All attention turned towards the open doorway. Raiko squinted at the new arrival with a grumble—how many people were going to keep barging into his office. “Avatar Korra? ...have you already been informed of this debacle?”

“I have. Lin called me, told me to come down here..." Korra breathed out, frowning. "She didn't sound too well.”

“Well, now that you're here, what exactly do _you_ have to say about this?” Raiko asked.

Korra paused, then looked to Kuvira. “I say I believe her—she's trying to help." And now she focused on Raiko again. "You don't have to be happy that she's here, and certainly not about the reason why, but... if it's true Zaheer and the Red Lotus are back, then we're going to need all the help we can get, and right now no one has more of a reason to go after them. If Kuvira wants to help, I say we give her a chance. Wouldn't you agree?"

Raiko's brow twitched. He glared at the Avatar. “Do you have _any_ idea what you're asking?”

“I know, believe me," she replied. "But I'm asking you, for _once_ in your career, trust me. Trust the _Avatar_. I'll take full responsibility for Kuvira, while she's out of prison.”

President Raiko hummed out a frustrated breath and sank back down into his chair, arms crossed. He closed his eyes, thinking a moment. “Very well, _Avatar_ Korra. I'll have to discuss this with the other world leaders, but on your word, Kuvira will be allowed a _temporary_ parole to assist you in this matter. But she is to remain in your custody, under your direct supervision at all times, am I clear?”

“Yes, sir," Korra said, with a simple nod. "I promise, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about... easy for you say," he muttered. "You don't have to inform the other nations that not only is a terrorist group on their way to potentially assassinate their leaders, but also Kuvira is out of prison. These are going to be some very aggravating phone calls. Now, everyone out of my office! I'll expect to hear from you soon, Avatar—I assume you'll have a plan.”

“I will. Thank you.”

With that, the entire group shuffled out into the hallway, closing the door behind themselves. For a moment they just stood there awkwardly, looking at each other. Then, Kuvira turned to Korra and offered a very slight, but appreciative smile.

“Thank you, Korra..." she said. "That could have gone very poorly.”

“Don't mention it. None of this is your doing, you being here. With what happened in Zaofu..." Korra sighed, tilting her head down. When she looked up again, she reached out to hold one of Kuvira's hands in comfort. "I'm so sorry, Kuvira. I... I wish I had something better to say.”

“You don't have to say anything..." Kuvira strengthened her smile, and gave Korra's hand a thankful squeeze. "It's just good to see you again. In person, I mean.”

Asami watched the two, but said nothing. Ever since Kuvira had arrived, she hadn't been able to bring herself to say anything, instead fighting a growing bubble of nausea churning in her gut. And now, her gaze focused on Korra and Kuvira's hands embraced with each other. The sinking in her gut grew stronger.

“Asami, there you are! I have those reports you asked for."

At the sound of a new voice calling for her down the hallway, Asami's eyebrows lifted. She stiffened, looking over her shoulder to see a man in glasses approaching her with a stack of papers in his hands; there was no way to stop anyone else from noticing him. Glancing quickly over to Kuvira, she felt a different sort of panic in her chest. This... could get messy.

“Sorry I'm late,” the man said, huffing out a tired breath. “Had to do some digging in the file system, and then I almost ran over a family of spirits on the way here, but I—”

“...Baatar?” Kuvira's attention had shifted when she recognized the voice, a voice she never thought she'd hear again. But there he was, standing next to Asami and dressed in a business suit—Baatar, Jr., her ex-fiance.

A long moment passed before Baatar brought himself to turn around and look towards her. When he did, she could see his jaw twitch, and his eyes flash with anger. “What is _she_ doing here?”

Kuvira took a step forward, reaching out to him. “Baatar, please, I...”

“Asami, I have to go. Here are the reports. I can't... I'll be by the office later.” Baatar shoved the papers into Asami's hands, and then hurried back down the hallway, away from the group.

“Baatar, wait!” Kuvira didn't give it a second thought as she ran after him, disappearing fro msight around the corner.

When they were both gone, Mako blinked and gave Korra a concerned stare. “Shouldn't you go after her? Raiko _just_ told you not to let her out of your sight.”

“That... isn't really something I should be interrupting,” Korra said, with a soft breath. “They need to work it out on their own.”

“Listen to the Avatar, kid.” Varrick leaned against Mako, an arm coming around his shoulder. “Lovers' disputes are not something you want to get caught in the middle of, _trust_ me on that.”

A small crash caught their attention. Anraq grunted, falling against a nearby pedestal and knocking a vase onto the floor. He barely held himself upright, and he looked ready to pass out. “In the meantime... could someone get me to a hospital? I'm not... feeling so hot.”

* * *

 “Baatar, stop, please! We need to talk!” Kuvira raced down the hall to catch up with her ex-fiance. She hadn't seen him in five years... hadn't communicated with him at all. There was so much she wanted to say, _needed_ to say.

When he realized that she wasn't going to leave him alone, Baatar did stop. He stood still a moment, taking in a deep breath as though to calm himself. His hands clenched into fists briefly before releasing again. “Oh, you want to talk?” He turned to glare at her, brow low over his eyes. “Are you sure you don't want to _kill_ me instead?”

Kuvira flinched—his anger, his bitterness... it drove like a knife through her heart. “...I deserved that.”

“That's hardly all you deserve,” he countered. He swallowed, and took another breath before stepping towards her. “I gave my _life_ to you, Kuvira! I _loved_ you! I wanted to marry you, to wake up next to you everyday, to have... _children_ with you... I would have done _anything_ for you. And what do I get for all that? You stab me in the back and try to sacrifice me for your own blind ambitions!”

“Baatar...”

“No, I'm not _done_ , yet! You just _listen_.” His shout drew the attention of several passersby in the building. They stared at the two a moment, then hurried to get away. “I spent a lot of time wondering what I did wrong, asking myself what I did to make you want to destroy what we had like that. So much time blaming myself, _hating_ myself... and then I realized it wasn't me. It was _you_ , Kuvira. _You're_ the one who threw away our relationship like it meant nothing to you. _You're_ the one who betrayed _me_. I thought at the very least I could move on with you still in prison, but _this_...” He stepped back and looked up and down at her—she clearly wasn't a prisoner right now. “I guess I was fooling myself there, too.”

“I'm sorry, Baatar...” Kuvira shrank back and stared down at the floor. Suddenly, everything she had wanted to say to him, everything she planned to tell him, she forgot it. In the face of of his resentment towards her, she knew that nothing would make a difference. “For everything I did to hurt you. I know that doesn't help...”

“No, it doesn't.” Baatar crossed his arms and sucked in a heavy breath, eyes closing. “Just answer me something. Did you ever _really_ love me? Or was I always just a puppet for you to throw away for your campaign?”

“Of _course_ I did,” She looked at him, earnestly. Her heart twisted again, and for a moment she thought it had ripped in half. “I _still_ do. I just... I made mistakes, back then. So many... What I did to you, that... that was the worst one I made.” She hung her head again and squinted her eyes shut—she couldn't let him see her cry, not like this. “I know I can't take it back... I wish I could. I wish I'd left with you that day.”

“Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it? You decided your own _selfish_ ambition was more important than us.”

Kuvira steadied herself, fighting back the knot in her throat. She tried to think of something else to say, but again there was nothing. All she could do was stand there, wishing she could earthbend herself into oblivion.

“Is there anything else you wanted to say, or are we done here?” Baatar asked.

“No, I...” She stopped. Of course there was something else—Suyin, his mother... But how was she supposed to tell him? With how much he already hated her... “I noticed you, uh... work for Asami now?” Perhaps if she avoided the subject a while longer, she'd find the resolve to finally tell him.

“Yes,” he stated, with a shrug. “I'm in charge of the Future Industries Research and Development division. After I served my sentence, helping Asami to rebuild the city, I stayed here and continued working for her. I needed a fresh start.”

“Right... well, that's good,” she said, nodding slowly. “You'll be better off here than you ever were with me.”

Baatar grunted with annoyance. He shifted his weight, glanced back over his shoulder a moment—he needed to find a reason to leave. “What are you even _doing_ here, Kuvira? Why aren't you still in prison? And _why_ are you wearing my mother's uniform?”

“I...” Her voice caught in her throat. The longer she put it off, the worse it would be. She had to tell him... he had to know. “Baatar, there's... no easy way to say this.”

“Say what?”

“Su... your mother...” Her voice trembled. She sucked in a sharp breath to calm herself, but it didn't help. “There... there was an attack on Zaofu, and... I'm sorry, I couldn't...”

Baatar shifted slightly, head tilting. She could see the concern flickering in his eyes. “...what are you trying to say?”

Kuvira shut her eyes. There was nothing left she could do to prepare herself. “She's dead. The Red Lotus, they... they killed her.”

“ _What?_ ”

“I'm sorry...” She looked up at him; the horror in his eyes nearly broke her right there. “I tried to help, but I...”

“You're _lying_...” he said, lurching a step away from her. “You _have_ to be lying.”

“Baatar, I would never—”

“No!” He took another step back, twisting his face with fury. If anything, it almost hid the tears beginning to spill from his eyes. “I don't want to hear _anything else_ from you! I've had enough of it!”

“Baatar!”

Kuvira watched him, as he turned and fled down the hallway. He disappeared around the corner a moment later, leaving her standing there, frozen and alone. She wasn't sure how long she stood there like that, but when she finally regained her sense of self she stumbled against the wall, barely holding herself up. She made a fist, punched it against the wall, and then held her forehead against it. A sob kicked up into her throat, and before she could stop herself she finally broke down—The Great Uniter, crying right out in the open, wishing she could fade away into nothing.

How had things ever gone so wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slams head against wall*
> 
> The drama in this, ugh. I hate doing terrible things to my favorite characters, and writing Lin finding out about Su's death nearly killed me. And then finally, finally Kuvira and Baatar, Jr. meeting again, which went even worse since in my mind he really isn't anywhere close to forgiving her for what she did (and then the news of Su's death to top it all off). Which leads to Kuvira hating herself all over again, and... ugh. I need to watch some cat videos or something.
> 
> And the worst part? It's not over yet, folks... she still needs to tell Opal.


	21. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira confronts Opal with terrible news, while Lin vows revenge on Zaheer.

Kuvira looked up at the apartment building from the passenger's seat of the satomobile. Of everything she had to do when she got to Republic City, this was the one she had been dreading the most. She had only barely recovered from telling Lin, and facing Baatar, Jr... she wasn't entirely sure she would survive this.

“Thank you for coming with me, Korra,” she said, looking back at the driver's seat, where Korra sat behind the wheel (it had been a long time coming, but the Avatar could finally drive a car without hitting anything). “I... feel I really need the support right now.”

“Don't mention it, really. You've already been through so much...” Korra leaned close to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “You know I'm here for you, anything you need. That's what friends are for. Besides, I kind of have to stick with you anyway, so...

A soft chuckle found its way from Kuvira's lips, and she gave a slight smile. “Still, I appreciate it.” With a deep breath, she again looked at the apartment building, and her expression sank. “This... isn't going to be easy.”

“Take however long you need. We'll go up when you're ready.”

Several moments passed, as Kuvira stared up at the building. The longer she did, the more her heart pounded in her chest, and the more her nerves tingled with trepidation and dread. Finally, she sucked in a heavy breath and pushed the door open. “Okay... let's go.

* * *

“Alright, so I have a few ideas for floral arrangements,” Bolin said, as he spread out a catalog on the coffee table. He flipped through several pages until stopping at one with various different flowers. He pointed at one in particular. “We could go with moon flowers, those are always pretty.”

Opal leaned over the catalog to take a closer look. “You do know that moon flowers wilt in direct sunlight, right? And since the reception is outside...”

Bolin squinted down at the picture of moon flowers in the catalog and scratched his head. “Yeah, okay, that... is probably not going to work, then.” He gave the page another curious look, then flipped to the next one. “Anyway, moving on, we could go with the fire lily. Those are _gorgeous_ , and the red will go great with the tablecloths you picked out. Plus, look!” He pointed at the paragraph below the pictures of fire lilies. “They symbolize fiery purity and passion. Doesn't that sound perfect?”

“Fire lilies only bloom a few weeks a year...” Opal said, with an awkward chuckle. Bolin seemed so eager to do these floral arrangements, and she hated having to point out why his choices wouldn't work. “And not even close to when the wedding is.”

“Okay... okay, so that is also not... going to work.” He uttered a contemplative breath and scratched his head again, staring at the catalog. Then, he flipped excitedly to the next page and pointed at another flower. “Okay, next option, the panda lily! Also a very pretty flower, and is considered to be a symbol of love. Doesn't get much better than that, am I right?”

“Hmm... they _would_ look nice.” Opal scanned the description of the flower, but let out a small gasp when she noticed the price. “But they're so expensive...”

“I know, I saw that,” Bolin said, giving the price a curious look. “Why _are_ they so expensive?”

“Probably because they only grow along the edges of active volcanoes? Which makes collecting them just a _little_ dangerous.”

“Hmm...” Bolin pressed a thoughtful finger to his lips. “I suppose I could always get some myself. I mean hey, I am a lavabender, so I'm right at home in a volcano! I mean, not that I would want to... you know, live in a volcano. That... that would probably be a bad idea. And hot. It would definitely be hot.”

Opal chuckled, then leaned close to give her fiance a kiss. “Don't worry, Bolin. We still have plenty of time to figure it out.”

“I know, I just want it to be perfect,” he said, with a gentle sigh. “I mean, it's the biggest day of our lives! Everything should be just right.”

“You know, sometimes I think you're more excited about this wedding than I am.”

A happy grin spread across the earthbender's face, and another sigh of contentment left his lips. “I _am_ excited.”

A knock at the front door drew Opal's attention from the catalog. “Oh, I wonder who that could be.”

“I'll get it!” Bolin jumped up from the couch, and gave Opal a quick kiss on the top of the head before heading over to answer the door. “You just stay right here and keep looking over floral arrangements. Be right back.”

Bolin stopped in front of the door a moment, straightening out his clothes and making sure his hair looked okay. They hadn't exactly been expecting visitors today, after all, so he hadn't quite groomed himself as well as he could have. When he was finally sure that he looked presentable, he pulled the door open to see the person waiting for him on the other side.

Korra smiled when the door opened. “Hey, Bolin.”

“Hey, Korra!” He looked back over his shoulder to call into the apartment. “Opal, it's Korra! And...” He looked back into the open doorway, noting that there were two people standing there. When he realized who that second person was, his eyes expanded wide and mouth fell open, followed by a shrill, surprised squeal. “... _Kuvira out of prison?!_ ”

“Hello, Bolin.” Kuvira held a hand out. “I... heard about your engagement to Opal. Congratulations.”

Bolin smiled awkwardly as he reached out to shake Kuvira's hand. “Uhhh yeah, hey, thanks, but um... what are you doing here, exactly? I mean, shouldn't you be... you know... still in jail?”

“Kuvira?” Opal appeared from within the apartment and approached the front door. She stared at Kuvira a moment, then glanced back and forth between her and Korra. “What... what's going on? You... should still be in prison, shouldn't you?”

“Yes... I should.”

“Wait, you didn't escape, did you?” Opal gasped at the thought. “Kuvira, I don't understand, you were doing so well! Now they'll catch you and increase your sentence and—”

“No, Opal, I didn't escape,” she insisted, raising her hands to calm the airbender.

“Oh...” Opal relaxed a little, but still held concern on her face. “Did they let you out early, then?”

“Not exactly...”

“Then, I don't understand... what are you doing here?”

Kuvira exhaled a heavy sigh and dropped her gaze low, towards the floor. Her eyes sank with grief. “I'm here because... because something happened in Zaofu.”

Opal tensed at the declaration. She looked to Korra again briefly, then back at Kuvira. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

“I... no, everything is...” Kuvira swallowed back a knotted lump in her throat and shook her head, eyes closing. “Zaofu was attacked. By the Red Lotus.”

“ _What?_ ” Opal remembered the Red Lotus well—how could she ever forget? Zaheer and his gang had kidnapped her and the other new airbenders back then, and almost decided to kill all of them. To hear that they had come back, and that they had attacked Zaofu, where her family was... it sent a frightened shiver tingling through her body. “That... that can't be. What did they do? Is everyone alright?”

Kuvira swallowed again. Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper, half-catching in her throat. “...no.”

“Kuvira, what...” Opal's heart leaped up into her chest, and panic erupted in her eyes. Her hands were shaking, she realized, and she couldn't ignore the sick feeling bubbling in her stomach. “Please, you're scaring me. What's going on? What happened?”

“Zaheer, he...” Kuvira eased in a shuddering breath, and her posture slackened. Until now, she had tried to remain rigid and strong, but no longer could she hide behind that wall. “He took our family captive.”

Opal coughed out a distraught breath and held a hand over her mouth. “No!”

“And...” Kuvira's voice shook again, and now tears began to leak out from behind her closed eyelids. Her jaw clenched, hands tightened to fists, lips quivered, and her throat went numb. “Opal, I'm so sorry... Su...”

“No... don't tell me...” she uttered. Wet streaks had already rained down the sides of her cheeks, fearing, _knowing_ , what Kuvira was about to say. But... maybe if she didn't hear it, it wouldn't be real. It _couldn't_ be real. “Kuvira, please, I can't...”

“She's gone, Opal. She's...”

Kuvira didn't have to finish her words. Opal shrieked out a horrified yell and stumbled forward against the woman. She would have collapsed to the ground, but Kuvira caught her, helped her down to her knees, held her tightly. Tears flooded down her face from behind clenched eyelids. For a long moment, Opal couldn't even move. She could only lie there in Kuvira's arms, wailing out in agony. Her shouts were split only by uncontrolled sobbing, and coughing, sputtering...

“I'm sorry, Opal,” Kuvira whispered, stroking a hand back through the younger girl's hair. Her own voice quivered with sorrow, in spite of her best attempts to remain strong. “I'm so sorry...”

“I... I don't understand.” Bolin stared down at his grieving fiance, barely moving. He looked shellshocked, tears of his own brimming in his eyes. “How could this happen?”

“I don't know...” Korra glanced at him, held a comforting hand to his shoulder. Then, she looked again at Opal. “She needs you now more than ever, Bolin.”

Bolin uttered a heavy, solemn sigh as he knelt down next to his fiance. He reached out, his hands on her shoulders. “Opal... come here. I got you...” It took a moment, but Opal finally managed to turn away from Kuvira and sink against him, still sobbing, still grieving. He wrapped his arms around her, then lifted her up, carrying her, resting his head against hers. “Everything will be okay. I promise... we'll get through this together.”

As Bolin carried Opal back into the apartment, Kuvira stood up on shaky legs. She shared a quiet look with Korra, and then exited the apartment, door closing behind her. She stood there a moment, staring at the ground. When she couldn't bare the pain any longer, she fell back against the apartment door and slid down to the floor, head hanging.

“Of all the terrible, cruel things I've done in my life...” she uttered, in barely more than a whisper. “I think that might be the worst.”

Korra lowered herself to her knees beside Kuvira. “You had to do it.”

“I know...” She sucked in a hard breath, eyes closing. “That doesn't make it any easier.”

With a sigh of her own, Korra shifted herself so that she was sitting next to Kuvira, then leaned against her. “Do you want to go now?”

Kuvira sank against Korra, allowing the Avatar to embrace her in a hug. She suddenly felt safe again, comforted, as if the pain she'd felt over the past couple days hadn't come a hair away from destroying her. “In a bit. I just want to sit here a while longer.”

* * *

Kya gave her apartment door a shove; it only swung a few inches inward before slamming against something on the other side. With a soft groan, she pushed harder, until whatever was on the other side started to slide across the floor. Soon, the door opened just enough to slide inside. The first thing she did was look at the door—their bookcase had fallen against the backside of it. Well, not so much fallen as... thrown. And cracked in half, books scattered across the floor.

“What on earth...” she muttered, turning her gaze farther inside.

That's when she noticed the devastation within. The table had been overturned, the couch flipped over to the other side of the living room, the radio torn from its plug on the wall... plates, papers, clothes, pictures, everything—it was a disaster. Her first thought was that someone had broken in and ransacked the place, but when she heard a steady thwacking sound coming from the bedroom, she knew otherwise. Her heart fell, and she made her way towards the noise.

Inside the bedroom, Lin stood in front of a heavy bag, a bag that had, for years, been stuffed into the back of the closet, unused. Now, though, it hung from a chain on the ceiling, and suffered repeated blows from a very angry police chief. Lin shouted with each punch, each kick, striking the bag as viciously as possible. She hadn't even bothered to wrap her hands or wear gloves, and as a result her knuckles had split open, bleeding.

“Lin, honey?” Kya took a tentative few steps forward, but the other woman didn't seem to hear her. “You're bleeding.”

Lin gave the heavy bag a few more merciless strikes, smearing behind lines of crimson as she went. When she finally stopped, she took a step backwards, chest heaving with exhaustion. Her hands lowered down to her sides, and blood dripped freely from her knuckles onto the carpet. She didn't seem to care at all.

“Su's dead...” she uttered, without looking back. Her focus remained unmoving on the bag in front of her.

Kya exhaled deeply and came forward, holding her arms around her girlfriend from behind. “I know... I heard. I'm so sorry, Lin.”

Lin swallowed, then sucked in an unsteady breath. “I keep thinking about all the years I wasted not speaking to her, because I was such a stubborn fool. I think... I think I spent more years ignoring her than I ever did getting to know her. And now...”

“Shhh,” Kya whispered, resting her chin against the woman's shoulder. “Don't think like that. No matter what happened between you two in the past, you _did_ get to know her, and her family... a family that you're a part of now.”

“A family that the Red Lotus kidnapped,” Lin responded, with a sharp bitterness. She pulled away from Kya and moved towards the bed, sitting at the edge of the mattress. Her gaze tilted down at the floor, where she'd thrown a hand mirror earlier—she could see her reflection now, just how puffy and red her eyes were. The tears, though... they had long since dried up; she had cried too hard, too long, and there were none left to give. “We have to get them back...”

“They will,” Kya insisted, kneeling down in front of the bed. She waved a hand through the air to pull out a small stream of water from the flask at her hip. The water formed a bubble around her hand and began to glow, then she pulled Lin's hands close so she could heel the woman's bleeding knuckles. “They'll stop the Red lotus, and your family will be okay.”

“No, when I say 'we', I mean me,” Lin said. Her voice took on a harder tone, determined. “Whatever plan the Avatar comes up with, whatever team they send after Zaheer, I'm going to be a part of it. I _have_ to be... And if they don't go after Zaheer, then I'll go myself. I swear that man will _suffer_ for what he did to my sister.”

Kya blinked up at her girlfriend, brow scrunched with confusion. “But, with your job...”

“I'm handing in my resignation first thing in the morning.” Lin looked away, a long breath surging from her lips. “I know it's six months earlier than I planned, but I've had enough. I'm old, I'm tired, and I just don't have it in me anymore to do this job. Certainly not while bigger things are happening.”

“Are... you sure?” Kya was surprised, though not necessarily unhappy to hear that her girlfriend was finally retiring from such a dangerous job. The last time they had spoken about it, though, Lin had been far more reluctant. Now... it seemed like something she wanted. Or perhaps needed, rather.

“I'm sure. Once I'm no longer police chief, I'll be going after Zaheer. With or without the Avatar, I don't care. Whatever it takes...”

“Well, if you think I'm letting you go run off alone to get yourself killed, you're sadly mistaken,” Kya stated, as she moved the healing water over to Lin's other hand. “So, I'll be coming with you.”

Lin raised an eyebrow, staring down at her girlfriend. “Don't be ridiculous. It's too dangerous.”

“Well duh,” she replied, returning the glare. “That's _why_ I'm going with you. You can try to argue all you want, but you're not going to win. I'm going, and that's final.”

A soft grumble bellowed from the police chief's throat. “Fine, then... if you _have_ to.”

“Of course I have to.” Kya smiled, and traced a gentle hand along Lin's cheek. “I love you... and I'd never forgive myself if I sat here alone, waiting for you to come back. But... how about, instead of running off first chance you get, we actually talk to Korra first, and make a plan with her?”

Lin bowed her head, nodding slowly. “Yeah, I know... we will.”

“Good.” Kya finished her healing a moment later, then leaned up to kiss her girlfriend. She held their lips together a long time, trying to offer any kind of comfort she could.

When Lin finally broke the kiss, she huffed out a breath and glanced down at the bed. “Could you lie with me a while?”

“Of course.”

Lin crawled up fully onto the bed and fell against the mattress. Kya joined her seconds later, and held her close. She sank into that embrace, burying her face against the other woman's shoulder and cuddling as close as possible to her. She felt safe in Kya's arms, at peace...

“I love you,” she whispered, with a heavy breath.

Kya kissed the top of her head. “I love you, too, Lin. Always will.”

Closing her eyes, Lin steadied her breath and relaxed. For a brief, fleeting moment, she almost forgot her grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a shorter chapter, but... I had to stop. I couldn't write anymore after those couple of scenes. The Opal scene alone killed me. I just... need a break from this emotional apocalypse. At the very least, the next chapter won't be so traumatic. I hope this doesn't murder your soul as badly as it did mine...


	22. Planning Stages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira's presence causes a strain on Asami, the Red Lotus plans their next move, and Korra makes plans to go after Zaheer.

“Korra, _no!_ " Asami said, as she slammed the door shut behind them. "She _can't_ stay here!”

Korra took a few steps into the mansion foyer, but kept some distance between them—she knew that Asami was on a short fuse right now, and didn't want to do anything to set her off. “Asami, _please_. I wouldn't ask you if there were any other options. She's in _my_ custody, so I can’t just set her up in a hotel somewhere and leave her."

“Then take her to Air Temple Island or something," Asami insisted. "You can stay with her over there.”

“I already asked, but Tenzin doesn't want her anywhere near his family, or any of the other airbenders.”

A frustrated sigh huffed from Asami's lips. “Can't she stay with Opal and Bolin? _They_ get along, don't they?”

“Again, that wouldn't work, because I'm the one who has to keep an eye on her," Korra said, with a shrug. "There isn't enough room in their apartment for both of us. But _we_ have a mansion.”

“Korra, please." Asami leaned against a table near the winding staircase that led up to the second floor balcony. She held her forehead against her hand and breathed deep. "You can't ask me to do this. You _know_ how I feel about her. Trying to move on while she's in prison is one thing, but letting her into our _home?_ I can't do that.”

Korra looked back over her shoulder at the front door; Kuvira was waiting just outside, still in the car. With a sigh, she turned back to her girlfriend and said, “It's just for a few days, while we figure out a plan for the Red Lotus. She can stay in the guest wing—you won't even know she's here.”

“How could I _not_ know she's here? You're going to have to spend time with her, check up on her, or whatever, while she's here. It's not like I won't notice that." Asami glanced at Korra a moment, then took a few steps over to the stairs. She sat down, arms resting against her knees, and gaze lowering to the hardwood floor. "I still think of my father whenever I see her... it's been five years, but it _still_ hurts. And now seeing you two together, what great _friends_ you are?" She swallowed a knot back in her throat and looked up at Korra again; there were tears in her eyes; they were slight, but enough to be noticeable. " _That_ hurts. It was easy to ignore when you just left to visit her in prison, or in the Spirit World, and I didn't have to _see_ it." Her eyes fell downward again to stare at the floor. "At least then I could try to forget that you're so close with my father's murderer.”

“Asami... I'm sorry." Korra eased out a gentle sigh and made her way over to the stairs. She sat down next to Asami, but didn't look at her yet; instead, she, too, focused on the floor. "I know how hard this must be for you...”

The businesswoman's gaze shifted to Korra; her eyes were skeptical, yet sad at the same time. “ _Do_ you?”

Korra looked back at her for a long moment, then hung her head again, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. A brief silence passed between them before she could bring herself to answer. “She's not the same person as she was back then.”

“I know," Asami said, with a shake of her head. She lowered her face into her hand, exhaling. "But that... that still doesn't _change_ things for me. I've tried moving past it, I've tried _forgiving_ her, but... she's still the woman who killed my father.”

Korra swallowed, then reached out to take one of her girlfriend's hands in her own. “I wouldn't ask if there was any other option, Asami... you know that.”

Another moment of silence. Asami turned her head, and eventually pulled her hand away with a sigh. “...she can stay in the guest wing. But that's _it_. I don't want to see her anywhere else in the house.”

“Alright... I'll keep her there.”

“You can go get her settled in or... whatever," Asami stated, as she stood and headed up the stairs. "I need a bath.”

Korra stood up, as well, watching Asami ascend the staircase up to the balcony. “I'll be right up when I'm done.”

“Actually, I'd rather just be alone right now, if that's alright.”

"Oh..." Korra's expression sank, and she slowly turned back to the front door. "Sure, okay then.”

* * *

“Alright, so... this is where you'll be staying for the next couple days," Korra said, as she opened the door. "I'd say it's not much, but... yeah.”

The guest bedroom might have just been for, well, guests, but that didn't mean it was any less impressive than the rest of the Sato mansion. The room was enormous, with tall reaching ceilings and enough floor space to perform an entire dance routine. The furniture had been purchased from the finest suppliers in the world, and several items, such as the deep red silk curtains, had been imported all the way from the Fire Nation. The bed, fitted with an elaborately embroidered canopy, was large enough to fit ten fully grown adults, enough space for a single person to completely lose herself amongst the dozens of pillows, and the thick satin sheets.

“It's... amazing," Kuvira said, gazing around in awe. Even growing up at the Beifong estate, she hadn't seen quite the display of luxury that she had here at the Sato mansion. "But are you sure there was nowhere else I could stay?" She looked to the Avatar, offering a solemn frown. "I don't want to cause Asami anymore pain than I already have.”

Korra sighed. “Yeah, I'm sure. It would be different if I didn't have to keep you in my custody at all times, but since that's the case, I have to stay with you. And since this is where I live... well, it made the most sense. Besides, since you're... well, _you_ , no one else wanted to accept you, whether I'm there or not." She blinked at the end of her statement, then drooped her shoulders apologetically. "Uh, that might have come out wrong... sorry."

“No, it's fine," Kuvira said, with a simple shake if her head. "Believe me, I understand.”

“Things can never be simple, huh?”

“Not when you've done the things I have." Kuvira exhaled and sat at the edge of the bed. She bounced on it a little, eyebrow lifting as she tested the mattress—so soft. "So... what is the plan, exactly?”

“Well, tomorrow I'll be meeting with the president to determine the best course of action," Korra said. "Raiko already sent out a message to the other nations, so the Fire Lord, the Earth Prime Ministers, and the Chiefs of both Water Tribes should be able to prepare for any Red Lotus attack. In the meantime, I'm going to propose going after Zaheer directly, so maybe we can stop him before he has a chance to strike next.”

Kuvira sat straighter, giving Korra a concerned gaze. “And will you be okay with that? I mean, since the last time you faced Zaheer...”

“I know, it didn't go very well for me." Korra's eyes sharpened, flashing with determination. "But I'll be ready for him this time. I've stopped dwelling on my past enemies and learned to move on—he doesn't control me anymore, and I'm not afraid of him.”

Kuvira nodded. “Well, whatever you decide, I'll be there for you. I have to go after Zaheer, and the rest of the Red Lotus. For what they did to Su... and to save my family.”

With a smile, Korra stepped closer and held a hand to Kuvira's shoulder. “It'll be good to have you. I know Lin already called and said she wanted to come. Kya, too. I'm sure others will want to join, as well—if anything, it'll be a good reason to get the old Team Avatar back together for another world saving mission. With a few new additions, this time.”

Kuvira felt a growing warmth in her chest, as she raised her own hand to join Korra's on her shoulder. She returned an gentle smile. “Thank you.”

Korra's gaze shifted down to both their hands. A distinctly awkward moment past before she pulled her hand away and stepped back, clearing her throat. “Alright, well I'll... let you have some space for a little bit. I should go play with Naga for a while, give her some exercise, and there are a few other things around the house I need to take care of. I know I can trust you to stay here? I did sort of promise Asami you wouldn't leave the guest wing...”

“Oh, yes, of course." Kuvira quickly pulled back her own hand and looked away, trying to hide the embarrassment flooding her face. She mentality scolded herself—that had been stupid, too intimate. "The last thing I want to do right now is cause any trouble. Actually, I think a nap sounds good... I haven't slept since two nights ago, and it's been a long day..." Her attention flicked over to the grandfather clock against the wall; she frowned when she noticed the time. "...and yet it's only three in the afternoon.”

“Yeah, get some rest—I think you've earned it," Korra said, as she stood in the doorway. "I'll be by to check on you in a few hours. There's a bathroom just down the hall if you need it.”

“Sounds good," she said. She paused a second, then another thought came to her. "Actually, I was hoping... would it be alright if I visit Anraq in the hospital later? I want to see how he's doing.”

Korra smiled. “Sure, I'll take you over there after dinner? We can visit him together. It'll be nice to catch up with him.”

“Thank you, Korra.”

“You're welcome." The Avatar gave a departing wave, then pulled the door closed. "Have a good nap.”

* * *

"Ugh, did we really have to go with the whole cliché underground hideout?" Aoi lounged back on her seat, staring up at the stalactites and glowing green crystals on the cave ceiling above. "It's so... dank down here. Can't really say I'm a big fan of caves." She paused a second, then turned to Avan, who sat straight against the rocky wall. "Though I imagine you're right at home, Avan. You Dai Li were all about skulking around in the dark, isn't that right?”

The former Dai Li commander hummed out a gruff breath. “I'm... accustomed to working below ground, yes. Doesn't mean I prefer it. Just part of the job.”

“Right, right. If your job is being as creepy as possible," Aoi stated, with a roll of her eyes. "At least they did always follow orders well.”

Avan shifted a glare towards her. “And what would _you_ know about the Dai Li, girl?”

“Oh would you both shut up?" Yuruk groaned, sinking back against his chair with his palm held against his forehead. "Spirits, you two know how to be annoying.”

“Everyone, silence." Zaheer floated into view, hovering in midair with his legs crossed. "We're here to discuss our next course of action, not bicker.”

“I'm just saying, you could have picked a better location. At least Zaofu had some class." Aoi held her hands behind her head and looked up at Zaheer, frowning. "By the way, do you have any idea how creepy your whole floating routine is?"

Zaheer meet her look with a frown of his own. "Our work in Zaofu is done, and now we must move on.”

“So, where are we going next?" Yuruk asked. "Water Tribe? I'd really love to take another trip back up North and finish what I started with those twin brats.”

“No, we'll be dealing with the Earth Republic next," Zaheer said. "They have three prime ministers—one stationed in Ba Sing Se, one in Omashu, and another in the state of Yi. Such a system is bound to collapse eventually, and the people will suffer when it does. It's up to us to liberate them before that happens.”

“Three targets..." Yuruk turned his head and spit on the floor of the cave. "Certainly makes things more difficult. Or at least time consuming.”

"Oh must you do that?" Aoi said, glancing at the waterbender. "We have to walk there."

"Whatever."

Zaheer cleared his throat, bringing the attention of his comrades back to him. “Under normal circumstances, Yuruk would be correct. However, there is something that will make things much easier for us.”

Aoi lounged farther against her seat, arms stretching out tiredly. With a yawn, she asked, “And what might that be? You have some philosophical gibberish to talk them to death?”

Zaheer closed his eyes and breathed out a steady breath, to calm himself. This girl had a way of grating his _last_ nerves. “In one week's time, the United Earth Republic will be having its annual council summit meeting. All three prime ministers, as well as their special advisers, will be gathering in the state house at Ba Sing Se. The nation's _entire_ governing body will be gathered together in a single room for twelve hours. More than enough time to take out every last one of them.”

“My, that _is_ convenient..." Aoi said. "Of course that means we're going to have to infiltrate the heart of the largest city in the world, and this time, we won't have any secret tunnels to get us inside. Not to mention it's sure to be much more heavily guarded than Zaofu—this will be during broad daylight, after all, and I can't imagine they'll have lax security for their 'entire governing body'. We'll need a plan.”

“And we have a week to form one," Zaheer replied. "That's why we're here now.”

Yuruk folded his arms across his chest. “Heh, so we have to come up with a way to get into the center of Ba Sing Se, past thousands of elite Earth Republic guards, eliminate an entire roomful of government officials, and then get back out in one piece. Did I leave anything out?”

Avan glanced at him, still sitting straight against the cavern wall. He'd barely moved since the meeting began. “I believe that about covers it.”

“Well then," Yuruk said, growing a grin across his face, "sounds like a party.”

Zaheer nodded. “If we're done with questions, we should begin planning. We have much to—”

“I have a question, still." Aoi sat straight up and raised her hand. Her lips curled into a smirk. "Quick one, I promise.”

A long, steady sigh exhaled from Zaheer's throat. “...yes, Aoi?”

“When are we going to the Fire Nation?”

“I haven't yet decided on that," he said. "Why does it matter?”

“Oh, no reason," she replied, with a simple shrug. "I just have some important unfinished business I need to take care of over there, so I'd very much like to participate when the Red Lotus decides to take out the Fire Lord.”

Yuruk raised an eyebrow at her. “What kind of 'unfinished business' does a teenage girl have? What, you get dumped by some boy?”

Aoi's brow twitched. She turned a glare towards him so intense that if a firebender could create flames with her eyes, she would have incinerated the man. “If someone were foolish enough to try that to me, I wouldn't _have_ any unfinished business with them, because I'd have dealt them right _there_. I don't _tolerate_ that kind of betrayal.”

“The Fire Nation will wait, for now," Zaheer said. He had to get this conversation back on track. "We'll worry about it after we've taken down the United Earth Republic, when we plan where to go next.”

Aoi calmed herself, and refocused on the Red Lotus leader. “Well, if you like, you could always send me there myself and I could—”

“I said the Fire Nation will _wait_. Or was that not clear?”

The girl's demeanor shifted, brow lowering and lips twisting into a frown. “Oh no, perfectly clear.”

“Good, then I don't want to hear about it again," he stated. He glared back at her, directly into her eyes, until she finally backed down and looked away. "Now, if no one else has any questions, we have work to do.”

* * *

Raiko held his chin against his folded hands, staring across his desk at the two women sitting on the other side. “Does she have to be here for this?”

Korra blinked, and glanced to Kuvira next to her. “Well... you are the one who told me to stick with her at all times, right? So, yeah, she kind of does.”

“I...” Raiko furrowed his brow, a flustered breath coughing from his throat. “Very well...”

“I won't give you any trouble, Mr. President,” Kuvira said. “You have my word.”

“For what your word is worth, anyway,” President Raiko muttered. He leaned back, arms crossing over his chest. “Now, have you come up with some kind of plan yet?”

“For the most part,” Korra said. “Since the Red Lotus is apparently bigger and more powerful than ever, we need to go after them as soon as possible. If we just sit back and wait for them to show up again, we risk putting the safety of more world leaders at stake. They've already proven they can break into the safest city in the world with little trouble. Zaheer _has_ to be stopped before he has a chance to strike again.”

“And how exactly do you propose to do that?” Raiko asked. “It's not as though he's out in the open, flaunting his presence. You've no idea where Zaheer is, or how many Red Lotus there are. They could be anywhere.”

Kuvira cleared her throat and sat straighter in her seat. “While that's true, we do know what their next target is. My friend, Anraq—the guard who came with me from Zaofu—overheard Zaheer speaking with one of his members. They plan to go after the prime ministers of the United Earth Republic.” She shifted her gaze towards Korra. “ _That's_ where we need to go. With any luck, we can intercept Zaheer before he can take out one of the prime minsters, or at least capture a Red Lotus member and try to acquire some information... such as where my family is being held.”

Raiko tapped his fingers gently against the desk, thinking over her words. Finally, he uttered a sigh and said, “I'm actually inclined to agree with that... I'll alert the prime minsters that they should travel with extra security, and that the Avatar will be on her way to help. Should I assume that you'll be putting together a team to go with you?”

Korra smirked. “Well, what would the Avatar be without her team?”

“I imagine she'd still be the Avatar...” he replied, with an unamused glance.

“Okay, that... was rhetorical.” Korra glared back at him, then huffed out a breath and shrugged. “In any case, yes, I'll be taking a team. The more the better—we'll be needing all the help we can get. Kuvira's already stated her desire to go after the Red Lotus, so she'll be coming.”

Kuvira gave the president a firm look and nodded. “I promise to do everything in my power to assist the Avatar in taking down Zaheer and the Red Lotus. They still have my family... and I need to get them back.”

“As long as you don't cause any trouble...” Raiko said. His gaze lingered on her, cautious, as if half-expecting the former dictator to attack him at any moment. “And that you realize this bit of freedom you have now is still only temporary—after this whole mess is over with, you're going back to prison.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good... in that case, I find your plan acceptable, Avatar Korra. You may leave whenever you're ready.”

“We'll be leaving as soon as possible, hopefully within the next couple days.” Korra stood from her seat, and turned to Kuvira. “In the meantime... we have a team to put together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back to a simple bridge chapter. Not too much happening here, but it is still important. Asami obviously isn't happy with Kuvira being there, since she still hasn't been able to forgive her for killing Hiroshi, so that's causing some drama between her and Korra. 
> 
> Also, pay close attention to the Red Lotus scene... there is some subtle but important foreshadowing in there for Aoi.


	23. A New Team Avatar Assembles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Kuvira recruit a team to go after Zaheer and the Red Lotus, including a couple of surprising new additions.

Korra looked back and forth between the two women. “So, you two are definitely in?”

“You're damn right we are,” Lin said, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her posture was tense, on edge. “Zaheer _killed_ my sister, and he has my family captive. If you think I'm sitting this one out, you haven't learned a damn thing about me over the years.”

“And with this one liable to run off and get herself hurt, I have to be there to reign her in,” Kya said, holding an arm around the former police chief's shoulder.

Lin grumbled. “Please, I know what I'm doing.”

“Doesn't meant I can't be concerned, and be there for you anyway,” Kya insisted. “Besides, Su was my friend, too. Sure, we were never that close growing up, what with the age difference and all, but after you reconnected with her, I got to know her again. She was a good woman... and she didn't deserve what happened to her.”

Kuvira took a step forward. “Lin, I promise you, we will make Zaheer pay for what he did. And we _will_ get our family back, whatever it takes.”

Lin nodded. Her expression shifted ever so slightly into one of appreciation and determination. “I'm with you, kid. That bastard will never know what hit him.”

“Uh, Lin, I'm... not really a kid, you know,” she said, with a lifted eyebrow. “I'm thirty-one.”

“Kuvira, when you get to be my age, everyone looks like a kid.”

“If you say so...”

Kya stifled a chuckled, then looked to Korra. “So, when are we leaving?”

“We want to shoot for two days from now, but if everything goes smoothly today then we can set out tomorrow,” Korra said. “The sooner, the better.”

Lin hardened her expression again and nodded. “We'll be ready. Just give us the call and let us know.”

* * *

Korra frowned slightly, a disappointed sigh exhaling from her lips. “Are you sure you can't come? We could really use you.”

“Believe me Korra, I wish I could.” Mako leaned forward against his desk, palms flat stop the surface. “You know I always got your back. It's just... I'm not just another cop anymore, I'm a lieutenant. I have more responsibilities here now, and even if I wanted to take some vacation time to go with you, things are going to be crazy around here for a while with the new chief stepping up now that Beifong retired. Plus, with the Red Lotus attacking world leaders, we have to make sure the president is safe.” He sighed, head hanging. “I'm sorry, but... I'm needed here.”

Korra offered a reassuring smile. “I understand... it just won't be the same without you, you know.”

“I know,” he said, with a nod. “But talk to Bolin—I know he'll want to help.”

“Yeah, that's actually where we're stopping next.”

“Right... 'we'.” Mako glanced up towards the partially opened door of his office. “That's...encouraging.”

Not a second later, Kuvira leaned into view from beyond the doorway and stared at him. “You do know I'm standing right here, don't you?”

“Uhhhhh....” Mako's breath caught in his throat as he stiffened. “...sorry?”

Korra chuckled. “Anyway... thanks, Mako. Take care.”

“You, too, Korra. Just make sure you stop this guy.”

“Trust me, we're going to.”

* * *

“We're in,” Opal stated, with a sharp glare. There was so much anger in those eyes of hers, anger and pain.

“Opal, are you sure you want to do this?” Kuvira asked, giving the younger woman a concerned look. “This is the Red Lotus... they're no joke.”

“They _killed_ Mom, and kidnapped our family,” she replied. Her tone bit with hate, and venom. “I'm not going to sit here waiting, while you go after them. I'm going to be there with you, and I'm going make Zaheer _pay_ for what he did.”

Kuvira breathed quietly, lips pressed together. So much for the airbender oath of non-aggression. Not that she could blame her for it, of course—Opal had every reason in the world to want to go after the Red Lotus and make Zaheer pay.

“Besides,” Opal said, “I'm a lot different than you remember, Kuvira. I'm not just that timid little girl you grew up with—I'm an airbender, and a damn good one.”

“She _really_ is.” Bolin leaned in with a smile, one hand on his fiancee'a shoulder, and his other pointing at her excitedly. “You should see her in action, she's amazing! Tenzin even says that she might get her tattoos soon, you believe that? She's an airbending _master!”_

Opal stood straighter, a renewed confidence surging though her. She crossed her arms tighter over her chest and nodded. “Bolin's right, I am. I can handle myself, and I can handle the Red Lotus just fine.”

Kuvira looked at the young woman a long moment, then gave a gentle smile. “You've really grown, Opal... I'm proud of you.”

“Thanks...” Opal slackened a bit, returning a smile of her own. “That means a lot to hear.”

Korra finally took a step forward, and put a hand to Opal's shoulder. “Alright, we'll give you a call later to fill you in on the details about when we're leaving. Should be soon, so make sure you're ready.”

“Believe me, we will be.”

* * *

“Korra, what is _she_ doing here?” Tenzin glared beyond the Avatar, towards the Air Temple Island dock. “I thought I told you I didn't want her anywhere near the island.”

Korra shifted awkwardly and glanced back over her shoulder. Kuvira was still waiting on the ferry, watching them from the deck. “I know, I'm sorry, but I needed to see you and she kind of has to come wherever I go, so...” She sighed, turning to Tenzin again. “Look, she's not going to leave the boat, and this will be quick.”

The airbending master uttered a single grunt, arms folding. “Very well... what is it you need to speak to me about?”

“It's about what happened in Zaofu.”

“Ah...” Tenzin breathed deeply, his gaze lowering towards the ground. “A terrible tragedy. What they did to Suyin... To think that the Red Lotus could have grown so powerful. I fear we underestimated them, and Zaheer. We should have been going after them all these years, rather than assumed they had simply disappeared.”

“Well, we're going after them now,” Korra said, with a determined nod, “and this time we put an end to them for good. I'm not letting them hurt anyone else like they did to Su.”

Tenzin glanced back up at her; his eyes softened with concern. “And you feel you're ready to face Zaheer again?”

She nodded, retaining her stern demeanor. “I know I am. This won't be like last time. I'm a different person now, but he's the same—same twisted ideals, same desire for chaos. We beat him before, and we'll beat him again... but we're going to need a team to go after him. That's actually why I'm here.”

“What do you need?”

“I was wondering if there was any way you or the other airbenders might want to join us? This mission... we're going to need all the help we can get, and I can't think of any better than the Air Nation.”

“Hmm...” Tenzin paused a moment, lifting a hand to stroke his beard while he thought. “I'm afraid most of the Air Nation is spread out across the world helping those in need, and those that are here have already agreed to aid President Raiko in stepping up security around Republic City, should the Red Lotus decide to attack.”

Korra tilted her head and sighed. “I guess that makes sense... it would have been nice to have some airbenders along, though. The Air Nation has come a long way in the past eight years.”

At this statement, Tenzin grew a warm smile across his face, eyes flickering with joy. “It really has.” He took a moment and hummed out another thoughtful. Then, he raised a hand to his chin and added, “I suppose I could speak to some of the other airbenders and see if—”

“Bum-Ju and I will go!”

“Wha—!” Tenzin jumped at the sound of his brother's voice and spun around to see the former United Forces commander standing there, a blue dragonfly bunny spirit on his shoulder. “Bumi, where did you come from?”

“From right behind you,” the fellow airbender declared. “I've only been standing right here the whole time.”

“What?” Tenzin frowned. “No you haven't.”

“Well, okay,” Bumi said, giving a slightly guilty look. “ _Maybe_ the game of catch Bum-Ju and I were playing got a little out of hand. He missed the ball and I had to chase it down the hill, only now I can't find it anywhere. Have you seen it? It's about this big, it's bright red, and it squeaks when you—“ Bumi paused when he noticed Tenzin staring back at him with a wholly unamused frown. Clearing his throat, he stood straighter and shrugged. “...in any case, I got here in time to overhear you two, and I volunteer to go!”

“Are you sure you?” Tenzin said, brow twitching with puzzlement.

“Of course I'm sure!” Bumi replied, smacking his fist into his palm. “This Zaheer guy has gotta be stopped. I haven't forgotten what he did to us back then. Nearly killed me, you, and Kya, the airbenders, Korra, and now with what he's done to Su...” A frustrated, angry breath seethed from his throat. “This is a mission of the utmost importance, and by the spirits I'm gonna be on it.” Turning to Korra, he pointed his thumb at himself and stood straight at attention. “Whatever you need from me Korra, Bum-Ju and I got your back!”

Korra couldn't help but smile at Bumi's enthusiasm. “Thanks, Bumi. We're happy to have you. And you, too, Bum-ju.” The dragonfly bunny spirit chirped out a response, flickering its ears rapidly.

“Besides, I know your team could use a regular airbending master to help you take on the Red Lotus!” Bumi added. He made a fist and held it upright. “We'll show them just how far the Air Nation has come!”

“Bumi, you're not an airbending master...” Tenzin muttered, staring at his brother.

“Well, not technically, no,” he said. “But I'm competent, at least.

Tenzin stared at him a moment longer, then let a defeated sigh and smiled. “I'll admit, you've become a fine airbender in these past years. Dad would be proud.”

“Well, I like to think Dad would be proud of me even I still couldn't airbender, but... thanks, Tenzin. I had a good teacher, you know. At least when you weren't blowing trumpets and yelling at us all day.”

Tenzin frowned. “That was one time, Bumi. _One_ time.”

“Ha, I know, I'm just yanking your chain.” Bumi laughed and nudged his brother in the ribs with an elbow. Then, he turned to Korra again and gave a military salute. “ In any case, you just give the word, Korra, and Commander Bumi is at your service”

“Former commander,” Tenzin said. “You retired eight years ago, remember?”

“Oh, you are _such_ a buzkill.”

Korra laughed, then gave a salute of her own in return. “I'll give you a call soon, Bumi. Thanks again.

* * *

“Well of course I'm going.” Anraq sat up higher on his hospital bed, forcing out a grunt of pain. “You think I'm going to pass up a chance to go on a world saving mission with the Avatar? Ha, as if.” He chuckled, but had to stop himself short with a cringe, as another wave of pain came over him. “But seriously... after what happened in Zaofu, and what the Red Lotus did to Su... I have to go. Besides, I have unfinished business with my cousin.”

Kuvira leaned close over the bed, resting a hand gently on his elbow. “Are you sure? You're still not well.”

“I'm fine, really.” In spite of his insistence to the contrary, however, he didn't look well. He had trouble just turning himself around in bed, and every breath he took felt like a knife driving into his chest. “Better than I was, at least.”

The hold Kuvira had on Anraq's elbow tensed, squeezing—not hard, just enough to offer reassurance. “I just don't want to see you hurt again.”

“Hey, it takes more than a few ice blades to the chest to take me out,” he said, with a laugh. Another shot of pain flared through him, though, and again cut off his voice with a groan. “I lived, didn't I?”

Kuvira eased out a quiet breath, eyes softening on her friend. She did admire his determination—but more than that, his loyalty, and compassion. “Well, if you're sure, I'd be happy to have you with us.”

“Me, too.” Korra stepped next to the bed and smiled. “You're a great waterbender, Anraq, and an even better friend. You're more than welcome to come with us.”

He nodded. “Then just say the word. When do we leave?”

“As soon as possible,” Korra said. “I think we've asked just about everyone there is now, and we've put together a decent team... all that's left is to make preparations to depart, hopefully by tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan, then. I'll be ready.”

* * *

Korra uttered an exhausted sigh as she trudged into the Sato mansion. A quick look at the clock emitted a groan from her throat—almost eleven. Recruiting had taken long enough, but then there had been more meetings with Raiko to attend afterward, and other preparations to make before they would be ready to leave tomorrow. Right now, she couldn't wait to find her way up to bed and collapse. As she ascended the staircase up to the second floor, however, a familiar figure met her on the balcony.

“Asami? What are you still doing up?”

“I couldn't sleep.” Asami moved closer to Korra, keeping a hand on the railing of the balcony. She was dressed down in nothing but her usual nightgown. “Decided to wait up for you. Long day?”

“Yeah, you could say that...” Korra held a hand to her forehead and huffed. “Been traveling around the entire city today recruiting people for the big mission, then there were meetings, and more planning... I guess it went longer than I thought.” Pulling her hand down, she looked up at her girlfriend again and took a step closer, close enough to slide her hand over Asami's on the railing. “When all's said and done, though, I think we put together a pretty good team. This time, we're putting a stop to Zaheer and the Red Lotus once and for all.”

“And... you didn't ask me?”

“Oh!” Korra blinked, a knot lumping in her throat. “I didn't think... I mean, with how busy you've been lately, and now that you're building that underground train system with Varrick... I mean, would you even be able to go?”

“You know I _own_ Future Industries, right? I can pretty much take off whatever time I need, and I do have a pretty competent advisory board that can run things while I'm away.” Asami wrapped her hand around Korra's, fingers interlocking. “So if you think I'm just going to sit home and wait for you, while you're going after Zaheer alone with Kuvira...”

“I'm not exactly _alone_ with her,” she said, lifting a brow. “There's a whole team, remember?”

Asami's lips turned over, pouting ever so slightly. “You know what I mean. Besides... I know how much you say you're over Zaheer and what he did to you back then, but you still have nightmares.”

Korra stiffened—she had never told Asami about the nightmares. “How did you...?”

“You talk in your sleep sometimes, Korra... at least when you're having a bad dream. I've heard you... I just never brought it up because I wasn't sure it was something you wanted to talk about.”

“Those are just dreams, Asami. I'm fine, really.”

Asami tightened her fingers around Korra's. “Yeah, well, I don't know if going after Zaheer again might trigger an episode or something... but I wouldn't forgive myself if I wasn't there for you. So, I'm going.”

Korra looked into her girlfriend's eyes a long moment, and soon a warmth spread through her. She smiled and pulled Asami close, slipping a hand around the woman's backside. “There's no one else I'd rather have with me.”

“Good,” she replied, with a loving smile of her own. “And hey, you're going to need an airship, right? Which means you're going to need a pilot. Who better?”

“Hmm... you do have a point.” Korra's loving smile twisted into a mischievous grin. Her hand slid lower, moving from Asami's back to her rear. “And how would little miss pilot like to fly Air-Korra tonight?”

Asami uttered a small gasp, then giggled with delight. “Well... that _is_ my favorite ride.”

* * *

Kuvira raised an arm up to shield herself from the sun, as she gazed up at the sky. A massive airship lowered itself into view, docking at the landing zone. She could hardly believe the size of the thing—much larger than the ones in Zaofu. “We're traveling in _that?_ ”

“Well, we're going to need plenty of space for everyone,” Korra replied, with a smirk. “Besides, there's no rule that says we can't at least travel in style, right?”

When the airship docked, a gangplank extended and lowered out the back of it. Asami appeared soon after, strolling down towards the landing zone with a flip of her hair. “Someone order a fully equipped Future Industries airship?”

“You really love saying that, don't you?” Korra said, as she came forward to greet her girlfriend.

“Well, I do like to provide.” Asami grinned, then pulled Korra in close for a kiss. When she stepped away, she looked back at the airship and brought her hands to her hips. “She's all set and ready to go, just needs passengers.”

“We got a call earlier from Lin and Kya,” Kuvira said. She, too, took a step forward, her gaze traveling briefly between the other two women. When they both looked back at her, she felt her cheeks heat up and she lowered her focus to the ground. “They're, uh... on their way now.”

“Right...” Asami stared at Kuvira a moment—but just a moment, then she quickly glanced away. “That's good, then.”

Kuvira flicked her eyes up at the woman again briefly, but no sooner than she did, a pang of guilt twisted in her stomach. She hinged her jaw shut tight, and looked downward again.

“I'm going to double check the engines,” Asami said, as she started up the gangplank. “You know, to... make sure everything is in order. Let me know when everyone's on board, Korra.”

“Uh, yeah, okay.” Korra watched her girlfriend disappear back aboard the airship, then exhaled a quiet sigh.

“She still hates me,” Kuvira said. It wasn't a question, just a simple fact. The tension had been thick enough to cut with a plasma saw, and there was no mistaking that look in Asami's eyes—anger, loathing, caution...

“She just... needs more time,” Korra said. “It's been difficult for her, trying to move on, especially now that you're here... with us.”

Kuvira nodded slowly, still staring at the ground. “I understand, believe me.”

“Hey, guys!” Bolin came running out onto the landing zone, waving his arms. Opal followed close behind. “We're here, and ready to go!”

Korra smiled, giving a wave to greet them. “Bolin, Opal, good to see you. Everything is ready, so feel free start boarding. Should be plenty of rooms to choose from.”

“Thanks, Korra,” Opal said. “You ready, Bolin?”

The earthbender took a partial bow, and gestured for Opal to go ahead of him. “After you.” He followed quickly behind her on the gangplank, and soon disappeared into the airship.

“Those two... they're a good match for each other,” Kuvira said, with a subtle smile. That smile soon disappeared, however, replaced with a guilt-ridden frown. “And to think I almost ruined it for them...”

“Hey, don't think like that,” Korra insisted. “Things worked out, and now they're even getting married.”

Kuvira continued looking into the airship entrance, and soon a smile returned to her face. “I'm happy for them.”

“Commander Bumi, and First Lietuenant Bum-Ju, reporting for duty!”

Korra turned around at the sound of the voice to find Bumi standing there with a salute, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and Bum-Ju fluttering in the air around his head. “Hey, Bumi. Thanks for coming.”

“You know I wouldn't miss this,” he declared. “All my years in the United Forces have prepared me for this mission, and with all the spirits as my witness, I swear we will take this Red Lotus down.”

Kuvira gazed at the man a moment, brow scrunching with recognition. “You're... Tenzin's brother, aren't you?”

“That's me!” Bumi grinned and came closer to her. His expression shifted a second later, settling on her with a serious stare. “And I know you, Kuvira... hard to believe I'll be fighting on the same side as one of my former enemies on this mission, but if there's anything I've learned over the years it's that a common enemy makes for unlikely friends.”

Korra blinked, eyebrows lifting. “Wow, that's... actually pretty insightful, Bumi.”

“Well sure, Tenzin isn't the only one who can be deep, you know,” Bumi said, with a shrug. “Say, Kuvira, you ever hear about the time I took out an entire encampment of Northern Water troops with nothing but my trusty flute, a fire ferret, and a polar bear dog?”

“Um... no.”

“Ha, well once we're in the air I'll be sure to tell you all about it! It's one heck of a story—you're in for a real treat!”

Kuvira watched the man head up the gangplank, then turned a slow, dead stare towards Korra. “...please don't make me sit next to him.”

Before Korra could answer, a new voice called their attention. “So, this where Team Avatar is taking off?”

Kuvira's expression instantly brightened at the sound of the voice, and turned to see her waterbending friend standing there. “Anraq, you made it.”

“Of course I made it,” he said, taking a step towards them. He moved a bit slow, still with a limp to his walk. “I said I would, didn't I?”

“You look better,” Korra said. “How's the healing going?”

“As well as it can be,” he said, with a shrug. “Few more days and I should be good as new, so long as I keep up my treatments... which isn't as effective when I have to do it myself, but I'll manage.”

“You know, I can probably help you with that.” Another new voice indicated the next arrival.

“Oh, Kya!” Anraq twisted himself back around to see Kya standing there, with Lin at her side. “I didn't know you were coming.”

Kya chuckled, then gave a firm nudge to Lin's ribs. “Well, I had to make sure someone keeps this old crone in line.”

“Old crone?” Lin's hands set on her hips, and she pushed her eyebrows together, glaring at her girlfriend. “You're lucky I love you...”

Anraq smiled, holding back his own laugh. “Good to see you, Chief.”

“I'm not police chief, anymore, Anraq,” she replied. She gestured down at her armor, revealing that the Republic City Police Chief badge had been removed from the chestplate. “Handed in my resignation yesterday. You can just call me Lin now.”

“Oh, uh... okay. Lin.” He paused, frowning. “That... actually sounds weird to say.” He thought about it a moment longer, then gave a simple shrug and looked back to Kya. “But yeah, that would be great, thanks. No one I'd rather have healing me.”

Kya nodded back at him. “I'll have you back to normal by tomorrow, mark my words.”

Korra glanced back and forth between the group, then up at the airship. “Well... looks like that's everyone. We should get on board and get ready for takeoff.”

“Hey! Aren't you forgetting someone?”

The group looked around at each other briefly in confusion—they hadn't been expecting anyone else. Bringing their attention to the voice, they found an old woman standing behind them, hunched forward with her hands clasped behind her back, and grey hair pulled up into a large bun. Her gaze pointed blankly ahead, eyes faded pale blue in color.

“ _Mom?”_ Lin's own eyes flew open at the sight of her mother. Of all the people she would have expected to join them on this mission, her mother was at the bottom of the list. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think I'm doing here?” Toph replied, with a grumpy frown. “I'm going after Zaheer with you. Who else is going to make sure you all don't get yourselves killed?”

“But... I thought your fighting days were behind you?”

“That was before the Red Lotus made things personal.” The old woman sucked in a deep breath through her nose and stepped towards the group. “For what they did to Su... I'll make this Zaheer wish he'd never been born when I get my hands on him.”

Lin tilted her head downward. Her eyes closed, and a heavy sigh seeped from her lips. She clenched her hands to fists, trying to fight off the growing pang of grief fluttering in her chest, but it had little effect. “Mom, I'm... I'm sorry.”

Toph didn't answer at first. Her empty gaze lowered towards the ground, and her expression sank, broken. “You can be sorry after we deal with Zaheer and get our family back.” With a deep breath, she straightened herself again as best she could and continued forward. “Until then, stay focused. These Red Lotus aren't pushovers, from what I've gathered.”

Lin swallowed the knot in her throat and nodded. “Right... but how did you get here so fast?”

“Who do you think you're talking to?” she replied, as if she couldn't believe the question. “I earthbended my way here! _Obviously_. Left as soon as I saw what happened to your sister through the swamp vines.”

Lin uttered a half-laugh—she never did understand how her mother could see through those vines, but she had learned not to question it. “It'll be good to have you, Mom. Thanks for coming.”

“As if you could keep me away.”

Korra approached, smiling at the old woman. “It's good to see you again, Toph. We're happy to have your help.”

“Nice to see you, too, Korra. In a manner of speaking, of course.” She chuckled, turning her head in Korra's general direction. “Looks like you're doing well.”

“I am, thank you.”

Toph frowned, eyebrow lifting, and then turned towards Anraq. “You with the heavy breathing, what's your problem?”

“Huh? Oh, me.” Anraq cleared his throat and straightened himself at attention. “No, it's nothing, it's just... you're Toph Beifong.”

The blind earthbender deepened her frown. She wasn't annoyed, though, so much as she was confused. “Yes... I know who I am. What about it?”

“I'm a really big fan, and it's just... it's amazing to finally meet you. Really.”

Lin immediately rolled her eyes and dropped her face into her hand. “Oh boy... here we go again.”

“What is it with all these fanboys I keep running into?” Toph questioned. “Did I accidentally start a cult and nobody told me about it?”

“Oh, no, I mean... I just read all about your adventures with Avatar Aang and your friends,” Anraq insisted. “And... I just can't believe I'm actually meeting you.”

“Uh huh. Well, pull yourself together. We have a job to do, and you're not going to be much help if you're tripping over yourself at the sight of an old woman.”

“Uh, right... yes. Sorry, ma'am.”

“Well, what are we all just standing around for?” Toph pushed past them and started up the gangplank. “Let's get this show on the road already!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was a fun chapter to write. At first I didn't like how short the scenes had to be, since they were just quick little recruitment segments, but when it was all finished and reading back through it, I think it came out pretty neat. It was fun to write so many different characters, too (even if having so many characters interacting at once, like in the last scene, gets to be kind of a pain after a while. Makes it harder to get into their inner thoughts because of how much there are).
> 
> And so for the record, this New New New (something like three news) Team Avatar consists of:
> 
> Korra  
> Kuvira  
> Asami  
> Bolin  
> Opal  
> Lin  
> Kya  
> Anraq  
> Bumi (and Bum-Ju)  
> and last but not least, the one and only Toph!
> 
> I wanted to add Mako, too, but with him being a lieutenant now and all, it made more sense if he had to stay and help protect the president. Plus, I have something planned for him in a later chapter. If anything, this should make for some interesting interactions in the coming chapters.


	24. Get Over Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph gives Kuvira a stern lecture aboard Team Avatar's airship, while the Red Lotus begins infiltrating Ba Sing Se.

“So there I was, all alone in the frozen tundra, my friends captured behind enemy lines, and for all I know they're dead or being tortured.” Bumi leaned over the table, staring at Kuvira with as serious and determined a storytelling face he could muster. “Naturally, it's up to me to save them all, whatever the cost! Now, since I figured out the spirits have a certain liking for music, I used my flute to tame fifty of them and sneak into the encampment.

“You'd think it would have been easier from there, but you'd be wrong! Because no sooner than I get into the camp, a massive blizzard hits! I'm talking winds so fierce it could sheer the skin from your bones, and as if that wasn't bad enough, the other spirits in the camp didn't like my music it all! Chased me clean through the storm—I thought I was a goner!

“To make matters worse, no less than three ice tornadoes sprang to life right in the middle of the camp and nearly sucked me into a frigid vortex!” He made a whirling motion with his arms, springing to life a miniature tornado on the top of the table. “But I hung for dear life, because I knew if I failed here then my friends were goners, and they needed me! So once the tornadoes started to die down...”

Kuvira drowned out the rest of Bumi's story. She merely stared at him, chin resting on her hand, and face twisted with disinterest. This had been going on for hours now, sitting there listening to Bumi's stories, each one more ridiculous than the last. Honestly, she hadn't minded much at first—it was something to listen to while waiting for the time to pass, at least. But each new story brought more and more outrageous exaggerations, and by now the amusement had run out.

As Bumi continued to drone on—something about fighting off a colony of tiger seals with his bare hands—she turned her attention around the enormous atrium of the airship. Bolin and Opal sat on one of the cushioned seats near the windows, reading a book together, while Lin and Kya played Pai Sho with each other at the other end of the central table. As far as she knew, Korra was up on the airship's viewing deck meditating, and Asami of course was in the cockpit piloting the airship. Anraq had been napping on one of the couches for the past couple of hours after his latest healing session with Kya, and Toph... actually, she wasn't sure where Toph was. The old woman had disappeared somewhere on the airship shortly after takeoff and hadn't been seen since.

Several more minutes past when she noticed Anraq stirring on the couch. Immediately, she sat upright and pushed herself away from the table. “This is... fascinating, Bumi. Truly. But I'm going to... stretch my legs.”

“Oh sure, no problem,” the former commander replied. He leaned back in his own seat and kicked his feet up on the table. Bum-Ju fluttered around his head a moment and then landed on his shoulder. “Just be sure to hurry back, I'm almost at the part where I rode a pack of otter penguins to the sea!”

Kuvira hurried away from the table as quickly as she could, only stopping when she reached the couch across from Anraq's. She flopped herself down on it and hunched forward, a tired huff bursting from her lips.

“Well, you look like you're having a blast,” Anraq said, stretching his arms out with a yawn.

“I don't know how many more of Bumi's stories I can take,” she muttered. “They might not be so bad if he didn't butter them up with so many ridiculous exaggerations, but... he's going to drive me insane, I swear.”

“Don't sweat it, we're not trapped on this airship with him for too long. You'll survive.”

“If you say so.” She sighed, then looked up at him. Her gaze lingered a moment, studying the outfit that he wore—it was a traditional Water Tribe warrior uniform, blue and white in color, fringed with a bit of fur, and armored bracers and shin guards. He looked so... different, outside of his usual police uniform, almost as though a different person. “So, I don't think I mentioned before but... you look good.”

Anraq grinned. “Don't I always?”

“I mean the uniform,” she said. “I've only ever seen you in Republic City's police uniform, or Zaofu's guard uniform, but this is... I mean, it looks nice.”

“See, I told you I look way better in Water Tribe blue,” he said, with a matter-of-fact point. “But thanks. This is actually an older style warrior uniform. I've always liked the way it looks, though.”

She smiled. “Well, I like it, too.”

Anraq paused a moment, lifting an eyebrow at her. His smirk widened just slightly. “Why Kuvira, are you trying to flatter me?”

“So what if I am?”

A gentle laugh left his lips, and then he stood up from the couch, gaze shifting over to where Lin and Kya were sitting. “Anyway, Kya told me to see her when I woke up. Still quite a bit sore, but one more treatment and I should be good as new.”

“Take it easy, Anraq.”

She watched her friend leave, then looked back over her shoulder at the table. Bumi was busy chatting away with his pet dragonfly bunny spirit, so now was as good a chance as any to slip away unnoticed before he could pull her into another story. Keeping a close eye on the former commander, she stood from her seat and slinked away towards a nearby ladder that led up the second deck balcony. She ascended the ladder in a matter of seconds and quickly ducked behind the railing, uttering a relieved sigh. Maybe now she could find some peace and quiet.

No sooner than she found relief, however, her insides jumped when she looked up to see the person lounging on the padded seat near the balcony window. Toph lay on her back, eyes closed, hands held behind her head, and one leg crossed over her other knee. The old woman didn't seem to be moving, though... sleeping, perhaps?

Kuvira eased out a silent breath and slowly moved towards the ladder again. Considering the last time she and Toph had interacted, back when Kuvira had taken the Beifongs captive below her factory, Bumi's stories seemed entirely preferable right now.

No such luck.

“I can feel how tense you are from over here,” Toph muttered, popping one eye open. Not that she could see with that eye, but it let Kuvira know that she was awake. “If you have something you want to say, just spit it out already.”

Kuvira froze, and her heart jumped straight into her throat. So much for getting away unnoticed. She hesitated, unable to think of anything to say to the old woman. What _could_ she say? According to Toph, Kuvira 'gave metalbenders a bad name', and rightfully so. The Kuvira that Toph had last seen—the Great Uniter—was a shame on metalbenders everywhere.

“Well? You going to say something, or you just going to sit there stewing in your own misery?”

She exhaled a heavy sigh, then finally stood up and made her way over to the seat next to the old earthbender. “Toph... I just want to take a moment to officially apologize for what I did to your family during my campaign five year ago.” Kuvira stared down at the floor, shoulders slouching. “I... I made so many mistakes back then, and I lost my way. I'm sorry... it was never my intention to hurt anyone the way I hurt them, and you... and Su.”

“ _Hmph,_ so you feel bad, that right?” Toph puffed out a gruff breath and closed her eye again. “Big whoop, get over yourself.”

A sharp pang of guilt shot through Kuvira's chest. Toph's response had been... unexpectedly blunt. Then again, this was Toph. “...excuse me?”

“You screwed up and people got hurt because of it. Yeah, it sucks, but it happens all the time. You know what else happens all the time?” Toph opened both her eyes now, and turned her head towards Kuvira with her usual blind stare. “People _learning_ from their mistakes. Seems to me like you've learned quite a bit from yours.”

Again, Kuvira hesitated. Her eyebrows scrunched with confusion, unsure of where this old woman was trying to take the conversation. Did Toph hold a grudge... or was she trying to be encouraging? “Well, I... I mean, I've tried.”

“You know what your problem is? You're so worried about what other people think of you, and whether or not they can move past the things you've done and forgive you, that you can't move past it yourself. How do you expect anyone else to treat you differently when you're still stuck beating yourself up over your past mistakes?” Toph scoffed, head leaning back against her hands. “Suck it up already and let it go. Yeah, you screwed up. You made mistakes. You hurt people. So what? You learned from it, and now you're a better person because of it. Once you realize that for yourself, other people will, too.”

Kuvira sat straighter, a knot twisting in her stomach. Toph _was_ being encouraging... sort of. But that didn't make any sense to her. If there was anyone she would have expected to hold a grudge against her, or at the very least be cynical towards her still, it would be Toph Beifong. “But... how can you be so sure of that?”

“You do realize who you're talking to, right?” Toph sat up in her seat and frowned, eyebrows pressing together. “I can _feel_ these things. I know you're being sincere—believe me, I could tell if you were trying to pull one over on me. But I'm not the only one who could see it. Su saw it, as did the rest of her family. They forgave you, and welcomed you back. And if _they_ forgave you, then I don't have any reason to hold a grudge, especially since you're not the same person you were back then.”

“You... don't think so?”

“Of course not. The dictator I encountered back then, she was tense, on edge, rigid like a metal beam, and trying to hide her emotions behind a wall of stone. But you?” Toph turned her head and sniffled in a breath. “You feel entirely different now. You're softer, looser, like a... like grass blowing in the wind. Yeah, that analogy works. My point is, I can tell just by you sitting right next to me that you're not hiding behind that wall anymore. So no, you're not the same person... at least, not in my eyes.”

Toph fell back on the couch again and laughed at her own joke. When she settled down, she breathed out an easy sigh and held her hands on her stomach. “In any case, you've earned a second chance, I'd say. Heck, if we could give Zuko a second chance back then, after he chased us across the world, tried to kidnap Aang and kill us more times than I can count, and hired a combustionbending psychopath to assassinate us, then I'm pretty sure we can give you one, too.”

Kuvira watched the old woman a long moment, her expression twisted with puzzlement. Of all the words she thought would come out of her mouth, she couldn't have imagined that. She almost didn't want to believe it, didn't want to believe that someone as highly regarded as Toph Beifong thought she deserved a second chance. With a heavy breath, she glanced down at the floor again, fingers gripping the fabric of her pants. “Some people don't seem to think the same.”

“Well of _course_ not,” Toph replied. “You can't please everyone, no matter what the situation. There's always going to be people who hate you, just like there's always going to be people who love you. You think everyone in the world loves everything the Avatar does? _Heck_ no. Whatever decision she makes, there are people who will like it, and people who won't. You're no different. There are people who will hate you because of the things you've done, but there's also people who love or forgive you. The sooner you realize you can't control that, and just accept it, the sooner you can move forward.” The old woman rolled over onto her side and curled up, head resting on the cushioned arm of the couch. “So stop moping, start forgiving yourself, and stop worrying so dang much about what other people think of you.”

“I...” Kuvira exhaled another breath and closed her eyes. “I'm _trying._..”

“Well, try harder.” Toph raised a hand and waved her off, turning farther onto her side. “Now give me some peace and quiet, I need a nap.”

* * *

Korra stretched out her arms as she climbed the stairs up into the cockpit. She hadn't realized she'd been meditating for so long—almost three hours now—but at least she felt refreshed. When she arrived in the cockpit, she moved next to the pilot's seat and leaned against it, bringing a hand to her girlfriend's shoulder. "So, how far out are we from Ba Sing Se?"

"Should be arriving some time tomorrow morning,” Asami replied, glancing up at her. “I'll probably just stay up and fly us the whole way, then sleep when we get there."

"Doesn't the airship have an autopilot?"

"Well, yeah... but I just feel like I need something to keep my mind occupied.”

Korra turned a questioning look towards Asami, but she didn't have to ask—the pilot's expression said it all. With a gentle sigh, she glanced back over her shoulder down into the atrium; she could see Kuvira making her way down from the balcony ladder. “Right... sorry.”

“I'll be fine,” Asami said, with a simple shrug. "Oh, and I just got off the long range radio with Ba Sing Se. According to them, all three Earth Republic prime ministers have gathered there for their annual council summit in a few days."

"All three?"

"Yeah, including their special advisers, and anyone involved in the governing body of the Earth Republic.” Asami's gaze hardened. “You thinking what I am?"

"That Zaheer is definitely going to be making his attack during the meeting?” Korra nodded. “Yeah, I'd bet the Avatar Cycle on it. Why waste time running around the nation to attack them individually when you could take them down all at once?"

"Exactly. We'll need to be at that meeting."

"I'll make sure we are, and when Zaheer makes his move we'll be ready to stop him.” Korra punched her fist into her palm to emphasize her point. “I'll go let the others know about the plan."

"Alright.” Asami kept her focus out the windshield, but gave Korra a wave as she departed. “I'll be here if you need me."

* * *

Yao let out a bored yawn, as he raised the gate to let in another car through the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. Of all the jobs he'd had in his life, being a gate guard was by far the easiest. Check people's credentials, let them in or out, or send them away, all day. The only problem with that was that it was also by far the most boring job he'd ever had. Nothing ever changed. Check people's credentials. Let them in or out. Or send them away. All. Damn. Day.

A large delivery truck rolled up to the gate and Yao sat up in his seat. Well now, he might actually be able to get out of his seat for a few minutes. "What business do you have in Ba Sing Se?"

The man in the driver's seat turned to look at him, but kept his head tilted low, the brim of his rice hat covering the upper half of his face. "Just making a delivery."

Yao tapped his fingers against his desk. "What's your product?"

"Rice."

"I see...” He moved his focus beyond the driver to see someone sitting in the passenger's seat—a young girl, no older than sixteen, wearing traditional Earth Republic garb. “And what about her? She looks a little young to be working deliveries."

"Oh, she's my daughter,” the man stated. “It's take your kid to work day, you know how it is."

"Yes, and so far I have to say that this has been the most boring day of my life,” the girl said, arms folding indignantly over her chest. “Your job is _so_ lame... Why couldn't you have done something interesting with your life, like Mother? _She_ was a United Forces commander. Now _that_ would have been a fun day."

The man glanced back at his daughter, lips curling into a frown. "Don't bring your mother into this..."

"And why not? It's _your_ fault she left us, you know. If you hadn't been fooling around with that waitress in Omashu..."

“Well, perhaps if your mother had ever been home, instead of always stationed elsewhere, I wouldn't have had to seek comfort in the arms of another.”

"Uhhh, okay...” Yao cleared his throat and stood up, making his way out of the gate booth. Probably best to get this over with, instead of listening to the family drama. “Anyway, I'm going to need to see your papers and then check your shipment. Standard procedure."

The man handed over a couple slips of paper. "Of course, here you are."

“Hmm...” Yao took the papers and quickly glanced them over. All the information seemed to be legitimate enough, not that there was ever a reason to forge a delivery for rice. “Everything looks to be in order.” When the papers checked out, he made his way around the back of the truck and opened the rear doors to find several crates within. Sliding the tops open revealed dry rice stacked high up to the brim. Satisfied, he closed the crates back up, closed the doors, and then returned to his booth. “Alright, looks like you're all set. Enjoy your day."

"As if I could enjoy myself with _him_ ,” the girl muttered, with a disgusted groan.

* * *

When the gate raised, allowing the truck to pass into Ba Sing Se, Aoi hummed out a confident breath. “You see, I told you I could act. This isn't the first time I've infiltrated Ba Sing Se, after all."

"Is that so?” Zaheer pushed the brim of his rice hat up and glanced at her. “And when would you have done that?"

"Oh I don't know, quite some time ago,” she replied, with a shrug. “Don't remember exactly."

Zaheer turned the truck onto a side street when they entered the lower ring. No one gave them a second glance. "You seem to have accomplished quite a lot for someone so young."

"What can I say? I've been around."

"Or you make empty boasts in an attempt to elevate yourself in the eyes of your peers."

Aoi's brow lowered, and she turned a glare towards him. "Are you calling me a liar?"

 _"Are_ you?"

Aoi stared at him a moment longer, then finally looked away and shrugged. "Well, if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you."

Zaheer drove the truck to the side of the street and parked, then uttered a tired sigh. This girl... "Aoi, you're still young, but you're already very talented. You don't need to exaggerate your feats to gain standing in the Red Lotus—you already have that. And with us, you will accomplish more than you ever dreamed of."

"Oh, I doubt that," she said, pushing her door open. "But I suppose I'll just have to take your word for it."

The pair made their way around the back of the truck and opened the doors. Two of the crates inside started moving, and a moment later the tops slid off and clattered to the floor. From one of the crates, Yuruk emerged from the rice within, and from the other, Avan.

"Gah, pfgf." Yuruk spat out a mouthful of rice and brushed his hands through his hair. "Well that was unpleasant. I'm going to be picking rice out of places I didn't even know I had."

Avan simply climbed out of his crate and hopped out of the truck. "Complain if you want, but it worked."

"Yeah, yeah," Yuruk muttered. He cleaned as much of himself off as he could, then followed out of the truck. "So we four got in okay, but what about the rest of our members? We're going to need them to attack the state house in three days."

Zaheer looked to the former Dai Li commander. "Avan?"

"The new state house is located in what used to be the royal palace, in the upper ring," Avan said. "There's a tunnel system that runs beneath it, and stretches throughout most of the city."

"Of _course_ there is," Aoi said, with a roll of her eyes. "You Dai Li and your underground hideouts. Like a pack of creepy badger moles, I swear."

Avan turned a quiet glare towards her, then continued to explain, "The tunnels were caved in back when the Dai Li was disbanded, but in the three days until the council summit, I should be able to clear a path from the city to Lake Laogai. Our members can make their way to the city from there, once they enter the Agrarian Zone through the hidden gap in the Outer Wall I marked for them.”

Aoi raised a brow. "I thought the caverns beneath Lake Laogai were flooded?"

"They are, which is where Yuruk comes in."

Yuruk frowned, as the other three turned to look directly at him. "Oh, so I just have to drain an underground lake, is that all? Yeah, that'll be fun."

"The sooner we get started, the better," Zaheer said. "We only have a few days."

Avan nodded towards one of the nearby streets. "The closest entrance to the tunnels is in the middle ring, near the market. Follow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why this chapter seems so short to me, when it's actually about average for most of my chapters... but in any case, I had to have a conversation between Toph and Kuvira. I figured that, since Su and the rest of her family forgave Kuvira, Toph would have just rolled with it and not had a reason to keep a grudge, although her thoughts on the matter basically sum up to telling Kuvira to suck it up and stop moping. No one said she was the greatest at giving advice.
> 
> And on a side note, I love writing Aoi, particularly when interacting with Zaheer. It's such a... lovely dynamic. All of this Red Lotus in fact, since they're so different from the previous one. Can't wait until things start picking up in the next couple chapters.


	25. Return to Ba Sing Se

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami confronts Kuvira, Team Avatar arrives in Ba Sing Se, and Toph encourages Kuvira to have some fun for once.

Asami lifted a hand in front of her mouth and yawned. She glanced at the clock on the dash in front of her—one in the morning, still plenty of time until they got to Ba Sing Se. For the moment, though, she really needed to stretch her legs; she'd been sitting in the pilot's seat now since they left Republic City. Stifling another yawn, she set the autopilot and then left the cockpit.

The atrium was empty at this time of night, with everyone having retired to their cabins ages ago. It was quiet, at least, even though she could have used someone to talk to for a while. Piloting an airship in the middle of the night did tend to get lonely, when you were the only one awake. Asami milled about the atrium for a short while, walking along the window wall to gaze outside at the surrounding landscape. She saw plenty of mountains in the distance, a forest and lake just below them, and a river cutting across the countryside—relaxing, serene.

What she really needed, though, was air. A stuffy sigh escaped from her lips, and she tugged at the collar of her jacket, trying to cool off. Even with the central air blowing through the atrium, the airship felt stifling and warm; it certainly wasn't the same as feeling a real breeze against her face. To remedy this, she made her way to the back of the ship and took the elevator up to the very top, outside. When the elevator doors opened, she stepped out onto the viewing deck.

She sighed pleasantly when the gentle winds hit her on the rooftop of the airship; it felt good, refreshing. For a moment she just stood there, enjoying the breeze, but then she made her way out farther across the deck and looked upward. The night was clear, not a cloud in the sky, and she could see the twinkle of each and every star, offset only by the silver glow from a nearly full moon—a beautiful night.

When Asami's gaze lowered again, however, her breath caught in her throat. There, sitting at the far end of the viewing deck, was a figure that she hadn't been hoping to find herself alone with—Kuvira, the woman who had killed her father. Asami stood frozen, just staring at the woman. Kuvira's back was to her, and there was still a good amount of distance between them; Asami could easily turn right around and head back to the elevator without being seen. And yet...

Asami tightened her jaw and looked downward, eyes closing as she sucked in a deep, calming breath. She'd never get past this, she'd never m _ove o_ n, if she kept running away. She had faced Kuvira once before so many years ago, and now... perhaps it was time to do it again. No, not perhaps. It _was_ time to do it again. Her hands clenched to fists for a brief moment before she relaxed again, and then she marched towards the end of the viewing deck.

She hesitated when she approached. Not only did she not know what to say, but something seemed... off. Kuvira sat with her knees tucked up under her chin, head buried between them. More than that, the woman was dressed only in a thin pair of pants and a white tank top—by all accounts she should be freezing up here, at night and at this altitude.

Finally, Asami worked through her hesitation and came forward. “Aren't you cold up here?”

“Huh?” Kuvira snapped her face upward from her knees and immediately rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes. “Oh, no... No I'm fine.” She paused when she looked up to see who stood there next to her. Asami? That... was unexpected. And quite possibly a bad sign. “Shouldn't you be flying the airship?”

“The autopilot is engaged right now,” Asami said. She squinted a bit, leaning closer—those were definitely tears. “Are you... crying?”

Kuvira stiffened and wiped more aggressively at her eyes. “No, I wasn't... I'm not.”

Asami eased out a long breath, then lowered herself down to next to Kuvira on the deck. “It's okay, I get it. You were thinking about Suyin?”

Kuvira frowned, then turned away to look straight ahead, chin resting against her knees. “You don't need to pretend you care, Asami.”

“I _do_ care,” she insisted, her eyes stern yet brimming with empathy. “Su was my friend, and what happened to her was a tragedy. And more than that... I know what she meant to you.” Asami uttered a sigh and then she, too, looked straight forward, out at the landscape. “I know what it feels like to lose someone you love... But you knew that.”

“Yes... I know.” Kuvira hinged her jaw shut tight for a moment, then bowed her face between her knees again. Her heart thudded against her chest, simmering with a growing guilt that threatened to consume her. “I'm sorry. That doesn't help, but... I am.”

A long pause lingered between them before Asami could bring herself to answer. She took in a heavy breath, then slowly glanced back at the other woman. “It gets easier. Eventually. You never forget it, but... after a while it doesn't hurt as much.”

“Well right now it hurts worse than anything I've _ever_ felt,” Kuvira said. “I could have helped her, if I'd just _been_ there. If I'd just... If I'd never left Zaofu. If I hadn't been in _prison._.. I would have been there. I wouldn't have been too late.”

Asami swallowed back the first response that came to mind. She wanted to agree with Kuvira, to say that she was right, and that it was her own fault for being in prison, because of the things she had done. But that wouldn't have helped anything. It would have been mean, and spiteful, and Asami was neither of those things—she wouldn't let herself be.

“It must satisfy you,” Kuvira muttered, staring down at the metal floor beneath her feet, “seeing me like this.”

“You'd think it would, but...no, it doesn't. Just the opposite, actually.” Asami softened her eyes, looking fully towards Kuvira now. “You may not be my favorite person—far from it, in fact—but the pain of losing a loved one like that, of losing a _parent?_ That's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Not even you.”

Kuvira finally found the courage to lift her own gaze back up at Asami. For a long moment she just stared at the woman. Silver light from the moon danced like shadows across her face, setting her with an eery glow that, just briefly, caused Kuvira to forget who she was looking at, and how much hate must be hidden in those silver-lit eyes. “I'm surprised you're even talking to me.”

“Honestly? So am I...” Asami's brow furrowed, as though confused with her own thoughts. She glanced downward, avoiding eye contact. “I'll admit, having you here, with us... it hasn't been easy for me. And seeing the way you are with Korra...”

Kuvira's breath stopped abruptly in her throat. Her mind flashed with question and fear—did Asami know how she felt about Korra? Had she been too obvious, too open and intimate? But even if she had, surely Asami must know that Korra would never do anything to betray her like that, that Kuvira's own feelings for the Avatar were completely and wholly unreciprocated.

“Look, I know you two are friends... And I know that isn't going to change, no matter how much I might wish otherwise. It's just something I have to deal with.”

When Asami continued her statement, a quiet breath of relief huffed out Kuvira's lips. No, Asami didn't know; she had only been referring to their friendship. For the moment, it seemed her secret was safe, and the conversation needn't grow anymore awkward than it already was. Still, to reassure herself, Kuvira reached up to the pendant around her neck—the same pendant Korra had give her for her birthday four years ago—and held the cool piece of metal tightly between her fingers. It gave her comfort, gave her strength, and she relaxed again, no longer controlled by her nerves.

Asami held her hands back behind her and leaned against them. She let her legs straighten out in front of herself, and she looked up to the sky, at the moon. “Plus, now that we're on the same team...We have to coexist. No matter how I might feel about it.”

Kuvira watched her again. Just as before, the silver moonlight bathed her to the point where she appeared to glow. “I know my being here is hard on you, and I'm sorry for that. But I'm not here to cause you pain, Asami... I'm here to save my family, and take down Zaheer. Once this is over, I'll be out of your hair again, back in prison.”

Asami pulled her focus away from the moon and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. The wind picked it up almost instantly, and soon her dark locks fluttered behind her, captured by the breeze. Once again, she brought her attention to the other woman, but she still didn't say anything, not yet. She just watched. The woman staring back at her... it wasn't the same woman who had piloted a giant mecha suit into Republic City. The first time Asami had visited Kuvira in prison, she had seen the beginnings of that change—now, the change seemed far more complete.

“You've changed, Kuvira...” she said. “As hard as that is for me to admit. I look at you, and I don't see the dictator who attacked Republic City... I just see a woman paying for her many mistakes.” Another pause. Sadness flickered in her eyes. “I'll...never forget what you did. Trying to move on from it, trying to _forgive_ you... it's been one of the most difficult things I've been through. But...” And now, just the slightest hint of a smile came to her lips—barely there, but still noticeable. “I'm going to keep trying.”

Those words churned Kuvira's gut with shock. She stared, lips parting and eyebrows raised. How Asami could continue trying to forgive her, in spite of everything... where did a person find that kind of resolve? “I'll keep trying, too...to be the person I always _should_ have been, rather than the one I became.”

“Well, take it from someone who has no reason to lie to you... I think you're well on your way.”

The two shared a quiet smile, and in that single moment, the awkwardness between them, the shame, grief, trepidation, hate... it all disappeared. The only thing left was peace.

When the moment past, Asami glanced lower, towards Kuvira's neck. “What's that?”

Kuvira instinctively tightened her fingers around the pendant, when she realized she was still holding it. Eventually, though, she let go and looked down at it, then held it up for Asami to see. The platinum metal glinted in the moonlight, bringing a shine to the etching of the armadillo lion, and her name beneath it. “Oh, this... It was a birthday gift.”

“Did Su give it to you?”

“No, it...” Kuvira caught herself. She couldn't tell Asami that Korra had given it to her. They had only just moved past that particularly awkward part of the conversion, and there was no need to reignite it even stronger. She had already hurt this woman enough—what kind of pain would knowing that her girlfriend had given Kuvira jewelry bring? “I mean...yes. She gave it to me a long time ago. It's one of the few things I have to remind myself of her.”

Asami gave a nod in understanding, still examining the pendant. “It's beautiful.” A moment longer, and then she eased out a sigh. “Anyway, I should probably get back to the cockpit. You coming in, or...?”

“I think I'll stay out here a while longer, actually,” she said, watching the pilot stand up. “But thanks.”

“Well, alright then.” Asami waved, and then turned to head back to the elevator. “Goodnight, Kuvira.”

* * *

Bolin squinted down at the Pai Sho board, lips pressed tightly together and a hand held against his chin. It wasn't really his style to sit and think about his next move like this, but ever since Asami had annihilated him back when they were staking out Aiwei, he had learned to be a bit more patient. Still, this time he took longer than usual to make up his mind. “Okay... I think I got this. Just give me...one second.” Finally, he touched a finger to one of his tiles and slid it forward. “Aha, try this!”

“Oh, that's a good play, Bolin,” Kuvira said. “Or at least it would have been, three turns ago. Now, however, I can do this.” She reached down to one of her own tiles and jumped it backwards over another of her tiles, then forward across the last three of Bolin's. She smiled up at him, sitting back in her seat with her legs propped up against the table. “And I believe that's game.”

“What?” Bolin's eyes widened as he lowered himself closer to the board, staring a hole through it. “Nooo, come on! I was so close this time!”

“Don't be too upset, Bolin,” Anraq said, giving the earthbender a pat on the shoulder. “She beats me worse than that every time I play her.”

Kuvira smirked. “At least you're not losing in seven turns again.”

“That was one time!” Anraq replied. “And I'd only just started playing!”

Bolin sat back in his seat and crossed his arms, one hand still on his chin. “Alright, I think I'm starting to figure you out. Best seven out of thirteen?”

“Your rematch will have to wait.” Lin approached the table, and pointed her thumb towards one of the windows. “We're coming up on Ba Sing Se now.”

The entirety of Team Avatar—sans Asami, who was still up in the cockpit, and Toph, who remained up in her second deck perch—clambered over to the windows to look down at the city. The Agrarian Zone passed below them as they cleared the Outer Wall, and soon the Inner Wall followed suit, giving way to the Lower Ring beyond.

To much of their surprise, the conditions of the Lower Ring had changed significantly since the Earth Queen's rule. No longer was it an overcrowded dump of barely surviving citizens living in squalor. Rather, it appeared bustling—lively markets, clean streets, children playing outside, families sitting out on balconies eating lunch, even top-of-the-line satomobiles driving to and fro. If not for the distinctive Earth Republic style architecture, with signature green color, it might have passed as any regular neighborhood in Republic City.

“Wow, the Lower Ring looks... actually really nice,” Korra said. She hadn't visited Ba Sing Se since the initial Red Lotus incident eight years ago.

“Yeah, see, I told you, we totally fixed that up when we first came here after the fall of the Earth Queen,” Bolin said, glancing towards Kuvira. “Completely rebuilt most of the Lower Ring and set up families with better living conditions. Looks like things have only been improving since then.”

“Well, that _was_ the goal...” Kuvira said, with a soft shrug. “To help the Earth people, and improve their lives.”

“So... not everything you did back then was bad.” Opal turned from the window to give Kuvira a smile. “It looks like you really did help Ba Sing Se.”

“And other cities, too,” Bolin affirmed. “For a while, we were making a real positive difference.”

Kuvira closed her eyes. “And then somewhere along the way, that changed...”

“Whatever, that's in the past now!” Toph's voice found the group, and a moment later she poked her head over the second deck railing. “Stop thinking about it and concentrate on the here and now. We have a job to do!”

“Right,” Korra said. “First step is to meet with the prime ministers and work out a plan to counter the Red Lotus when they show up.”

“I don't know about the lot of you, but Bum-Ju and I are ready for action!” Bumi declared.

Kya nodded. “I think we're all ready. Or at least, I hope we are.”

“I know _I_ am...” Opal sucked in a deep breath, then pushed it out in a single huff. “Let's get down there and stop Zaheer.”

* * *

Team Avatar's airship hovered down into the Upper Ring airfield, as landing crews guided it into an empty space at the end of a long line of other airships of varying sizes. The Future Industries airship, however, towered above the others, nearly three stories taller than the next largest. When the vessel finally came to a complete stop, tethered down in place and engines shutting down, the gangplank extended down to allow the entire team to exit.

They were met by two figures at the end of the gangplank—one, an older man with graying hair wearing formal green robes embroidered with intricate yellow fringe. The other was a young woman garbed in a floral patterned dress, long dark hair tied back in a ponytail, a pair of round glasses set upon her nose, and a clipboard tucked against her arms.

“Ah, Avatar Korra,” the man said, with a low bow. “It is an honor to welcome you to the great city of Ba Sing Se. I am Guan, the United Earth Republic's Secretary of International Affairs, and this is my assistant, Yula.”

Korra lifted her hands, pressing a fist against her palm and returning the bow. “A pleasure to meet you, Secretary Guan. I just wish the reason for our meeting was a little more...favorable.”

“Yes, terrible business, this whole Red Lotus thing,” Guan said. “I can't believe what they did to Zaofu, and to think now they're after our prime ministers...”

“Well, you don't have anything to worry about,” Korra insisted, with an encouraging smile. “My team and I are here to help protect the prime ministers and stop the Red Lotus.”

“Yes, I've been already been informed, and I must say I feel much more secure knowing that the Avatar is here for us. Now, why don't we— _oh_ _goodness!_ ” Guan's eyes flew open wide when he looked past the Avatar to see the woman standing next to her. “Is...is that _Kuvira?”_

Yula, Guan's assistant, uttered a quiet gasp as she noticed Kuvira. She shifted her gaze down to the ground and took a step backwards, posture shrinking inward as if to make herself smaller.

“Oh...” Korra said. “Yes, it is. She's with me.”

“Nobody told me _she_ would be here. I thought she was in prison!”

Kuvira sighed—she should have expected this kind of reaction. She wondered just how many times she would have to explain herself like this during this mission. “I was, but...I've been given a temporary parole to aid the Avatar. I've pledged myself to helping her take down Zaheer and the Red Lotus.”

“I see...” Guan frowned, turning his gaze back to the Avatar. “Avatar Korra, are you _sure_ this is safe?”

“Don't worry, Secretary, you don't have anything to fear from Kuvira,” Korra replied. “The Red Lotus is our problem here, not her.”

Guan shot another suspicious glare at the former Great Uniter. “If you say, so...” he muttered. “In any case, we should get you set up for your stay. There are some nice accommodations here in the Upper Ring for important guests. Yula will show you the way.”

The young assistant blinked, regaining her posture and practically stumbling forward to greet them. “Yes, of course. A pleasure to meet all of you.” She bowed, then turned and scurried away towards a collection of gilded buildings in the distance. “Please, if you'll follow me.”

* * *

“Here you are, this is where you'll be staying.” Yula opened the door the guest's quarters and took another bow, arm extended to usher the group inside.

When Yula straightened herself, her eyes turned towards Kuvira again. Kuvira noticed this—she had noticed it all dozen times the assistant had glanced her way during the walk over here. At first, she had thought nothing of it. After all, she _was_ supposed to be in prison still, and people had every reason to be cautious around her. Still, after the fifteenth time or so, the constant looks began to unsettle her nerves. She found herself returning the cursory stares, though that only seemed to spur on even more frequent exchanges.

“Thank you, Yula.” Korra gave the woman a bow, and then made her way into the open foyer of the suite. As with any accommodations in the Upper Ring, the extravagance here knew no bounds. “Looks like there's plenty of room for all of us.”

“There are seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen, a garden through the the back door, and an area to do laundry,” Yula replied. Again, she chanced a quick glance towards Kuvira.

“Wow, sounds like this place has everything,” Kya said, as she tugged Lin farther inside. “Come on, let's see what the beds are like.”

“It might be worth mentioning, though,” Yula added, as she watched the two head towards one of the bedrooms, “the rooms are not soundproof.”

Kya grinned back over her shoulder. “We'll make it work!”

Lin's eyes stretched open wide, mortified at her girlfriend's insinuations. “Kya!” But the older waterbender only laughed in response, and a moment later they were gone.

“I think we should all take some time to get settled in,” Korra said. She raised an eyebrow over to Asami. “I know some of us still need to sleep.”

Asami started to answer, but her voice cut off into a deep, heavy yawn that she couldn't hide in spite of her attempts to force it down. “Yeah... I could probably use a nap.”

“Please, take all the time you need,” Yula insisted. “I'll return later this evening to bring you the state house for your meeting with the prime ministers.”

The foyer cleared out within moments, as all the members of Team Avatar left to find themselves a room. The only three that remained behind were Yula, Kuvira, and Toph, the latter of which sauntered over to a nearby silk couch and flopped herself down onto it with a yawn.

Yet again, Yula stared.

“ _Why_ do you keep looking at me?” Kuvira finally said, bringing her focus to the assistant. She couldn't ignore it anymore. “I promise, I'm not going to start any trouble.”

Yula uttered a quiet yelp, eyebrows lifting. “Oh, no, it's not that at all! It's just... you're the Great Uniter!”

Kuvira frowned. “I used to be... but not anymore.”

“I can't believe it...” Yula remained demure a moment longer, before abruptly bringing her hands in close to her chest and squealing excitedly. “I can't believe I'm actually meeting you!”

At this declaration, Kuvira lifted a single brow in confusion. “You're... _happy_ to see me?”

“Oh my spirits, of course I am!” Yula took a closer step towards Kuvira, lips curling into a delighted smile. “See, I used to live in the Lower Ring back when the Red Lotus took down the Earth Queen and the rioting started... My entire neighborhood went up in flames that day. My family and I lost _everything_ we owned, what little there was, and after that we had to survive on the streets... But then _you_ came to Ba Sing Se and fixed everything! We were set up in one of the new neighborhoods you built, and I even got a job working in the new mall to support my family.”

Yula brushed back a loose strand of hair over her ear, then pushed up her glasses higher on her nose. “Just look at the Lower Ring now, it's in so much better condition than it used to be, and nobody lives in filth anymore. Because of you, _millions_ of people are better off today. You saved a lot of lives with what you did for this city.

“Now I work at the state house with Secretary Guan, my family was able to move up to the middle ring, and... well, you're my _idol!_ I even have one of those old posters of you hanging in my room... Oh I can't believe this is actually happening.” The young woman bounced atop the balls of her feet, still grinning with joy. “This is one of the best days of my life!”

“I... uh... thank you?” Kuvira couldn't form proper words at the moment, too astonished by this woman's absolute glee in meeting her. She remembered helping Ba Sing Se, of course, restoring order and peace to the city... but she had never actually met any of the citizens affected by the restoration.

“Can I shake your hand?”

“...sure?”

“Oh spirits, thank you!” Yula tucked her clipboard under one arm and then reached out with the other, grabbing at one of Kuvira's hands. Halfway into the shake, she lunged forward and pulled her in for a hug instead.

Throughout the entirety of the hug, Kuvira found herself stiff and unable to move. She stood there, eyes blinking with uncertainty, and her insides churning with unknown emotions—was she disturbed? Flattered? Happy? Distressed? Confused... definitely confused, at the very least.

Not long after the hug commenced, Yula released her and jumped back with an absolutely horrified look on her face. “Oh, oh no... I'm so sorry, Great Uniter! I got carried away, I didn't mean... I'm sorry.”

“Oh, uh... it's fine,” Kuvira insisted, as she let her posture relax. “And please...just call me Kuvira.”

Yula's cheeks flashed bright red. “Oh, oh gosh, okay. Kuvira.” She uttered an embarrassed laugh and brushed back her hair again. “Anyway, I'll let you get settled in now... It was so nice meeting you!” She bowed one more time, and then ran out the door, almost skipping as she went.

When the assistant was gone, Toph looked up from her spot on the couch. “Looks like you have a fan.”

“I did so many terrible things...I guess I'd forgotten the good things I did,” Kuvira said, still gazing out the door where Yula had disappeared. “And the people I _helped.”_

“You see, like I said, two sides to every coin,” Toph stated, with a matter-of-fact nod. “By the way, if I were you I'd hit that while you have the chance.”

“Wha—” Kuvira snapped her attention towards the old woman, eyes bugging out of her head. “ _E_ - _excuse_ me?”

Toph threw her head back and laughed. “You heard me! Doesn't take a truth seer to figure out that you really got that girl's engine going, if you catch my meaning. Now, I don't know if they allow conjugal visits in Zaofu, but you might as well take advantage while you're free.”

Was this really happening? Was she _really_ having this conversation with Toph Beifong, of all people?

“I...but...” Kuvira sputtered, trying to spit out a proper response. The feel of something pressing against the belt of her uniform, however, drew her attention away from the old woman and towards her waist. She reached down, slipping her fingers beneath her belt, and there she discovered a small, folded card with contact information written on it. Had Yula slipped it in there during the hug? “What's this...?”

“Sounds like a piece of paper to me.”

“It's... Yula's business card.”

Toph sat straighter, eyebrows lifting with intrigue. “And does it have a phone number?”

Kuvira frowned, glaring at the old woman over the top of the card. “...yes.”

“Ahahaha!” Toph fell back against the couch and laughed harder than ever, legs kicking into the air. “Well now you _have_ to! Go on, 'Great Uniter', have some fun while you're still young!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Toph... Oh, Toph, Toph, Toph.
> 
> For some reason, I really picture her being that inappropriate grandmother always starting awkward conversations that you just don't want to have. I think it works with her direct, blunt nature, anyway. And hey, if there's anyone who needs to let loose for a while, it's Kuvira... who's been in prison for five years. Alone. At least, that's how Toph sees it.
> 
> On a more serious note, we have Asami finally confronting Kuvira again after her initial visit four years ago... and it actually going pretty well. She's starting to realize that she just doesn't have the ability to keep holding on to that hate and anger like she used to, and how much Kuvira has changed. It helps that she can empathize with what Kuvira is going through right now with the loss of Su.


	26. Sweet Kiss And Sexual Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar comes up with a plan to protect the Earth Republic's prime minsters, Kuvira takes Toph's advice, and Aoi makes an ill-advised move against Zaheer's wishes.

Several hours after arriving in Ba Sing Se, Team Avatar met with the Earth Republic's prime ministers in the central meeting chamber of the state house, a chamber that had once been the palace throne room. The actual throne, of course, had been removed, in favor of a series of raised seats set in a semi-circle, surrounding a round table and a podium equipped with a microphone. The dull green lights that had once adorned the corbels of each pillar along the length of the room were gone as well, replaced with brighter, clearer lights that fully illuminated every crevice of the chamber, as far up to the very top of the high ceiling above.

Team Avatar sat around one side of the central table, while three individuals, each dressed in formal Earth Republic robes, sat at the other end—the prime ministers. All three prime minsters arose from their seat at the arrival of their guests and bowed low, prompting the others to return the gesture. When all were seated, the middle of the three prime ministers, a balding man with a long white beard, scooted his seat closer to the table.

“Avatar Korra, we welcome you and your friends to Ba Sing Se,” the man said, with a nod. “I am Prime Minister Nidhi, of Ba Sing Se.” He gestured to the left of him, at the second man, this one with long dark hair tied back in a ponytail. “This is Prime Minister Ratna, of Omashu.” And then, he gestured to his right, at the woman with glasses and hair done up in a bun. “And Prime Minister Ela, of Yi.”

Korra gave her own nod. “It's a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for having us.”

“Oh believe me, the pleasure is all ours,” Nidhi replied. “Given the circumstances...”

“Yes, this whole Red Lotus business is greatly concerning,” Ratna said, with a hostile glint in his eyes. “What happened in Zaofu was nothing short of an _atrocity._ ”

“And if they could do that to Zaofu, they could do it anywhere,” Ela affirmed. “Even Ba Sing Se.”

“That's why we're here,” Korra said. “We believe that Zaheer will attack during the council summit in three days, and we aim to stop him there, while protecting you in the process.”

Nidhi nodded to her again. “We are happy to have your aid, Avatar. While we are quite confident in the ability of our own personal guards, having you here can only improve our odds. We thank you.”

Ela tapped a finger against the table, scanning her eyes across the group. “We understand that a couple of you were present in Zaofu during the attack, is that correct?”

“Yes, I was there.” Kuvira straightened herself at attention, and then motioned to Anraq sitting next to her. “And so was Anraq.”

“Yeah, and we barely got out in one piece,” the waterbender muttered. “There were explosions, my cousin almost killed me, I had to fly an airship... it wasn't pretty.”

“Ah, yes... Kuvira.” Ela's gaze narrowed at the former Great Uniter. The caution in her eyes was palpable. “We'd like you to tell us anything you can about what you saw that night, about the Red Lotus. What exactly are we up against?”

Kuvira thought a moment, hesitating. Thinking back to that night brought only painful memories, but she did her best to block the worst of it from her mind. “Well, you know of Zaheer, of course. Skilled airbender who can fly, and no qualms about killing, which makes him exceptionally dangerous.”

“Then there's a waterbender named Yuruk... my cousin.” Anraq crossed his arms over his chest and sank back in his seat, frowning. “Spiteful, vindictive, extremely deadly... and one of the most skilled waterbenders in the world. Only reason his assassination attempt on the Northern Chiefs failed was because the palace ceiling collapsed on top of him during the battle—he had both twins dead to rights before that.”

“There was a metalbender, too,” Kuvira added. “Avan, I believe they called him. He's missing a hand, but he's had it replaced with a metal prosthetic that he uses as a projectile. The way he fights, though... I think he was a part of the Dai Li.”

“ _Bah_ , Dai Li...” spat Prime Minister Ratna. “Those shadowy weasel snakes ran this city behind the scenes for far too long. They should have been disbanded _far_ sooner than they were.”

“The name is familiar, though,” Nidhi said. “As I recall, Avan was the former Dai Li commander, and exceptionally talented. His raw power in earth and metalbending is unparalleled.”

Toph's eyebrows lifted at this announcement. “Excuse me? Who's unparalleled here?”

Nidhi's breath sputtered out of his throat, and he shifted in his seat nervously. “Oh, er... that's right. Toph Beifong, you're... here with the the Avatar. Perhaps I should have said _almost_ unparalleled?”

Toph leaned back against her chair with a satisfied smile, hands held behind her head. “Now that's better.”

“In any case,” Ratna said, glancing at the other prime minsters, “if it's true that he's a part of the Red Lotus now... it certainly creates new problems.”

Prime Minster Ela nodded. “It is gravely concerning, no doubt.”

“That's not all, though,” Kuvira said. She sat stiffer in her seat, eyes half-closing to slits as she recalled her battle at the Zaofu airfield. “There was another of the Red Lotus who I fought with—her name is Aoi. She's young, just a teenager, and yet her skill is... remarkable. She uses lightningbending as her primary means of attack, mixes it into her style as naturally as if she were firebending... and yet she never actually _used_ her firebending. But I can't figure out why...” It still nagged at the back of her mind. There was something about that girl, something odd.

Anraq huffed out a sigh. “Other than those four, there were all your other regular Red Lotus members. No more talented than your average bender, but... there were a lot of them, way more than the last time they showed up. And if I were a betting man? I'd say there's a lot more where they came from.”

Prime Minister Nidhi pulled his hands together, sliding them beneath the sleeves of his robe. “It seems the situation might be worse than we feared...”

“Don't worry,” Korra said. “We'll stop them, whatever it takes. Now, I know we think the attack will take place during the council summit, but just to be safe I think we need to stay with you at all times. Where are you three staying right now?”

“There are living quarters on the third floor of the state house,” Ratna said. “Considering it used to be the royal palace, there are quite a few more accommodations than your typical government building.”

Korra raised a hand to her chin, thinking. “In that case, I'm going to recommend all of you remain here until the summit. It'll be easier to protect you if we don't have to follow you around all throughout the city. In the event that you _do_ have to leave, though, then a pair of us will accompany you in addition to your personal guards.”

“Well, as far as I know, I don't have any pressing matters to take care of out in the city right now,” Nidhi said.

Ela nodded. “Neither do I.”

“I do have an appointment tomorrow I need to make,” Ratna said, with a shrug. “But it isn't far from here.”

“Alright, well in the meantime we'll work in shifts guarding you at the state house.” Korra turned in her seat to look around at the rest of her team. “Who wants to take the first shift tonight?”

Bumi immediately stood up, hands pressed flat against the top of the table. “Bum-Ju and I are at your service, Korra. I've had my fair share of all-nighters in the United Forces before, so I have no problem taking the night shift.” Bum-Ju agreed with the statement by fluttering down onto the table and offering an eager chirp.

“Ah, what the heck, I guess I'll stay, too,” Anraq said, with a simple raise of his hand. “I took a nap earlier, so I'm wide awake right now.”

“And I've been napping most of the day, so you can count me in,” Toph said. “Nobody is sneaking up on us while I'm around.”

Korra gave the three a nod. “Alright, we'll figure out the next shift in the morning, then. If anything happens, give our suite a call and we'll be right over to help.”

Prime Minister Nidhi arose from his seat and bowed low. “Thank you again, Avatar Korra. We appreciate everything you're doing for us.”

“You're welcome, Prime Minister.” Korra followed suit, rising and taking a bow. “Always happy to help.”

With the meeting adjourned, Team Avatar made their way out of the meeting chamber and back into the main hall. While the others continued on ahead, however, Kuvira reached out and put a hand on Korra's shoulder, pulling her to the back of the group so they could talk alone.

“Korra, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Korra said, giving an encouraging smile. “You know you can ask me anything.”

“Okay...” Kuvira sucked in a small breath and planted her weight on one foot. “Well, I know you're supposed to keep an eye on me at all times, but I was wondering if it might be possible for me to go out tonight.”

“To go out... you mean into the city?”

“Yes.” She cleared her throat, and reached across herself with one hand to grab at her opposite elbow. As if what she wanted to do wasn't awkward enough, having to ask the Avatar's permission made it twice as embarrassing. “There's... someone I want to meet with.”

Korra narrowed her eyes, curiously. “Who, exactly?”

“Well... Yula.”

At this statement, Korra's eyebrows lifted high, eyes widening. “Secretary Guan's assistant?”

“Yes.” Kuvira sucked in another breath to steady her nerves. “She... gave me her number earlier, so I thought about it a while, and...”

“Ohhh, I see.” The smirk that the Avatar gave caused Kuvira's face to flush. Just what was Korra trying to insinuate? “Say no more. Have fun.”

“Are you sure?”

Korra nodded. “I trust you, Kuvira. I know you'll be back. Just don't stay out too late, in case we need you.”

“Of course,” Kuvira said quickly, bowing her head. “Thank you, Korra.”

* * *

Kuvira looked down at herself for the tenth time, smoothing out any creases she found in her Zaofu robes. They were of a different style than the day-to-day robes worn by standard Zaofu citizens, more form fitting and less hindering, as they were meant to be worn beneath armor. She had left the metal armor plates back in her room, however—somehow, she didn't think it appropriate to wear a full armored uniform to this... meeting? Date? Just what _was_ this, anyway? Still, she had kept the forehead jewelry in place, and she still wore her pendant beneath her collar.

As she approached the designated meeting area, a brilliantly sculpted metal fountain in the shape of a turtle duck, Kuvira cupped her hands tightly together—she could already feel the trepidation beginning to rise in her chest. For all her usual militant confidence and resolve, the thought of getting together with someone she had only just met, to... talk or... or do whatever, together, set her nerves alight. It had been so long since she'd done this sort of thing, and even her courtship with Baatar had hardly been traditional; most of their relationship had been formed during her unification campaign. This... this was entirely different.

Yula stood near the left side of the fountain. The younger woman had changed since earlier, into a longer dress of forest green, embroidered with a yellow vine pattern, the fabric of which sparkled against the light of the streetlamps. She had forgone her ponytail, hair now let down and flowing freely around her shoulders, while her glasses still sat low on her nose.

Kuvira breathed in deeply once more and approached. “Hello, Yula.”

Yula turned and immediately uttered a gasp, lips twisting into a delighted smile. “Oh spirits, I can't believe you actually came! When I left you my card, I wasn't actually expecting to hear back from you, but then you called and said you wanted to meet, and I couldn't believe it, and...”

“ _Yula,”_ Kuvira said, urging the woman to slow herself. “You can relax, please. I know you may think of me as an idol, but... I'm just a person. A person who wants to have a nice evening with you. Just... treat me how you would anyone else on a date.”

“Oh... yes, of course. Sorry.” Yula inhaled to calm herself, but then paused. Her eyebrows lifted again as she stared. “Wait... A date? Really?”

“Oh.” Had Kuvira misread the woman's intent? As if this wasn't embarrassing enough. “I just assumed...”

“No, I mean yes, it _is_ a date!” Yula insisted. “I mean, if you _want_ to be... I just didn't actually think...” The younger woman groaned, holding a palm up to her forehead. “I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous. I don't actually do this a lot and... can we start again?”

Kuvira blinked. A sudden wave of relief flooded through her, and she felt herself beginning to relax. So, she wasn't the only nervous one here. “Sure. It's actually been a long time since I've done this, too. _Ahem._ ”She straightened her posture and nodded, holding out a hand in greeting. “Hello, Yula.”

Yula took her hand and shook it, smiling. “Hey, it's good to see you. I'm glad you came.”

“So... did you have anything in mind for us to do?”

“Oh, yes!” Yula's smile grew. “There are a ton of sights around the city I thought we could visit. I know you've been to Ba Sing Se before, but you must have been so busy trying to restore the place that you didn't really get to enjoy it.”

“That is true...” she said. During her first visit, she had focused solely on rebuilding and restoring order to the city. There had hardly been time to sightsee.

“Well in that case, you just stick with me and I'll show you a good time.” Yula reached out and wrapped an arm around one of Kuvira's, then started tugging her along the street. “I thought first we could head over to the Jasmine Dragon and get some tea. Do you like tea?”

“I do, actually,” Kuvira said. She thought a second longer, and then her brow pushed together curiously. “When you say the Jasmine Dragon... do you mean _the_ Jasmine Dragon? The teashop started by Iroh, of the Hundred Year War?”

“Yeah, that's the one! You know about him?”

“You could say that.” Kuvira couldn't hide the small grin that spread across her face. She had visited Iroh in the Spirit World many more times since the first, playing Pai Sho, drinking tea, and just talking. “I've heard his tea recipes are exquisite.”

“Oh they _are._ Best tea in Ba Sing Se for the past eighty years! So would you like to go?”

Kuvira smiled, and tightened her arm around Yula's. “I'd love to.”

* * *

 

Avan pushed his fists forward. The tunnel ahead of him widened and dug deeper, but this time several squirts of liquid began to seep in through the earthen walls. "Water. We're nearing the flooded caverns beneath Lake Laogai."

"Yeah, I'm ready, don't worry.” Yuruk took a few steps towards him, already warming himself up with a few practice stances. “I'll keep us dry when it all comes pouring through eventually. Once we clear a path clean through to the surface, I can start draining the caverns."

Behind them, Zaheer watched closely, pointing a flashlight up ahead to light the way. Normally, they would have simply had Aoi give them light with her firebending, but she had been charged with watching the tunnel entrance to make sure they weren't discovered. As Avan continued to dig through the collapsed tunnels, a hiss of static drew his attention down to his waist—someone was trying to contact them through the radio.

"Hello? Zaheer?” Aoi's voice. “Is this thing on?"

Zaheer raised the radio to his lips. "What is it, Aoi?"

"Oh, your signal is _terrible_ , I can barely hear you."

"Aoi..."

"Anyway, there's something you might want to know.” A pause, followed by another static hiss. Her voice returned a moment later. “You'll never guess who I just saw strolling down the streets of Ba Sing Se."

"I don't suppose you saw the Avatar?"

"Oh, so close, but no,” Aoi replied. “ It's _Kuvira._ Of course, if she's here then that probably means so is the Avatar, so I suppose we'll say you were half right."

"I see...” Zaheer thought a moment, then clicked the radio button again. “It seems they figured out we plan to attack the summit meeting. Tell me, did Kuvira look like she was searching for us? Perhaps accompanied by one of the Avatar's associates?"

"You do realize that I've never actually _seen_ any of the Avatar's other 'associates', yes? But no, she didn't seem to be searching for anything. Actually I think she was on some kind of date, some young scrawny looking woman with glasses hanging off her arm."

"And are they still nearby?"

"Hmm...” Another pause. “Yes, they've stopped at a teriyaki stand. Uck, how _sickeningly_ mundane."

"I want you to keep an eye on them,” Zaheer said. “Don't let them out of your sight. If possible, follow Kuvira back to the Avatar and the rest of their team."

“Are you sure? I could always just take her out for you... we _are_ going to kill her anyway, after all.”

“I'm sure. I want to know exactly who and what we're dealing with. We may have to alter our plan to accommodate.”

A disappointed sigh crackled in through the radio. “Yes, yes, very well. I won't let them out of my sight."

* * *

 Kuvira fell back onto the mattress with an exhausted huff. Her chest heaved, sucking in as much air as possible in attempts to recover. The darkened room spun around her as she slowly came back to her senses, and as feeling returned to the rest of her body. She tried to move, but could only manage a few twitches of her fingers right now; it didn't help that Yula's form had collapsed onto one side of her, trapping one of her arms and legs beneath the petite woman's body. In those lingering moments of recovery, all Kuvira could do was lie there, staring up at the ceiling.

When at last her breathing began to steady, Kuvira propped her head up on one of the pillows. In the hard shadows cast by the moonlight from the window, she and Yula appeared as a single mass, a tangle of limbs and naked flesh atop the satin bedsheets. A sheen of sweat glistened across their skin, causing the portions of their bodies touched by that silver light to glow and sparkle, as if the moonbeams were dancing across their figures.

The sight of Yula huddled close against her, naked and vulnerable, stirred something in Kuvira, a renewed warmth spreading through her chest, down into her fingers. She hadn't meant for this to happen when the night began. The date had started so innocent, with a simple conversation over tea. They spoke a great deal about themselves, learning about each other. Yula told stories about growing up in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se during the Earth Queen's reign, and the things she had to do to survive. Kuvira spoke of Zaofu, and dancing, and the grief of never quite having a true family growing up. She thought for sure she would put off Yula when she explained her regrets and misgivings about her time as the Great Uniter.

But Yula didn't care. She only encouraged and comforted her, and soon the two opened up to each other in deeper ways. They spoke of their dreams, their desires, loves, losses, successes, and failures. Before Kuvira had even realized it, hours had past, and the night had grown old. When Yula had extended an invitation back to her apartment, she had hesitated, at first, unsure if she should accept an offer so... forward. But Toph's advice had cackled in the back of her head too loudly to ignore, and so she did accept.

_Have some fun while you're still young!_

And fun she had certainly experienced, though 'fun' was perhaps not the proper way to describe it—too weak a word. It had been more than five years since Kuvira had been with anyone, and so she had been awkward and clumsy about it at first. Yula guided her, though, eased her nerves with a few ticklish kisses to her most sensitive areas, and then Kuvira's instincts had taken over. What began as gentle, sensual, soon heated into something more intense, something carnal. She had never before heard anyone scream in such enjoyment as Yula had, but it drove something wild inside her.

In those moments of sexual bliss, Kuvira forgot herself. She forgot her worries, and her fears, her regrets...everything. There was only she and Yula, grinding in rhythm with each other atop the sheets, naked flesh pressed against naked flesh, hands exploring each other's most intimate curves, lips trailing kisses along their bodies, their moans and yells joined together in harmonic symphony... It was as though a dance—a different kind of dance, but one that Kuvira enjoyed just as strongly.

Now, they lied together in bed, basking in afterglow. Their breaths slowed and grew even, and neither moved, content in the simple, quiet embrace. Yula hummed out a pleasant breath and cuddled closer. To Kuvira's own surprise, she found herself hugging the younger woman tightly, one hand stroking through her hair. Having someone to hold like that, to comfort and be at peace with, together... It brought a warmth to her heart that she didn't want to end.

"Mmm..." Yula inhaled, her chest expanding gently against Kuvira's. She kissed along the older woman's neckline, up to the jaw. "That was...wonderful."

Kuvira tilted her head down and met the kisses with her own, lips pressing tightly together. When she pulled away, she replied, "It...really was. Although, I did say to just call me Kuvira, if you remember."

Yula's cheeks flushed bright red, noticeable even in the pale moonlight, as she recalled all the times during the past couple hours she had inadvertently shouted out 'Great Uniter' at the top of her lungs. "I know, I'm sorry, I just... I guess I got carried away."

"It's fine," she said, offering another soft kiss. "I didn't mind so much."

"So, um... does this mean there's going to be a second date?"

Kuvira trailed a finger along Yula's cheek, the curled it around a loose stand of the young woman's hair. "I'd say there's a distinct possibility of that." Her expression shifted soon after, though, smile sinking into a distant frown. "It's just...I'm not sure how much longer I'll be in Ba Sing Se. Or even how much longer I'll be out of prison. When my mission is over, I'll be locked up again. So... I'm not sure if starting anything serious would be a good idea."

Yula rested her head against Kuvira's breast. She sighed, lips twisting down into a frown. "Well...that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the time we do have, right?"

"I suppose not..." Kuvira's fingers traveled lightly down along the young woman's backside, dancing playfully across her skin. "Spirits know I could use a little enjoyment."

"And I know we just met, but... if something serious does happen?" Yula drew circles on Kuvira's bare stomach with her finger. "We can just figure something out. I do like you, Kuvira, and not just in the 'freaking out about you because you're my idol' kind of way. I learned a lot about you tonight... and I'd like to know more."

Kuvira watched Yula's finger trace across her abdomen. It was strange to think just how much they had learned about each other tonight. They had opened up to each other in a way that one normally only would to a longtime friend. She didn't consider this a bad thing, though. It was different, certainly, but in a good way.

"I like you, too," she replied, with a soft kiss to Yula's forehead. "I'm glad I decided to give you a call." She knew she had Toph to thank for that, though, and undoubtedly the old woman would be expecting it. There would be no hiding what had happened from her—Toph would feel it, written all over Kuvira's very being.

Yula smiled. "I'm glad I even had the courage to slip you my card. I didn't actually think anything would come of it... but here we are."

"Yes...here we are." Kuvira stroked her fingers through Yula's hair again and returned the smile. A long, peaceful moment lingered between them, and then she glanced up at the clock on the wall—three o'clock in the morning. She groaned. "I should get going back to my team..."

"Oh, already?" Yula pouted, shifting herself more fully across Kuvira's body. "Are you sure you can't stay?"

"I wish I could, but...yes, I'm sure." And that wasn't a lie. If Kuvira could have stayed there in bed all night with Yula, fallen asleep with her, woken up with her...she would have. But she had other responsibilities to worry about. "If the Red Lotus decide to attack early and I'm not there... Well, I _need_ to be there."

Yula sighed, then reluctantly rolled to the other side of the bed and stood up. "I understand.”

Kuvira watched her a moment, watched the gleaming moonlight ignite the supple slopes and crevices of the younger woman's body. Yula's physique was so different from her own. Kuvira's body was lean and toned, each movement flexing a different muscle to highlight the strength and shape of a dancer. Yula, though, was smaller—lean, yes, but little muscle to show off, and a stature that was, overall, petite, and even a bit fragile. Yet, she still exuded a striking beauty, if of a different sort. Kuvira squirmed a bit on the bedsheets as she gazed at the younger woman's nude form, glowing in the silver light—oh how she wished she could stay.

"Although...there is another option," Kuvira said, as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I do need to get back, but there's nothing saying you can't come with me."

"What?" Yula turned around fully to face her, and Kuvira had to fight down that growing stirring between her legs. "Are you sure?"

"Well, I don't see why not," she replied. "I do want to spend more time with you... we'll just have to take a slight detour first, is all. If anything, a walk and some fresh air sounds nice." That was more like the old Kuvira; she saw something she wanted, and she wasn't letting anything stand in her way.

Yula's expression brightened. "Okay then, sure! Let me just get dressed and grab a change of clothes."

* * *

The night was cool, and silent at this time of night. Even with as bustling as Ba Sing Se had become over the past eight years, at three in the morning only the truest of night owls still roamed the streets, and they were few and far between. It meant that Kuvira and Yula could enjoy the peace of each other's company as they walked through the Middle Ring, free of distractions. They didn't even need to talk—simply leaning against each other with their hands held together was enough.

It felt so strange to Kuvira, to be so affectionate with this woman, whom she had only just met, yet had shared so much with over the course of one night. Strange in a good way, though. In those quiet moments they spent together, Kuvira wasn't worried, or afraid, or nervous, or self-doubting... she had even forgotten about her feelings for Korra.

Her heart raced at the thought—was this normal? Was she supposed to feel so strongly about someone so quickly? Or was her inexperience in these matters leading her to rush headlong into things too fast? Spirits, why did this have to be so complicated?

As they turned down an empty street on their way to the Upper Ring, a flicker of shadow caught Kuvira's gaze. At first, she thought nothing of it, assuming it to be little more the night playing tricks on her eyes. But then it moved again, and this time she was certain it was no trick. She stopped and turned around, glaring down the shadowed street behind them as if expecting something or someone to lunge out at them at any moment.

“Is everything alright?” Yula asked, giving her hand a tight squeeze.

“I... yes. I just thought I saw something.”

A flash of blue lit the night, followed by an electric crackle. Above them, Kuvira realized—the attack was coming from above them. She immediately pushed Yula backwards and thrust a fist upward, lifting an earth wall to guard against the incoming bolt of lightning. The resulting impact exploded her wall to rubble, forcing her to stumble backwards and catch her balance. Yula shouted, huddling back farther with her hands held over her head to shield herself from the ruptured stone projectiles.

“Oh my, you _do_ have a good eye!” a voice called, from one of the rooftops above.

Kuvira slid back a step, widening her stance. She looked up to find the voice, and when she did her heart leaped into her throat.

Aoi grinned down at them, a vicious gleam in her eyes. “Ready for another?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... yeah. When I originally started writing this chapter, I certainly didn't expect it to be so long, mostly because I didn't expect Kuvira and Yula to, you know, get it on. But I liked writing their interactions and I thought they had some decent chemistry, once Yula got past her fangirling. And Kuvira -has- been in prison for five years... Although, it was more than just a roll in the hay, as we're seeing. There is some actual emotion there.
> 
> And oh yeah, finally some more action coming up in the next chapter. Aoi has trouble listening to orders sometimes, as you can tell.


	27. Redirection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Kuvira vs. Aoi, Round 2! And Yula reveals a shocking surprise.

Another lightning bolt ripped across the sky. This time, Kuvira was ready for it. The earth wall she put up between herself and the lightning was stronger than the first, and she was able to keep it whole when it absorbed the attack. Aoi didn't stop there, however—she ran across the rooftops above to get another angle, firing another shot of lightning when she had an opening. Again, Kuvira raised an earthen shield and blocked it.

“You'll have to do better than that!” Kuvira shouted, with a series of swift arm thrusts.

The earth wall in front of her split into pieces and launched up through the air towards the Red Lotus girl. Aoi simply ducked and spun out of the way, never in any danger of taking a hit, and after each evasive move, she managed a shot of lightning. Once again she forced Kuvira on the defensive.

“You disappoint me, _Great Uniter_ ,” Aoi stated, as she flipped herself from one building to the next. She stabbed two fingers forward and sparked yet another bolt of lightning into the air—again, Kuvira blocked it. “Is that all you can do?”

“All _I_ can do? You're the one with no new tricks!”

Instead of blocking, Kuvira slid her leg back and raced forward across the ground, as if surfing on a wave of water. The air sizzled with another stream of lightning. She stomped her foot and lifted herself skyward upon an earthen pillar to evade the blast, and with a single roll she popped up onto her feet on the rooftop across from Aoi. In the same motion, she turned her body and thrust her fists forward. Several chunks of the roof ripped free and fired at the girl—again, Aoi danced around the attacks with ease.

Aoi grinned, watching as the former Great Uniter ran across the rooftop towards her. “Perhaps, but they're the only tricks I need!” She held her two fingers forward, waited a moment, and then released another blast of lightning. This bolt, however, she didn't aim at Kuvira—rather, she aimed at the edge of the rooftop, just as Kuvira reached it to jump across to the next one. The bolt exploded the edge of the building, causing Kuvira to stumble just enough to throw her off balance; that was when Aoi made her move.

Kuvira bended the crumbling rubble beneath her feet, lifting herself forward through the air to the next roof. When she steadied herself and looked up, however, she had expected to see Aoi there firing another attack. Instead, Aoi had run towards her, closed the distance between them, and flipped up straight into the air above her.

Kuvira's gaze followed the girl flipping over her, and she immediately shifted her stance, one leg sliding sideways to widen her base. Aoi charged up lightning in her fingertips, arm extended down at her target. While still in midair, she released the bolt, igniting the night sky with a hue of electric blue. Kuvira spun her body away, rolling across the rooftop a split second before the lightning charred the spot where she'd be standing.

When Aoi landed back upon her feet, she bent herself backwards with fingers still outstretched, pointing another shot of lightning at the target behind herself. Kuvira ducked just in time to avoid it, though she could feel its heat as it tore through the air just inches from her head. The air itself charged with static, lifting her hair up on end as she bended the roofing beneath her feet to glide herself forward in a wide arc around the girl.

Kuvira held her arms forward. The bracers she wore with her robes were the same sort she usually wore with her armor, including a series of small metal plates along her forearm. Several of those metal plates burst free from the bracers and arced through the air towards Aoi. The Red Lotus girl held her smirk as she dodged the projectiles same as always. So cocky was she, however, that she didn't notice Kuvira's left foot slide forward and kick up a rippling line of tiling that circled around behind her.

Aoi stepped backwards to dodge another incoming metal strip, but her foot stopped short when it tripped against a newly raised bump on the otherwise flat rooftop. The smugness in her eyes vanished, replaced instead with surprise as she stumbled backwards over her heels. Kuvira seized the opportunity—she shot out another pair of metal strips from her bracers, and this time they latched around Aoi's wrist and ankle.

“Got you,” Kuvira said, lips twisting into a smirk.

Flipping her arms around in the air, she lifted Aoi by those metal strips and threw the girl across the rooftop. Aoi slammed against the tile, bounced a couple times, and then spun wildly with each new wave of Kuvira's hands. Once, twice, thee times Kuvira lifted the girl up into the air and then let her come crashing down again. The pin in Aoi's hair fell out at one point, allowing the young girl's hair to fall freely down around her shoulders; it became more a wild mess each time Kuvira flipped her around and smashed her against the rooftop.

When Kuvira finished her assault, Aoi lay there motionless, crumpled in a heap with the metal still latched around her wrist and ankle, no way to remove it. The girl twitched a few times, as if trying to get up, but the only thing she managed was a few groans before collapsing again. Kuvira relaxed, allowing her posture to sink as she caught her breath.

“Alright,” she muttered, as she approached the fallen girl. “Now, you're going to come with me. My team and I, we have some questions we need to ask you.”

Kuvira raised a hand, intent on lifting the girl up by the metal strips... but nothing happened. She tried again, but still, Aoi remained lying on the ground. That didn't make any sense. Why would she suddenly not be able to bend the metal around the girl's body...?

“You fool.” Aoi's eyes snapped open. She twisted her body, flipped herself around back up to her feet and extended two fingers forward with a quickly charged blast of lightning. Kuvira only barely managed to raise the roof tiling into a shield to block it—the resulting explosion knocked her clean off her feet near the edge of the rooftop. “Were you _that_ overconfident that you didn't even notice I melted your little metal bands clean off?”

Kuvira grunted as she sat upright. She focused her gaze on Aoi's wrist and ankle, where she had latched the metal strips onto—nothing there. She... _hadn't_ noticed. Whether because of the darkness of night or because she really had been that overconfident in her apparent moment of victory, she hadn't seen the metal disappear.

Aoi glanced down at her feet and kicked a pair of molten globs—the remains of the metal strips. “Firebenders can increase their body temperature, you know. Keep themselves warm, melt ice... or in _my_ case, even metal. You really don't know who you're dealing with here, Great Uniter.”

“The way I see it, I'm dealing with a smug, self-entitled brat of a firebender who can't even firebend,” Kuvira replied. She jumped back up to her feet and returned to her bending stance, ready to continue fighting.

Aoi's gaze narrowed, brow low over her eyes. “You haven't earned the _right_ to see me firebend. For someone who's supposed to be as fearsome and talented as the Great Uniter, you've been nothing but a disappointment so far. I'd much rather use my lightning and see you fry!”

Kuvira readied another shield composed of roof tiling as Aoi began charging another bolt of lightning. She had to end this quickly. Taking Aoi in alive for questioning might not be possible—she might have to end the girl. Either outcome worked, of course Even in the event that she did have to kill the girl, the Red Lotus would lose one of its more talented members, and they could always capture and question another.

Another flash of blue ignited in the air. Aoi cast her fingers forward to release the stream of lightning, and Kuvira reinforced her shield to block it—but the lightning didn't hit the shield. Rather, the bolt struck the roof just in front of her feet, and the impact exploded the tiling into shrapnel. The entire back portion of roofing crumbled, and soon Kuvira lost her footing, falling backwards over the edge into open air.

The world raced by her as she fell. She thudded against the fabric of an awning halfway down the building, tore through it into a second awning, and then a third, until finally she collided with the ground, wind bursting out from her lungs. A weak groan hissed from her throat as she tried to move; she barely raised herself an inch off the ground before a sharp pain ripped through her chest and she collapsed flat again. Her throat went numb, knotting tightly with nausea. Everything spun around her—the buildings, the sky... It was all so dizzying.

"Kuvira!" Yula raced into view and dropped to her knees at Kuvira's side. Her eyes sparked with panic, worry. "Oh spirits... Can you hear me?"

Kuvira blinked. The world finally slowed its spinning, but she still couldn't sit upright. She could only lie there, staring up at the younger woman at her side. A small flicker of movement beyond Yula, however, up on the rooftop above, drew a gasp from her lungs. The night sky lit up with blue once more, as Aoi charged a coil of lightning around her fingertips.

"Yula, move!" she managed to say, voice wheezing out with a weak cough.

Yula's eyes went wide. She stood up and spun around, watching as Aoi cast her arm forward and fired the hot wave of lightning directly at her. Still, she didn't move aside. Whether frozen in place out of fear, or because if she ran out of the way the lightning would hit Kuvira, she remained standing there.

" _Yula!_ "

The young woman stood her ground. She planted her feet and thrust a hand forward to meet the lightning, two fingers extended. When the blast struck her arm, she screamed, but did not falter. Lightning crackled through her fingertips, raced down through her arm, and surged through her body. In that brief moment, her entire body glowed with electricity, so strong that the panes of her glasses cracked, and her clothes began to singe. Then, Yula brought her other arm forward, pointing up at Aoi. The lightning continued fully through her body and traveled outward from her two extended fingers, and in an instant the bolt ripped back through the air from whence it came, only more concentrated this time, more powerful.

Aoi shouted a gasp as the lightning returned to her. She stepped backwards to avoid the blast, but the bolt tore into the rooftop at her feet, scattering tile and cement in every direction. Another shout loosed from her lips, but this time it was different—fearful, panicked. The rooftop collapsed within seconds, and with one more scream she fell into the building below, rubble crashing down behind her.

Then, all was quiet. Yula gasped out a sharp breath and fell back to her knees, huddled forward with her arms held around her gut. Her breaths were short and raspy, uneven.

"Yula?" Kuvira groaned and sat upright, forcing herself through the pain in her chest. She crawled up behind the younger woman, hands held to her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Yula shuddered, but gave a nod. "I'm okay... just a little shaken."

"You... you redirected her lightning," Kuvira said. The entire event had transpired in mere seconds, and only now that it was over could she properly realize what had happened. "Yula... you're a firebender?"

A pause followed, but Yula soon nodded again. "I... yes. I am."

"You never mentioned that."

"That's because I've never told _anyone_ ," she said, looking back over her shoulder. Her eyes sank with shame behind her cracked glasses.

Kuvira started to reply, but then noticed they were no longer alone. A crowd had started to gather, as citizens poured out of their homes, or looked out their windows to find out what was going on. Given the intensity of the battle, she wouldn't be surprised if they had woken the entire Middle Ring.

"Maybe we'd better continue this conversation elsewhere," she suggested, as she stumbled back up to her feet. "And before Aoi recovers. Can you stand?"

"I think so, yeah." Yula arose from the ground, but wobbled there a moment on shaky legs. Kuvira helped to steady her, an arm around her shoulder. "Okay...let's go."

* * *

A short while later, they found themselves back where they had started: the turtle duck shaped fountain in the Upper Ring. Yula sat against the edge of the fountain and ran her hand through the water. With wet fingers, she then rubbed her face clean of sweat, and fixed her hair back into place. Kuvira sat next her, just watching.

"So, why haven't you told anyone you're a firebender?" Kuvira asked.

Yula eased out so heavy sigh and hung her head. "You have to understand...growing up in the Lower Ring during the Earth Queen's rule wasn't just difficult because we were poor. There were certain...prejudices, as well. If you weren't an Earth Kingdom native, people looked at you different, treated you different. Treated you _badly._ "

She stared at the ground, eyes shifting out of focus. "Everyone knew my father came from the Fire Nation, but as much as they despised him, they'd never say it to his face, or do anything to him. He was a firebender, you see... a really skilled one. A few people tried something once, but he put them in the hospital, so they never took out their hate on him again. But me..."

Kuvira lifted a brow. "They took it out on _you?_ On a child?"

"Throughout most of my childhood, yes," she said, with a simple nod. "I'd come home with cuts or bruises, but I never told my dad why. They always used to tell me that if I said anything, they'd kill my father. So, I kept it to myself."

"That's...horrible." Kuvira's thoughts lingered back to her time as the Great Uniter, and the prison camps she had started. They were only ever meant for traitors and dissenters, but when she had told her troops that she planned to purge the Earth Empire of outside influence, some had taken that to mean foreign citizens, those from other nations. She had heard of instances like that, and thought it disgusting. Yet, she never got around to doing anything to stop it, too busy with her own conquest to bother.

Yet another of her failings.

"Once when I was twelve, though, it was particularly bad." Yula closed her eyes tight. Her fingers grabbed at the hem of her dress. "You see, my dad had been teaching me firebending in secret once he discovered I had the ability...but I was never very good at it. In spite of that, I stupidly thought I could fight off the bullies with it, maybe make them pay for hurting me so much. It didn't work. They broke two of my ribs and bruised my face so bad I didn't even look like me anymore. I couldn't hide what happened this time...I had to tell my dad."

Kuvira noticed the glimmer of tears brimming at the sides of Yula's closed lids. She reached out to her, joining their hands together and squeezing gently. "What happened?"

"My father went and confronted them," she explained. "He said he'd make sure they would never hurt me again... and he did. He... he killed them. I don't think he meant to, but... the next thing my family knew, my dad was arrested by Dai Li agents and we never saw him again. I assume they locked him up in some dungeon somewhere, but...he's probably dead by now."

"Yula..." Kuvira leaned closer and pulled Yula in for a warm embrace. Yula latched on, holding her head against Kuvira's shoulder and not letting go. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

Yula sniffled. "It happened a long time ago... After that, I kept my firebending hidden, but I did keep practicing in secret, even if I still never got very good at it." She sighed, then pulled away and held up a hand. A small orange flame ignited in her palm. "Just...a way to feel like I'm still connected to my dad, I guess."

Kuvira gazed at Yula, deep into her eyes, and lowered her own hands down to the younger woman's arms to offer support. "And where did you learn how to redirect lightning? That's a pretty advanced technique."

"I read about it, actually. I have a lot of books about firebending that I read, and one of them teaches how to redirect lightning. I practiced it a lot just in case I'd ever need to, but this was the first time I've ever tried it for real."

"How did it feel? To have all the energy flowing through you like that..."

"It was...intense." Yula's brow scrunched together, as she recalled the feeling. "Exhilarating, even. I felt like...like I had so much power. But I was afraid, too... If I'd made a single mistake, it could have been fatal."

Kuvira smiled. "But you didn't make a mistake. You were perfect."

"Well, I... I suppose."

"You might say you're not that good, Yula, but to be able to redirect lightning like that, you have to be talented. I think you're better than you give yourself credit for."

Yula thought a moment. Her lips gradually curled into a satisfied smile, followed by a subtle blush to her cheeks. "Maybe..."

"How about you show me what you can do, sometime?" Kuvira asked. "I promise I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

"Okay...sure," Yula said. Her smile brightened further. "I'd like that."

"I look forward to it." Kuvira leaned close again, this time bringing their lips together for a tender kiss. Then, she held one of Yula's hands and stood. "Now come on, we should get going. We need to tell my team what happened."

* * *

A ball of fire exploded from the rubble pile, igniting half the furniture in the room. Aoi shoved a fallen chunk of concrete away from herself and pulled free of the wreckage, clambering back up to her feet. A furious breath seethed from her throat, and with a vicious yell she cast both hands out to her sides and released a massive jet of flames that further engulfed her surroundings. The fire spread rapidly, and soon half the building was alight.

"That little _wretch!_ " she shrieked, flipping back her long hair out of her face. She sucked in several more frustrated, hateful breaths in attempts to calm herself, but it had little effect. Instead, she looked to the far wall and kicked out a concentrated jet of flames that ruptured the structure, creating a hole that led outside. "When I get my hands on her..."

She shouted again, this time spewing out a wave of fire from her mouth. Then, she leaped down out of the building onto the streets below. Onlookers had gathered, some screaming, others pointing, and others still retreating from the inferno that now consumed the building. Aoi paid them no mind. She marched away from the scene, hands balled into fists, and feet leaving behind tiny flames on the ground in her wake.

"By the spirits..." one man said, mouth hanging open. "Have you ever seen flames like those?"

"No..." replied the woman next to him. She gawked at the scene with equal astonishment, eyes wide and eyebrows raised high. "Never."

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, surprise! Yula's got game. Or at least, a little bit. It's funny sometimes how characters that were never meant to exist can surprise you and become so enjoyable to write. Of course, Aoi didn't much enjoy Yula's surprise, but hey, she doesn't have to. She's the villain.
> 
> Also, again, writing fight scenes is hard. Ugh.


	28. In Plain Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the Earth Republic's annual council summit meeting has arrived! Team Avatar is ready for the imminent Red Lotus attack, but Zaheer has a trick up his sleeve they aren't expecting.

Yula breathed inward, steadying her nerves. “Okay, now... promise not to laugh or anything. I'm telling you I'm not very good.”

“I'm not going to laugh.” Kuvira said, as she down with her legs crossed, watching the younger woman sink into a firebending pose. “I'm sure you're much better than you think.”

The words of encouragement didn't seem to help much. Yula nodded, but still had to swallow back her anxiety. She forced her eyes closed a moment, breathing in deep once more. “And you're sure no one is going to see me?”

“It's just you and me up here,” Kuvira said, with a nod.

Finding a secret place to practice had been simple enough. The viewing deck atop Team Avatar's airship stood higher than most any other structure in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se; the only thing taller nearby was the state house, and that was far enough away that anyone happening to look in their direction from that location would see them only as tiny specs, if at all.

“Okay... here I go.”

Yula opened her eyes and then took a step forward. She snapped her fist out with a powerful punch, releasing a burst of flames from her knuckles. The flames were average in size, but erupted with a distinct fierceness. Yula followed with another punch, and this time the flames burned larger. Then, a whirling kick that arced a wave of fire across the viewing deck. She spun once, punching with both fists this time, and maintained a constant jet of fire for several seconds before extinguishing. Pulling her fists back, she jumped with another kick. The proceeding flames blazed across the deck, roaring forward like a curved blade of fire .

When Yula attempted to shift into her next attack, she caught her feet together and tripped down to her knees, catching herself with her hands. “Oh... I always mess up at that part. I told you I wasn't very good.”

Kuvira sat straighter and offered the young woman a smile. “On the contrary. For someone with hardly any formal training, that was actually quite impressive.”

“It was?” Yula stood up straight again and glanced back at Kuvira, brow held up in uncertainty. “You're not just saying that?”

“I mean it. Being honest, your form itself could use some work, but the intensity of your fire is great. Better than most I've ever seen, actually.”

Yula's expression brightened with a smile. “Oh, wow... thank you.”

“Of course, I'm not really one to give a proper critique,” Kuvira said, shrugging. “Seeing as how I'm an earthbender. My knowledge in firebending is pretty limited.”

“It's okay.” Yula shrugged, and exhaled a gentle sigh. “I don't think I'll ever find another firebender to actually train me, so... I'm okay with what I can do now.”

“What if I told you you _could_ have a firebender train you?”

“Oh, well... I mean, yes, that would be amazing. But, there isn't anyone. I don't know of any other firebenders in Ba Sing Se, or if there are I've never met them.”

Kuvira grinned, then stood up and glanced over towards the viewing deck elevator. “Well, I actually already invited one to join us. She should be here any minute...”

“What?” Yula stiffened nervously, as she, too, looked to the elevator. “Who?”

Several moments past before the light on the elevator blinked and the doors opened, revealing a distinctly recognizable figure. The woman made her way towards them, giving a wave as she approached. To Yula, she smiled and said, “So, someone told me you were looking for some firebending lessons?”

“A-Avatar Korra?!” Yula shrieked, hands covering her mouth in shock. She looked to Kuvira with wide eyes. “Is this real?”

“Oh, it's real, alright,” Kuvira replied. She smirked, and put a hand to Yula's back, pushing her closer to the Avatar.

“I... I can't believe this,” Yula stated. “The Avatar is going to teach me firebending?”

“If you want,” Korra replied, with a friendly nod. “Right now, Bolin, Opal, Lin, and Kya are guarding the prime ministers, so we have plenty of free time for some lessons.”

A large, excited grin spread across Yula's face. “Yes! I'd love some lessons, thank you!”

“In that case, go ahead and show me what you can do.”

Yula immediately got back into her stance and readied hereslf. After a moment's pause, she went through her forms again, creating several impressive blasts of fire that scorched across the viewing deck. This time, though, she didn't trip. She kept going, adding a new series of powerful punches and kicks. Soon, she was so engrossed in the set that she started yelling with each attack.

Unfortunately, she couldn't keep it up for very long. Within a couple of minutes she slowed down, until finally she stumbled forward and leaned with her hands held to her knees. Sweat dripped from her brow as she sucked in deep, heavy breaths, in attempts to recover from the exhaustion that had crept its way into her body.

“I'm sorry...” she huffed. “That's all I can... do.”

“That was great,” Korra said, lifting her hands to clap. “You seem to have most of the basics down, but there are a couple of things you should keep in mind.”

Yula wiped a line of sweat from her brow and looked back at the Avatar. “Oh, yes, of course. What kinds of things?”

“Well, I noticed you were putting a lot of effort into your attacks,” she explained, “which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it will tire you out faster. That goes especially for firebending, which is already a very fast, offensive style. Because of that, the longer a fight goes on, the greater a disadvantage a firebender finds herself.”

“Oh, yeah...” Yula said, with a small breath. “It's just, I know I'm not very physically, um... impressive. I mean, certainly not like you. So, I just try to put everything I have into my attacks to make up for it.”

Korra chuckled. “I get it, but that's the great thing about firebending—it doesn't rely on physical strength. That's not where a firebender's power comes from.” She stood straight and lowered her hands down by her abdomen. “Your power comes from complete control over your breathing and chi flow.” She breathed in deep, slow, raising her hands up higher as she did. Then, she released the breath in the same steady rhythm, hands lowering again back to her abdomen. “Your breath becomes energy, and that energy extends past your limbs to become fire.” With a swift punch, she released a powerful jet of flames into the air. “Your muscles have nothing to do with it.”

Yula watched intently at Korra's demonstration, then began to mimic her. She breathed slowly, evenly. When she felt she had her breath under control, she gave a punch of her own. The flames that released from her knuckles this time were larger than before, even though the physical effort she had put into the strike was far less than usual.

“Wow,” she uttered, looking back down at her hands. “Did you see that?”

Korra smiled. “That was excellent. Just remember to keep your breathing under control like that at all times. It won't just help with your fire generation, but you should also be able to last longer without tiring.”

“Right. I'll remember.”

“Okay, and the one other thing that we need to work on is your form.” Korra raised her hands into a basic firebending pose. “You're a little stiff in your stances, and your attacks are a bit wild and uncontrolled. Just watch me and then try to follow.”

Korra guided her new pupil through several different firebending sets over the next hour. Yula paid close attention, doing everything in her ability to mimic the forms to perfection. At first, she had difficulty controlling her strikes, but as time went on, each punch, each kick, grew steadily more crisp and fluid. Yula had always been a smart girl, so memorizing the sets came naturally to her. Before long, she could perform them without the need for Korra to guide her. At this point, Korra backed off and simply watched the younger woman practice.

Kuvira stepped next to the Avatar, arms folded across her chest. “So, how is she, really?”

“Honestly? She's pretty remarkable,” Korra replied. “And a really fast learner. You said she's never had formal training before?”

“Only briefly,” she said. “Her father taught her some when she was a kid, but other than that she's only learned from books.”

Korra nodded. She kept her attention on Yula, watching the firebender continue the forms with an increased, but more controlled, intensity. “And she can redirect lightning, too... You know, with more formal training like this, I think she could become an incredible firebender.”

“I know she'd like that...” Kuvira said, with a soft exhale. “But we won't be in Ba Sing Se much longer, so you won't be here to keep training her. And I won't be here, either...”

Korra glanced at her, a curious eyebrow raised. “You two have gotten pretty close over the past couple of days, haven't you?”

A small laugh puffed out of Kuvira's lips, as she watched Yula kick a whirling stream of flames into the air. “We have. I don't know how to explain it. I know we only just met but, I like her. I really, _really_ like her... She makes me _happy._ The kind of happy I haven't felt in a long time.”

“And I'm happy for you,” Korra said, patting a hand against the other woman's shoulder.

“But it can't last...” Kuvira lowered her gaze, closed her eyes. “We'll be leaving soon anyway, and then after this mission is over I'll be back in prison again.”

“Hey, don't worry. If it means that much to you, we can figure something out, I'm sure. And if not... then enjoy the time you do have together.”

Kuvira smiled again, a very soft, gentle smile. “I _am_ enjoying it... I really am.”

* * *

Daru tilted his head back and uttered a long yawn. “Man, why do we get the night shift?”

His fellow guard, Bhu, glanced back at him with an apathetic stare. “Does it really matter? Same job, just a different time.”

“I suppose. Would still be nice to get some proper sleep, though.”

The pair continued their patrol around the state house. Several other pairs of patrols passed by them along their route, and they gave simple waves in greeting on their way by. Even if they were in a mood to stop and chat, they had to keep moving. Ever since the news of an imminent Red Lotus attack, the prime minsters' personal guards had been on higher alert than ever, and security at the state house had nearly doubled.

Daru yawned again, holding a hand over his mouth. In that brief moment, as he and his partner rounded the corner of the state house gardens, he heard Bhu grunt and then collapse next to him. “What the— Bhu?” He looked down, expecting to see his partner there on the ground... but there was nothing. No one. “Bhu, where are you?”

He received no answer. Instead, a painful crack ripped across the back of his skull, exploding a burst of colors in his vision. He fell flat on his face, unable to move, and soon his entire world went dark.

* * *

Avan bended the earth glove back through the air, pulling along the limp guard with it. When they were safely out of sight behind the hedges of the garden, he let go the hold on the guard and returned the glove to his hand. “That should be the last of them.”

“Good work, Avan,” Zaheer said. “Yuruk, alert our other members that it's time to get ready. We should be prepared for the council summit tomorrow.”

The waterbender hissed out an unenthused sigh. “Ugh, fine... but after that I'm getting some sleep. You have any idea how exhausting it was to bend an entire underground lake out of those caverns?”

Zaheer nodded. “I understand. You'll need to be well rested for tomorrow, anyway. We all will.”

A short distance away, Aoi uttered a frustrated scoff. She folded her arms tightly across her chest. “I don't understand why we aren't just attacking now. We have all their guards incapacitated—the prime ministers are ripe for the picking.”

“Because we're not just after the prime minsters,” Zaheer said, turning a glare towards the young girl. “The summit meeting will bring together the Earth Republic's entire governing body—prime ministers, secretaries, advisers, everyone. If you bothered to listen, you'd have remembered that.”

“I listen just _fine,_ thank you very much.”

“And that's why you directly ignored my orders when you attacked Kuvira?” Zaheer's glare intensified; he had had almost enough of this girl's attitude. “I told you to _follow_ her, not to engage. We could have learned exactly who she and the Avatar had arrived with, but instead, your impatience cost us a potential advantage.”

Aoi's brow twitched. “I _had_ her! If it hadn't been for that mousey little twit redirecting my lightning, Kuvira would be dead!”

“That's no one's fault but your own!” Zaheer countered. The tone in his voice raised with a growing annoyance. “If you can't learn to listen, then you will deal with whatever consequences your defiance brings. Either you start following orders to the letter, and act like a member of the Red Lotus family, or you won't be here much longer. Am I clear?”

A frown deepened on Aoi's lips. She turned her gaze away. “Crystal.”

“Good. Now, remember your role and get ready. We have a big day ahead of us.”

* * *

Yula huddled closer to Kuvira in bed, resting her head on the older woman's chest and sighing contently. The feel of Kuvira's chest rising and falling against her with each breath eased a calming peace through her heart. In those quiet moments, time stood still.

Kuvira hummed quietly, stroking her fingers through Yula's hair. “You still awake?”

“Mmhmm,” she replied, with a gentle giggle. She tilted her head up to look up at her. “Even though we should probably be asleep.”

“Probably.” Kuvira smirked, then leaned in to press her lips softly against Yula's. “But I don't want the night to end just yet.”

“Me neither...” Yula sighed. “Are you worried about tomorrow?”

“I don't know if worried is the right word. I don't know what I am, to be honest. We _know_ the Red Lotus is here, we _know_ they'll be attacking, and we _know_ we have to stop them... one way or another. I'm ready for them, at least. We all are.”

Yula nodded, holding Kuvira closer. “I'm a little worried... or maybe afraid. I don't know. I'll be at the meeting, though; I have to be, as Secretary Guan's assistant.”

“You don't need to be afraid,” Kuvira assured. “We'll be there to protect you. _I'll_ protect you.”

“Just like you are now?”

Kuvira smiled, stroking her fingers lightly along the younger woman's cheek. “Just like now.”

Ever since Aoi's attack two nights ago, Kuvira had thought it best that Yula stay with her at Team Avatar's suite. She didn't know just how spiteful that Red Lotus girl was, but she wasn't going to risk sending Yula back to her own apartment where she might be attacked. Clearly, Aoi had been following them that night, which meant she knew where Yula lived. Until this Red Lotus business was over with in Ba Sing Se, at the very least, Yula wasn't safe.

Yula smiled, then gave several gentle kisses along Kuvira's neck. “I know we haven't been together very long, but... I'm glad we are. Together, I mean.”

“So... ohhh...” A hot gasp escaped Kuvira's lips, as she tilted her head off to the side so Yula could continue her line of kisses. “So am I.”

The younger woman giggled, then rolled herself over on top of Kuvira. She glided one hand down along her side, slowly, teasingly, traveling gradually lower. “Still don't want the night to end just yet?”

Kuvira didn't manage any words, only a sharp, pleasant gasp at the sudden, intimate touch between her legs.

“I'll take that as a yes,” Yula said, with another laugh. She pressed her touch more firmly, and leaned in for a kiss. All the while, Kuvira squirmed beneath her, moaning back against her lips.

* * *

Korra looked up at the sky, squinting and holding a hand over her eyes to block out the sun. The day of the United Earth Republic council summit meeting had finally arrived, and Team Avatar had gathered into position to protect the new governing body from Zaheer and the Red Lotus. While she, Opal, Bolin, Bumi, and Asami were stationed out in the front of the state house, Toph, Kuvira, Anraq, Lin, and Kya were inside, guarding the entrance to the meeting chamber. In addition to their team, however, were the dozens of personal state guards, all of whom were prepared to fight off any Red Lotus attack, no matter the cost.

Shifting her gaze from the sky, Korra looked out onto the state house grounds. She saw only state guards patrolling along the property. Back over her shoulder, more guards stood at the building entrance. No sign of the Red Lotus anywhere. Still, there was plenty of time left in the meeting—nearly ten hours.

“Any sign of them?” Asami approached, twisting her Equalist glove tighter on her arm to fit it properly in place.

“Nothing yet,” Korra replied. “But don't let your guard down. We have a long day yet to go.”

“Trust me,” Asami said, with a confident grin. The palm of her glove briefly sparked with a crackle of electricity. “I'm ready.”

Korra nodded. “Good. We'll need to be.”

“Uhhh, hey guys?” Bolin called, holding his hand above his eyes. He squinted up into the sky, then pointed. “Is that what I think it is?”

The Team looked up to follow his gaze. A tiny spec floated into view against the clear sea of blue above them, gradually becoming larger as it neared. Soon, the spec took on a more recognizable shape—a person. The figure swooped in quickly, diving straight towards the state house. By the time it landed, there could be no mistaking who it was.

“Zaheer!” Korra ran a few steps ahead of the group and slid into a defensive stance.

Before the man even had a chance to reply, half the state guards sprang into action and surrounded him. The other half took up defense in front of the state house doors. Zaheer raised an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between the guards and Team Avatar.

“Avatar Korra,” he stated, in that distinct, calm tone of his. “I must say I'm not surprised to see you here. Unfortunately, our meeting this time is premature. My business lies elsewhere today.”

“Yeah, we know you're here to assassinate the prime minsters,” Korra replied. She stomped a foot against the ground, raising a massive chunk of stone into the air. It hovered there, waiting for her to command it further. “But if you want to get to them, you're going to have to get through us first.”

“Oh believe me, Korra, I intend to.”

“You must be pretty confident to come here alone.” Korra stared at him a moment, then quickly glanced around the state house grounds. “I don't see the rest of the Red Lotus anywhere.”

“You don't see them because you are blind,” Zaheer said, brow lowering. “Didn't you know, the best place to hide is in plain sight?”

Korra frowned at him, muscles tensing. “What are you talking about?”

At this, Zaheer said nothing. He simply curled his lips into a smirk and hovered a few feet into the air. Then, the state guards surrounding him turned towards Team Avatar. They dropped into offensive stances, some lifting earth from the ground, others creating daggers of flames from their fists, and others still pulling water from a nearby fountain in preparation to attack.

“What?” Korra's eyes widened. She took a step back, then looked back over her shoulder. The other guards near the state house doors, too, had readied themselves to attack—not Zaheer, but Korra and her team. The revelation tore through her like a tidal wave. “These aren't Earth Republic guards...”

“No, we took care of them last night,” Zaheer stated. “Did you think we wouldn't have a plan to deal with you? We aren't the same as you remember. The Red Lotus has grown mightier than ever, and not even you can stop us this time.”

Team Avatar moved back against each other, making a defensive circle to cover all sides as the Red Lotus surrounded them.

“So, I'm guessing this wasn't supposed to happen,” Bumi said. “Don't suppose anyone has any ideas?”

“Yeah, I got one,” Opal replied, already whirling her arms to create a powerful cyclone of air. “We fight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm not actually that happy with how this chapter turned out. It rather feels a bit disjointed to me, but I wanted to have a couple more scenes with Kuvira and Yula, to develop their relationship a little more before the action. Hopefully the next chapter will be better, as we finally get to the battle I've been building up to for the past, like, 10 chapters or so.


	29. Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar fights off the Red Lotus to protect the Earth Republic's governing body, Toph raises a little hell, and Kuvira discovers the Red Lotus' true plan.

Anraq yawned and leaned back against the giant doors that marked the entrance to the meeting chambers. “How much you want to bet the Red Lotus waits until the very end of this meeting, ten hours from now? That's how I'd do it... attack after we've all died from boredom.”

“Would you quit your complaining?” Toph said, half-turning her head in his direction. “And stand up straight. You want to be caught off guard when they do show up?”

The lax waterbender immediately pushed himself away from the door and stood rigid, at attention. “Right, yes. Sorry, Ma'am.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“Toph. Sorry.”

Lin looked in their direction. “Don't worry about him, Mom. He might not look like it, but we can count on him.”

Anraq lifted an eyebrow. “Um... thanks, Chief. I think.”

“Lin.”

“Right,” Anraq muttered, smacking his forehead. “Lin. That's still going to take some getting used to.”

“As it stands, I'm the only one allowed to still call her Chief,” Kya said, leaning an arm against Lin's shoulder, “and even then, only in... special circumstances.” She chuckled, and gave a sidelong grin to her girlfriend.

Lin's eye twitched at the comment. _“Kya.”_

Anraq blinked. “Special... oh.”

“Oh would you two get a room?” Toph said, with a roll of her eyes. “And save it until the mission is over.”

Kuvira watched the other members of her team a moment, remaining silent. Under normal circumstances, she might have joined the conversation, but these weren't normal circumstances. Her nerves tingled on edge, knowing that the Red Lotus could appear at any moment. She had to be ready when that happened. She had to stay focused. Turning to her left, she eyed the two dozen or so Earth Republic guards standing in a line ahead of them, farther down the hall. Unlike in Zaofu, at least this time they had backup. If the Red Lotus wanted to get through these doors, they would have their work cut out for them.

The sound of shouting called her attention to the end of the corridor, to the state house exit. Her brow furrowed, muscles tensed. She heard a thunderous quake, followed by shaking—fighting, she realized. “Do you hear that? The others are under attack!”

The other four ceased their conversation and followed her gaze towards the exit. The sounds of fighting grew louder, more intense.

“Should we help them?” Anraq asked.

“No, our orders are to guard this door,” Lin said. “If the Red Lotus makes it inside another way, we have to be in position to hold them off.”

Toph narrowed her eyes and took a step forward, concentrating. A moment passed, and then her brow lifted with surprise. “It's not just that it's the Red Lotus... it's the guards!”

Kya glanced at her, raising a single eyebrow of her own. “What do you mean?”

“The guards!” Toph slid forward along the tiled floor and raised her hands, creating an earthen wall in front of the group. Seconds later, a barrage of earth, fire, and water collided with the wall, rattling and cracking it.

Kuvira understood what the old woman meant, as she lifted a second layer of earth from the floor to reinforce the wall. “The guards! They're _not_ guards, they're Red Lotus!”

The other three immediately got into position behind the wall. Anraq and Kya both pulled their water out from their hip flasks, while Lin kicked up a large boulder and tossed it up over the wall at the line of Red Lotus at the other end of the hall.

“Alright, so I'm counting... twenty-two, twenty-three... a lot of damn Red Lotus!” Anraq said, as he peered around the corner of the wall. A jet of fire seared towards his face, forcing him to duck back out of the way. “This outta be fun, huh?”

“Stay on the defensive!” Kya replied. She bended up her water over their heads and hardened it into a shield of ice, adding extra height to the wall. Not two moments later, an incoming boulder crashed against it. Heavy cracks ripped across the surface and nearly shattered it, but Kya held strong and restrengthened the ice whole again. “We can't let them past us!”

Anraq bended his own water upward, adding it to Kya's. “We can't just sit here and let them pick us off!” Another barrage pounded the wall, blowing away pieces of it in every direction. “We have to make them run, and keep _them_ on the defensive!”

“We're not going to get a lot of good shots,” Lin said. She kicked out a portion of their earth wall, shooting it across the ground towards their attackers. A small group of the Red Lotus scattered, but the others quickly countered. Moments before the next impact, Lin raised up another section of earth to replace the portion she'd removed from the wall. “There's too many of them!”

Kuvira glanced towards the edges of their barrier and noticed several Red Lotus guards spreading out to attack their flanks. She pushed her arms out to the sides, extending the earth wall out farther and around their sides. “Well, we need to figure out something fast, before they overwhelm us!”

“Hold on, let me try something.” Anraq slid back a step and whirled his arms fluidly through the air. The ice portion of the wall quivered and then liquefied back into water. He guided the water higher into the air, swirled it into a large sphere, then closed his hand to fists. “Someone give us some cover!”

Toph responded with a simple stomp that drove up a slanted earth barrier over their heads. “Bring the rain, kid.”

“You got it.”

Anraq spread his fingers out with a quick jerk and pulled his arms apart. The water sphere up in the air exploded, raining down hundreds of separate globs that solidified into sharpened ice blades on their way to the floor. They could hear the Red Lotus shouting, scrambling for cover, and looking for any way to defend themselves as the icy shrapnel pelted the corridor.

“I'm sensing six down,” Toph stated, concentrating on the vibrations through the floor. “The others are spread out, still recovering. Now's our chance.”

Without waiting for the others, the old earthbender kicked away the barrier surrounding them and slid out on a wave of tiled floor, around their wall and out into the open. Several nearby Red Lotus made a move to attack her, but with a few simple flicks of her wrist, she drove out earthen pillars that launched them into the air. Another attacker ran in from behind, trailing a torrent of water around his body. Toph stomped the ground, raising a slab of tiling straight up in front of the man's path, so quickly that he collided against it and fell backwards clutching his face.

“You heard her,” Kuvira said, as she split the earth wall into several different sections. She thrust them forward, rocketing the boulders through the air into the scattered group of Red Lotus. “Attack!”

* * *

“Keep them back!” Opal shouted. She whirled her arms faster, growing a cyclone around the team.

Bumi joined her, and then so did Korra, adding their own airbending to the mix until a solid wall of air surrounded them. The vortex pulled in any incoming attacks of earth and water, while extinguishing any flames that attempted to pass the barrier. The cylone spun faster, and soon the surrounding Red Lotus began to slide towards it across the ground. They struggled to pull back away from it, some bending earth or ice to hold themselves in place. Those that couldn't—namely, the firebenders—lowered themselves to the ground and tried to crawl away.

“Now!” Korra said. “Let 'em have it!”

In unison, Opal, Bumi, and Korra spread their arms out and expanded the cyclone in an instant. The massive wall of air rushed outward, lifting the Red Lotus from their feet and throwing them across the grounds. Those were just the lucky ones—other more unfortunate Red Lotus guards were pelted by the added rocks and boulders that the vortex had previously sucked into itself, and several didn't get back up at all.

Asami wasted no time. She sprinted out from the group towards the nearest downed Red Lotus member, reaching him just as he returned to his feet. With a simple tap to his shoulder, her Equalist glove sparked with an electric blast that sent him crashing back to the ground, out cold. A second Red Lotus made a move towards her. He turned his body sideways and kicked, expelling a jet of flames at her, but by the time he made the attack she had already ducked out of the way. She met his kick with one of her own to knock his leg away, then sprang up at him with her glove extended. Another tap to the shoulder, and this one went down just as hard.

“Alright, I hope you guys enjoy a little heat!” Bolin called, as he ran ahead and dropped his fists against the ground. “Because you're about to the worst sunburn of your lives!”

The ground erupted with a bubbling stream of lava that raced towards several more Red Lotus guards. They scattered with yelps of panic, only barely avoiding the molten earth. Bolin shifted his stance then spread his arms. The lava widened, expanding out in the form of a large moat that blocked passage from their flank. He then thrust his fists upwards to raise a wall of earth on their side of the moat, adding an extra layer of defense.

Bumi and Opal joined the assault. They moved together, two airbenders spinning in unison, as they kicked out a rapid series of air blasts to knock away any nearby Red Lotus. Then, Bumi broke away with a spiraling leap and spread the wings of his wingsuit. He glided in over a pair of Red Lotus and kicked his legs back, adding another spin to release a powerful wind gust that blew them off their feet. Opal ran forward and slid across the ground in front of the falling Red Lotus; with a twirling kick of her legs, she caught them with a second air blast that launched away through the air.

"Here's another one for you!" Bumi called, as he glided around an incoming fire blast. He swooped in behind the attacker and thrust his palm, pushing the man towards Opal with a swift gust of air.

Opal was ready for it, and leaped upwards with a spinning kick. The wind arc that released from her foot sent the Red Lotus man careening into the nearby fountain with a splash.

Korra, meanwhile, contended with an entire group of enemies. As the Avatar, they understandably regarded her as the biggest threat, and didn't seem to be taking any chances with her. Six Red Lotus attacked together, with a storm of boulders, flames, and ice blades. Korra spun her body and burst out a whirling hurricane of wind; the barrage redirected in opposite directions when it collided with the air wall, forcing the Red Lotus attackers to fall back and defend.

But she didn't give them time to regroup. She pulled the air in around her, funneling it into a concentrated stream that she snaked towards them. The first man lifted from his feet and flew backwards, smashing into the second. The air wave continued on, pushing them into the next Red Lotus guard, then the next, until the entire group tumbled violently away in a tangle of beaten bodies.

A spark of electricity flashed behind her. Korra spun around to see Asami standing there, dropping another assailant with her Equalist glove that had been sneaking in behind her. Before she could thank her girlfriend for the save, however, she kicked her leg forward and curved a rising line of earth around her. The earth smashed into a pair of Red Lotus that had been just feet away from Asami.

Asami glanced behind her and lifted an eyebrow. "Nice save."

"Same to you," she replied, with a smile.

Above the battlefield, Zaheer watched carefully, hovering high in the sky. As many of the Red Lotus that the Avatar and her team took out, there were still many more to come. He wouldn't be sticking around to see the rest of it, though; he had done his job for now. Waiting just another moment, he then turned around and began flying away from the battle, and away from the state house.

Opal spun out a wave of air to knock away a trio of attackers. When she came to a stop, a quick flash of movement in the sky drew her attention. Her heart jumped when she realized what it was. "Zaheer! He's getting away!"

"Let him go!" Bolin said, kicking out another stream of lava at the nearest Red Lotus. "We have enough to handle here!"

A sudden flicker of anger burned in Opal's chest, as she watched the man who murdered her mother fly farther and farther away. She curled her hands to fists, clenched her jaw, and then without warning took off in a dead spirit." "I'm going after him!"

"Opal wait!" Bolin called, as his fiancee opened her wingsuit and took to the skies in pursuit of Zaheer. "We need you here! You can't fight him by yourself!"

"She won't be by herself!" Bumi raced past him and leaped into the air, lifting himself upwards with a gust of wind to his wingsuit. He glanced briefly back over his shoulder and have Bolin a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, I'll bring her back safe and sound!"

* * *

"You know, it's like we're not even needed," Anraq said, as he surrounded himself with a twisting stream of water.

Lin fired out her police cables and tripped up a couple of Red Lotus, yanking them clean off their feet. "That's my mother for you."

Thus far, Toph had done most of the work—not for lack of effort on the parts of everyone else, but because she made such quick and thorough work of anyone that got near her. She barely even had to move, using the floor beneath her feet to slide out of the way of attacks, and countering with simple flicks of her wrists and feet. Each slight movement she made created a destructive assault of boulders or pillars that sent the Red Lotus running, if not outright smashing them out of commission.

The others did what they could to assist, though Toph hardly left any for them to deal with. Kuvira shot forth repeated metal bands to throw and restrain as many enemies as they could, while Kya and Anraq shared water to smack around anyone in range, and freeze solid the ones that they could. Lin, meanwhile, when she wasn't swinging around on her cables or throwing Red Lotus members through the air, took care of the defense, shielding her teammates with well placed earth walls.

"Gotta say, I was almost worried there for a minute." Anraq whipped out a tendril of water and slapped a nearby Red Lotus guard through the air. "But these guys are barely putting up a fight."

"Stay focused," Kuvira said, ducking beneath a pair of boulders. "There could be plenty more where these guys came from." She twisted her body and fired another metal band. It wrapped around a Red Lotus woman's ankle, then dragged her through the air straight into a wall.

Kya raised her water up into an ice barrier to block a wave of fire. "Anyone notice anything strange about this attack, though?"

Anraq glanced back at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, they haven't tried getting into the meeting chamber at all," she said. "With as many as there are, wouldn't it make sense for some of them to keep us occupied, while the others tried to attack the prime ministers?"

"Well, no one said they were the brightest bunch," Lin said, pulling another Red Lotus of his feet.

Kuvira paused, looking back over her shoulder at the towering chamber doors. "No, Kya's right... This couldn't be all of Zaheer's plan. And I haven't seen any of his top crew, either. This kind of all out assault doesn't make any sense."

Toph slid into view a moment later. A few lingering Red Lotus attempted a desperate attack, but she lifted them into the air with a simple stomp, slamming them against the walls. Then, all was silent. The thirty or so Red Lotus that had started the attack now lay strewn about the corridor, either twitching in pain, unconscious, or worse.

"It would make sense if they were trying to distract us," Toph said, with a contemplative frown.

Anraq furrowed his brow. "Distract us from what?"

"Hold on a minute." Toph breathed deep, then slid her legs apart, concentrating on the vibrations beneath her feet. Within seconds, her eyes widened. "From the activity below the ground! They're trying to—oof!"

A coiling torrent of water swept around one of the corridor pillars and lifted Toph from her feet. The water slammed her against the far wall and then froze, encasing her in an icy cocoon. She struggled there beneath the ice, but without any earth beneath her feet, she was little more than a frail, blind old woman.

"Mom!" Lin shouted. "Just hold on, I'll get you out of there!"

She ran forward, siding across a wave of floor tiling and firing out one of her police cables all in one motion. Inches before the cable speared into the ice, however, a frozen blade slashed through the air and cut the line clean in two. Lin gaped with wide eyes as the cable snapped back at her, and she only just managed to spin out of way before she suffered a repeat of the incident that gave her her scars.

"Ah, ah, ah," a mocking voice called. "That old woman is dangerous. Can't have her breaking free, now can we?"

Anraq flinched at the sound of the voice, a subtle jolt of hate burning in his chest. Sure enough, his cousin appeared moments later, walking around one of the corridor pillars. "Yuruk..."

"Fancy meeting you here, Annie," the Red Lotus waterbender said, with a wicked smirk. "I thought I took care of you in Zaofu."

"Guess you're not as good as you think you are," Anraq said, as he took a defensive pose and swirled a barrier of water in front of himself.

Kuvira took a step back and glanced to Kya. "Can you bend that ice away from Toph?"

"In just a second..." Kya kept her eyes on Yuruk, but shifted her stance backwards to liquefy Toph's frozen prison.

Just as the ice began to thaw, however, Yuruk thrust a hand out and clenched his fist. Once again, the water froze, keeping Toph restrained. "Now, now, careful. You sure you're fast enough to bend that water away before I turn her cocoon into an iron maiden?"

“Give it up, you can't beat all of us!” Lin retorted. “Do yourself a favor and let her go, then run far, _far_ away.”

Yuruk laughed. “I don't have to beat you. I just have to stall you.”

Kuvira's gaze narrowed. “Stall us? For what?” The sound of screams coming from within the meeting chamber behind her, however, answered her question. She immediately spun around to face the doors, eyes wide, panic erupting in her gut. “ _What?_ ”

“Ah, there we go,” Yuruk said, with another mocking laugh.

“You two, keep him busy!” Kuvira said, pointing to Anraq and Kya. “Lin, help me get these doors open!”

Both Lin and Kuvira ran to the doors, sliding into their bending stances. In unison, then widened their legs and thrust their fists forward, pushing the massive metal structures inwards with a thunderous bang. Then, they disappeared inside.

Yuruk grinned, watching the other two waterbenders get into position to attack. “Well, well, Annie... looks like we get to have some fun again.”

* * *

Kuvira raced into the meeting chamber, expecting to find the prime ministers and other dignitaries under attack. The screams had been terrified, and loud enough to reach all the way across the cavernous room, through the heavy metal doors, and out into the hallway beyond. How could they have let themselves be distracted like that? How did the Red Lotus even get inside? How did—

Her thoughts abruptly ceased when she and Lin approached the end of the chamber, where the raised set of semi-circle seats, table, and podium should have been, where the prime ministers, their advisers, assistants, and all other government officials _should_ have been. But there was nothing—no seats, no table, no podium, no officials, only a tiled floor that had been torn and shredded to reveal soft earth beneath it.

“What on earth?” Lin said, as she approached the open patch of dirt.

“I don't understand.” The panic in Kuvira's gut twisted harder; Yula had been in this room. Yula was _gone._ “What happened? _How_ did it happen? Where _are_ they!”

“I'll let you know in a second.” Lin raised her leg, sliding back the metal bottom of her boot to expose her bare sole, then slammed her foot into the ground, eyes closed. Within several moments, she opened her eyes again. “There's some kind of cavern or tunnel system below this building. They must have come up beneath it and sunk everyone down there.”

“Then we have to go after them, now!” 

Kuvira didn't wait for Lin's response. She jumped over the soft expanse of earth and bended it beneath her feet. The dirt softened, becoming like water, and she sank below the ground, tunneling downward as fast as her ability would allow. Soon, she fell out into open space, as she punctured through the ceiling of an underground grotto lit by glowing green crystals embedded in the walls. The moment she landed on the stone floor below, she shifted into her bending pose, on guard.

Her stance faltered almost immediately when she realized just  _what_ was in the chamber—bodies, dozens of them, all lying sprawled out and motionless. The clothes they wore, the fine, fancy green and yellow robes, and suits, and dresses... there could be no doubting who these people were. She noticed the robes of the prime ministers easily enough, and then there was Secretary Guan. 

Their faces, though... those were unrecognizable. The bodies had been charred, as though cooked, blackened and burned, clothes singed and smoking. And the  _smell._ .. Kuvira nearly heaved over at the scent of burnt flesh. It assaulted her nostrils, choked her, threatened to turn her stomach over with disgust. All the while, she couldn't shake a single, panicked thought.

_We failed_ .

The ceiling above her cracked open, and soon Lin dropped in next to her. The former police chief prepared herself for a fight, just the same as Kuvira had, before moments later realizing what she saw. “Oh dear spirits...”

“Yula was here...” Kuvira uttered, voice knotting tightly in her throat. She ran through the collection of bodies, eyes frantically darting between each one she saw. Not again. She couldn't be too late again. _Not again_. “Do you see her? _Do you see_ _Yula?_ ”

“I can't tell any of them apart...” Lin muttered, turning her gaze away from one of the blackened bodies. “What was she wearing?”

“Green dress... yellow flowers.” Kuvira's voice felt detached, disconnected with her actual thoughts. She didn't even realize she was answering, as she continued to check on each of the bodies. “Ponytail... glasses...”

Lin eased out a steady breath, and made her way through the bodies to examine them. “I don't see anything like that... maybe she wasn't here?”

“Maybe... maybe,” Kuvira said. Her knees buckled, and suddenly she stumbled forward, falling to one knee. Her stomach twisted tighter, nauseous—she felt ready to vomit. 

“What _happened_ to them?” Lin muttered, squinting at another body. “It's like they fried...” She paused a moment, then glanced down at her feet. Water rippled beneath her boot, only an inch or so deep, but coating nearly the entire floor of the grotto. “And what's with the water?”

Kuvira blinked, and then she, too, looked down. “Water...?”

An electric hiss cracked through the air with a flash of blue light. Kuvira's eyes flew open wide, but she didn't need to look to know what was about to happen—not enough time, anyway. All she could do was raise herself up through the air on an earthen pillar, and call out to Lin. “Get off the ground!”

Lin acted immediately, casting out the one police line of hers that hadn't been cut. It latched around one of the glowing crystals jutting out from the cavern walls and reeled her in, up into open air. Not one second later, a surge of electricity raced out across the wet floor, sparking and crackling through the already previously fried bodies. The scent of burnt flesh grew stronger, and Kuvira felt her insides twist tighter.

“Well, I see you're still quick on the draw,” a voice said, as the electricity faded and died away. “I don't know whether to be disappointed you didn't make this easy, or glad that you're going to make it interesting.”

From atop her pillar, Kuvira looked to a rocky precipice on the far side of the cavern. A hot wave of anger erupted through her chest when she saw Aoi standing there, grinning with delight. “You... where's Yula?  _What did you do to her?_ ”

“Oh, you mean she's not down there?” Aoi glanced below her at the dead bodies strewn about the cavern floor. “I imagine I fried her with the rest of those hopeless saps.”

Kuvira's throat knotted, jaw clenched. She fell to one knee again, looking down below at the bodies. Panic, fear, grief, all raced through her mind. Where was Yula? Where  _was_ she? She couldn't be down there, she  _couldn't!_

“Ahahaha!” Aoi threw her head back and chortled out a wicked laugh, lips twisted wide into a sneer. “Oh, you should see the look on your face! Relax, Great Uniter... she's right here.” Avan moved into view next to her, but he wasn't alone; he pushed forward a young woman wearing glasses, his hand around her shoulder—Yula. “You see? Still alive... for now.”

Yula stared up at Kuvira with frightful eyes, tears raining down her cheeks, breaths choppy and uneven. “K-Kuvira...? H-help... please. I'm... I'm scared.”

“Yula!” Kuvira sank further on her knees, a hand held over her heart, as a combination of relief and fear washed through her. “Don't worry... you'll be alright. I _promise_ , you'll be alright.”

“Shouldn't make promises you don't know that you can keep,” Aoi said, wagging a mocking finger at her. “She's only alive because I want her to be. One word, and Avan here breaks her pretty little neck. So let's talk, Great Uniter, and I do hope you listen well... because I'd _really_ like to give that order.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once I think I'm actually satisfied with how an action oriented chapter of mine turned out. I'm sure it's not perfect (probably far from it actually), but it didn't require a ton of revisions like usual to make everything flow the way I wanted it to. It's fun writing so many characters participating in a fight like this (though admittedly it is difficult to keep track of everyone). It gives a chance to showcase a bunch of different abilities and tactics, so hopefully you all enjoy it too.
> 
> Oh, and yeah... the Red Lotus kind of succeeded. I told you it was going to be an intense chapter.


	30. Control Your Breathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Team Avatar vs. Red Lotus battle of Ba Sing Se comes to a head! Opal and Bumi face off against Zaheer, Anraq and Kya battle Yuruk, Korra, Bolin, and Asami hold off the last remaining Red Lotus members, and Lin and Kuvira make a desperate attempt to free Yula from Aoi and Avan.

Opal soared higher into the sky, pushing her wingsuit as fast as she could take it. Wind whipped at her face, stung her eyes, but she only traveled faster. Zaheer hadn't yet realized that she was following him, which meant she could catch up to him if she just went a little faster—almost too fast, she knew. At this speed, slowing down and stopping would be a challenge, even with her level of control over her airbending. She didn't care about that, though; she only cared about stopping her mother's murderer.

As she neared him, she lifted herself even higher, positioning herself above him. The city of Ba Sing Se raced by beneath them—they were somewhere over the Middle Ring now, and the buildings were nothing but a blur. Ever so slightly, she inched closer. Just a little more... Finally, she sank into a dive, pulling her arms in against her body to close her wings. The speed of her descent nearly doubled, and in the manner of a seconds she covered the distance between them.

“ _Zaheer!_ ”

The flying Red Lotus leader glanced back over his head just in time to see Opal dive past him. The wind stream that followed in her wake pulled Zaheer forward with a violent jerk, but he quickly steadied himself before he fell out of control. Pushing himself backwards through the air, he watched as the girl spread her wings again and soared back around for another pass.

This time, Opal spun herself at him like a drill, creating a whirling cyclone of air around herself. Zaheer waited until just before impact, then flew sideways to avoid the attack. He countered with a simple push of his palm, releasing a wind gust that blasted against her backside. Opal let out a yell as she stabilized herself, twisting her body straight again and holding her wings open. The suit caught another air current and she once again she lifted skyward.

Opal swooped around once more and dove for Zaheer again. She knew she was being reckless, and uncontrolled, completely the opposite of how an airbender should act, but it didn't matter. One way or another, she was going to hurt this man, consequences be damned. Unfortunately, he had other ides. Rather than wait for her to close the distance this time, Zaheer darted forward through the air, quickly gathering a speed even greater than hers. He raced by her, pulling a powerful jetstream behind himself that instantly jarred Opal out of her dive.

She raised her hands to shield herself from the air, but soon found herself falling, unable to control her flight. She spun wildly, plunging towards the city below. She twisted her body, tried to regain control, but the harder she struggled, the more violently she tumbled. Spreading out the wings of her suit only exacerbated the turmoil, as air currents wrenched her from side to side. Panic flooded through her—she couldn't stop herself, she realized, and the ground grew closer by the second.

“I got you!”

Opal felt a pair of arms grab her and pull her close. Her fall slowed, steadied, became more controlled, and then finally ceased altogether when she collided gently against the rooftop of one of the buildings in the city below, the impact lessened by a blast of air to cushion the landing. When the world around her stopped spinning, Opal sat back on the roof and looked to the person who had caught her.

“Bumi?”

“Looks like I got here just in time,” said her fellow airbender. “You alright?”

Opal rubbed her head and gave the older man an appreciative nod. “Yeah, thanks. But where's Zaheer?” Not a moment after she asked the question, the Red Lotus leader floated down into view, hovering above the rooftop.

“I think I found him,” Bumi said, jumping back up to his feet. “Come on, we can take him together! I got a few moves I learned in the United Forces that I bet he's never seen before.”

Zaheer lowered himself closer to the rooftop, glaring at the two. “I see the Avatar brought along a couple of other airbenders with her. And it seems you've since attempted to mimic my achievement of flight. An interesting concept, those suits, but yours is a false flight, easy broken.”

“I'm not interested in what you think,” Opal snapped. She lifted herself back to her feet and stepped towards him, hands balling into fists. “You _killed_ my mother, and you're going to pay for it!”

“Ah, I see.” Zaheer's eyebrows lifted, and his demeanor even softened slightly. “You must be Suyin's daughter, the airbender... It's been a while, hasn't it? I want you to know that what I did to your mother wasn't personal. It was merely a necessary step in returning the world to its natural order.”

“You can take your natural order bisoncrap and shove it! I don't care about your philosophical delusions! You took my _mother_ from me, and the rest of my family!”

“Rest assured, the other members of your family haven't been harmed,” he replied. “We're merely keeping them to make sure that they can't return order to Zaofu. When the Red Lotus has finally achieved its goals, and the world descends into disorder, then we may release them.”

Opal choked back an angry sob, but couldn't stop her eyes from wetting with tears. “No! You're going to tell me where they are, _now!_ ”

Catapulting herself skyward with a blast of air from her feet, Opal lunged up at Zaheer. She met him with a whirling kick of wind, but he simply floated back out of the way. The instant after her attack missed, he launched himself forward and tackled her. He dove with her towards the rooftop, and just before impact he released her, throwing her against the tile. A sharp breath burst from her lungs as she thudded against the roof, but she quickly flipped herself back up to her feet in spite of the dull pain pulsing through her chest.

“Hey, why don't you try picking on someone in your own weight class!” Bumi said, firing off a pair of wind blasts. “I got more than enough for you right here!”

Zaheer glided around the attacks, then countered with an arcing kick. The whirlwind that released from his foot exploded across the entire rooftop, lifting Bumi and Opal off their feet. “I admire your determination, both of you, but I'm afraid you can't win this, nor do I have time to waste with you. I must conclude this encounter.”

“No, you don't!” Opal spread her wingsuit again and darted at him like an eagle hawk. “I'm not letting you get away!”

Zaheer spun himself above her as she flew past, countering with a swift kick to her backside. She shouted a gasp at the strike, plummeting back to the rooftop. Still, she didn't let that stop her. She pushed herself back up into the air with another jet of wind and spun again at the man. But just as before, he evaded and blasted her back down to the roof.

“That's it, you need to learn a thing or two about manners,” Bumi stated. He surrounded himself with a wheel of air and raced across the ground, launching himself upwards at Zaheer when he got into range.

He fared no better. Zaheer flew up over him, then pushed another wind blast downward. Bumi crashed next to Opal with a painful thud. Without wasting any time, Zaheer spun his arms and whirled a cushion of air beneath the opposing airbenders, lifting them several feet upwards. He then guided them across the rooftop, over the edge of the building, and with a final spin of his hands, dropped them out into the open air to the streets below. He didn't wait around to watch them, though; he had more important business to take care of. Instead, he turned from the scene and flew off at top speed, disappearing within seconds.

Opal kicked out a spiral of air seconds before she and Bumi hit the ground. It didn't break their fall entirely, but just enough to keep the impact from killing them. When they hit the ground, Opal gasped out with pain, a flash of colors exploding in front of her eyes. She tried to sit up, but the moment she did the world spun violently around her and she collapsed, consciousness fading.

* * *

Asami ducked behind one of Korra's earth walls to avoid a spinning chunk of concrete. “There are too many of them!”

Korra widened the wall and then kicked the entire structure forward to scatter a group of Red Lotus attackers. Then, she raised another wall in front of them to block the countering barrage. “What happened to Opal and Bumi?”

“Opal took off after Zaheer!” Bolin said, as he backed up towards the other two. He raised up another wall behind them, to cover their rear. “And Bumi went to back her up.”

“ _What?_ ” Korra replied, raising her eyebrows. “Damn it, Zaheer is too strong to face like that!”

Not only had Zaheer already been a master combatant before he gained airbending, but _with_ airbending, and now the ability to fly, he had been able to go toe to toe with Korra in the Avatar State. Granted, she had been poisoned at the time, but the feat was still nothing to scoff at. Not to mention, with Opal and Bumi gone, it left the other three in poor position against the remaining Red Lotus.

“I know! I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen!” Bolin stood up from behind the wall and spread his fists out to his sides. A stream of lava erupted across the ground on the other side of the earth wall, and he quickly spread it around them in a circle. The lava moat held off any of the Red Lotus from getting close, at least forcing them to attack from a distance. “Can you blame her, though?”

“No...” Korra sighed. Had their situations been reversed, she would have chased after Zaheer just the same as Opal had. “But that doesn't make this any better.”

“Tell me about it.” Asami ducked lower against the earth wall, as a jet of flames blazed above her. “It's just the two of you against all these Red Lotus. As long as I can't get close to them, I can't help.”

“Yeah, we could _really_ use some backup right about now,” Bolin said. “Where are the others?”

Korra peered up over the top of the wall, watching as the Red Lotus regrouped and attempted attacking from a different angle. “Probably in the same predicament as we are. We might be on our own here.”

Bolin covered his head, shielding himself from an explosion of stone and concrete above his head. “Well, we need to figure out something fast or we're toast!”

“Looks like there's no other choice...” Korra huffed out a deep breath and then moved towards the center of their defensive circle. “Stand back, you two.”

Asami and Bolin moved off to the sides, giving her space. With a long inhale, Korra closed her eyes and concentrated her spiritual energy. A sudden burst of power erupted from her body, and when she opened her eyes again they glowed bright white. A cyclone of wind lifted her up into the air, and in seconds she flew across the lava moat and expelled jets of fire from her fists at the Red Lotus.

“Oh yeah, Avatar State!” Bolin shouted, with a triumphant laugh. “Have a taste of that you Red Lotus jerks!”

The Red Lotus attempted to put up something of a fight against the Avatar State induced Korra, but nothing they threw at her had any effect. Earth, fire, water—she redirected it all back at them and countered with far more powerful attacks of all four elements. The lucky ones were able to run away before Korra set her sights on them; the not so lucky ones fell, slid, and bounced across the ground as they were pummeled by boulders, water, ice, gale winds, and massive waves of flame. Within minutes, the remaining enemies had either run off or been incapacitated.

The funnel of air beneath Korra slowly dissipated, setting her back down to the ground, and the glow in her eyes faded. With an easy breath, she looked around the state house grounds. “Alright, looks like that's everyone.”

“Yeah, that...definitely worked,” Asami said, with a raised eyebrow. About two dozen Red Lotus guards lay scattered across the ground, either unconscious or rolling around in pain.

“Yeah, you know what, how about next time we open with that?” Bolin said.

Korra exhaled a sigh. While she appreciated Bolin's suggestion, she never liked using the Avatar State unless she had to. Hurrying up towards the state house entrance, she waved the others along to follow her. “Come on, we have to help the others. They could be in trouble.”

“You guys go on ahead,” Bolin replied, heading off in the opposite direction. “I'm going after Opal and Bumi. They'll need help, too.”

Korra nodded. “Be careful. Zaheer is no pushover.”

“I know, I will.” He waved to them and then shifted a slab of earth beneath his feet. With a push of his fists, it rocketed him across the ground. “Give any other Red Lotus you find a nice big boulder to the face for me!”

* * *

“Come on, Annie, you can do better than that!”

Yuruk sidestepped the water whip and countered with a slash from the ice blade around his arm. Anraq dodged back out of the way, making room for Kya to rage forward a whirling wheel of water. Yuruk shifted his stance, bended the incoming water around his body, and then expelled it outwards in an explosion of ice.

“Give it up, Yuruk!” Anraq called, as he raised an ice wall in front of himself and Kya. The frozen projectiles pelted harmlessly against it. _“You're_ the one outnumbered this time.”

“Doesn't mean I'm outmatched. Besides, are you forgetting my insurance?” Yuruk dragged his arms through the air, and the ice cocoon encasing Toph hardened further, threatening to crush the old woman.

“We just need to put him down for a second,” Kya said, stepping cautiously to the side. “Just one clean shot and we can free Toph.”

Anraq frowned, then swirled a pair of water tendrils around his arms. “Easier said than done.”

With a shout, he ran at Yuruk and swiped with the whips—his cousin simply ducked and twisted his body out of the way, sending back quick blasts of ice with each evasion. Anraq blocked the first two shots, but a third caught him in the chest and lifted him from his feet.

“I'll admit, you've gotten better, Annie,” Yuruk said. “Still not good enough, though, even with your help.”

Kya lunged at him, spinning herself through the air and dragging a powerful water wave behind her. The wave crashed down overhead at Yuruk, but with a swipe of his arms the water parted around him and formed a bubble, becoming a barrier to protect himself. Any attack they threw at him he countered in a similar manner—either he evaded, or he bended the water as his own to protect himself. He wasn't playing offensively; rather, his intent was to drag out the fight as long as possible. As he had said before, he didn't need to win, he just needed to stall, and as long as he played defensively he could do just that.

Anraq sprang back up to his feet and pulled a glob of water around his hand. It elongated and then hardened into ice, coming to a sharpened point. “I've had just about enough of you!”

This time he ran at Yuruk. He slid below a slicing ice blade, then jumped into the air with his arm-spear pulled back and ready to strike. As he came down and thrust the spear forward, however, Yuruk stepped away and spread a thin film of water across the floor. The water cooled into ice just as Anraq landed, causing his feet to slide out from beneath him. Once again, he crashed to the floor.

“Oh, that was a close one,” Yuruk said, with a grin. When Anraq rolled over onto his elbows and scowled up at him, the Red Lotus waterbender cackled out a delighted laugh. “That's it, get angry! You were always at your best when you were angry.” He narrowed his gaze, then widened his smirk. “Remember Kanna?”

Anraq's throat knotted, eyes flying open wide. He jumped upright with a swipe of his arm, blasting a thin stream of water at his cousin. “Don't you _ever_ say her name!”

The water stream solidified into an icy spear and pierced through the air at Yuruk's chest. Yuruk raised his hands and caught it in place, bending the spear around to turn it back at his opponent. He never got the chance, though. Anraq pulled his arm back, while whipping his other hand forward, causing the spear to split into two. The top half, Yuruk had no control over, and in that brief second the point skewered into his shoulder and out the other side.

“ _Hurrgh,_ ” Yuruk grunted, falling back a step. He tried to maintain his balance but his back leg gave out and he dropped to the floor.

Anraq immediately looked back over his shoulder “Kya, now!”

Kya didn't need a reminder. The moment that Yuruk fell, she turned back to Toph and liquefied the icy cocoon.

When the old earthbender dropped back to her feet, she shivered, teeth chattering, but the look that came over her face could have sent a jolt of terror through a ten ton flying bison. “F-freeze an o-old w-woman, will y-you? Have a lesson in m-manners!”

With a single stomp of her foot, a pillar rose out from the ground and smashed directly into Yuruk, knocking him clear down towards the other end of the hallway. The Red Lotus waterbender shouted and groaned as he slid across the floor, and when he came to a stop he could only lie there, struggling to sit upright.

“ _Ungh...”_ he muttered, as he bended away the icy spear jutting through his shoulder. He coughed, spraying out a few small droplets of blood. A loud bang then thundered through the corridor, as the doors behind him slammed open. He turned to glance back over his shoulder, and when he saw who was standing there, his expression sank. “Well shit.”

Korra lifted her arms, and the tiling beneath Yuruk's feet raised up on all sides, trapping him in a prison up to his neck. “Sit tight there for me.”

“Korra!” Kya called, running over to them. “Asami! You guys are alright!”

“Barely,” Asami said, as she looked back outside. The battle had completely destroyed the previously pristine estate in front of the state house. “Glad to see you're alright, though.”

“F-for the most part,” Toph muttered, still shivering with arms wrapped around herself.

Anraq breathed an exhausted sigh. “Here, take this.” He removed the outermost layer of his warrior uniform and wrapped it around the old woman's shoulders.

“Ahh...” Toph's shivering soon ceased, as she hugged the warm fabric tighter against herself. “Thanks. I knew I liked you for a reason.”

“Where are the others?” Kya asked.

“They went after Zaheer,” Korra replied, looking past them. “What about Lin and Kuvira?”

Anraq pointed his thumb down at the other end of the hallway. “In the meeting chamber. Turns out the Red Lotus were distracting us, while they made another attack inside.”

Korra blinked, then took off in a run down the corridor. “What are you standing around talking for, then? Let's get moving!”

“Don't bother. You're already too late, Avatar!” Yuruk tilted his head back and laughed. “By now, they've been fried nice and crispy!”

Anraq turned a glare towards his cousin, then bended a bubble of water up towards the man's face. With a quick puff of air, he cooled the water into ice, plastering it directly over Yuruk's mouth. “Shut up.”

* * *

Kuvira swallowed, glaring at the Red Lotus girl atop the precipice. “I swear, if you hurt her...”

“Yes, yes, you'll fly into a rage and kill me for revenge,” Aoi said, with a dismissive wave of her hand. “At least, you'd try, anyway. But as long as you do what I tell you, she won't be harmed.”

“Kuvira, don't listen to her!” Yula exclaimed, struggling in Avan's grip. “Don't—!”

The former Dai Li commander silenced her, pressing his hand over her mouth. “Quiet, brat.”

Standing at the edge of her raised earth pillar, Kuvira clenched her hands into fists. “What do you _want?”_

“I want _you,_ of course.” Aoi paused a second, then shrugged with a a sigh. “Or at least Zaheer does. With all the things you did, Great Uniter, oh... you _really_ put yourself on the Red Lotus' bad side. And now that you're roaming free? Well, can't have that. It's only a matter of time before you pick up where you left off.”

“ _No,”_ she retorted, with a bite in her tone. “That isn't me anymore. I made mistakes and now I'm paying for them. I've acknowledged that, I've _accepted_ it... and I'm not going to hurt _anyone_ else.”

“Mhm.” Again, Aoi waved off the comment. “That's easy to say, of course, and quite frankly I personally don't care either way. Fact remains, you have to die. So, give yourself up, accept your fate, and pretty little Yula here goes free.”

Still dangling from her police cable in the middle of the cavern, Lin glanced at Kuvira with an urgent spark in her eyes. “You can't trust a word she says, Kuvira! You let her kill you, and I guarantee she kills Yula next. And then probably me, too.”

“Oh, that _hurts,_ really,” Aoi said, with a pout. “I can keep my word, you know. I'm not _entirely_ untrustworthy.”

Kuvira clenched her jaw tight and bowed her head, thinking. She knew Lin was right—Aoi would never let Yula and Lin just walk out of here, even if Kuvira did give herself up. But if she tried something to free Yula, or made any kind of attack, then Avan would kill her. They needed a plan—something, _anything._

She flicked her gaze back over to Yula; the younger woman was frightened, terror flashing in her eyes. Kuvira had promised to protect Yula, and now... now she didn't have much of a choice. If she wanted to keep that promise, there was only one thing she could do.

“Okay...” she said, with a quiet sigh.

“Oh? Really?” Aoi lifted her brow in genuine surprise. “So you _are_ going to give yourself up for this scrawny little girl you just met. Hmph, looks like I owe you a thousand yuans, Avan. Very good, though...” She took a step forward atop the rocky precipice and pointed downward. “Get in the water.”

“Kuvira, wait a minute!” Lin called. “Think about this for a second. There has to be another way!”

She ignored the older woman's pleas, instead jumping down from her pillar into the shallow water below. The moment she did, Yula squealed out a muffled scream behind Avan's hand and pulled against his hold; he only tightened his grip, held her stronger.

“Everything will be okay, Yula.” Kuvira looked up to her, expression calm. “Just relax. Control your breathing, remember? Everything will be just fine... if you _control your breathing_.”

Yula blinked. Her eyes flashed with a sudden flicker of understanding and she soon calmed herself, breathing steadier.

Aoi simply chuckled.”You can try to console her all you want, Great Uniter, it won't help her when she watches you die!” The Red Lotus girl lowered herself into her signature lightningbending pose, one arm pointed forward, another back, each hand with two fingers extended.

Yula acted instantly. A flame leaped out from her fist in the shape of a dagger and she stabbed it against Avan's forearm. The former Dai Li commander screamed, releasing her as he stumbled backwards clutching the burn. Aoi's eyebrows lifted, gaze turning towards the now free firebender—she didn't have enough time to do anything about it, though. Yula swept her leg upwards with a brilliant stream of fire trailing behind her heel, and kicked the girl's arm off target just as a flash of lightning sparked from her fingertips.

Instead of firing into the water below, the bolt ripped across the cavern ceiling with a thunderous blast, spewing rocks and fractured crystals in all directions. Several massive fissures cracked outward from the point of impact, and soon chunks of stone began plummeting to the ground. The cavern shook and quaked, threatening to collapse.

“Lin, grab her!” Kuvira called.

The former police chief didn't waste any time. Her police cable released from the ceiling, sending her into a freefall towards the ground. Before she landed, she fired the cable out again towards the other end of the cavern; it latched into the wall just above Yula's head and then reeled herself in like a rocket. She snatched Yula into her grasp, released the cable again, and used her forward momentum to collide with the wall feet first. The stone beneath her boots then shifted, sliding her back down towards the floor next to Kuvira.

“I got her, now let's get out of here,” Lin said. The quaking grew stronger, as larger chunks of rubble collapsed from the cavern ceiling. “The whole damn place is coming down!”

“ _No!_ ” Aoi shrieked, as she ran to the edge of the precipice. She charged another blast of lightning at her fingertips. “You aren't going _anywhere!_ ”

Kuvira stomped her foot against the ground and shot up a towering wall of stone directly in front of the girl, blocking them from her line of sight just before the lightning released from her fingers.

“Come on,” Kuvira said, wrapping her arms around Lin and Yula. The earth churned beneath her feet, and they began to sink into the ground. “Let's move.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much to write here... That's the big downside to writing a fight with so many different people, especially when it breaks off into several smaller fights. It's a lot of damn fighting to get through! But I think I pulled it off moderately well, at least...
> 
> So we have the Red Lotus succeeding in Ba Sing Se, which isn't good news for the Earth Republic or the rest of the world. As we've come to discover, Zaheer is doing things far more efficiently this time around, which helps when you have such a large group of followers to command. On the plus side, Yula is safe and sound, and Team Avatar has captured Yuruk.
> 
> Oh, and Aoi is piiiiissed.


	31. The Walls Of Ba Sing Se

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar regroups after their loss to the Red Lotus, Zaheer makes an announcement to Ba Sing Se, and Anraq interrogates his cousin. Also, Aoi has unfinished business before the Red Lotus leaves.

Korra led the way into the meeting chambers, sprinting at full speed. If the Red Lotus had somehow made their way inside to attack the prime ministers, and Lin and Kuvira were fighting them off, then they needed to provide backup immediately. When she neared the end of the chamber, however, she slid to a stop and stared, eyes going wide and mouth dropping open.

“What in the world?” she uttered.

Asami arrived next to her, face twisting with equal confusion. “I don't get it... what happened?”

The chamber was empty—no seats, no tables, no podium, no prime ministers, no advisers, nothing. The floor where the meeting area had been set up had been ripped apart, tiling sheered away to reveal bare, soft earth beneath. Two soft patches against the bare ground sank slightly downward, as though something, or someone, had tunneled beneath the surface in both spots.

“The Red Lotus pulled them below ground,” Toph stated, as she joined the other two. “I sensed it earlier. Probably that Dai Li of their theirs, Avan. There are caverns beneath the state house—or were. Looks like the entire thing just caved in.”

Anraq took a step out onto the dirt, looking downward. “Then, the prime ministers... all the other officials?”

Toph said nothing. She simply shook her head and breathed out a heavy sigh.

“We failed...” Korra uttered, sinking down to one knee. She raked her fingers through the dirt, curled them into a fist, and then punched the ground. The entire room shook, as large cracks split out across the floor. “Damn it, Zaheer! I swear, when I get my hands on him, I'll—”

“We'll stop him, Korra.” Asami lowered a hand onto her girlfriend's shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze of reassurance. “This fight isn't over yet.”

Kya scanned the ground a moment, then turned to Toph. “What about Lin? And Kuvira. Where are they?”

"Give me just a second." The old woman paused a moment, humming out a quiet breath. “Feels like... they're right here.”

A small area of dirt churned a short distance away, softening and swirling as three figures burst up into the chamber. Kuvira fell back, plopping herself on the ground, and Yula fell with her, into her lap. Lin, on the other hand, dropped to her knees and huffed, pulling her hands back through her hair.

“Oh thank spirits, you guys are okay,” Kya said, as she set herself down next to Lin. “What happened down there?”

“We were too late, that's what happened,” Lin said. “That damn lightningbender of theirs fried the entire Earth Republic governing body. We only barely got Yula out of there alive.”

Korra grumbled to herself, holding a hand over her face. All that planning, all that fighting—all for nothing. The Red Lotus had succeeded, and now they were no doubt on their way to their next targets. “We should regroup. And we need to find Opal, Bolin, and Bumi, make sure they're okay.”

“In the meantime, we should start asking some questions,” Anraq said. He looked back over his shoulder, towards the chamber doors and the corridor beyond. “I know a certain someone we can interrogate...”

“You think he'll talk?” Kya asked. “These Red Lotus types generally don't give up information.”

“Oh, he'll talk. I'll make _sure_ of it.”

Lin stood up and put an arm around Kya's shoulder, leading her back towards the chamber exit. “Well, no use waiting around here. Let's get moving.”

As Team Avatar grudgingly turned to exit the state house, Kuvira lifted Yula up into her arms and stood straight. She brushed back loose strands of the younger woman's hair, and held her close, carrying her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I'm okay... a little shaken, though,” Yula said, resting her head against Kuvira's shoulder. “They...killed everyone. _All_ of them. I could have been...”

“Shh,” Kuvira whispered, with a gentle smile. “You weren't. You're safe, just like I promised.”

Yula tightened her hold against Kuvira, hugging herself closer. “You... you were really going to give yourself up to save me?”

“If I had to,” she said, with a simple nod. “I said I'd protect you, and I meant it. Fortunately, because of you, I _didn't_ have to.”

At this, Yula's lips widened into a delighted grin. She giggled, eyes gleaming. “Did you see what I did? I totally got them both!”

“Yes, I saw.” Kuvira returned the smile, then tilted her head down to press their lips together. When she pulled away from the kiss, she cradled Yula close and followed the rest of her team out of the chambers. “You did great, Yula. I'm proud of you.”

* * *

Avan grunted, pushing away the earth above their heads until they cleared through to the surface. He looked around, making sure the coast was clear, then pulled himself up out of his self-made tunnel. From the hedges and flowered bushes set neatly nearby, it seemed like they were in the gardens behind the state house. No sign of the Avatar's team anywhere, at least.

“ _Again._ " Aoi climbed out of the tunnel behind him, scowling. "That wretched little brat got the better of me _again!_ Nobody does that to me... _Nobody!_ ”

“Calm yourself," Avan muttered, as he pulled back the singed sleeve of his shirt to examine his burn. "She surprised the both of us. Besides, who are you calling a 'little brat'? You're well younger than she is...and, quite frankly, more annoying."

"Watch your mouth!" she snapped, shooting a hot glare his way. “Because of her, Kuvira got away!”

“There will be other opportunities to take down Kuvira," he replied. "In the meantime, we need to regroup with Zaheer and the rest of the Red Lotus. Soon as I take down the walls, we'll be leaving Ba Sing Se.”

Aoi huffed out a sharp breath, then turned to march in the opposite direction. Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms so tightly that they drew small trickles of blood. “You go on ahead. There's one more thing I have to take care of before we leave this city."

* * *

Korra exhaled, arms held around herself as the cabin door opened. "How are they?"

Kya looked back over her shoulder, inside the room—Bumi and Opal lay on separate beds, both unconscious. Bolin sat at Opal's side, holding her hand, while Bum-Ju curled next to Bumi's head on his pillow. "Pretty banged up, but they'll be fine as long as they rest a while." She closed the door behind herself, then made her way down the airship corridor with Korra. "We should count ourselves lucky that Zaheer didn't stick around to finish them off."

"Everything that Zaheer has done..." Korra tightened a fist, head hanging. "He _has_ to be stopped. He has to pay."

"We will stop him, one way or another," Kya replied. "Lin and I are with you all the way."

"Thanks. We'll need all the help we can get."

The pair climbed up to the main deck, into the atrium. Since the battle against the Red Lotus, Team Avatar had returned to their airship, though they had yet to make a plan. They had spent most of that time recovering and trying to gather their thoughts.

As soon as Korra and Kya entered the atrium, Asami approached them in a hurry. "Guys, I have some bad news. I just got word that the prisons in Ba Sing Se have been emptied. Criminals are flooding the streets and causing a panic."

Korra's eyes flared. "How many?"

"Um, all of them? So, a lot."

"It's bad." Lin jumped down from the second deck above them, slowing her descent with a police cable. "There are more than thirty prisons in this city, and each one was packed near full. I'm talking _thousands_ of prisoners— _each._ "

"Oh dear spirits..." Kya uttered. "With no government or anyone to enforce the law, they'll take over the city in days."

"And the more violent ones will probably fight amongst themselves for control..." Korra said. "Countless innocent people are going to be caught in the middle of it!"

A hiss of static interrupted their conversation, as the airship radio sparked to life. Moments later, a strikingly familiar voice rang out over the speakers. “Attention people of Ba Sing Se."

Korra stiffened at the voice. She scowled, curling her hands into fists, arms shaking. " _Zaheer._.."

"Some of you may remember me, others may not," Zaheer stated. His voice echoed crisply, no doubt reaching every citizen in Ba Sing Se who owned a radio. "Eight years ago, myself and my band of brothers and sisters freed you from the control of a tyrannical queen, and in the process restored the power to each and every one of you to control your own destinies.

“Unfortunately, that didn't last. Shortly after we set you free, you were drawn under the control of an even worse dictator, and even after she was defeated, again you were subjected to another form of rule. They changed the name of your nation, changed the system, changed the leaders, but what they didn't change was the distribution of power, no matter what they would have you believe otherwise. They pretend you have choice, that you have a say in things through elections, but in the end you still don't have the power to change anything. You're still segregated by borders and walls, even in this very city; the only difference this time is the coat of paint.

“That's why I'm speaking to you today. Just as I did eight years ago, I have freed you all from the antiquated notion of rulers and governments. Just now, my brethren and I have removed your entire governing body from power, permanently. You have no more leaders telling you what to do, no more oppressive force to hold you down. Now, your fate lies in your own hands. Take back your lives, show allegiance only to yourself and those that you love. The time has returned to show the world _exactly_ what it means to be free.” With another static hiss, the radio cut out.

Lin turned her gaze, frowning. "As if things couldn't get worse..."

A deafening boom abruptly erupted in the air, followed by a deep, quaking tremor that ripped through the ground. The entire airship shook and rattled. Kya stumbled off her feet, but Lin caught her and steadied them against the table. Asami reached out to hold on to a chair, while Korra feel backwards onto one of the couches along the atrium window-walls. The quaking grew stronger, more violent, as if the entire world was splitting apart. Just as soon as the commotion began, however, it gradually subsided. The rubbling softened, the ground stopped shaking, and then all was silent.

"What in spirits name was that?" Kya questioned, running back towards one of the windows.

Lin joined her and gazed outside, off into the distance. The only thing she could see above the buildings was a massive cloud of dust that steadily billowed up into the sky, thick and heavy like a storm cloud. When she realized what had caused the dust, however, she dropped her jaw. "The walls... The walls of Ba Sing Se are gone."

" _Gone?_ All of them?" Asami approached the window, watching the dust cloud loom higher. "What do we do?"

"We have to help!" Korra said. An urgency sparked in her voice, an eagerness for action. " _Somehow._ There'll be riots, looting...people will die!"

"And what are we supposed to do?" Lin questioned. "That would take time and resources we don't have."

"I don't know, but I'm the _Avatar._ That's my job! To _help_ people."

Lin pushed out a breath through her nose and glanced back at her. "I know, but right now _our_ job is to stop the Red Lotus. The more time we waste, the bigger advantage they have."

"Well we can't just leave the city to fix itself!" Korra countered. "It's only a matter of time before the turmoil here spreads throughout the entire Earth Republic, and if that happens..." She huffed out a frustrated groan, bringing a hand to her forehead. With a few soft, steady breaths, she calmed herself. "We'll have to call Raiko, see if he can send the United Forces in and set things right. They can help Ba Sing Se while we go after Zaheer."

"In the meantime, we need more information on the Red Lotus," Kya said. "How's the interrogation going?"

Korra shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't checked on them since they started. Hopefully they'll have some better news for us."

* * *

"I already told you, I don't know anything," Yuruk grumbled, leaning back in his seat. He flexed his arms, as if trying to break free of the chains that bound him to the chair, but they didn't budge.

"And I already told you, I can tell you're lying," Toph said, with a blank, unamused stare.

"Damn it, Yuruk, just make this easy on yourself!" Anraq moved in front of him. He folded his arms, sucked in a quivering breath, and clenched his jaw; it was all he could to do to calm himself. "What is the Red Lotus planning next?"

Kuvira stepped next him, lowering her brow into a hot glare. "And _where_ are the Beifongs?"

" _Hmph._ " Yuruk twitched his brow a bit, then sat up as straight as he could in his bonds. "What was that you told me last time, Annie? Oh yeah." He narrowed his gaze at his cousin. "Go screw a wolf bat."

"You hog monkey swine!" Anraq shouted, lashing a hand out to grab Yuruk's collar. "I swear I'll—"

"Anraq, calm down!" Kuvira reached out and pulled her friend back away from the prisoner. He tried to break free of her hold, but she tightened her arms around his, restraining him until he finally relaxed. "Toph, can't you do something to make him talk?"

"I can tell you when he's lying," Toph said, with a simple shrug. "I can't magically make him tell the truth."

Yuruk laughed. "Doesn't matter what you try. Torture me if want, I'm not talking."

Anraq made a fist, his arm shaking at his side. "Don't _tempt_ me..."

"Who are you trying to kid, Annie? You won't torture me—don't have the stomach for it, never did." A wicked grin slashed across his face. "Even when it came to Kanna, you were weak."

" _What did I say about her?!_ " Anraq shoved Kuvira away and lunged at his cousin with as hard a punch as he could muster. His knuckles caromed viciously off Yuruk's jaw, spraying a cloud of blood into the air and knocking a tooth free of the man's mouth.

"Anraq!" Kuvira grabbed him again, and this time bended a pair metal strips around his wrists to yank him away. She moved around in front of him, pushing him back towards the door. "I think we need to take a break and clear our heads. Maybe let him sweat it out a little."

Toph yawned, then hobbled off her seat and followed them out the door. "Good idea. I need a nap anyway. My back is killing me."

"I'll be waiting for you when you get back, Annie!" Yuruk called, as the door slammed shut. "I look forward to our next chat!"

* * *

Anraq marched down the airship corridor, body stiff and rigid. He grumbled out a low breath, then turned and punched the metal wall; he instantly recoiled with a shout, shaking his hand in pain. With continued incoherent mumbling, he bended out a glob of water from his hip flask and pressed it over his knuckles. The water glowed, soothing the injury.

Kuvira hesitated before approaching him. She had never seen him this angry before, this consumed with rage. With how laid back and easy he usually was, it actually scared her to see him like this—scared and concerned her. She hated seeing her friend in this much pain.

"Hey..." she said, as she finally made her way towards him. "You okay?"

"No, I'm _not_ okay," he said. "I failed protecting the prime ministers, I failed stopping the Red Lotus, I failed in Zaofu..." With another shout, he let his healing water fall and slapped his palm against the wall. "I _always_ fail!"

"Anraq, _we_ failed. All of us. We're in this together."

"Right, we..."

Kuvira's brow lowered gently, eyes softening. "This isn't about what happened today, is it? Is... there something else you want to talk about?"

"No."

"You know you can tell me anything," she insisted, taking a step closer to him. A moment's hesitation past, but when Anraq didn't reply, she breathed in deep, voice teeming with a cautious tone, and asked, "...who's Kanna?"

Anraq stiffened further, and turned his back to her. "I don't want to talk about it.”

Again, Kuvira came closer. She brought a hand to his shoulder, and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Anraq..."

"I said, I don't want to talk about it!" He tore away from her grasp, swatting her hand away. Then, he hurried away from her down the corridor. "Just leave me alone!"

* * *

Kuvira pushed open the door to her cabin, rubbing her fingers against her eyes. She didn't blame Anraq for his anger; that pain in his tone was a pain that she knew too well. She wished he would share it, though. That kind of pain needed to be shared before it could heal, but it couldn't be forced. A time would come where he'd be ready to talk about it, but until then the only thing she could do for him was give him his space.

"Hey, Kuvira?"

Closing the door behind herself, Kuvira looked up to see Yula sitting there on the bed. The younger woman fidgeted, legs bouncing up and down, hands held together, anxious. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's just, with everything happening in Ba Sing Se right now...” Yula glanced down at the floor with a sigh. “I'm worried about my mother and sister. The last time this happened, we almost got caught in a fire during the rioting. It was worse out in the streets..."

Kuvira made her way to the bed and sat down next to her, holding a hand against the younger woman's knee. "You want to go help them?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."

"Alright.” Kuvira leaned close and gave her a kiss, then held Yula's hand. “We'll go together."

"Thanks,” she replied, with a gentle smile. “Actually, I think my sister will like you. My mom might take some warming up to, though."

Kuvira gave a quiet laugh and kissed her again. "Well, I look forward to meeting them."

* * *

“Mom... it's happening again,” Shayu said, gazing out the window of the small apartment with wide eyes. The dust cloud from the collapsed walls had grown so large that it filled the sky, blotting the sun out and casting a dark shadow across all of Ba Sing Se.

Jaya shuffled towards the window and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. “Come away from the window, Shayu. Everything will be fine.”

“But this is just like what happened last time!” she said, looking back to her mother with panic stricken across her face. “What if we lose our home again? What if we're back out on the streets?”

“That won't happen,” her mother reassured, giving the girl a gentle kiss on top of her head. “We'll be okay, I promise you. Your sister, too, you'll see.”

A knock at the front door, drew Shayu's attention away from the window finally. “That has to be her!” Relief flooded through her as she raced across the apartment and threw the door open. “Yula! You're—oh.” The person on the other side of the door wasn't her sister at all, but rather a different, younger girl. “Can I help you?”

“Possibly,” the girl replied. “You have a sister named Yula, is that correct?”

“Yes... is something wrong?”

“Well, I'm afraid there was an attack on the state house earlier today.”

Shayu's eyes widened. She squealed out a frightened gasp, hands coming to her mouth. “ _What?_ But Yula was there!”

Jaya hurried to the door, joining her daughter. “What happened? Is Yula okay?”

“Oh she's fine, no need to worry,” the girl said, with a simple wave of her hand. “But there are some other concerning things I should speak with you about.”

“Yes, yes of course, please come in,” Jaya said, ushering the girl inside. "What's your name?”

The girl made her way inside and closed the door behind her. Her gaze shifted around the apartment briefly, before settling on the mother and daughter. “My name?” she said, curling her lips into a wide grin. “You can call me... Aoi.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is a bunch of smaller scenes pieced together, which I usually don't like doing, but when there are so many smaller things going on at once it has to be done that way. Trying to wrap up lose ends in Ba Sing Se before moving on with the story.
> 
> So, there are a few important things being revealed here, though. Anraq may not be the completely mellow, fun loving individual he's led people to belief. Who is Kanna? Oh don't worry, you'll find out eventually. And it will rip your heart out. (I'm not even going to apologize for that one when it happens, even if it already is tearing my soul to pieces).
> 
> Also, to give you an idea of how powerful Avan's earthbending is, he just completely took down all the walls of Ba Sing Se and turned them to dust. Simultaneously. Anyone want to see a Toph vs. Avan fight? It may or may not happen ;)
> 
> And then there's Aoi... yeah I'm just going to leave it there. Just Aoi.


	32. To Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira and Yula make a horrifying discovery, while interrogation with Yuruk continues.

Kuvira squinted up at the sky. The darkened cloud of dust from the crumbled Ba Sing Se walls continued to billow higher in the air, blocking the sun and casting the city in heavy shadow. Citizens ran to and fro throughout the streets, some pointing up at the sky, others yelling for their friends or families to follow them, and others in a panic. The Middle Ring didn't appear to have been hit too bad yet, or at least not this particular neighborhood, but it was only a matter of time—sooner or later the rioting, the looting, the escaped criminals, all that chaos would find its way here.

“Over here,” Yula said, leading the way around the corner of another street. “We're almost at my mother's apartment.”

Kuvira hurried behind her, while keeping an eye out on their surroundings. “Have you thought about what you're going to do when you get there?”

Yula glanced back over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, with what's happening to Ba Sing Se now... the city isn't going to be safe. When you get to your family, how do you plan to protect them when things turn to chaos?”

“I... I don't know,” she said, with a small shrug. She turned her gaze down to the ground as she walked, a sudden concern lingering in her eyes. “We'll figure something out, I guess. We survived last time.”

“I only ask because there is one option you could take,” Kuvira said. “That is, if you wanted.”

“Oh... what kind of option?”

Kuvira paused momentarily, coming to a stop. Yula turned to her, tilting her head quizzically as she awaited the answer. “Well, you... could come with me. On the airship, I mean. With my team... there's plenty of room for you and the rest of your family, and it would be safer than staying here. At least until things settle down again.”

Yula blinked, and took a step towards her. “Wait, you're... serious?”

“Well, yes...” she said, with a brief clear of her throat. “And, that way when we go, I wouldn't have to leave you behind, and...” A sigh exhaled from her lips, and she shook her head. “I'm sorry, it was a stupid suggestion. Forget it.”

“No! I mean, yes, I'd love to go with you!” Yula said. She smiled and came close to Kuvira, reaching out to hold her hands. “Getting out of Ba Sing Se while things are like this is probably for the best, especially if it means that my family can be safe. And, if it means getting to spend more time with you, well...” A light blush bloomed on her cheeks. “It sounds wonderful.”

Kuvira returned a smile of her own, then leaned in to give the younger woman a brief kiss. “Perfect, then.”

Yula giggled. “Yes, perfect. Now come on, we're almost there.” She tightened her hold on Kuvira's hand and then hurried along down the street.

When they rounded the next street corner, they were greeted by pandemonium. A crowd had gathered, pointing and yelling at something in front of them. With as massive as the throng of people was, Kuvira couldn't tell what they were looking at, and pushing through them proved to be difficult. Yula led the way, trying to weave through them with quiet 'excuse me's' and gentle pushes, but the only thing she succeeded in doing was getting herself pushed backwards. She tried again, but fared no better, only getting caught between several onlookers before stumbling and nearly falling.

Kuvira stomped a foot on the ground and lifted her hands, causing a rift in the earth to split outward through the crowd. The earth then rose upwards and pushed out to either side, forcing the crowd to part and creating a clear path for them to continue down the street. Several onlookers glared at her and yelled their displeasure over being so forcibly moved, but she ignored them; she didn't have time to deal with them.

As she and Yula continued through the now clear path, Kuvira overheard several people speaking with horrified voices.

“Ever seen anything like it?” one man asked.

“No, I can't believe it,” a woman replied.

“The whole building went up in seconds!” another stated.

“Those flames weren't natural, I'm telling you. Did you feel how hot they were?”

“I know, and the _color._ I barely got out in time!”

“Did anyone get caught inside?”

“I don't know, but I knew people who lived there.”

“How awful...”

Kuvira eyed the speakers with a cautious glare, as she followed Yula towards the front of the crowd. There had been a fire? That didn't sound right... there was clearly no fire now, not even any smoke in the air—only the continually growing dust cloud. Not only that, but if there _had_ been a fire in one of these buildings, then the entire block would have gone up in flames, with how close they were built to each other. What kind of fire incinerated an entire building, but didn't spread to the ones built right next to it?

“ _No!_ ”

The horrified shriek caught her off guard. Kuvira flinched at it, and looked straight ahead again. Yula had stopped at the front of the crowd, a hand lifted over her mouth and eyes open wide. The expression of pure grief and pain that spread across the younger woman's face sent a numb shiver tingling up Kuvira's spine, and churned her gut with dread. Yula stared straight ahead, gaze locked on the ashes of what had at one time been an apartment building, or so Kuvira assumed. Now, all that remained was a pile of blackened ashes and debris, nestled snugly between two other tall buildings on either side.

“Yula...?” she said, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper. “Is everything... what's wrong?”

“My family's apartment building...” Yula uttered, with a weak, careful step forward. “This is where... it was right here. But now it's... where _is_ it? _What happened?_ I don't understand!”

Kuvira shifted her attention from Yula to the ashes, then back again. “I... I don't know.”

One of the many onlookers in the crowd approached them, a man wearing singed clothing darkened with soot. “It was a fire. Never seen anything like it, I tell you. Everything was fine one minute, then the next the entire building was up in flames. I was on the ground floor, so I was lucky, but... I don't know about everyone else. The whole thing burned down in just a couple minutes.”

Yula said nothing. She merely stared at the remains of the building, her eyes blank and unblinking.

"If you ask me, it was one of those no good firebending hoodlums that did this," said a woman. "Those types are always causing trouble, and when I got here I swear I saw a girl wearing Fire Nation clothes fleeing the scene." She turned to the other man that had spoken, with a hateful spark in her eyes. "And you saw the way the flames moved, didn't you? Wasn't natural...like someone was controlling them!"

Kuvira's gut twisted at the woman's suggestion. A girl dressed in Fire Nation attire, a firebender, fleeing the scene of a mysteriously burned building... no. No, that couldn't be. 

“Maybe... maybe they weren't home,” she said, moving closer to Yula. “I'm sure they're okay.”

Still, Yula didn't respond. She ran forward to the pile of ashes and charred wood, melted tile and shattered glass, and crumbled concrete, stopping just in front of it. She kept staring, kept watching, as if expecting the scene to be a mere illusion that would suddenly disappear, or that it was nothing more than a bad dream she would soon awaken from. But it didn't change. Nothing changed. She took another step forward, struggling to hold back a choked sob... and then a gleam caught her eye.

She blinked, glancing down at the front of the ash pile. A small object lay atop the rubble, pinned against a loose board. It was shiny, reflecting a glint of light into her eyes, and looked completely untouched by whatever fire had burned down this building, as though it had been deliberately left behind for someone to find. Tentatively, she knelt down and picked it free from the charred wood. The moment that she had it in her grasp and had a clear look at what the object was, a painful knot ripped into her chest.

Yula staggered on her knees and nearly collapsed, only barely managing to hold herself upright with one hand. Her other hand lifted over her mouth to muffle the grieving cries that burst from her throat—little did it help. Those cries turned to shrieking wails, which were soon accompanied by a flood of tears that rained from her eyes down her cheeks, and dripped down to the ground like stinging acid.

Kuvira's stomach churned so hard at the sound of Yula's cries that she held a hand over her own abdomen in attempts to settle her nerves; it did nothing. The grief that Yula expressed ripped a hole through Kuvira's heart, a hole that only grew larger with each new sob, each pained shout. She came closer, approaching the younger woman slowly, cautiously. She knelt down beside her, placed a hand on her shoulder, and then looked to the ground, at the object that had caused this. When she recognized it, her stomach twisted even tighter, but not with pain or grief this time—with anger.

The object was a gold hairpin, a hairpin shaped in the distinct shape of a flame, a Fire Nation standard. While insignificant on its own, a sickening jolt of understanding blasted into her core. This pin _had_ been left here intentionally, as some kind of sick calling card, to let them know exactly what had happened here, when they found it. Kuvira had no doubt of that now, no doubt of how this building had burned down, and exactly who had been trapped inside. Yula, too, it seemed.

Kuvira grabbed the pin and held it in her palm. The anger that flared through her body grew stronger the longer she stared at it, and soon it levitated several inches above her hand. With a single clench of her fingers, the metal pin twisted into an unrecognizable mass. “Aoi...”

She forgot her anger, though, at least momentarily, when she felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around her and pull her close. Yula buried her face against Kuvira's shoulder, weeping with an uncontrolled fervor that broke only with intermittent hiccups and coughs. Kuvira immediately hugged her own arms around the younger woman in return, a hand pressed lightly against the back of her head.

“I'm here...” Kuvira whispered, stroking her fingers through Yula's hair, and rocking her gently back and forth. “And I'm not letting you go, I promise.”

* * *

Yuruk sat straight when the door opened. He grinned, expecting to see Anraq walk into the room, but the grin soon shifted to a frown and lifted eyebrows—not his cousin, but the Avatar. Following her came the old earthbender, Toph Beifong. Given that blind hag's ability as a truth seer, it came as no surprise to see her joining the interrogation again. Avatar Korra, on the other hand, was unexpected.

"So, you're Yuruk," Korra said, pulling up a seat in front of him.

"Ah, the Avatar graces me with her presence..." Yuruk chuckled, and yanked at the chains binding him to his chair. Just as always, they didn't budge. "Seems a bit like overkill, if you ask me."

"I've heard a lot about you from your cousin. I'll be honest, you sound like a pretty despicable person."

"Ha, has Annie been buttering me up?" He glanced past Korra towards the door. "What's the matter, he didn't want another shot at me?"

Korra leaned against the back of her seat and crossed one leg over the other. "Just me this time. Thought Anraq could use a break."

A grating laugh chortled out of Yuruk's throat. "Not surprising, really. He never did have a very strong resolve."

"You and he don't get along very well, do you?"

"Oh, real astute there, Avatar. You figure that one out all on your own, or did your past lives help you?"

Korra shrugged, maintaining an expression of indifference on her face. "Actually, I can't contact my past lives anymore. Long story."

"Oh, well... guess you _did_ figure it out on your own," Yuruk muttered. "Congratulations."

"I'm going to tell you something, Yuruk, and I want you listen closely because I'm not going to repeat it," Korra said, easing herself forward in her chair, elbows on her knees and hands pressed together. "I'm going to give you one chance to answer my questions. That's it. If you refuse, then I'm going to get rid of you for good."

Yuruk scoffed. "Right, because I totally believe you're going to kill me in cold blood. You're the good guy, the morally superior one, remember? You don't do that."

"You misunderstand me," she replied, with a shake of her head. "When I say get rid of you, I mean throw you in prison."

"Ha! Prison, right." Yuruk smirked, and bellowed an amused chuckle. "I'm not afraid of prison. There isn't one that exists that can hold me for long."

Toph breathed in though her nose, and shifted her lips into a frown. "Well, he's not lying there, which means he at least _believes_ he can escape from any prison."

"Not the one I have in mind," Korra said. Her gaze narrowed at Yuruk, brow lowering. "This prison isn't in the physical world."

Yuruk furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Ever hear about the Fog of Lost Souls?"

"Nope. That supposed to mean something to me?"

A threatening smirk curled its way on Korra's lips. "Let me enlighten you, then. The Fog of Lost Souls is a spirit prison for humans, located in the Spirit World. Doesn't look like much, just a bunch of fog in a canyon, but the fog itself is actually a spirit. Anyone who enters, the fog invades their mind and pulls out their deepest fears and insecurities. Stay in it long enough and you eventually go insane."

Yuruk paused a moment, squinting curiously at the Avatar. "Sounds like a bunch of bisoncrap to me."

"Oh it's real, and if you don't tell us what we want to know, then that's where you get to spend the rest eternity: wandering the fog, suffering from your worst fears."

"You're bluffing," he said, with an awkward shift in his chained seat. "Besides, I'm not afraid of anything, so your little spirit fog magic shit won't work on me anyway."

At this statement, Toph grinned. "Oh, he's lying."

"If you think I'm bluffing, then go ahead and try me," Korra said, leaning closer to him. Her smirk widened, as she stared dead in his eyes. "I wonder what the big bad waterbender Yuruk is afraid of?"

Yuruk swallowed. His brow twitched, gaze slipping back and forth between Korra and Toph, and a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. Those damn grins of theirs, mocking him, daring him to be defiant...

"Fuck," he muttered, turning his eyes down to the floor. "I'm not messing with magical spirit fog crap. So fine, I'll answer your questions." He glanced upward at them, glaring. "But I'm only talking to Annie."

* * *

Korra closed the door behind herself and let out a laugh. "Well, that worked better than I thought."

"You see," Toph said, smacking her fist into her palm. "Just have to be tough with them sometimes. A little threat goes a long way!"

Korra raised an eyebrow at her, as they made their way back down the corridor. "Your original idea was to tie him up on the viewing deck and pelt him with rocks..."

"Well, yes, and that could have worked, too," she replied, with a shrug. "But I'm glad we went your spirit prison thing."

"Still, he's only going to answer our questions if Anraq asks them. You mind getting him, telling him what's going on? I think he's down in his cabin."

Toph puffed out a scoff through her nose. "Oh sure, send the hobbled old woman shambling through the bowels of a cramped airship."

Korra frowned. "His cabin is _literally_ thirty feet down the corridor and around the corner. And there's almost enough room down here to hold a pro-bending match."

"I _know_ that. I was just testing you." Toph waved her off, then headed down the corridor. "I'll get him, don't worry."

* * *

Kuvira marched slowly up the gangplank into the airship. Yula was quiet in her arms, huddled close to her chest, face buried against her armor. The younger woman's tears had ceased some time ago, no more left to shed, but still she sobbed gently, voice quivering as nothing but a pale whisper. Kuvira brushed her hair back and kissed the top of her head, trying to offer any kind of reassurance she could. She knew it would have little effect, though; Yula hadn't said a word since they left the scene, only crying, lost to her grief and her pain. The look in Yula's eyes, too, knotted Kuvira's chest with shared sorrow—distant, forlorn, her entire world shattered and broken.

When Kuvira entered the atrium, she was met by Lin and Kya at the central table. They turned to her, about to say something in greeting, but their words halted when they noticed Yula. Instead, they watched Kuvira carry the younger woman across the atrium towards the stairs that led to the lower deck. They said nothing, asked no questions—the quiet stare that Kuvira sent their way told them as much: now wasn't the time.

Kuvira carried Yula down into the lower deck, through the long corridor below, and finally into her cabin. She kicked the door closed behind her, then gently set Yula down on the bed; Yula immediately grabbed the pillow and curled up with it, face pushed against the fabric with continued sobs.

"Yula," Kuvira said, rubbing a hand along the younger woman's back. "I'll be right back, okay? You just rest here a while."

Yula lifted her head from the pillow and snapped her gaze towards Kuvira, eyebrows lifting with panic. "No, please! Don't go. I... I need someone. I need _you._.. please."

"I'll only be gone a few minutes," she assured, with a soft kiss to Yula's forehead. "I have to tell the others what happened. After that, I'll come back, and I promise I'll stay with you as long as you need me. Is that alright?"

Yula sniffled, wiping her hands against her eyes. "Alright..." she uttered, with an unsteady nod. "Please...come back soon."

“I will.” Kuvira leaned in and gave her another kiss. "I promise."

* * *

Kuvira didn't make it thirty feet down the corridor before Korra found her. The Avatar hurried towards her, eyes flashing with concern. “Hey, what's going on? Lin and Kya just mentioned they saw you coming in with Yula, and... is everything alright?”

“No,” she replied, with a shake of her head. “Yula was concerned about her family after everything that happened, so we went to go check on them together, but when we got there...” Kuvira hung her head, raising her fingers to press against her eyes. “The entire building had already burned down.”

Korra's eyebrows lifted, a gasp surging from her throat. “No... and you're sure her family was caught inside?”

“We're sure... because of this.” Kuvira raised a hand, and floated out the mangled hairpin into the air. With a simple spread of her fingers, the pin straightened out again, good as new.

“A... hairpin?” Korra said, squinting with puzzlement.

“A Fire Nation hairpin,” she explained. “Same one worn by Aoi, that Red Lotus girl. It wasn't just some random item caught in the fire, Korra... it had been deliberately left behind, out in the open for us to find.”

“So... Aoi burned the building then,” Korra uttered, understanding billowing in her tone. She lowered her gaze, eyes softening, and clenched her hands to fists. “And killed Yula's family.”

“Yes... all because Yula took her by surprise a couple times.” Kuvira tightened her jaw and looked away, fighting to keep down a growing rage burning in her chest. “How spiteful, how _vindictive_ do you have to be...”

Korra swallowed. “These people have to be stopped. Zaheer, the Red Lotus, Aoi... all of them. We failed in Ba Sing Se—we can't afford to fail again.”

“Do we have a plan? Has Yuruk spilled anything yet?”

“Hopefully soon,” she replied. “I had a crack at interrogating him earlier and got him to agree to answer our questions, but he'll only talk to Anraq. He and Toph are with him now... I'll let you know how that goes.”

Kuvira nodded. “Right... Oh, and one other thing. Yula... is it alright if she comes with us? I already invited her beforehand; she was going to leave with her family to keep them safe from everything happening here. But now... well, there's nothing left for her in Ba Sing Se.”

Korra lifted a hand to her shoulder and gave a single nod. “Of course. She's welcome to come with us, and if she needs anything else, just ask.”

“Thank you,” Kuvira said, with a gentle breath. “I should be getting back to Yula now... she needs me.”

“I understand. I'll come find you if anything important happens. In the meantime, you just be there for her.”

* * *

Anraq tapped his fingers against his elbow, while the heel of his foot jumped up and down, up and down, incessantly. He stared straight forward, eyes locked on his cousin. Even in the hours since he had last confronted Yuruk, the anger hadn't subsided. Fighting to keep himself tempered, to keep that anger pushed away long enough to get through this, took every ounce of willpower he could muster.

“Just answer the questions,” he said, forcing out a steady exhale.

“Oh, straight to business, huh?” Yuruk laughed. “What, don't want to catch up at all? Come on, how's things? I mean, aside from this whole failed mission of yours to stop us. Got a new girlfriend? Seen any good movers lately? Give me something, here.”

Anraq glared. “Answer the questions, or we're done here. I won't _hesitate_ to walk out of this room and have Korra drag your sorry ass to the Spirit World, where we'll never have to hear from you again.”

“Bah, you never were any fun,” he sighed. “Fine, ask away.”

“What is the Red Lotus planning next?”

Yuruk shrugged. “That, I don't know.”

Anraq nearly shot up out of his seat, only barely restraining himself. “Damn it, Yuruk, I said—!”

“Calm down, kid.” Toph reached out and grabbed at his shoulder, easing him back. “He's telling the truth.”

“Yeah, listen to the old woman,” Yuruk said, with a grin. “See, Zaheer was pretty big on keeping his next move secret. Probably for instances just like this, I imagine. He wasn't going to tell us where we were going next until we left Ba Sing Se.”

“Fine...” Anraq muttered. “Then where are you keeping the Beifongs? You must know _that._ ”

His cousin huffed out a grunt. “Yeah, I know that.”

“And?”

“Red Lotus hideout, hundred miles south of the Si Wong Desert, near the southern coast.”

“I'm going to need more specific directions than that.”

Yuruk shrugged again. “Yeah, and I'll give them to you when we get there. It's not like I can draw you a map.” He pulled at his chains again, barely budging his arms away from the side of his body. “You know, since you won't free my hands and all.”

Anraq exhaled deep, closing his eyes. The rage was beginning to simmer again in his chest, but he fought it away. This was more information than they'd had five minutes ago, and it gave them a destination, a goal. Just to be certain, however, he sent a questioning glance to Toph; the old truth seer simply nodded, confirming that Yuruk was telling the truth.

“Alright,” he said, standing out of his seat. “Guess we should go tell the others we have a lead, then. In the meantime, Yuruk... sit tight.”

“Oh, I'll be here. Waiting.” Yuruk grinned. “Come back and visit soon, Annie.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Ba Sing Se chapter! Have something different coming next chapter, and then we'll catch up with Team Avatar on their way to their new destination.
> 
> Why do I like tormenting my characters so much? Probably because it makes for good drama... Poor Yula. Aoi is a vindictive killer, as we've come to see, and this time Yula was the victim. Things aren't going to be easy for her in the days ahead.
> 
> Also, I've now surpassed 100 kudos! Thank you everyone who's been reading my fic, leaving comments, and giving kudos, I appreciate each and every single one of you! :D


	33. Republic City Under Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Republic city, chaos erupts as the Red Lotus attack the president!

“What? You're not _serious._ I don't believe this!” President Raiko sank forward at his desk, holding his fingers against his eyes in frustration. The phone in his grasp nearly fumbled out of his other hand, but he steadied it and pressed it firmly against his ear. “Avatar Korra, I sent you and your team to stop Zaheer, and now you mean to tell me that, not only did you fail, but all of Ba Sing Se is in turmoil? _Again?”_

The confirmation he received on the other line issued a groan from his throat. “Yes, I can contact General Iroh... well we're going to  _ have _ to. Normally I couldn't just send troops into a foreign city without consulting the nation's leaders, but since there  _ are _ no leaders in the Earth Republic anymore...”

He paused, then fell back into his office chair, while rubbing his forehead with his fingers. “They should be there in a few days. In the meantime, try to actually do your job, and contact me next time with some  _ good _ news.” When he finally hung up the phone, he ran his fingers though his hair and sighed, head shaking. “Unbelievable...”

“Mr. President...” On the other side of his office, Mako stepped forward, dressed in his full police lieutenant uniform. His brow scrunched with concern. “Korra's team wasn't able to stop Zaheer?”

“No, it turns out they failed protecting the Earth Republic's prime ministers,” Raiko replied. “Now, not only are the leaders of that nation dead, but so is the entire governing body. Advisers, secretaries, even their _assistants_... it's a disaster.”

Mako bowed his head, gaze shifting to the floor. “I don't believe it...” He had never imagined that Korra would fail; he'd been so sure, so confident, that she and the others would stop the Red Lotus... Perhaps he should have gone, after all. Then at least he could have helped, maybe even made a difference.

“And what's worse, now I have to face the press with the news.” Raiko spun his chair around to face the window behind his desk. He watched the city below with a careful stare. “As if people needed another reason to panic. The last time this happened, we ended up with Kuvira, and we all know how that turned out.”

“Kuvira seems to have changed, at least,” Mako said. “From what Korra tells me, anyway.”

Raiko merely shook his head. “Lieutenant, people like that don't ever really change. She may be getting on the Avatar's good side, helping her out with this Red Lotus business, but she's still the woman who took over the Earth Kingdom and nearly destroyed Republic City. After this whole mess is cleaned up, she's going straight back to prison.”

“Of course, sir.”

“This isn't going to be good for my numbers, and with reelection coming up...” The president grumbled, again rubbing his forehead. “The only reason I won the last election was because I had the media to spin the Kuvira incident in my favor, but _this?_ ”

Mako cleared his throat. “Uh, I'm sure things will be... fine.” It had been no secret that the president's approval rating had sunk to its lowest point since after the attack on Republic City by UnaVaatu. “Your numbers aren't... _that_ bad.”

“Four percent, Mako.”

“Oh... uh...” He cleared his throat again, shifting nervously on his feet. “Well, then.”

“Anyway, let's not keep people waiting. The press conference is in an hour. “ Raiko stood from his seat and headed through his office door, out into the hallway. Halfway to the stairs, he paused and then turned to the restroom. He pushed the door open, glancing back at Mako. “I'll be just a minute. Why don't you head down to the car, I'll meet you there.”

“I'd feel better if I stayed with you, sir,” Mako insisted. “It is my job.”

Raiko frowned, giving the lieutenant a raised eyebrow. “Look, I appreciate you and the rest of the police force looking out for my safety, but do you really need to guard me in the bathroom?”

“Sir, the last time I let someone I was supposed to be guarding go to the bathroom on his own, he was kidnapped.”

“...point taken. Fine, but at least stand outside.”

* * *

President Raiko sucked in a deep breath, as he stood there behind the podium, atop the steps in front of city hall. A crowd of press and other curious citizens had gathered to listen and report on the conference, far more than he'd anticipated. Normally, he was quite comfortable answering questions or redirecting the media's attention, but in this case, given the circumstances, he felt a certain twinge of anxiety in the pit of his stomach. He didn't let it show, of course, retaining a calm, collected demeanor, but still he'd try to keep this press conference brief.

“Alright,” he said, leaning towards the microphone. “Why don't we get things started.” A barrage of hands flew up into the air; he pointed to a man holding a notepad near the front of the crowd.

“Mr. President, do you have news about the return of the Red Lotus?” asked the reporter. “Has Avatar Korra been able to stop them yet?”

Raiko cleared his throat; he should have known that would be the first question. “Regrettably, I have to inform you all that no, the Red Lotus and their leader, Zaheer, is still at large. Avatar Korra and her team were unable to stop them in Ba Sing Se, which has led to the city falling into turmoil for the second time this decade, with the loss of their governing leaders.” Immediately, a cacophony of frantic voices began shouting more questions at him. He raised his hands and urged them all to settle down before continuing. “However, I've given the order to General Iroh of the United Forces to send troops into the city and help set things straight. I'm confident that the conflict in the Earth Republic's capital will be kept to a minimum and order will be restored soon, before the unrest spreads through the rest of the nation.”

Another reporter moved closer, her hand up in the air. “What does this mean for the United Earth Republic? Who will lead the nation now?”

And then another. “Where do you think the Red Lotus will strike next?”

“How do you intend to stop them?”

And still more questions, too many to keep track of. Raiko huffed out a sharp breath and raised his voice into the microphone, so that he could be heard over the crowd.

“I can assure you all that as I know more, so will you,” he said. “Before we can think about reforming the Earth Republic's government—again—we need to fix the situation in Ba Sing Se. This will take time. As for the Red Lotus, Avatar Korra is working tirelessly to bring them to justice. It's only a matter of time before she—”

Yet another reporter raised a hand and shouted over him, cutting off his reply. “Mr. President, is it true that Kuvira is working with the Avatar? Isn't she supposed to be in prison?”

Raiko grumbled under his breath; Kuvira was not a topic that he'd wanted to come up. How people had even heard about her leaving with the Avatar, he didn't know. “Due to the collapse of Zaofu, where she was being held, Kuvira was unfortunately released from prison, yes.” More shouting voices and concerned questions. He ignored them, instead raising his volume again to be heard. “However, she did bring us the news of the Red Lotus attack, and has vowed to aid Avatar Korra in stopping them. She has been granted a temporary—let me stress that word— _temporary_ parole in order to do this, and will be the Avatar's responsibility throughout the process. When the Red Lotus has been stopped, and order has been brought back to Zaofu, she will return to prison there to serve the rest of her sentence.”

“The last time Kuvira provided a public service when she saved the life of former Chief Beifong, she was given a reduction in her sentence,” a woman said. “Will she be getting another reduction for her service here?”

“That is something I'm not at liberty to say, without first discussing things with the other world leaders... and such deliberations will have to wait until after this is over.” Raiko inhaled, closing his eyes. “As it stands, Zaofu and the Earth Republic don't even currently _have_ leaders.”

“Is Republic City safe?”

“Are you concerned that the Red Lotus will come after you next?”

The conference was beginning to get out of hand, he realized. Question after question flew at him, too many to answer. He had to pick and choose, and try to shut this thing down soon. Turning to his left, he gestured to the line of police officers set up atop the steps next to him. The police line continued all the way around the city square, providing heavy security for the press conference. Specifically, the new police chief, a man named Uhara, stood right next to the podium, and beside him, Lieutenant Mako.

“Chief Uhara and the Republic City Police Force,” he started, then turned to his other side, where Tenzin, along with several other airbenders—Jinora, Kai, Ikki, and Meelo—stood at the ready, “as well as Master Tenzin and his airbenders, are doing everything in their power to assure my safety, as well as the safety of all citizens of Republic City. With their help, I'm confident that we're safe from the Red Lotus.” More questions came in, but he had to end things now. Leaning close to the microphone again, he added, “No more questions for now, thank you.”

As he moved away from the podium, Tenzin approached him, arms folded beneath his airbender robes. “Well, I think that went... smoothly.”

“Save the patronizing, Tenzin, we both know that went terrible,” he retorted. “Come morning, the headlines will be spinning my incompetence and calling what happened in Ba Sing Se my fault.”

“We both know you couldn't have done anything more to stop Zaheer.”

“No, but I sent Korra after him, and she failed,” he said. “That failure falls back to me, and that's how the people will see it. Facts don't matter to them.”

Tenzin breathed heavy, but offered a reassuring nod. “She'll stop him, sooner or later. There's no need to worry.”

“You're sure of that?”

At this, the master airbender nodded, and gave a smile. “I've no doubt.”

On the other side of the podium, Mako scanned the crowd with careful eyes, watching, wondering. In spite of the abrupt end to the press conference, many of the reporters and citizens had yet to disperse, either talking amongst themselves or trying to break through the police line for more questions. The officers held strong, though, pushing the reporters back and urging them to go home, or back to work. Fortunately, the crowd didn't seem to be overly aggressive.

“Mako, can I talk to you a minute?”

The question pulled his attention away from the crowd to the man standing next to him: the new chief of police. Mako hadn't worked with Uhara much over the years, but knew that the man had been on the force for far longer than he had. Combining Uhara's experience with his numerous accolades, it had been no wonder that Beifong chose him to be her replacement.

“Of course, Chief,” Mako said, standing at attention. “What do you need?”

“Just letting you know I need you take an extra shift guarding the president tomorrow.”

Mako lifted his eyebrows. “What? But I've worked two double shifts this week already.”

“I know,” Uhara sighed, “but we're spread thin right now with the increased security around the city. Everyone else is busy with other responsibilities.”

“Can't Lu and Gang take the shift?”

Uhara lowered his brow, giving his lieutenant a questioning glare. “You really trust Lu and Gang to guard the president?”

“Well...” Mako paused to actually think over the suggestion he'd just made. “Okay, no, I wouldn't trust them to guard a _cake,_ but I really need some time to recharge. I've been overworked enough as it is, and I can't do my job effectively if I'm exhausted all the time.”

“I know, believe me; we're all in the same boat. But you're one of the best we have, Mako. I need you on this.”

“Fine...” Mako rubbed his fingers against his eyes momentarily. It wasn't that he didn't want to do his job, but there were only so many sixteen hour shifts he could work at a time. “I'll make it work.”

Uhara patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Lieutenant. I'll see about getting you some time off this weekend, alright?”

“Yeah, sure... that would be appreciated. Thanks, Chief.”

Mako shifted his weight to his other leg with a heavy exhale—so much for catching up on sleep tonight. Glancing back towards the crowd, he noticed that most of the reporters had finally packed up and left. About two dozen or so civilians, on the other hand, still loitered near the police line. Since they weren't doing much else other than chatting with each other, however, the officers paid them little attention. He watched a moment longer, then made a move to retrieve Raiko so they could head back to the president's office.

Just before his attention drew entirely away, something caught his eye, prompting him to look back. One of the civilians had lifted up a face cover over her nose and mouth. Moments later, the two dozen others did exactly the same thing. Mako narrowed his eyes, tensed his muscles—that was never a good sign. Before he could shout down to the other officers, however, the civilians reached into their jackets and pulled out very familiar objects that they then slid over their hands. When Mako realized what they were, his eyes flew wide open.

“Watch out!” he yelled, running forward down the steps.

The officers never had a chance. They glanced up at Mako with puzzled expressions, but before he could clarify what he meant, electric shocks sparked out through the police line. One by one, the officers dropped to the ground unconscious at the hands of Equalist shock gloves. Within moments, the entire front line had collapsed.

“Get the president back!” Mako shouted, as he jumped down the remainder of the steps. 

He sent a couple blasts of fire from his fists to push the attackers away, trying to hold them off until the officers on the other side of the city square could reach them. His mind raced—what on earth were Equalists doing here? It had been almost a decade since they had last been seen, not since Amon had been defeated. When one of the attackers stomped the ground and tore up a wave of earth towards him, however, his eyes expanded with a jolt of panic. He jumped back out of the way, kicking a stream of fire as he went. If they were bending, then they weren't Equalists. They were even  _more_ dangerous—benders with Equalist equipment.

“It's the Red Lotus, has to be!” Chief Uhara said, as he leaped next to Mako and fired off his police cables at a pair of attackers. He yanked them off their feet and threw them aside.

“They have Equalist gear!” Mako bobbed and weaved out of the way of several ice projectiles, then countered with a punch of fire. “How's that even possible? I thought all the remaining Equalist equipment had either been destroyed or locked up in evidence!”

“So did I!” Uhara took a step back and thrust his fists upwards, lifting a wall of concrete in front of them. Then, he turned to run back to the top of the stairs, where the president was hiding behind the podium. “Come on, we have to get the president out of here!”

As they and several other officers accompanied the president around the back of city hall, Tenzin floated down the steps on a wave of air, firing several blasts from his palms to keep the Red Lotus away. “Airbenders, hold them off!”

“You will regret ever crossing paths with Meelo!” the youngest airbender announced, as he darted through the air on his wingsuit. He kicked out several slashing arcs of wind that scattered the attackers. “Heads are gonna roll!”

“Kai, cover our flank!” Jinora said, as she slid down the stairs to help her father. Several Red Lotus ran at her with shock gloves outstretched, but she dropped to the ground and spun with her legs kicked out, blasting them away with a whirling cyclone.

“On it!” Kai cut off a group of Red Lotus attempting to pursue the president with a thrust of his palm. A mighty gust of wind tore through the air, lifting the men off their feet.

“You guys are mean!” Ikki shouted, with a pout. She jumped and twirled through the air, sending three nearby Red Lotus assailants tumbling head over heels. “Didn't your mothers ever teach you any manners?”

In spite of their efforts, however, the swarm of Red Lotus only grew larger. With every one that the pushed back, two more seemed to appear, forcing the airbenders back up the steps towards the city hall building. What had begun as a preemptive attack now turned to pure defense, as they did everything they could just to dodge and evade the barrage of incoming attacks. Even if they couldn't get close enough to use the gloves, the Red Lotus still had their bending, not to mention the electrified Equalist bolas.

“There are too many of them!” Jinora said, whirling away from a spinning bola.

“We just need to keep them at bay long enough for the president to escape!” Tenzin replied. “Everyone together!”

* * *

“I don't believe this!” Raiko said, looking back over his shoulder. He tripped over his own two feet momentarily, as the police officers guided him down the alley beside city hall. “The Red Lotus is _here._ And attacking in broad daylight!”

“They're brazen, that's for sure.” Chief Uhara paused a moment and looked down another alley for any other sign of attackers. When he saw nothing, he turned the corner. “This way, Mr. President. There's a transport vehicle parked around back for emergencies.”

Mako brought up the rear of the group, keeping an eye out behind them. It didn't appear that they had been followed yet.

“Look out!” one of the other officers called, pointing above them. Several Red Lotus dropped in from a series of scaffolding set up on the building next to them.

“I'll get the president to safety!” Uhara said, pulling Raiko farther down the alley. “You guys hold them off!”

Mako and the other officers put themselves between the Red Lotus. A mutual volley of fire, earth, and water exchanged between the two groups. Mako ducked low beneath a flying chunk of concrete, then countered with two well placed jets of fire that basted a pair of Red Lotus off the ground. As hard as he fought, though, he couldn't stop his fellow officers from falling victim to the hidden Red Lotus woman that dropped in from behind them. Several jolts of electricity crackled, and the officers collapsed. Mako turned just in time to jump back out of the way of the Equalist glove, while sending a wave of flames back at the attacker. 

As his foot slid back across the ground, a whip of water coiled around his foot and yanked hard, tossing him through the air. The world spun around him; he tumbled against a dumpster, bounced off the street, and then rolled to a stop against the side of a building with a pained groan. He tried to push himself back up to his hands and knees, but a sudden crack erupted in the asphalt beneath him, and a stone pillar jolted up from the ground. The impact thudded into his chest and lifted him upright, where he teetered a moment before collapsing to his backside with an arm clutched over his ribs.

Mako's vision blurred, as he looked up to see the Red Lotus converging on him—four of them, he counted. They reached out with their shock gloves, palms crackling with electricity. He made a desperate attack, sweeping his fist out to hold them back with a jet of fire, but as soon as he did, a sharp pain ripped through his chest and seized his body. He shouted, collapsing flat against the street again. Just too damn  _many_ of them...

A sudden blast of wind swept down from above and knocked all four Red Lotus attackers clean off their feet. They shot airborne into the building behind them, crashing one after the other through an open window. With the alley now empty except for Mako and the unconscious police officers, Tenzin floated down into view, pulling the wings of his wingsuit back tight against his body. Sometimes, it paid to wear that suit beneath his robes.

“Mako, are you alright?” the master airbender asked, holding a hand down at him.

He grabbed Tenzn's hand and pulled himself upright, but hunched forward with a groan. The shot to his ribs had broken something, it felt like. “Yeah, thanks for the save. How are the other airbenders doing?”

“They're pushing back the Red Lotus attackers for now, but there are a lot of them. Once the president is safe, I've given them the order to fall back and regroup.”

“Chief Uhara took Raiko to a transport around back,” Mako said, nodding down the alley. “Hopefully, they're getting to safety now.”

“Alright, then we should see what we can do to help the others. Let's head back around front and—” A thunderous explosion ripped through the air, silencing Tenzin's words, so loud that the airbender covered his ears. “What on earth was that?!”

Mako led the way down the alley. “It came from over here!” 

The entire way, a sinking sensation churned steadily stronger in Mako's gut—this was the direction that Uhara had taken Raiko. He sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him, but when he rounded the corner of the alley he slid to a stop with his hands raised over his face to shield from a sudden wall of heat. He squinted, pulling his hands down just enough to see what he was looking at.

“No...” he said, eyebrows lifting high, jaw dropping. 

The police transport that Chief Uhara and President Raiko had meant to take to safety now lay overturned on its side, the back doors blown apart. A towering pillar of flames engulfed the vehicle, flames so hot and intense that Mako, a firebender, had to take several steps backwards away from the scene. Beyond the burning wreckage, he spotted several figures fleeing down a side street—more Red Lotus, no doubt—but with the inferno between himself and the culprits, he couldn't pursue. All he could do was stand there staring, shellshocked.

Tenzin raced around the corner a moment later, coming to a halt next to Mako. A horrified gasp burst from his throat. “Dear spirits...”

“President Raiko...” Mako uttered, voice squeaking out in a faint whisper. “Chief Uhara...”

Before he could properly even take in the scene, the radio at his hip hissed with static, followed quickly by a panicked voice. “Lieutenant Mako! Code red at the prison! I repeat, code red at the prison!”

He grabbed at the radio and raised it to his lips; he knew that voice. “Officer Hun, what is it? What's going on?”

“All the cells have been opened!” Hun replied. “The prisoners are escaping! We need backup! We need—urrgh!”

“Officer Hun!” No reply, only static. Mako threw that radio against the ground and raked his fingers back through his hair. “Shit! This isn't happening... this _can't_ be happening.” He took a breath to settle himself, then glanced back at Tenzin. “What do we do?”

The master airbender continued staring wide-eyed at the wreckage. “I... don't know.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another world leader bites the dust...
> 
> Only this time I don't think anyone is going to shed a tear. Let's be real, nobody likes Raiko. Even people who like Raiko don't like Raiko.
> 
> So, had to catch up with Mako again back in Republic City (I told you there was another reason I had him stay behind!). And we even got a few cameos from the airbender kids. And Kai. Worth noting, though, that since this is five years later, Jinora is 19, Ikki is 16, Meelo is 14, and Kai is... I'm going to assume the same age as Jinora since he has no official age.
> 
> The kids are growing up!


	34. Blood Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yula vows to get revenge on the Red Lotus for what happened to her family, Team Avatar launches their rescue attempt on the Beifongs, and Yuruk reveals just how sinister he really is.

Yula concentrated, eyes glaring with intent at each metal strip that zipped through the air at her. She ducked beneath one, then leaned away from another, and punched out a jet of fire at a third. A fourth one came at her, and a fifth, and a sixth; she avoided each one, just as she had for the past hour. Her reflexes were getting sharper, she could feel it, but still it wasn't enough. It _couldn't_ be enough.

“You're doing good, Yula," Kuvira said, bending a few more metal strips off her armguards. With a push of her arms, she fired them again at the firebender. "Just keep it up.”

Yula ducked away from them again, a frustrated breath bursting from her throat as she did. “This isn't working. You're going easy on me.”

Kuvira raised a brow. “Well, you're still new at this...”

“Don't hold back!" she insisted. “I'm never going to get better like this!”

“Yula..."

“No, just _do_ it!" Yula intensified her glare, gaze narrowing sharply. "I _have_ to get better. I can't afford to take it easy, or slack off, or... or _anything._ I have to make that girl _pay_ for what she did to my family!”

Kuvira hinged her jaw shut tight, easing a breath out her nose. Seeing Yula like this, so angry and obsessed, so in need of revenge... it broke her a little, filled her with a heavy grief that weighed her down, and clawed at her nerves. Determination itself wasn't a bad thing—everyone needed that kind of spark sometime—but _this_ , and the reason for it? This was the kind of spark that raged into an out of control wildfire, the kind that changed a person.

After a moment's hesitation, Kuvira peeled away several more metal strips and launched them through the air, faster this time, almost too fast to see. Yula remained vigilant, focused. She ducked below one, weaved through the next two, and then turned away from the fourth—only to spin directly into the fifth. The metal strip wrapped around her eyes, blinding her, and then dragged her back off her feet to the floor.

"Damn it!" She shouted an angry groan, immediately yanking the strip off her eyes and jumping back to her feet. " _Again._ "

“I think we've done enough for now," Kuvira said, as she called back the numerous metal strips through the air to return to her armguards. "Korra should be here soon to train your firebending, anyway.”

“Right... fine."

Yula huffed out a sigh, then paced around atop the airship viewing deck. She looked out at the landscape flying by beneath them—a vast expanse of yellow sand dunes that stretched as far as the eye could see. Yula had never left Ba Sing Se before in her life, so to witness something as awe inspiring as the massive Si Wong Desert... She could stare at that empty sand for hours.

She had much more important things to do than watch the desert, though. Wiping a trail of sweat from her brow, she looked away and eased out a steady, even breath. Then, she lowered herself into a bending pose, continuing her practice by running through the various firebending sets that Korra had taught her.

Kuvira watched her momentarily, before her focus broke from a line of sweat dripping off her brow into her eye. She squinted, rubbing her eye and then wiping her brow dry. Earlier that morning, the desert climate had been tolerable, but now temperatures had soared to scorching levels, and the armor she wore only made things worse. With a tired grumble, she removed the metal plates, as well as the upper half of her robe, down to the simple white tank top beneath. Almost immediately afterward, the breeze whipping across the viewing deck grew stronger, cooling her body. She sighed contentedly.

A short moment later, the elevator at the top of the viewing deck opened up, and out stepped a familiar young woman wearing an airbender wingsuit.

“Opal!" Kuvira hurried towards her, pulling her into a hug when she reached her. "You're awake, finally... how are you feeling?”

Opal didn't put much effort into the hug, standing mostly firm and rigid. At the question, she merely frowned, brow lowering over her eyes. “I had the man who killed my mother right in front of me and I couldn't stop him. How do you think I'm feeling?”

“It's not your fault, Opal. Zaheer is..." Kuvira glanced away, with a sigh. "He's not going to be easy to take down.”

“I _know_ that," she muttered, staring down at her feet. "But I still should have been able to do something. Instead, I barely touched him, and he just... I need to get better.”

A sharp sense of deja vu flickered through Kuvira's mind. She turned her gaze momentarily to look at Yula, who now went through her firebending sets more intensely than ever. The Red Lotus had taken so much from so many people. Revenge, it seemed, had become a prime motivator in recent days.

Opal glared harder. “I want you to spar with me.”

“What?” Kuvira blinked at Opal, brow twisting with confusion.

“Spar. You and me. I'm only going to get better by training against strong opponents, right? So let's go, and don't hold back.”

“Opal, I'm not going to fight you," she said. "You only just recovered, and I don't want to see you hurt again.”

Opal crossed her arms across her chest and popped her weight to one side. “You say that like you think you can.”

“Was that... a challenge?”

And then, a smirk. “So what if it was?” Oh, she knew how appeal to Kuvira's competitive nature.

“Well, then... fine," Kuvira said. She made her way towards the other side of the viewing deck, then took her traditional metalbending pose. "Might be nice to actually see firsthand how much you've grown.”

Opal followed her, and spun into an airbending stance. “Now that's more like it.”

Yula didn't pay them any attention, even when they began to spar. Rather, she focused completely on her own firebending—breathing steady and controlled, punches quick and sharp, kicks straight and powerful, and flames jetting into the air with ferocity. Each time she started a new set, her confidence grew. Back in Ba Sing Se, finding a time and place to practice had always been a challenge. Training sessions had been irregular, short, and often times few and far between; she'd never had the opportunity to go all out like this, to train all day, and with as much intensity as she could muster.

Now that she _did_ gave that opportunity, she could feel it rapidly becoming easier, more natural. Firebending was a part of her, it always _had_ been; now, it was time to treat it that way. She'd need every bit of it if she wanted to get payback on the Red Lotus for her family. The crying could wait, the _grieving_ could wait—spirits knew she had done enough of that over the past couple days. The strongest emotions fueling her now was anger, rage... and _hate._ Never had she felt so strongly with those emotions as she did now towards the girl called Aoi; one way or another, that girl would pay. She'd make _sure_ of it.

So focused was she on her practice that she didn't notice the elevator doors open, not until she spun around and kicked a stream of fire at someone who hadn't been there a moment ago. Fortunately, the new arrival dispersed the flames with a simple whirl of her arms.

“Korra!" she exclaimed, with an eager smile. "Good, you're here. I want to get started right away!”

“Alright, slow down," Korra said, putting her hands on Yula's shoulders to calm her. "You can't rush this kind of training.”

“I know... I just, I mean, I really want to get started. I want to learn _everything_ I can from you.”

“And I intend to teach you. Just remember not to overdo it, alright?"

Yula breathed out a sigh, and nodded. "Alright. I'm ready."

"In that case," Korra said, as she shifted her stance, "just pay attention and do as I do.”

* * *

Later that night, the airship reached its destination, a hundred miles south of the Si Wong Desert. The landscape had shifted from empty, open sand dunes to an expanse of rocky, barren terrain, dotted with towering monoliths of stone. The rock faces scaled straight upwards, as tall as the skyscrapers of Republic City—some even taller—and several overlapped with each other to create enormous arches that stretched up into the sky.

Asami expertly guided the vessel through the stony city, navigating around the far side of a massive plateau. She kept an eye on the surrounding landmarks, as well, to make sure she didn't fly too far past their destination. When she spotted a clear, flat stretch of earth behind the plateau, she slowed the engines, flipped on the landing gears, and lowered the airship to the ground. With a gentle thud, they finally settled to a stop.

“We're here," she said, as she made her way out of the cockpit into the atrium. All of Team Avatar had already gathered at the central table. "From what Yuruk told us, the hideout is just on the other side of that rock formation in the distance, the one shaped like a lion vulture."

Korra nodded, glancing out the windows towards the designated stone tower on the horizon. “Right, then I guess we just need to figure out who's going in.”

“Why not throw everyone we got at 'em?" Bumi said. Since this is a Red Lotus hideout, there's no telling how many we'll run into. The more we have to fight, the better.”

“The goal isn't to fight our way through," Korra replied. "We have to be stealthy. A smaller team would be better to get in and out unseen. Whoever isn't on the infiltration team can wait on standby outside the hideout ready to assist, in case something goes wrong.”

“Well, _I'm_ going." Opal straightened in her seat, eyes flaring. "That's my family in there.”

“If Opal's going, then so am I,” Bolin said, with a raised hand. He then turned to his fiancee and reached out to her, linking their fingers together. "I might not have been able to help you when you took off after Zaheer, but I'm with you this time."

Opal smiled. “ Thanks.”

“Well I'm sure not sitting back and waiting," Lin announced. "Count me in.”

Toph sat upright and smacked her palm down on the table. “And me, too! I'm not sitting out of the action this time. My family needs me. Besides, no offense, Lin, but my ability to sense vibrations is stronger than yours, so we'll be needing it if we're navigating underground tunnels.”

Lin folded her arms, sinking back into her seat. “Normally I'd argue with you over that... but now's not the time. You're right.”

“Alright, I think four is enough," Korra said, giving the group a careful look. "Any more and you lose mobility and increase your chances of being discovered.”

Kuvira jumped forward in her seat, shooting a pleading look her way. “Wait, I should go, too. I _need_ to go. I... I owe it to them. To all of you." Her gaze turned to the other Beifongs—Opal, Lin, Toph... her family. "I couldn't save Su, but I can still save the rest of our family. Please.”

Korra thought a moment. She frowned, a hand held to her chin. “I don't know... this is a delicate mission, and we have to consider that we're already splitting the team up enough as it is. We have the infiltration team, the standby team, and then we need to leave at least a couple behind to guard Yuruk." With a heavy sigh, she looked back to Kuvira. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we should send any more than four into the hideout. We only get one chance at this, and we have to do it right."

“Alright... I see your point," Kuvira muttered. As much as she wanted to be there at the front, leading the charge to free her family, she had to consider what was best for the mission. More people _did_ mean a greater chance of discovery, and if they were spotted early on then they probably wouldn't succeed. "I'll join the standby team."

“Don't worry, Kuvira... we'll get them back," Opal said, with a firm nod of reassurance. "I promise.”

Asami leaned against the table and raised her hand. “In that case, I'll stay behind to guard Yuruk.”

Kya nodded. “So will I.”

“Are you sure?” Korra asked.

“He's chained up and doesn't have any water," Asami stated. "I think we can handle him.”

Kuvira then turned to Yula in the seat next to her. "You should probably stay here, too.”

“Yeah, alright...” the younger woman said, with a soft exhale. As much as she would have liked to go along with the others, she knew she wasn't ready. Not yet, anyway.

Lifting his legs up on the table, Anraq huffed out thoughtfully, lips pursed. “So I guess that leaves me, Kuvira, Korra, and Bumi on the standby team... I can live with that. Hopefully you guys won't even need us."

"Alright, sounds like we have a plan." Korra stood straight up, gazing around the table at her team—her friends. "We all know our objective. Let's get ready."

* * *

Korra looked up over the crest of the rocky hill. At the bottom of the slope, she could just make out a small cave entrance at the base of one of the canyon monoliths through the darkness. A pair of lanterns hung from either side of it, and three Red Lotus guards stood outside, keeping watch. She glared at them a moment longer, then crawled back behind several nearby boulders, where her team waited.

“Alright, looks like Yuruk's information was accurate,” she said. “The Red Lotus base should be somewhere below ground, about a hundred yards ahead of us. Infiltration team, you should start here, tunnel your way through the ground into the caverns. Definitely don't want to go through the main entrance.”

Toph breathed in deep, focusing on the vibrations beneath her bare feet. “I can feel tunnels right beneath us, about two hundred feet down. Looks like these underground caves stretch for miles.”

“Then we could have a long search ahead of us,” Lin stated. She slid her legs apart and pushed her arms out, splitting the ground below her apart to create a sinking passage. “We better get moving.” She led the way, with Toph, Bolin, and Opal following close behind.

“Be careful, you guys,” Korra said. “And remember, if you run into any trouble, just give us a call on the portable radio. We'll come to back you up.”

When they were gone, Anraq leaned back against the rock face behind him and eased out a tired sigh.“So, now we just wait, huh?”

“Wait, and hope,” Kuvira replied, with a simple nod. “With any luck, they'll be back soon.”

Bumi lifted himself up off the ground with a burst of air, landing atop a small boulder. Bum-Ju fluttered up to join him, curling up on his lap. “Anyone want to play twenty questions?”

Korra glanced up at him with a lifted eyebrow. “We need to be quiet, Bumi.”

“Just a suggestion...”

* * *

Yuruk tapped his foot up and down against the floor, humming softly to himself. Almost time... The Avatar's little team had gone off to infiltrate the Red Lotus base and left behind only a couple of amateurs to guard him. He had been expecting, _hoping_ even, that this would be difficult, but apparently not so; this would be easy _,_ especially _tonight._ He glanced up at the cabin window, looking up into the sky. Almost time.

Breathing inward, Yuruk concentrated his chi deep in his chest. Then, with a steady exhale, he cooled the moisture in the air, flowing out from his nose downward to the chains binding him to the chair. The metal chilled instantly, frosting over with a thick layer of ice. He continued breathing, lowering the temperature even more, until he felt the chains crack and pop. With a smirk, he yanked his arms outward and snapped them to pieces.

“Ah,” he muttered, stretching his arms out. “That's better.”

Then, he opened the cabin door and strolled out into the airship corridor.

* * *

“How long's it been?” Bumi asked, flopping back against the rock. “Feels like we've been here all night.”

Kuvira frowned. “It's been ten minutes.”

“...oh, well it feels like longer.”

“Okay, really need to stay quiet, guys,” Korra said.

Anraq glanced at the others a moment, tapping his fingers against his arm. He'd give Bumi one thing—being on the standby team wasn't exactly exciting work. Still, it was important. If the infiltration team got into trouble, then they'd need to—

A flicker of movement up in the sky jerked him out of his thoughts. He turned his gaze upwards, squinting at the small dot moving across the inky backdrop. “Uh, hey guys... what's that?”

Korra followed his gaze, focusing on the dot—a human shaped dot. “Is that... Zaheer?” 

“He's by himself...” Bumi muttered, watching as the figure moved into the moonlight—definitely Zaheer. “Where's he going?”

“I don't know...” Korra said. “But I'm going after him. You three stay here.”

“What?” Kuvira turned to her, glaring with concern. “Korra, that's the same thing that Opal and Bumi did, and look how that went.”

“Hey, we did alright,” Bumi insisted.

“He needs to be _stopped._ ” Korra kept her focus on Zaheer; he was getting farther away. “And I'm not Bumi or Opal. I'm the Avatar.”

“Well gee, no need to brag...”

“How are you even going to catch him?” Anraq asked. “He's _flying_ , and fast.”

The moment he asked the question, Korra's eyes lit up with a bright white glow. A spinning tornado lifted her upward, and then with a jet of flames from both her palms and feet, she rocketed through the air, landing atop the plateau above them. With a second burst of flames, she took off in a bounding arc towards another monolith some three hundred yards in the distance, and continued her path towards her target.

Anraq blinked, his mouth hanging partially open. “Huh... I suppose that works.” He watched Korra disappear into the distance, flying out over the front of the moon. As she did, however, a sudden revelation hit him. His eyes snapped open, and a look of horror flashed across his face. “Oh no...”

Kuvira glanced at him. “What's wrong?”

“The moon...” he uttered, taking a few steps backwards.

“What about it?”

“It's _full.”_

“Uh... yes, yes it is.,” she said, narrowing her eyes with puzzlement. “Why is that important?”

Without waiting to explain, he turned and took off back in the direction they had come from, sprinting at full speed. “We have to get back to the airship, _now!_ ”

“What?” Kuvira hesitated only a moment, then ran after him. “Anraq, wait! What's going on?”

“It's Yuruk!” he called over his shoulder. “The others aren't safe!”

As they disappeared around the corner of another rock formation, Bumi jumped up to his feet. “Hey! Wait a minute!” But they were gone. Frowning, he sat back down atop his boulder and planted his arms firmly across his chest. “Oh sure, just leave me here all by myself.” 

With a sigh, he looked to his left, where Bum-Ju hovered next to him. “You won't leave me, right Bum-Ju?” The dragonfly bunny spirit chirped out a response, tilting his head. “I know. That  _ was _ rude. They could have at least said goodbye.”

* * *

Yuruk peered around the corner of the hallway—no sign of anyone yet. He paused a minute, waiting just to be sure, and when he still saw no one, he continued along the path. He had to find the stairs to take him up to the main deck, then he could get out of this place.

He didn't make it ten feet down the corridor before a voice called from behind him. “Going somewhere?”

He flinched, then slowly turned around with his hands raised in the air. Asami and Kya stood just a few paces away, greeting him with frowns and hostile glares. “Whoops... looks like you caught me.”

“How did you get out of your chains?” Kya said, already shifting into a bending pose. She didn't bend the water from her flask yet—smart, considering Yuruk would have just taken control of it from her the instant she did.

“Sorry, trade secret,” he said, with a simple shrug.

Asami lifted her right hand. The palm of her Equalist glove crackled with a spark of electricity. “Well, you're going right back into them.”

“By all means, you're welcome to try.”

“You don't have any water, Yuruk.” Kya placed her hand just above the cork on her hip flask, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. “Don't make this more difficult than it has to be.”

Yuruk drooped his posture, humming out a defeated sigh. “Hmm, I guess you're right. What's a guy to do?”

Asami took another step closer, reaching for him with the shock glove. When her grasp came just inches away from him, however, he twitched his fingers and her body abruptly halted, twisting violently out of place. A few more finger motions and she lurched backwards, shuddering and grunting out low cries of pain. Like a puppetmaster, he danced her back down the corridor, his fingers jumping up and down to control her movements. Then, with a hard jerk of his arms, Kya fell victim to his strings, bending and twisting in ways that a person never should.

“N-no... argh...!” Kya groaned, as a hot wave of pain tingled down each and every vein in her body. “You... you're a... _bloodbender?_ ”

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner!” Yuruk announced, with a delighted laugh. “You really think I didn't have a plan to get out of here? See, when you count on a full moon to be at your strongest, you always keep the lunar cycle in the back of your mind, and then you make your plans around it.”

Asami's body bent backwards, arms jerking out of place and threatening to snap. “L-let us... go.”

“Right, just ask nicely and I'm sure I'll listen.” Yuruk flipped one of his arms around and then waved it outward; Kya instantly flew through the air, slamming head first against the metal wall. He released his hold over her, allowing her to drop to the floor unconscious.

“Kya!” Asami tried to break free from the invisible bind on her body, but no matter how hard she struggled, Yuruk had her at his mercy.

“Now then, let's you and I take a walk.” Yuruk floated her forward through the air, marching casually down the corridor. “So, how do we get out of here?”

“Like I'd... tell you.” Asami's body suddenly bent further, limbs twisting around. She screamed, eyes squinting shut. “Aaaagghh! Take a left... down here! The stairs are around the corner!”

“There, was that so difficult?”

Yuruk whistled calmly to himself, making his way around the corner to the stairs, and up to the atrium. He took a brief look around until he found the gangplank controls, and with a simple press of the button, the gangplank extended out the back of the airship. He grinned, then relaxed his grip a little—the hold over Asami loosened just a bit, enough so that she stopped screaming.

“Alright, now you're coming along with me for insurance,” he stated, again pushing her through the air ahead of him. “Try not to make too much noise, or I might get tired of you and—”

“Stop!”

Yuruk lifted an eyebrow, turning around at the call. A thin woman with glasses and a ponytail stood behind him, already set in a bending stance. “Oh, it's just the mousey little firebender... What do you want?”

“I... I can't let you leave,” she said, voice quivering. As strong a demeanor as she attempted to portray, she couldn't hide her fear—the way she shook, the way her knees buckled, the hesitation in her tone.

“Are you stupid or something?” Yuruk asked. He gave his fingers a firm clench, and Asami began screaming again, limbs twisting around near their breaking point. “You try to stop me, and I'll snap your friend here in half.”

“Yula... don't... nnggghhhaaahh! ..lis... listen to—”

“Oh shut up.” Yuruk twitched his fingers again and she screamed harder, cutting off her words. “You can't win here, and you know it.”

Yula watched with wide eyes as Asami's body wrenched and bent in horrific fashion. The color drained from her face, and her body shuddered, frozen in place. Yuruk drew out the moment only a second longer before reaching forward with his other hand. A single clench of his fingers and wave of his arm, and Yula flew through the air like a ragdoll. She crashed atop the atrium table, smashing through it to the floor; she didn't get up.

“Yula!” Asami yelled. She squinted her eyes shut, jaw clenching; her screams turned to whimpered groans of pain.

“Heh, how Aoi ever had trouble with you...” Yuruk gave one last look at Yula, and then turned to head down the gangplank. “Come on, Miss Sato, time to go.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Yuruk had a plan. And it's not good for Asami... or the rest of Team Avatar, to be honest. If only Anraq actually paid attention to the lunar cycle like his cousin, but unfortunately... well, yeah. Things aren't going well.
> 
> I'm excited about these next few chapters... got some good action coming up, as well as a bit of drama (nothing too terrible I promise... or do I? *evil laughter*).
> 
> Side note, I think I'm starting to enjoy tormenting my readers a little too much. I should probably work on that.


	35. Blood With Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira and Anraq give chase to Yuruk, while the infiltration team makes their way deeper into the Red Lotus hideout.

Kuvira raced across the rocky terrain, keeping pace with Anraq just ahead of her. “He's a _bloodbender?_ Why didn't you say anything before?”

“I didn't realize we were this close to a full moon!” he replied, without looking back or slowing down. “It's not something I really pay attention to. And...I only ever saw him do it once, a long time ago. I don't... I don't like to think about it.”

A small wave of concern flashed through Kuvira. She gave Anraq a careful stare, as they turned along the path that winded around the side of the plateau that their airship was hidden behind. She could tell by his sudden shift in tone, there was something he wasn't telling her. Most likely, she thought, it had to do with Kanna, whoever that was. Now wasn't the time to worry about it, though.

When the airship finally came into view, Kuvira noticed that the gangplank had already been lowered. “We're too late... he's already escaped.”

They didn't slow down until they ran up the gangplank and entered the airship. Anraq led the way, already on guard, just in case. They didn't have to go far, though, before seeing the damage that Yuruk had caused on his way out. The table in the center of the atrium had smashed in half, scattering splinters and larger shards of wood all across the floor. Near the windows, Yula lay on one of the couches, eyes closed and unmoving. Kya stood at her side, waving a glowing blob of healing water across the younger woman's head.

Panic surged through Kuvira. “Yula!” She ran to the couch and knelt down beside it, holding one of Yula's hands. “No... is she okay?”

“She'll be fine...” Kya said, her voice soft and weak. She staggered a little on her feet, struggling to maintain the water around her hand. “Just a little banged up. So am I... should probably sit down, actually.”

Anraq approached, and helped her down into a chair next to the couch. “Easy, just relax. Let me see...” He stood behind her and brushed back some of her hair, examining a path of crimson amongst the strands of grey—a rather long, noticeable gash cut across her scalp. At the very least, the wound seemed to have mostly clotted, so it no longer bled freely. “Okay... that needs to be treated.”

Kya shook her head, and waved him off. “You can treat it later. You have to go after Yuruk...” A small groan of pain found its way out her lips, but she ignored it. Instead, she glanced up at them, eyes darkening with worry. “He has Asami.”

“ _What?_ ” Kuvira stood up, looking back at the gangplank. “We have to stop him!”

“Come on, we can still track him if we hurry,” Anraq said. He backed away from Kya and ran for the exit. “Even if he has a headstart on us, he can't be moving very fast with a hostage.”

“We'll be back as soon as we can,” Kuvira said. “Just take it easy and get some rest.”

Kya huffed out a small laugh, then sank back against her seat. “Trust me... I don't plan on moving.”

* * *

A string of lights along the ceiling of the tunnel lit the way in what would have been an otherwise pitch dark underground. A pair of Red Lotus guards patrolled along the winding stone corridor. One of the two stretched his arms out with a yawn, then rubbed his eyes tiredly; they had been working all night, without being allowed a break. It was no wonder, then, that neither noticed the ground churning beneath their feet, at least not until they abruptly sank down into it, disappearing below the surface.

A brief moment later, the wall of the tunnel pushed outward. Toph hopped down out of the newly made passage and walked over to where the guards had fallen into the ground. “Hmm, that should hold them for a while.”

Lin poked her head out of the passage. “Not bad, Mom.”

“Ha, that was nothing,” Toph replied, with a wave of her hand. “I'm not called the greatest earthbender in the world for nothing, you know.”

Opal followed the pair into the main tunnel. “Any sign of our family, yet?”

“Not yet... but there are a lot of Red Lotus guards spread throughout these tunnels,” Toph said. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was their main base.”

Bolin brought up the rear, closing the passage behind himself when he joined the others. “Guess it makes sense that they'd keep their prisoners here. But why are there so many? Shouldn't they all be heading to their next target?”

Lin raised a hand to her chin, eyes shrinking with thought. “It's possible they haven't planned their next move yet... or these are just the reserves, in which case there'd be a heck of a lot more Red Lotus out there.”

“If there's so many, how are we supposed to root them all out?” Opal asked. “Even if we take down Zaheer, what's to stop someone else from taking over?”

“They broke him out of prison for a reason,” Lin said. “They think they still need him to lead them, which means once he's gone, the Red Lotus should hopefully back off and lose their motivation.”

“No reason we can't still round up the leftovers, though,” Bolin added, smacking his fist into his palm. “We can't make the same mistake of ignoring them until they reappear again.”

“Would you all be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate.” Toph breathed in deep through her nose, setting her feet firmly against the ground. Several quiet moments past, and then she turned left down the tunnel. “This way. I think I've found our family... there's a small chamber a few hundred yards from here, and I can sense some kind of cage or prison box within. It feels like it's made of metal—must be platinum.”

Lin raised her foot, sliding back the bottom of her metal boot, and then stomped the ground. “I can feel it, too... seems like the perfect spot to hold a bunch of metalbenders. Can you feel anyone inside?”

“Hmm... a few people.” Toph replied. “Too far away to tell the details, but there are four of them, which is exactly how many we're looking for.”

“Alright, then let's get moving. This tunnel should loop around to the correct chamber.”

The group continued along the winding stony corridor. They came across several more Red Lotus patrols, but were able to disable them much the same as the first patrol—swiftly and silently. With Toph leading the way, they knew exactly when and how many enemies were approaching long before the Red Lotus did.

Within several minutes, the tunnel emptied out into a larger cavern, the ceiling of which stretched dozens of feet high. Just as in the caves below Ba Sing Se, large glowing crystals poked out from the walls, bathing the area in a dull green light. A steady drip of water somewhere deeper in the cavern echoed with each droplet, the only sound that broke the otherwise eerie silence.

“This way,” Toph said, in a whisper.

She motioned for the others to follow her, then headed towards the mouth of another tunnel at the far wall of the cavern. As they neared the new tunnel, however, the earth rumbled, and a wall of stone shot upwards to block the exit.

“Where do you think you're going?” A figure slid into view, gliding along the walls atop the earthen boots on his feet. He landed in front of them in a small crouch, then stood straight with his hands held behind his back.

“So much for stealth!” Bolin exclaimed, dropping into a bending stance. Lin and Opal followed suit, shifting on guard.

Toph, however, remained standing normally, her back slightly hunched forward. “Hmm... you move like a Dai Li, alright. You must be this Avan I've heard so much about—the 'unparalleled' one. Sounds like you're quite an impressive earthbender.”

“Toph Beifong...” the man stated, with a narrow glare. “I must say, it's an honor. You are correct, I am Avan.”

“We can take him if we work together,” Lin said. “Spread out and surround him!”

Avan didn't even flinch as Lin, Bolin, and Opal moved to surround him on all sides. He simply shifted his eyes between them, remaining straight and stolid. “I'm afraid you are mistaken there. However, if you wish to try, you are more than welcome.”

Toph took a few steps forward, her own hands held behind her back the same as Avan. “You all go on ahead. I'll handle this one.”

Opal lifted her brow and looked to her. “Grandma, are you sure?”

“Oh I'm sure,” she said, with a subtle grin. “Sounds to me like someone needs to beat some manners into this one.”

“Alright... just be careful, okay?”

“Have you forgotten who you're talking to? Get going! I'll be fine.”

Lin relaxed her stance, pausing only a moment before running towards the far wall. “Come on, then! We still have our family to save.” With a single push of her arms, she shoved the stone inwards to create a clear path. Opal and Bolin followed close behind.

“Looks like it's just the two of us, then,” Avan said, without taking his eyes off the old earthbender.

“So it does.” Toph widened her legs, then raised her hands, fingers loose and pointed down at the ground. It had been a long time since she took a serious stance like this. “Let's see what you got, kid.”

* * *

Anraq slowed his run momentarily and swept the beam of his flashlight across the ground. “The footprints turn here.” He broke into a run again, leading the way across a small stream and around a mass of dead bushes. “Hurry!”

Kuvira followed him across a flat expanse of earth, towards a small collection of buildings in the distance. She squinted curiously. “What is that?”

“Looks like some kind of abandoned town...” Anraq muttered. “I'll bet that's where Yuruk is hiding.”

The town indeed appeared to be deserted. The buildings were weathered and beaten, made of wood that cracked and rotted with age. Old signs creaked on rusted chains in front of various doors, their words long since faded. Windows were smashed or boarded up, walls caved inward, or were half buried in shifting mounds of earth, and satomobiles left abandoned on the side of the street had rusted over, or were caked with dust.

“Looks like decades since anyone was here...” Kuvira said, as they cautiously made their way through the center street.

Anraq hummed out a quiet breath, glancing back and forth at the empty building husks. “Careful, Yuruk could be anywhere.”

“And how exactly are we supposed to fight a bloodbender, once we find him?”

“Not very easily... Normally, I'd say wait until _after_ the full moon, but we can't let him get away with Asami.” He paused, as they came to two branching streets that split in opposite directions. “We should split up. That way, he can only bloodbend one of us at a time. Then, the other can take him by surprise.”

Kuvira looked back and forth between both streets with a frown. “I don't like it... but it does make sense.” She hesitated only a moment longer, then turned to take the left path. “Alright, you take the right. Keep an ear out for each other.”

She gave her friend one last look before they disappeared from each other's line of sight around a row of houses. Her eyes scanned every darkened shadow, every nook and cranny that she came across, looking for any sign of Yuruk. Along the way, she stopped in front of open windows to look within the crumbling buildings—she saw nothing but broken furniture and empty rooms.

As she crossed the street to check an alley, a brief flash of movement on the rooftops above called Kuvira's attention. She snapped her gaze upward, but saw only the inky night sky, dotted with countless stars and a bright full moon. Frowning, she turned her focus to the right, watching the rooftops closely. When still she saw nothing, she began to think that maybe it had been her imagination. The sudden flash of blue that lit up the night, however, proved otherwise.

Kuvira only barely threw herself backwards in time, seconds before a lightning bolt scorched the ground where she had been standing. She slid back a step, bringing her arms up at the ready. A figure leaped down from the balcony of a nearby and landed in the center of the street, then set herself low into a signature lightning bending pose.

“Aoi...” Kuvira's chest jolted at the sight of the girl. How had _she_ been waiting here for them? It seemed far too convenient and unlikely for her to have just _happened_ to be at the abandoned town that Yuruk had fled to during his escape... unless they had planned this from the start.

“Well, well, Great Uniter,” the girl stated, slashing a smirk across her face. “I didn't think I'd get another shot at you so soon.”

Kuvira tightened her fingers into fists, then immediately shifted herself into her own bending stance. A growing rage bubbled in her gut, churned her nerves, but she fought it down; she had to remain composed. “You killed Yula's family.”

“Oh, did I?” Aoi thought a moment, lips pursed and eyes rolling around in mock contemplation. “Hmm, I suppose I did.” A malicious laugh burst from her throat. “That'll teach her for thinking she can make a fool of me.”

“You evil little...” Kuvira turned her body and waved her arm forward. Several metal strips fired from her armguards at Aoi, but the Red Lotus girl weaved around them in expert fashion. The entire time, she held that sinister, mocking grin of hers.

“Oh, that's it, Great Uniter... show me what you can do!”

* * *

Anraq moved cautiously along the street, hands already raised in bending form. If he came across Yuruk, he had to be ready to strike quickly. The only way to really counter a bloodbender was to be the first to attack, and never give them the opportunity to counter.

“Where are you...” he muttered, turning slowly in all directions. “Show yourself...”

He didn't have to wait long. As he rounded the corner of the street, his cousin appeared, sitting on the edge of a well in the middle of the town square.

“Oh, Annie, how good of you to show up,” Yuruk said, with a smirk. “Almost thought you weren't going to show.

“ _Yuruk._ ” Anraq dragged an arm through the air, pulling the water out of his hip flask. “Where's Asami?”

“You know, I'm not entirely sure...” Yuruk pressed a finger to his lips, and hummed out a quiet breath. “Somewhere around here, I think. Can't remember exactly where I stashed her.”

“If you hurt her...”

Yuruk laughed. “Come on, Annie, remember who you're talking to. Of _course_ I hurt her.”

Anraq's brow twitched. With no further warning he shot forth his water at his cousin, hardening into an icy spear. “You bastard!”

Yuruk didn't even move from his seat. He simply held his hand out, splitting the ice in half and liquefying it. The water burst outward in a bubble and then splashed to the ground, leaving him unharmed. Then, he reached forward with his other hand and clenched his finger; Anraq's body seized up instantly, bending and twitching under the control of his bloodbending.

“Tsk, tsk,” Yuruk said, as he finally stood up from the well. “What exactly did you expect to accomplish against me on a full moon?”

Anraq groaned, completely unable to move against the invisible hold. “Fuck... you...”

“Now that's just rude, Annie. You should learn some manners.”

The grip in Anraq's veins wrenched his body harder out of place. Limbs twisted, bones threatened to snap, until finally he couldn't resist the pain any longer—his mouth fell open wide, and he screamed.

* * *

Kuvira ducked below another bolt of lightning. The air sizzled above her head, pulling up the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. She countered with a sliding kick across the ground, raising up a boulder; with a thrust of her fist, she sent it flying through the air. Aoi crouched low and charged another spark of electricity at her fingertips, then fired the lightning at the boulder, shattering it into a cloud of dust and rocks.

As Kuvira prepared to make another attack, a chilling scream erupted in the night air. A panicked jolt surged through her, and she turned towards the sound. “Anraq!”

“Pay attention, Great Uniter!” Aoi ran towards her, fingers sparking with lightning. “You should be worried about _me_ , not your precious little friend!”

Kuvira shot a glare at the girl, then twisted her body to punch a fist against the ground. “Sorry, but I don't have time for you!”

A wave of earth rippled beneath Aoi's feet and shot straight upwards, catapulting her through the air into the open window of a nearby building. Kuvira didn't waste any time; she turned away and sprinted through an alley towards the sound of Anraq's screams.

* * *

Yuruk took a few steps closer to his cousin, fingers clenched tightly together. He slowly rotated his fist, causing Anraq's body to contort ever so slightly more. “You're not looking so good, Annie. I don't think your arms are supposed to bend that way. Wonder what would happen I twisted them just a little more...”

“Yuruk!”

The call pulled his attention away from Anraq, but he didn't have time to react to the sliding wall of earth that exploded out of the alley next to him. The earth collided with him, throwing him off his feet and dragging him across the ground. Before he could even attempt to recuperate, a stone pillar shot up beneath him, smashing into his ribs. He flew airborne and landed with a violent thud, and the moment that he sat upright, a beach ball sized rock crashed against his chest.

Kuvira ran out of the alley, throwing an unrelenting barrage of stone at the bloodbender. One after another, the projectiles blasted apart against him. He rolled across the ground, struggling to right himself, but each time he made it partially back up to his feet, another rock knocked him down again. Anraq had since been released from the bloodbending hold, but now lay weakly on the ground, barely moving as he recovered.

Spreading her arms out, Kuvira peeled off several metal strips from her armguards and sharpened them into blades; she had no qualms about ending this twisted man. Before she could strike, however, the ground at her feet exploded with a charged burst of electricity. She cried out, stumbling backwards head over heels, as the world spun around her. A ringing hummed steady in her ears.

Yuruk spat out a mouthful of blood and finally stood up again. With a simple reach of his arms, both Kuvira and Anraq rose up from the ground, hovering in midair under his control. “Gotta hand it to you... I wasn't expecting that.”

“You're welcome, by the way.” Aoi stepped out of the alley, her fingers smoking from the previous lightning blast.

“I had everything under control,” he muttered.

“Oh yes, it _definitely_ looked like it.”

Yuruk spat out another glob of crimson before turning to Kuvira. “This one... oh she really is a pain, isn't she?” He clenched his fingers harder, and former Great Uniter shrieked in agony, her body bending and twisting out of place.

“Yuruk, you... son of an eel hound...” Anraq groaned. “Stop it!”

“No, I really don't think I will,” his cousin retorted, with a sharp glare. “Of course, you could _make_ me stop... but you won't. You're too weak, always were.”

Aoi sighed. “Can we just finish this already?”

“Fine, fine... go ahead and take your shots then.”

She didn't need a second invitation. Aoi immediately turned her body and extended her arms out, fingers crackling with blue lightning. With a delighted grin spread across her face, she aimed at Kuvira. “ _Finally_ , I get to end you, Great Uniter.”

“NO!” Anraq closed his eyes and fought harder against Yuruk's hold. With every ounce of effort he could muster, he managed to twitch his fingers... and Aoi's body froze up.

“What... what is this?” Aoi glanced down at her fingers, watching as the lightning flickered and died away. She tried to move, but her body wouldn't budge. “What's going on?”

A second later, Yuruk twitched off balance. He lost his hold over Kuvira and Anraq, as his body began to twitch like a puppet on strings. “Annie... didn't think you... had it in you.”

Once Anraq felt himself fall free from Yuruk's hold, he took a stronger stance. “You're not hurting anyone else!” He reached forward, clenched his fingers harder, and then both Aoi and Yuruk screamed. They bent over backward, limbs lurching and twisting around farther.

Kuvira sat upright on the ground, leaning back against her hands while she watched wide-eyed. He... was _bloodbending_ them. “Anraq...?”

“Ha... haha... that's it!” Yuruk shouted. “That's my cous-aaaahhhh!”

“Stop!” Aoi shrieked, her eyes wide with terror. Her fingers began to wrench out of place, just a hair away from snapping. “It hurts! Stop it!”

Anraq ignored her pleas. His glare burned hotter, and he rotated his fists around in a circle, only tightening his hold on her.

“N-no please... aaahhhhhh!” Aoi's screams split the night, shrill squeals of agony and horror that didn't even sound human. Tears burst from her eyes. She coughed, and hiccuped, barely able to get words out through her sobs. “It h-hurts! Pl..please... gaaaahhhh! Stop... stop it! Unngaaaahaahhh... h-hurts... it hurts! It hurts! I'm s-sorry... sorry... I'm sorry! I'm s... stop it... make it stop! Please make it stop!”

Anraq wasn't sure what exactly snapped him out of his murderous trance. As he watched Aoi shrieking in agony, though, his unforgiving gaze softened and his grip faltered—any more and he would have broken her in half. Her screams lessened, but still she sobbed, eyes soaked with tears. A surge of guilt and regret kicked through his gut like a train. What was he doing? She was just a teenager, a kid, and he was _killing_ her.

With a sudden gasp, he released his fingers and dropped his arm at his side; Aoi fell to her knees, no longer under his control. “I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean...”

Aoi glanced up at him. Her terrified expression shifted to a triumphant grin, and in a single moment she jumped back up to her feet and pointed her fingers at him. “You _fool!_ ”

Anraq didn't have time to defend himself; the lightning bolt leaped from the girl's fingers and ripped through the air in an instant. There wasn't any pain when it struck his chest, only a warm, tingling numbness that spread throughout his body. He blinked, staring upwards at the night sky—when had he fallen? And why did everything seem so calm... so peaceful? He tried to move, but couldn't—not even a twitch of his fingers. The world around him started spinning, his vision blurred. A slight tremor jolted in his chest and then ceased—was that his heart? Why was it stopping? He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. They fell closed, and an empty breath eased slowly from his lips.

Then, everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whistles innocently to self*
> 
> I don't know whether to apologize for that cliffhanger, or laugh evilly in the corner while my readers squirm. I swear I'm not sadistic or anything... much.
> 
> But, uh, hey, Toph vs. Avan next chapter. That's something, right?


	36. The Greatest Earthbender in the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Toph vs. Avan, in a battle of earthbending heavyweights! Meanwhile, Korra confronts Zaheer, and Kuvira tries to save Anraq from his fate.

Korra rocketed through the air, flames jetting out from her palms and feet. She was gaining on Zaheer, now just a short distance behind him. He hadn't noticed her yet, it seemed—good. With a few more arcing bounds across the tops of the stone monoliths, she closed the gap. She lifted her hands to break off the top of a nearby stone tower, fueled with the power of the Avatar State. A chunk of earth the size of a small house tore into the air, and with a mighty yell she hurled it at the flying man.

Zaheer whirled around in midair. At this point, the thunderous cracking and quaking was more than enough to alert him of her presence. With little effort, he flew sideways and spun around the side of the mountainous projectile; it continued onward, shaking the ground when it landed. He then darted through the sky, diving down at Korra at top speed.

Korra was ready for him. She raised up a wall of stone in front of herself just as he reached her, forcing him to sharply change directions before colliding. She didn't let up her attack. With several punches, she split the wall into smaller pieces and fired them at Zaheer. He zigged and zagged, weaving around the projectiles with ease. No matter what Korra threw at him, he acted as a leaf, riding the air around her attacks unharmed.

“ _You must be stopped, Zaheer!_ ” Korra's voice boomed, echoing with the intensity of her Avatar Spirit. She jetted forward along another wave of flames, chasing him down. _“Your actions threaten the throw this world into chaos. This cannot be allowed to continue!”_

Zaheer flew backwards, watching as Korra expelled an inferno from her palms. He shifted sideways, back and forth to avoid the scorching streams of fire. “My actions seek to return the world to its natural order, an order that the Avatar will not be there to witness!"

Korra propelled herself towards him, and waved her arms to unleash a massive hurricane of wind. Zaheer struggled to steady his flight, at the mercy of the windstorm. He shifted himself back around to fly straight, pushed harder, and lowered himself behind a towering monolith. No sooner than he had escaped the violent air currents, Korra landed against the stone tower and kicked the top half clean off.

Zaheer yanked himself through the sky to avoid the crashing mound of stone, but couldn't escape it entirely. His shoulder smacked against the enormous projectile, bouncing him through the air out of control. It took him several moments to finally right himself again, but when he did Korra was there to greet him with a vicious punch to his gut. A massive blast of wind erupted from her fist upon impact, driving Zaheer straight downward at the ground, some hundred feet below them. He only barely broke his fall with a spinning bubble of air before he crashed.

“Very good, Avatar Korra,” Zaheer muttered, as he pushed himself back up to his feet. Korra landed in front of him a moment later, carrying a massive boulder above her head. “But our confrontation is still premature. You _could_ continue trying to stop me here, but your friends might not have that long.”

Korra paused, eyebrows lifting.

“Yuruk should have escaped by now.”

Another pause, and this time Korra's glowing eyes widened. With an angry shout, she hurled the boulder at him and then turned away, fleeing through the air.

* * *

Toph steadied her breath and slid her feet wider apart. She could feel Avan still standing there, waiting for her to make the first move—a sound tactic, one she often utilized herself. Waiting for your opponent to attack allowed you to gain insight on their style. Then, you could effectively counter. Right now, though, her intuition told her not to play it safe. The way this man carried himself, the way he stood, the complete stolid peace and indifference she sensed in him... he was indeed a powerful bender. She had faced Dai Li agents before, and beaten them handily, even as a kid. But Avan was different; she needed to put him away fast.

She began her assault with a few gentle flicks of her wrist. The ground between them surged, rippling towards the man in three separate lines. She felt him skate around the attacks, gliding away with little effort. Then, he stopped and slid one of his legs backwards, body shifting forward and arms extending. Toph knew what that meant. His form changed ever so subtly, losing mass around his hands. This only happened when the Dai Li fired their earthen gloves through the air. Or in this man's case, one glove and one prosthetic metal hand.

A small flick of her own hands raised a firm wall in front of herself. She heard the pair of projectiles smash against the stone, and then she kicked a knee upwards. The earthen wall rocketed forward at Avan, but again he glided out of the way. This time, he skated up the walls above her. She felt him turning his stance, and then one of the massive crystals along the cavern wall crashed down at her. She waited for it come just inches away from her face before lifting her hands and shattering it into countless tiny fragments.

The crystal shards scattered all around her, leaving her untouched. Then, she pulled her arms back and raised the fragments upwards in a swarm around herself. Every one of those tiny crystals sharpened into razor points and sliced through the air at Avan in a wide spread. There was nowhere for him to run; he had to stand his ground and defend this time, which he did so with a simple push of his fists. Two more monolithic crystals snapped in front of him, blocking the dagger-like projectiles. When the barraged ended, he lifted the crystals up high, then threw them downward.

Toph lifted herself backwards on a pillar of stone, up towards the top of the ceiling. The crystals smashed against the ground, quaking the entire cavern. Several more crystals loosened from the wall upon impact, and she used that to her advantage. With a few subtle movements of her wrists, she tore massive chunks of earth out of the cavern walls and hovered them in front of herself. This further loosened the dangling crystals, until they shook away and crashed towards the ground. Each successive impact again shook the cavern, as each crystal shattered to pieces

She felt Avan linger off balance for just a brief moment. That was the moment she struck, launching her boulders at him with remarkable precision. He simply punched them away, each strike deflecting the enormous projectiles in a different direction. Toph took a step backwards to ready another attack, but then sensed a metal object racing through the air at her—Avan's prosthetic hand, no doubt. Sliding her leg back, she whipped her arm out and guided the hand safely around her body. Then, she fired it back at its owner.

The former Dai Li commander returned the metal hand to his wrist, then leaped out into the open air. A column of stone shot out from the wall parallel to the ground and smashed into Toph's pillar. He landed on the stone and skated across it, using it as a pathway to her, but with a firm stomp of her foot, Toph crumbled it to pieces. Avan remained calm when the earth broke away beneath his feet. He caught himself in midair with a floating boulder and flew the rest of the way to her. When he got close enough, he leaped backwards and kicked the boulder straight at her.

Toph swiped her hands downward, lowering her pillar just enough so that the boulder sailed above her head. It smashed against the wall and sprang loose another crystal. As the crystal fell free, cracks spread out along the wall, and loose chunks of earth began falling away. The cavern shook—gently at first, but stronger each passing second. The cave had begun collapsing, and no longer was it a safe place to continue the fight.

Without a moment's hesitation, Toph spiraled her way upwards atop her pillar. She drove herself through the cavern ceiling, up through solid ground, until springing free above the surface. She waited there, feeling the vibrations beneath her feet. Avan followed close behind, and soon he, too, emerged from the ground into the open night air.

“You're not bad,” she said. “Though, I'm hardly seeing anything special.”

“I could say the same of you,” he replied. “You may be the great Toph Beifong, but you're still an old woman. Your reflexes aren't as sharp as they used to be. You've lost a step or two.”

Toph breathed in through her nose and shifted back into her bending stance. “Perhaps, but I still have plenty left in these old bones to pulverize you.”

“If you believe so, then by all means, show me.”

The two exchanged a rapid series of attacks. Toph kicked up the ground in a slicing arc, but Avan slid out of the way. He stomped his foot, ripping up razor spikes of earth beneath her feet. She weaved around them with ease atop a wave of rocks, then countered with several boulders. He merely split them in half with a thrust of his fists. Then, he made another attack; again she defended herself.

This continued for several minutes, neither combatant gaining any ground on the other. As the battle went on, though, Toph concentrated harder on Avan's movements. She began noticing patterns in the way he dodged—first to the left, then the right, then three out of four times back to the left again. She waited just a few more moments, then grinned. When she made her next attack, she prepared for his dodges. This time, when he went left, she met him with a subtle kick of her foot that burst a tiny notch upwards in the dirt. Avan's heel collided with the notch, and in an instant he fell backwards.

Toph caught him with a rising stone pillar straight to the gut, and then a flying boulder square into his chest. Avan grunted, as his body spun awkwardly across the ground. When he came to a stop, he hobbled back to his feet with an arm held over his abdomen.

“I finally have you figured out,” Toph said, with a grin. “This fight is over.”

“Oh, is that so?” Avan chuckled, straightening himself. He held both his arms above his head and widened his base. “But who's it over _for,_ I wonder?”

Toph paused, as the ground quaked beneath her feet. She turned a blank stare over to the stone monolith behind him and focused on the vibrations beneath it. The ground beneath the structure cracked apart, separating it from the earth, and when it lifted skyward in its entirety, her eyebrows lifted high.

Avan stiffened his arms straight above his head, holding up in midair a stone structure larger than most skyscrapers. To bend a mass of earth that gargantuan... It shouldn't have been possible for _fifty_ earthbenders to accomplish, let alone a single man.

_Impossible ._

Toph stood her ground, but concern flashed behind those pale blue eyes of hers. If there was anyone in the world who could defend herself against an entire mountain being thrown at her, it was Toph Beifong... But that didn't mean she wanted to have to find out the hard way. If she had still been in her prime, then she would be much more inclined to take it head on. In her old age, however... she wasn't certain how much of a chance she had.

“Do you understand my power now, Toph?” Avan's tone remained calm; he wasn't boasting, or mocking her, but rather stating facts. “Your days as the greatest earthbender in the world are over.”

"Raw power makes you _strong,"_ Toph said, relaxing her expression. "It doesn't make you _great."_

"Greater than you, in any case." Avan pulled his arms back. The massive stone tower tilted with his motions, prepared to launch forward. "Goodbye, Toph Beifong."

And then, he threw the mountainous structure at her. Toph breathed outward and knelt on one knee, hands pressed flat together. This was the moment of truth. Just as the stone tower crashed upon her, she thrust her fingers up against the solid stone. It cracked beneath her touch, split wide open with a gaping crevice that parted around her body. The crack ripped down along the entire length of the earthen tower and split it in two. Then, with a forceful push of her arms she sent the separate halves crashing away to either side of her. The thunderous impact shook the ground for miles.

"I enjoy brute force as much as the next earthbender," Toph stated, with a gentle breath. "Actually, much more than most. But sometimes, things require a little more...finesse."

"Hmph," Avan muttered. "Impressive. Still, it won't be enough to save you."

"We'll see." Toph slid her legs apart again in preparation to attack again. As she did, however, a sharp pain ripped through her spine. She cried out and hobbled her weight to one side, while holding a hand to her back. Curse these old bones of hers; now was not the time to be acting up!

Avan didn't waste the opportunity. The instant that Toph seized up in pain, he thrust a fist upwards. A melon-sized chunk of stone sprang out from the ground and collided against her stomach, lifting her from her feet. When she collapsed to her back, the wind burst from her lungs, and all she could do was lie there, groaning. Every movement she made sent another hot jolt shooting through her spine.

"As I said, you're old." Avan shifted his pose, feet planted against the ground. The two halves of the stone monolith began to slide towards each other, with Toph still caught between them. "Your days of relevancy are over."

Pulling his arms forward, Avan caused the two enormous stone pieces to move faster. Just a couple more seconds and they would collide, crushing Toph into oblivion. Before he could finish the task, however, a gust of wind whirled around his feet and lifted him into the air. He let out a shout and struggled against miniature tornado, but could do nothing to escape. All he could do was yell as he flew airborne, disappearing behind a distant group of boulders.

"And don't come back!" Bumi bounded up to the scene, with Bum-Ju flying close behind him. He hurried to Toph's side and knelt beside her. "Hey, thought you could use a hand. You okay?"

Toph grumbled as Bumi helped her to sit upright. She paused a couple of times, cringing at the knots in her back. "Just this damn back of mine acting up at the worst possible moment. I'd have had him otherwise!"

"Well, no doubt about that," he replied, with a laugh. "Even Dad was scared about getting on your bad side."

Toph grinned, and returned a hardy laugh of her own. "You always were my favorite of Aang's kids."

"Ha, well I do have a certain charm."

"So where are the others?" she asked, as she staggered back up to her feet.

Bumi sighed. "Well, we spotted Zaheer and Korra took off after him. Then Anraq ran back to the airship, something about Yuruk and a full moon, I don't know. Kuvira went with him, so... it's just me out here."

Toph's eyebrows lifted. "A full moon? Hmm...Yuruk must be a bloodbender, then."

"A bloodbender? Well that sounds about as much fun as wrestling a wolverine jackal naked," Bumi muttered. "What about you, where is everyone? You find your family?"

"The others are closing in on them as we speak. I stayed behind to deal with that freak earthbender."

A sudden flash of flames lit the night sky, followed by a whirling cyclone of wind. A figure lowered down from above, her eyes glowing bright white—Korra. A second later, the glow faded from her eyes, and she gave them a panicked look.

"Where is everyone?" she asked. "Are they safe?"

"Huh, should have made it here a couple minutes ago, I already explained this." Bumi sucked in another breath, then repeated to Korra what he'd already told Toph.

"And the others are still in the base," Toph added. "I had a run in with that Dai Li of theirs, but we handled him. Why, what's wrong?"

Korra heaved out a worried breath and ran her fingers back through her hair. "It was Zaheer. He said... He _knew_ we had Yuruk, said he'd probably already escaped. I think... I think they had this planned the whole time. This was a set up from the start!"

Toph lowered her brow, lips curling into a frown. "Then you need to get back to the airship, and fast. It's a full moon, and apparnetly Yuruk is a bloodbender."

" _What?_ " Flashes of memories from years past surged through Korra's mind—Amon, being under the mercy of his bloodbending, what that _felt_ like... She _had_ to stop Yuruk. Turning from the other two, she propelled herself across the ground with her earthbending, towards the airship. "I'm going after them!"

"Oh don't worry about us, we'll just wait here," Bumi said, with a small sigh. He held his arm out, and Bum-Ju landed near his elbow. "Well, at least we're not alone this time. Hey, Toph, you want to play twenty questions?"

The old woman scoffed. "Please, I'll destroy you."

* * *

Kuvira watched wide-eyed with horror as Anraq fell to the ground, a smoking hole burnt into his chest. The lightning had been so quick, so sudden; she never had a chance to help him.

"Anraq!" She scrambled across the ground and raced to his side, kneeling beside him. Her fingers traced across his face, then moved down to his neck—no pulse. His eyes were closed, and he made no movement. He was silent, still. "Anraq, don't you _do_ his! Don't you... _Not you, too!_ "

She pressed her hands to his chest and pressed down with repeated, even thrusts. While not a medic, she had still received basic first aid training when she became a Zaofu guard many years ago. Even though she had seldom ever used this training in the field, she remembered it; she _had_ to remember it. A wetness began to mist in her eyes, but she fought through it. She wouldn't let Anraq die like this. She wouldn't lose someone close to her, not _again ._ Not while she could help it.

Kuvira counted her hand presses, then reached up to Anraq's face. She pinched his nose, opened his mouth, planted her lips against his, and blew her breath into his lungs. Then, she pulled back and began pumping her hands against his chest again. She repeated the process three more times, but as she prepared to start another cycle, her body seized up and twisted away from Anraq. With a violent lurch, she floated up into the air.

"Alright, that's about enough of that," Yuruk said. He clenched his fingers harder, tightening his bloodbending grip. "It _was_ pretty amusing, but we can't have you actually saving him."

Kuvira struggled against the hold, but could do nothing to break free. Her gaze settled on Aoi, hatred raging in her eyes. "You... _killed_ him..." she uttered, barely able to choke out her words through the pain.

"That is generally what happens when you're struck by lightning, yes," Aoi said, with a smirk. "Now, it's your turn."

"Get it over with quick," Yuruk muttered. "Before you start crying again."

Aoi shot him a death glare. "I had to make him let me go! It's called _acting_ , you uncultured peasant!"

"Oh, so you're a _tearbender_ now, is that it?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you," she spat. "Besides, it worked, didn't it?"

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

Aoi held her glare a moment longer, then turned back to Kuvira. She lowered herself into her lightningbending stance, fingers flickering with sparks of electricity. “About time I get to fry you.”

Before she could release her charge, a voice boomed down at her from above. “Aoi, stop!”

Her eye twitched at the voice—Zaheer. With a deep, frustrated breath, she dispersed the lightning from her fingers and looked upwards. There he was, glaring down at her. That condescending gaze of his had a way of boiling her blood. “What is it _this_ time? We're supposed to be killing her, aren't we?”

“In time,” Zaheer said, as he floated down to the ground. He stood between her and Kuvira. “Now that we have her here, though... I've thought of another use for her.” His focus then shifted to Yuruk. “Were you able to take the Sato woman?”

“Who do you think you're talking to?” Yuruk said, with a laugh. “Of course I did. Tied her up back in one of those empty buildings.”

“Perfect.” Zaheer finally turned around to face Kuvira. A subtle smirk curled on his lips. “You're going to help us end the Avatar.”

Kuvira swallowed back a pained shout. She glared at him, straight into his eyes—Zaheer, the man who killed Suyin. A rage unlike any she had ever felt before exploded deep in her chest. “I'm going... to _kill_ you.”

“I'm afraid you're not in much position to make threats, Kuvira. You may have once been the Great Uniter, but now you're nothing more than a fallen dictator at the mercy of the Red Lotus. Your reign of tyranny is over, and we're going to make sure you never have the opportunity to start again.” Zaheer turned his back to her, then motioned to Yuruk. “Knock her out, then bind her with platinum cuffs.”

Yuruk twisted his hands, clenching tighter. “With pleasure.”

The hold over Kuvira strengthened, wrenched her body harder out of place—she screamed, pain ripping through her veins. It didn't last, though. Soon, the world faded, and even the sounds of her own voice drowned out into nothing. She felt as though she was swimming deep under the ocean, heavy, bogged down... Then, there was nothing.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's be real, Toph in her prime probably would have obliterated Avan. Or, anyone really. But she is an old woman, and, well... old age has an effect on people. Still, I think she was quite impressive.
> 
> But now that that battle is over, we're moving into the next stage of things, and... well, just prepare yourselves, folks. It's gonna be a ride.


	37. Straight To The Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos reigns, as Zaheer offers Korra one final ultimatum.

Asami tugged at the rope that bound her wrists behind her back. She twisted and pulled her hands, but no matter how hard she tried, the bindings wouldn't budge. Of all the skills for Yuruk to excel at, it _had_ to be knot tying. Of course, it wouldn't have made much of a difference, considering the block of ice that froze her feet against the floor. Even if she _did_ get her hands free, she wouldn't be able to flee.

She stopped a moment and looked around the floor, searching for something, _anything,_ she could use to cut the rope. Even if she was frozen to the floor, if her hands were free then she could work on breaking the ice. Just maybe then she'd be able to get away. Her gaze settled on a small reflection of light—moonlight, bouncing off a small shard of glass on the floor. The glass was several feet away, too far for her to reach at first glance. If she twisted her body just the right way, though, then perhaps...

The door to the building swung open, prompting her to cease her struggles. She sat upright instead, and set her attention on the entrance. Zaheer stepped inside. He carried with him an unconscious Kuvira, whose wrists and ankles were bound with platinum shackles. When he neared Asami, he set Kuvira down next to her.

Zaheer glanced at her, his expression one of calm indifference. “Greetings, Miss Sato.”

“Zaheer..." Asami glowered at him, a hateful knot lumping in her throat. Her gaze then shifted over to Kuvira. "What did you do to her?”

“Don't worry, she's fine. For now.”

She looked back at, still glaring. “You're a _monster.”_

“Call me all the names you like, it won't help you," he said. "However, I would like to talk to you for a moment. About Korra.”

“I have _nothing_ to say to you. If you think I'm going to let you hurt her...”

Zaheer raised an eyebrow. “You aren't in much of a position to stop me, from what I can see."

"A lot of people make the mistake of underestimating me," she countered. "They usually end up regretting it."

"Hmm, well I suppose we'll see." He took a step closer to her, then lowered himself to the floor to sit across from her. He crossed his legs, hands held in his lap. "You and the Avatar are dating, aren't you?"

She didn't answer him; she only scowled.

"That's fine, you don't need to say anything. I already know—everyone knows." Zaheer breathed in easy, then shifted his focus over to Kuvira. "It must be difficult, then, with her around.”

Asami glanced briefly at Kuvira, then turned back to Zaheer again. “Whatever problems you think I have with Kuvira, you're deluding yourself. We've already worked things out.”

That wasn't exactly true, of course. While she and Kuvira had come to a sort of understanding, she still wasn't entirely comfortable around her, nor had she fully forgiven her. Asami had continued trying, ever since their chat on the airship on the way to Ba Sing Se, but... it was difficult. She _knew_ that Kuvira had changed, and yet that did little to ease her emotions.

“Oh, is that so?” Zaheer pursed his lips and uttered a thoughtful breath. “You're a much more trusting individual than I assumed, in that case. I would have imagined it to be awkward, considering Kuvira's feelings for Korra.”

Asami paused, narrowing her gaze with a mix of confusion and skepticism. “What are you talking about?”

“Don't tell me you didn't know?” Zaheer said. When she didn't respond, he smirked. “Heh, so perhaps you haven't worked everything out like you thought.”

“ _ _What__  feelings?”

“Kuvira is very close with your girlfriend, Asami. You know that already, of course, but I guess you didn't know just how close.” He allowed a brief, lingering silence to drift between them, but hardened his eyes at her. “She's in _love_ with Korra.”

Asami stiffened. _Love?_ No, that was ridiculous... It _had_ to be. She shot another look over to Kuvira and inhaled, jaw clenched tightly. Or... was it? With a frustrated scoff, she shook her head and glared at Zaheer. “Now you're making shit up. Why would I listen to anything you have to say? And how would you even _know_ something like that? You've been locked away underground for the past eight years.”

“True, but I spent most of my time during prison meditating into the Spirit World,” he explained. “It's no secret that Kuvira met frequently with the Avatar in the Spirit World over the past several years. Almost every week, in fact. I assume you knew _that,_ at least?” Asami maintained her look on him, but her gaze softened. Again, Zaheer smirked. “I thought so. See, once I learned of this, I made sure I was present during their meetings—watching, listening, learning what I could.”

“So you... _spied_ on them?”

Zaheer gave a simple shrug. “The best way to defeat your enemies is to know everything about them. I knew that one day Korra and I would cross paths again, and I would need every advantage I could find. I just never imagined that I would be confronted with Kuvira, as well.”

She shook her head. “You're a creep.”

“Think what you want of me. The point remains.” His eyes flicked over once more towards Kuvira. “She and Korra are close. I bet you've noticed this, haven't you? The way they interact with each other, how much time they've spent together... Unless they've been hiding it from you, of course. They were quite open about their affections in the Spirit World, though.”

Asami started to say something, but no words came out of her throat. Instead, she tilted her gaze down to the floor, staring at the cracked, rotting wooden planks. Her thoughts drifted back to before the mission, when Kuvira had been staying in the guest wing of her mansion. She had made a point of avoiding that area of the house as much as possible, but she had still caught glimpses of them together—smiling, talking, laughing, comforting each other, _hugging..._

No, no that didn't mean anything. Kuvira had just lost Su, so of course Korra was going to be there to support her. And Kuvira was Korra's responsibility while she was out of prison, so they _had_ to spend a lot of time with each other. That's all that was.

Zaheer took her silence to mean acceptance. He straightened himself, and offered a subtle grin. “See, even you can't deny it.”

“They're _friends._ That's it. There's no... feelings between them. They're not in _love.”_

“If you'd seen the things I've seen, and heard the things I've heard, you would believe otherwise,” he said. “I heard Kuvira's confession with my own ears.”

“I don't care _what_ you say,” she snapped. “I'm not going to listen to you! You'd say _anything_ to hurt us.”

“Think about it, Asami. Think about how close they are, the way they are when they're around each other, the little touches, and reassurances, the gifts that Korra's given her. Even you have to admit, there's something more there, no matter how subtle.”

Asami gently lowered her brow. A sudden anxious twinge began to tingle up into her chest. “Wait... what do you mean gifts?”

“Birthday gifts, holiday gifts, even gifts for no special occasion,” he said. “I've overheard them discuss it quite a few times. The books, the tea, the jewelry—”

“ _Jewelry?”_ Her heart jolted at the revelation

He nodded. “That's right. Like the pendant Kuvira wears around her neck, for example. It's quite important to her, I've noticed.”

“No... you're mistaken,” she insisted, with a shake of her head. “Suyin got that for her years ago.”

“Is that what she told you?” Zaheer's smirk grew steadily into one of triumph—he knew had her now. “Looks like someone was trying to misdirect you. One doesn't withhold the truth if there's nothing to hide.”

Asami clenched her jaw and dropped her gaze to the floor again. A sick knot twisted in her stomach. _Had_ Korra actually given that pendant to Kuvira? But then why would she have lied about it? Unless... there really _was_ something to hide.

“You have some time to think it over, while we wait for the Avatar to arrive,” Zaheer stated, as he rose up to his feet. “When Kuvira wakes up, ask her about it. You might find what she has to say to be... enlightening.”

* * *

Aoi watched as Zaheer exited the building. When he neared her, she stood up straight and huffed out a sigh. "Are you sure this idea of yours will work?"

"Oh, it'll work," he said. He motioned for her to follow him, then made his way back to the town square. "So long as you do your part."

"I'll do it just fine," she countered. "All I'm saying is that this is the _Avatar._ Suppose it doesn't work, what then?"

Zaheer glanced back over his shoulder, eyeing the building that held Kuvira and Asami. "Then I've already planted seeds that will take root and destroy her in a different way."

Aoi rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

The pair arrived at the town square a moment later. Yuruk waited for them there, sitting at the edge of the well. He watched them approach, while absently rubbing his thumb against the object strapped to his belt—Asami's Equalist glove, which he had taken from her earlier. Anraq still lay motionless on the ground nearby.

"So, what are we doing with him?" Aoi asked, glaring down at the fallen waterbender's lifeless body. "Just leave him out for the lion vultures?"

"Unless you plan on giving him a burial," Zaheer replied.

Yuruk shifted on the well, laughing. "Let him rot. It suits him." He jumped up to his feet, then wandered over to Anraq. "Oh, Annie... You could have been something great if you weren't such a bleeding heart "

"Yes, how sad," Aoi said, with a disinterested sigh. "Now that we have a moment, though, I want to ask something." She turned her focus back to Zaheer. "Where are we going next, once we're done here? I believe the Fire Nation would be the ideal place."

Zaheer lowered his brow into a sharp glare. He watched Aoi, noticed the hidden eagerness in her eyes; she still hadn't learned. "We're going to the Northern Water Tribe next. Our agent in Republic City should have eliminated the president by now. As instructed, he'll have taken the spirit portal to the North Pole. We're meeting him there."

"Ha, great," Yuruk said, with a laugh. "Finally get to teach those twin brats a lesson."

Aoi scowled. Anger flashed in her eyes, thinly veiled behind her usual poise. "You can't be _serious..."_

"I'm quite serious," he stated. "The Fire Nation will wait."

"It doesn't _need_ to wait," she shot back. "Send _me._ I'm more than capable of taking out the Fire Lord myself. While I'm at it, I'll exterminate her entire family. Her children, her husband...her _father._ There won't be a royal family left when I'm through with them, you'll see. I know the capital like the back of my hand. I just need a small team and I could—"

"Whatever personal business you have in the Fire Nation," Zaheer cut in, "it does _not_ take precedence over the goals of the Red Lotus. We'll travel to the Fire Nation eventually, but until then you'll do as you're told." He narrowed a glare at her. "Bring it up again, and you'll _never_ get there. Am I understood?"

Aoi's jaw hinged closed. Her fingers tightened to fists, arms shook, and brow slashed low over her eyes. Slowly, she calmed herself, breathing in deep. Even as she relaxed, though, her scowl only grew more intense. "Oh yes... I understand.”

* * *

Kuvira flickered her eyes open. Consciousness returned to her, first with blurred vision and then a ringing in her ears. Everything around her spun, bubbling a wave of nausea through her gut. She squinted her eyes shut again and breathed deep, fighting the nausea way. That didn't do anything about the dull pain throbbing between her ears, though. “...ugh... my head.”

“Oh... you're awake.”

With a soft groan, Kuvira turned herself over to see the person who had spoken. “Asami? Are you alright?”

She shrugged. “Fine. Considering, anyway.”

Kuvira struggled momentarily with the cuffs around her wrists and ankles. They didn't budge—platinum. She huffed out a sigh, then finally raised herself upright to a seated position. “Yeah... considering.”

“Do you know what they're planning? Why they captured us?”

“Why else? To get to Korra.”

Asami gave a slow nod, gaze falling down to the floor. “I suppose that makes sense... how better to lure her in than by taking people she loves?”

Kuvira returned the nod, easing a long, gentle breath from her lips. “The Red Lotus have hurt too many people. I know I'm going to sound like a broken record saying this, but they have to be stopped, whatever it takes.”

A deathly silent moment lingered between them. Asami glanced up at her a few times, only to look away after only a second. Time ticked by, until finally she spoke. “Kuvira, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, I guess. Not like we're going anywhere any time soon.”

“That pendant... the one that Su gave you?”

Kuvira's breath caught in her throat. Her pendant? That... was a strange thing to bring up right now. She wasn't entirely sure why Asami would ask about it, but whatever the reason, it couldn't be good. “Oh, yeah, what about it?”

Another pause. Asami shifted a bit, tugging her feet at the ice binding her to the floor. When it didn't budge, she sighed, and then turned her full attention to the other woman. “Was it really Su who gave it to you?”

“Uh...” Kuvira's heart raced. No, no, no, this wasn't good at all. Why was she asking about this? “Y-yes, of course it was.”

“So... it _wasn't_ from Korra?”

She tried to counter with a firm denial, but all that came out of her mouth was a hoarse breath of air. She had been caught, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it now. “I...”

Asami straightened upright, shoulders broadening. “Why did you lie?”

“I just... I thought it would upset you. Or at least make things more awkward. And with how things already were between us, I guess I thought...” Kuvira looked away, head bowing in shame. “...it would be better if you didn't know.”

Asami watched her a moment, glancing down at Kuvira's neck. The pendent was there somewhere, beneath the armor. “It means a lot to you, doesn't it?” Another pause. _“Korra_ means a lot to you.”

“Well, yes...” she said, with a nod. “Korra has been... a good friend to me. I owe her more than I can ever repay.”

“Do you love her?”

Kuvira's throat went numb, eyes widening. She bolted straight upright, rigid. “What? I- where did you hear that?”

Asami continued staring, unblinking. “Does it matter?”

“Asami...”

“Well, _do_ you?”

Again, Kuvira lowered her head. Everything in her heart told her to lie again, to deny it. How was she supposed to admit to Asami that she was in love with Korra? At the same time, a small voice in the back of her head told her she couldn't deny it. That was something the old her would have done, and Asami didn't deserve it. With a heavy sigh, she nodded her head and uttered a simple, “Yes.”

A harsh scoff pushed out of Asami's nose. She shook her head, laughing quietly under breath—it was a laugh of disbelief. “Of _course_ you do. As if you being her friend wasn't enough.”

“It's not as though you have anything to worry about,” Kuvira said, lifting her gaze in earnest. “She's with _you,_ and I'm not foolish enough to think I can come between that. I wouldn't _want_ to come between that... I've already hurt you enough. Besides, I'm with Yula, and she makes me happy.”

Asami was quiet a moment, and looked away. “Kuvira, I know firsthand that being with another person doesn't make the feelings you have for someone else just disappear. Sometimes, it only makes them stronger.”

Kuvira faltered. Being with Yula had helped suppress her feelings for Korra, true, but they had never entirely disappeared. In that regard... Asami was right. “But there _are_ no feelings. Not on Korra's end, at least. We already talked about it... She doesn't feel the same way.”

“I... want to believe that,” Asami said, with another shake of her head. “But I've seen the way you two are with each other. There _is_ something there... I don't know why I didn't see it before. Maybe I just didn't want to.”

“Asami, there's _nothing...”_ Kuvira insisted. “At least, not that we'd ever act on. You know Korra would never do something like that to you. Don't you trust her?”

At this question, Asami shot a glare at her. “Of course I trust her! It's _you_ I don't trust.” A silence drifted between them. She looked at Kuvira a moment longer, then turned away again, gaze sinking to the floor. “I just... I want Korra to be happy.”

“She's happy with _you._ She _loves_ you.”

“And I love her. But I don't control her.” Asami eased out a sigh, then sank back against the wall behind her. “I do _know_ her, though. She cares about you. A lot. I think she _does_ feel the same way... even if she doesn't realize it.”

Kuvira watched the other woman a moment. Her throat knotted tighter, and the twisting in her stomach sank like a rock. “I don't know what else you want me to tell you, Asami. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize your relationship with Korra.”

Asami merely shrugged, and shook her head again. “I wish I could believe that.”

* * *

"Get ready...set...now!" Opal whispered

On cue, she, Bolin, and Lin burst into the chamber with elements flying. The Red Lotus guards within didn't even know they were under attack until a blast of wind lifted them from their feet. A barrage of rocks followed, pelting them into a wall. In seconds, the fight was over—not that it really could have been considered a fight.

"Nice work, kids," Lin said, looking over the unconscious guards. Her gaze then shifted towards a large platinum box on the far side of the chamber. "Now, let's get our family back."

Bolin hurried to the front of the cell and leaned up to look though the window slot. "Pssst. Anyone in there?"

A figure inside the cage sat upright on his cot, rubbing his eyes. "...Bolin?"

"What?" A second form sprang up from another cot. "Bolin!"

Bolin smiled excitedly. "Wing, Wei! Oh man, it's good to see you guys!"

"Dad, Huan, wake up!" Wing said. "Bolin is here!"

"He's not the only one." Lin pushed Bolin aside and lowered her face to the slot. "We're getting you out of here."

Wei's eyes brightened. "Aunt Lin!"

"And me, too." Opal smiled into the window with a wave. "Hey, you guys."

"Opal? Opal!" Baatar, Sr. had awoken now. He scrambled over to the door and reached out the slot to touch his daughter's cheek. "Oh, it's so good to see you. You came for us..."

"Of course we came for you, Dad," she said. "We weren't going to let the Red Lotus keep you prisoner."

"My Mom is here, too, actually," Lin added.

"Grandma Toph is here?" Wing and Wei looked to each other and grinned, then high fived. "Alright, Grandma!"

Lin nodded. "So is Kuvira. They're dealing with other matters right now, but they're waiting for us to bring you back safe.”

"What about Mom?" Everyone turned to Huan, the only Beifong who hadn't joined in the excitement of their reunion. His question brought a heavy, somber air over them. "Did she...did she get away? Is she...?"

Lin glanced downward and eased out a long, quiet sigh. With a slow shake of her head, she uttered, "No, she... she didn't make it. I'm sorry."

The group went silent for a long moment. They looked to each other, grief lingering in their eyes. It was a familiar grief, one they'd been prepared for. They had already spent the past week believing that Su was dead, expecting it. Hearing it now confirmed came as no surprise, even if it did it still rip their hearts apart to acknowledge. Su was gone, and never coming back; things would never be the same.

"Zaheer...he needs to pay," Baatar muttered. His eyes closed, holding back his tears.

"We know," Lin said, with a nod. "That's why we're here. Korra is with us...we have a whole team. The Red Lotus will pay for _everything_ they've done, I promise you that."

"But in the meantime, let's get you all out of there," Bolin stated, as he stood in front of the door. "If everyone could take a step back to the far side of the cell, please!"

When the door was clear, Bolin bended a few small rocks above his palm. The rocks spun together rapidly, until they merged and turned hot, melting into lava. They spun faster now, spiraling like wheel. Within seconds, the process competed, and Bolin held up a spinning saw-blade of molten rock. Then, he guided the blade across the platinum metal. The scorching edge cut though the door like butter, and in just a few moments he carved out a gaping circle. With a simple kick, the round slab of metal crashed inwards, leaving behind a large enough hole to use as an exit.

"Alright, let's go, people!" Bolin called, with a wave of his arm. "We are blowing out of this joint!"

* * *

Aoi paced back and forth in front of the well at the town square. Kuvira and Asami had since been moved out from their building to join them. Both were tied up to a separate pair of wooden posts in front of the well—Kuvira with platinum, and Asami with rope. It had been a while now, though, and still there was no sign of the Avatar.

“How much longer do we have to wait?” Aoi muttered. “This is boring. When I'm bored, I'm liable to burn something.” She twisted her gaze towards Zaheer. “Or someone.”

“The Avatar should be here soon,” Zaheer replied. “It's only a matter of time before she tracks us down. Have some faith, Aoi.”

She frowned. “Faith is boring.”

Yuruk leaned back against the edge of the well and yawned. “Well, any longer and I'm gonna end up taking a nap.” He lifted Asami's Equalist glove into his hands, examining it with a disinterested expression. After a moment of inspection, he shrugged and then set it back on his belt. “For the Avatar, she sure isn't good at the whole tracking thing.”

“I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish,” Asami said, bringing a glare to Zaheer, “but Korra _will_ stop you.”

“Believe whatever gives you comfort,” Zaheer said. “It won't change the outcome.”

Kuvira ignored them all. Her attention focused on the body lying some twenty yards away, exactly where it had fallen earlier—Anraq. She couldn't tell if he was breathing, or even alive. Somehow, she didn't have a lot of hope.

A sudden cyclone of air whirled through the town square. Zaheer stood his ground, hand raising above his eyes to shield himself from the wind gusts. “Ah, looks like that's her now.”

“Zaheer!” Korra dropped down from the air with a thunderous impact, spreading cracks out along the ground.

He smirked at her. “Avatar Korra, welcome.”

“Let them go!”

“Listen to what I have to say, and I just might.”

Korra started to say something else, but stopped when her gaze found Anraq lying motionless on the ground. Her eyebrows lifted, concern washing over her face. “...Anraq? What... what did you _do_ to him?”

“Oh, that was me,” Aoi said. She grinned, and raised her hand in admittance. “Foolish man thought he was a hero—I proved otherwise.”

“You...” She clenched her hands to fists, arms shaking. The ground beneath her feet cracked outward harder, quaking the ground. “I'm going to stop _all_ of you!”

“Careful, Korra.” Zaheer took a step back and motioned to Asami and Kuvira. “Try something stupid, and you lose two more friends.”

Korra snapped her jaw shut tight. Reluctantly, her arms relaxed, and her fingers loosened. “What do you want?”

“I want you to make a choice.”

“What are you talking about?” she muttered. “What kind of choice?”

“As you can see, we have two people very close to you here. Since I'm in a generous mood, I'll allow one of them to go free.” He paused, then darkened his gaze at her. “The other dies. You choose which.”

Korra's face twisted with disbelief. She took a step backwards, wide-eyed. _“What?_ You can't be serious.”

“Oh, I'm quite serious.”

Again, her hands balled into fists. “If you think I'm going to choose between their lives, you're even more demented than I thought.”

“If you don't choose, then they both die,” he said. “Keep that in mind.”

“Korra, don't listen to him!” Asami yelled. “He's just trying to trick you. Don't worry about us, just worry about stopping him!”

Zaheer straightened himself and moved off to the side, allowing Korra a clear look at her two choices. “I'll give you one minute to make up your mind. That's not a lot of time, so think carefully.”

“ _Zaheer...”_ Korra hissed, through clenched teeth. Her stomach wrenched, flipping over itself and bubbling. There had to be something she could do to beat this, to beat him. She couldn't make this kind of choice, not  ever.

“Who's it going to be?” Zaheer paced behind them, gesturing down to Asami. “The girlfriend?” Korra only glowered at him. “No?” He continued on, moving behind Kuvira and bringing a hand down against her shoulder. “ Then, perhaps the unrequited love?”

“Get _away_ from her!” Korra raged, releasing a burst of her power. Deeper fissures sprang outward across the ground. _“Both_ of them!”

“Thirty seconds.”

Kuvira inhaled deeply and looked to Korra, then to Asami. Her attention lingered there for a moment, and then sank downward. She knew what she had to do. “Korra, it's okay... I think we both know how this needs to go.”

Korra stared at her, panic igniting in her eyes. “Kuvira, _no,_ I can figure this out.”

She shook her head. “Asami means far more to you than I do. I'm not the one worth saving here.” To her own surprise, her voice was calm at the declaration, peaceful even. If this had to be her fate... she was okay with it.

“That's _not_ true!” Korra insisted. “I mean... damn it, _none_ of this is right! You're _both_ worth saving. You both... I can't make this decision!”

“I know, that's why I'm making it for you.” Kuvira shifted her focus to Zaheer now, staring intently into his eyes. “Let Asami go. You're going to keep trying to kill me anyway, so you might as well get it over with now. It'll... be a fitting end.”

“Hmm... how noble,” Zaheer muttered. He lifted a hand to his chin, mulling over the suggestion.

Asami fired a confused look towards her. “Kuvira, what are you doing?

“Exactly what I should be doing” was her simple reply.

“Very well, then,” Zaheer said. He took a step away, and then nodded to Aoi.

The lightningbender uttered a thankful groan. _“Finally.”_

“Kuvira, no!” Korra ran forward a few steps, but Yuruk moved towards her, next to Aoi.

“Stay back, Avatar,” Yuruk said, his hands raised. A simple flick of his fingers and he could bloodbend her in half. “Try anything, and they _both_ die.”

“I'm going to give you _everything_ I have,” Aoi said, grinning down at the former Great Uniter. A spark flickered on her fingertips, but she didn't release it right away. She charged it, and the glow grew brighter by the second. “I'll fry you down to the bone!”

Asami's gaze shifted around wildly, moving between Kuvira, Korra, and the Red Lotus—all distracted. Without even thinking, she flicked out a shard of glass from her sleeve; some time after Zaheer had left her, she had finally managed to grab it from the floor of the building. She didn't waste time trying to discreetly slice the rope around her hands. Rather, she gripped it so hard in her fingers that the glass ripped through her flesh. With a couple quick, forceful cuts, the rope snapped enough for her to pull free.

“I hope you're ready, Great Uniter,” Aoi said. The lightning crackled wildly around her fingers in a brilliant display. “Now, you die!”

Kuvira closed her eyes, and let her head bow low in acceptance of her fate. “Korra, I...” Her voice faltered, but she fought through it. There was no reason to hide it now. “I love you.”

The next few seconds dragged by as though in slow motion. Asami sprang from the ground and ran to Yuruk. Before the bloodbender even realized she had escaped, she snatched her Equalist glove from his belt and slipped it over her hand. Then, she turned to Aoi, just as the girl thrust her fingers forward. Asami reached out and grabbed those fingers, releasing a shock from her glove. Instead of firing straight out at Kuvira, the lightning absorbed into the glove's palm and redirected back into both of them.

Asami screamed. Electricity surged through her, raking a hot pain into every corner of her body. Aoi suffered the same, as her own lightning blasted backwards and engulfed her. The entire ordeal lasted only a couple seconds, but it felt longer—an eternity, even. When it was over, both Asami and Aoi fell together to the ground, clothes singed and smoking.

“ _ASAMI!”_ Korra raced forward, pushing Yuruk aside with a blast of air. She dropped down to her knees in front of her girlfriend and turned her over. “Asami, _say_ something!” There was no response. Asami hung limp in her arms, eyes closed. “No... no, no, Asami, don't... _NO!”_

Korra's eyes exploded with white light, as the Avatar State consumed her. She floated upwards into the air on a whirlwind, and then snapped her gaze towards the two remaining Red Lotus.

Yuruk scrambled back to his feet and took a few steps backwards, staring up at the enraged Avatar. “Uh, Zaheer? What are we supposed to do now?” He glanced down at Aoi—the Red Lotus girl lay there unmoving, just the same as Asami. “We needed Aoi for this part!”

“We can still do it,” Zaheer insisted, as he flew up into the sky. “Just hold her!”

“If you say so...” Yuruk lifted his hands just as Korra turned her sights on him. The Avatar's body seized up and twisted out of place, under the control of his bloodbending. Yuruk struggled, though, hands shaking. “Just... hurry it up... I don't know how long I can hold her like this!”

“The Avatar Cycle ends today!” Zaheer whirled his arms out in a spiral, creating a bubble of air around Korra's head. He rotated the air faster, and soon the Avatar's breath began to drain out from her lungs. “No longer will the world be subjugated to your will!”

Korra struggled harder. Her body no longer contorted beneath Yuruk's bloodbending, and soon she began to straighten out to normal. A massive puff of wind expelled from her throat, too, and dissipated the air bubble around her head.

“Zaheer, I can't hold her!” Yuruk exclaimed. He clenched his fingers tighter, but it had no effect. Korra broke free of his hold and flew at him like a rocket. “Oh, shit!”

With a single thrust of her palm, she blasted him with another wave of air. Yuruk flew airborne, crashing through the window of a nearby building. Then, Korra turned to Zaheer. Her eyes glowed brighter, and she attacked. He flew backwards, firing wind blasts at her from a safe distance, but it did him little good. Korra blocked his attacks with ease and kept coming.

Kuvira's eyes were wide, but she wasn't watching the battle. Rather, her attention focused on Asami, motionless in the dirt just a few feet away. Panic jolted through her, and with a sudden burst of energy she sprang to her feet. She tugged at the post that her cuffs were bound to, but it didn't budge. Another tug, and still nothing. Groaning with frustration, she kicked one of her heels back against the ground and ripped apart the earth at the base of the post. Finally, the post tore loose, allowing her to slip the cuffs free.

Even so, her hands were still shackled behind her back. She stood upright and sank into a crouch, then hopped her feet upwards while keeping her hands low. In the same motion, she kicked her feet back and pulled her hands forward. Just like that, her hands were now in front of her body. Even if they were still cuffed together, that was all she needed.

Kuvira lowered herself to Asami's side and gave the woman a long look. Panic twisted through her stomach. “No... No, _damn it_. Why?” She checked for a pulse, but didn't feel anything. “Why did you _do_ that?”

Lowering her hands to the center of Asami's chest, she began pressing down at an even pace, the same she had done with Anraq. She counted the number of presses, then opened the woman's mouth and pressed their lips together, blowing air into her lungs. Again, she cycled through the process.

“Come on... come on...'” she muttered. “Breathe! Don't you _dare_ leave Korra like this! _Breathe!”_

A sudden eruption of fire drew her attention away. She shielded her face from the heat and looked up to see a massive jet of flames exploding from Korra's hands. Zaheer zig-zagged through the air in attempts to avoid it, but the heat scorched the sleeve of his robe. A flicker sparked against the fabric and then engulfed him. He remained calm, however, and spiraled himself like a top in midair—the flames extinguished.

“ _Your reign of chaos must stop, Zaheer!_ ” Korra said, voice booming with a god-like echo. “ _The Red Lotus ends today!_ ”

Zaheer flew backwards again, but she followed. Korra lifted her arms, and the ground shook. A mountainous slab of earth ripped free into the air, hovering above her. It was too large, too wide, for Zaheer to get away before it would crush him. He seemed to realize this, as his usual confidence vanished, instead replaced by panic and fear.

Korra never got the chance. A flash of blue streaked across the sky, lighting up the night. The shot struck true. It exploded against her backside and burned a hole straight through her clothing, straight into her flesh, and muscle, down to the bone beneath—straight to the heart. The earthen slab dropped instantly, crashing to the ground with a bang. Then, Korra, too, fell, as the tornado beneath her feet vanished. When she slammed into the ground, she didn't move. She only lied there, staring blankly up at the sky. The glow in her eyes flickered a few times, struggling to stay lit... Then, it faded, and her eyes closed.

“ _KORRA!”_ Kuvira's scream shrieked out, voice cracking. Her heart seized up, as though a knife had just been thrust deep into her chest.

A sinister cackle answered her frantic cry.

“Heheheh...” Aoi still lay against the ground, but she had recovered enough to lean herself upright on one elbow. Her other arm extended forward, fingers pointed at Korra and smoking with the residue of a lightning blast. She wheezed in a shaky breath, and her voice quivered, but still she slashed a wicked grin across her face. “Looks like... I'm two for two.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this update is out so late tonight because it's another long one, and um... well you can see why...
> 
> I told you the next few chapters were going to be intense...
> 
> Question is, what happens next?


	38. The Platinumbender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avatar has fallen, and Kuvira faces impossible odds to fight off Zaheer and the Red Lotus.

Kuvira stared with blank eyes at the fallen Korra. Her chest heaved, twinging with a sharp pain—not a physical pain, but one of grief and sorrow. It cut deep, like a blade. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. Kuvira should have been the one lying dead on the ground, not Korra. Not Asami. Not Anraq. Instead, she was the only one left, and she had no way of saving them.

She glanced back down at her hands, which still pressed up against Asami's chest. Her actions had ceased while watching Korra fall, and for some reason she couldn't bring herself to start again. What good would it do? Even if it had any effect, she couldn't save everyone. She wasn't a healer, or a doctor, or a damn miracle worker... She couldn't bring people back from the dead.

 _From the dead_...

The realization ripped through her chest even stronger now. Korra, Asami, Anraq... _dead._ The reincarnation cycle, gone—no more Avatar. The Red Lotus had won. What could she do now? Was there even a point in continuing to fight?

“It's over,” a voice said. She knew that voice—Zaheer. The Red Lotus airbender floated down from above and landed next to Korra's body. He paused a moment, then knelt down to hold his fingers against the Avatar's neck. A grin cut across his face, as he felt no pulse. “The era of the Avatar is finally over.”

“Don't you  _touch_  her.” Kuvira's voice hissed with venom from her throat. Straightening herself, she stood up and took a half step towards the man. The shackles at her ankles kept her feet close together. “You don't _get_ that right.”

Zaheer, too, stood straight, his hands down at his sides. He calmed his expression. “You should consider yourself lucky, Kuvira. You've just witnessed history. The world is completely without an Avatar for the first time in ten thousand years.”

 _“Lucky?”_ she said, with a shudder in her voice. Her stance faltered, knees buckling. “Do you have any idea what you just _took_ from the world? What you took from  _me?”_

“I took away the chains of a bygone era,” he said. “With the Avatar gone, the people of the world can now truly be free. You won't be around to see it, of course, but know that what happened here today will echo throughout history for ages to come.”

A quiet, disbelieving laugh burst from her lips. She half-smiled, shaking her head. “So after all that... making Korra choose between us, what happened to Asami... you still mean to kill me, too.”

“Of course,” he replied, with a simple nod. “You were correct, in that regard. I never had any intention of letting you go, no matter what Korra chose. That makes it unfortunate that Asami acted as she did—I would have let _her_ go.”

A hoarse, mocking laugh interrupted them. Aoi pushed herself upright from the ground. Her body shook and quivered, but she didn't falter. When she got up to her knees, she coughed, and held a hand over her chest to steady her breath. “Poor, foolish Asami... thought she could keep me down with a little shock. Looks to me like she got the worse end of that deal.” Her gaze fell to the unmoving Asami, and she grinned. “By the way, Zaheer, you're welcome.”

Zaher turned a narrow glance her way, but he relented with an appreciative nod. “You did your part well, Aoi.”

The door to one of the buildings along the town square opened, and Yuruk stepped out. He limped forward a few steps and looked back at the window he had crashed through earlier. With a scoff, he continued his way towards his teammates. “Are we almost done here? After this, I'm going to sleep for about a week.”

“We'll be finished shortly,” Zaheer said, turning his gaze back to Kuvira. “Just one more thing to take care of.”

As the three Red Lotus regrouped with each other and prepared to finish her, Kuvira looked down at the platinum around her wrists. Such a spiteful, cruel metal, impossible to bend. It mocked her, made sure that she wouldn't even get the chance to fight back. No, all she could do was stand there and wait for the Red Lotus to kill her. What kind of fight could she put up, after all, when she was chained like an animal? She hadn't even been able to hold her own against Garza and Tousa under the same conditions.

“Do you have anything to say, before you leave this world?” Zaheer asked.

Kuvira maintained her focus on the shackles. “You've destroyed so much... all of you. You're going to _keep_ on destroying, until the whole world burns beneath your rhetoric.”

She breathed in deep, then slowly eased the air out through her nose. A sudden emptiness washed through her. She felt almost beside herself, as if disconnected from her body. Was it the grief? Was it the anger? The pure, unbridled distress twisting in her gut? Perhaps it was a combination of all three. Whatever the reason, the emptiness soon changed. It warmed her, relaxed her... And then she felt something else.

An odd connection formed between herself and the platinum around her wrists. She recognized that feeling—similar to the connection she felt to the earth. It was faint, and yet... definitely there. That couldn't be right, though. That connection _shouldn't_ be there, not with platinum. Surely, she was imagining it.

“You have to be stopped,” she continued, with a gentle shake of her head. “All of you... I have to stop you.”

Zaheer narrowed his glare at her. “Try all you want, Kuvira. You _can't_ stop us.”

Kuvira stared at the shackles just a moment longer. A sudden warmth spread through her chest, and that was when she knew. Her eyes ignited, and the emptiness inside her body exploded into a storm of other emotions—hate, anger, grief, sorrow... So many.

“ _Yes I can_.”

Then, she pulled her wrists apart. The platinum shackles snapped in half, freeing her hands. Sliding her legs apart, she did the same to the ones around her ankles. A simple tug broke the shackle chains in two, allowing her to gain a wide, firm base. Her actions brought pause to the Red Lotus. They stared at her with lifted eyebrows, frozen in place with shock. She didn't let the opportunity go to waste.

Shifting her stance around, she swung her arms upright. A pair of earthen spears pierced straight up from the ground and skewered into Yuruk's wrists. The bloodbender screamed and reeled backwards, arms flailing in pain. He fell to the ground, huddling his wrists close to his chest—no more bending for him tonight.

Aoi snapped a look over to her fallen comrade. She hesitated only a brief second before turning back to Kuvira and thrusting her arm forward. A flash of lightning sparked from her fingertips. Kuvira never gave her the chance to fire. A firm stomp against the ground launched a chunk of earth straight up from the ground. It collided with Aoi's stomach and lifted her off her feet. The Red Lotus girl flew airborne, crashing through the door of a nearby building. She didn't reappear.

Then, Kuvira turned her sights on Zaheer.

“Impossible...” Zaheer uttered, staring at her with narrow eyes. “You... bended  _platinum.”_

Kuvira looked down at her hands again. The shackles latched to her wrist were cracked, and she had already snapped the chain apart. Zaheer was right; she _had_ bended platinum. She wasn't entirely sure how, but that connection to the metal was there. It was fainter, more raw, and almost unnoticeable, but still she felt it. With a clench of her fists, the remainder of the shackles broke to pieces, both around her wrists and her ankles.

"Yeah," she said. "I guess I did."

She glanced to Korra, then to Anraq, and then finally Asami—all of them dead. That thought tore through her like a lightning bolt, knotting her chest tight with grief. She didn't fight the grief, though; she harnessed it, used it, let it fuel her. Then, she lifted her gaze back to Zaheer. A powerful rage flooded through her body, combining with her grief; it turned to hate.

"You're _finished,"_ she spat.

Kuvira thrust her arm forward, releasing a pair of metal strips from her armguards. Zaheer ducked out of the way and spun around them. In the same motion, he pushed out his palm, expelling out a blast of wind. Kuvira didn't flinch. She waited for the blast to come close, and then spun her own body exactly how Zaheer had, like an airbender. She could thank Korra for those dancebending lessons. Airbender movements were now a normal part of her style.

As she twisted her body around in a circle, Kuvira slid her foot forward across the ground. A large rock burst upwards directly below Zaheer's feet. He saw it and leaned back to avoid the impact, but Kuvira anticipated the dodge. With a slight flick of her wrist, the stone arced forward just a hair and caromed straight against the man's jaw. Zaheer grunted as the blow lifted him off his feet. He didn't fall, though, instead continuing through the air, flying higher.

"Get _down_ here!" she yelled.

Kuvira fired another barrage of metal strips, as many as she could this time. Zaheer darted and spun in midair, dodging as many as possible. He couldn't avoid them all, though. A pair of strips wrapped around his wrists, and then with a violent jerk yanked him downward. A surprised yell burst from his throat as Kuvira swiped her arms, dragging him out of the sky. He crashed face-first against the ground with a sickening thud, and didn't get up.

Kuvira called the metal strips back to herself. They latched together and extended down along her forearm in the shape of a blade. Then, she marched towards the downed man. "I told you I'd kill you. You should know that I _always_ get what I want." The tone in her voice was harsh, militant—the tone of the Great Uniter.

Halfway to Zaheer, her body abruptly froze. An invisible hold gripped her limbs, forced her arm to raise upward; the blade began to draw close to her own neck. Kuvira frowned and shot a glance towards Yuruk. The bloodbender still sat against the ground, barely able to move his arms. His wrists bled from the puncture wounds, staining his sleeves and the dirt beneath him. Even so, he managed to twitch his fingers just enough to bloodbend her.

It wasn't enough. Kuvira felt the hold weaken just as soon as it had her, and with a little effort she was able to resist. Her leg shook as she lifted it up, but he couldn't stop her. She stomped against the ground and sent him airborne into another building. Finally, she continued her march towards Zaheer.

The Red Lotus leader rolled onto his side and looked up at her. "You think...this is over? The chaos has only just begun! You can't stop the Red Lotus, no one can. Even the _Avatar_ fell before us."

"Yes, she did," Kuvira said, as she stood above him. She glared down at him, burning a hole though him with her hate. Then, she pointed her armblade at his neck. "Now, you answer for it. That, and _everything_ else you've done."

As she pulled her blade back to strike, a harsh cough snapped her out of her murderous trance. She blinked, then spun around to look for the source. Her gaze found Anraq. At first, nothing else happened, but soon his chest heaved and again he coughed.

 _"Anraq,"_ she uttered, her voice no more than a soft whisper.

She took a step towards him, but stopped, glancing back over her shoulder. Zaheer met her gaze for a single second, and then threw himself backwards into the air. With a single fleeting gust of wind, he retreated from the scene. Kuvira contemplated going after him only a moment. The thought left her mind as soon as it entered, and instead she raced to Anraq's side.

"Anraq, can you hear me?" she said, as she dropped to her knees beside him.

No response—still unconscious. But if he had coughed, it meant he was alive. Just to be sure, she held two fingers to his neck—a pulse, weak but there. Then, she held the back of her hand in front of his nose—faint but steady breathing. He _was_ alive. The revelation prompted her to turn her focus to Korra and Asami. If Anraq was alive, then perhaps...

A hopeful jolt surged though her, gave her energy. If there was any chance of them being alive, _any_ chance of surviving, then they needed a healer as soon as possible. They needed Kya. Standing upright, Kuvira held her arms out and shifted the ground beneath their bodies, pulling them all close together. Then, she broke away the earth beneath them from the surrounding ground. With a solid push, the earthen sled rocketed forward towards the airship.

She could think only a single thought the entire way there.

_Please let me make it in time _._ _

* * *

“I need help over here!” Kuvira called, running up the gangplank. She carried Korra in her arms, held close against her chest. “We have wounded!”

Th entirety of Team Avatar greeted her at the entrance of the airship. There were a few new additions, though—Baatar, Sr., Huan, Wing, and Wei. A distant sense of relief flooded through her at the sight of them, but she suppressed it. Right now, there were far more dire matters to take care of.

“What in spirits name happened out there?” Lin asked, with raised eyebrows. She took one look at Korra and her face hardened, concerned. “Where are the others?”

“Just outside the airship,” she replied. “Someone get them, quickly!”

Bolin and Bumi hurried by her down the gangplank. They returned less than a minute later, one carrying Asami and other other carrying Anraq.

“Are they... alright?” Yula asked. She appeared to have recovered from her earlier injuries.

“I... I don't know,” Kuvira admitted. “It was the Red Lotus. They had this entire setup planned from the start. Aoi got them with her lightning, and they weren't breathing. I know Anraq is alive, but the others... Kya, we need you.”

Kya waved them along to follow her, towards several of the atrium couches. “Of course, bring them here.” The older healer wore a wrapping of white bandages around her head, no doubt due to her previous head wound. A small dot of red had spread across the left side of the bandages, but she didn't let the injury slow her down.

Kuvira set Korra down on the couch, and then backed off to let Kya work. “Please, you have to help her first... she was in the Avatar State.”

A round of collective gasps whispered throughout the group. They gave each other worried stares, silent looks of understanding. They knew what that meant.

Toph shuffled forward, frowning. “So, she was hit by lightning while in the Avatar State... same thing happened to Aang once, as I recall.”

Opal held her hands over her heart and gazed worriedly at her grandmother. “What... what happened?”

“He died.” Toph huffed in a deep breath, as a dead quite air descended over the team. “Or at least, he came as close to death as possible. Katara was able to bring him back with some Spirit Water... but I don't know if that'll work again.”

“I have some Spirit Water with me,” Kya said, pulling out a vial from the pockets of her robe. “But there's only enough for one treatment. I can't heal all of them with it.”

Kuvira nodded gently, and looked to Asami and Anraq. “I know... you have to use it on Korra, though. The world needs its Avatar.”

“Anraq seems to be in the best condition of the three,” Toph muttered, with a concentrating expression. “Not that that's saying much. As for the other two... I'm not sensing a heartbeat in either of them.”

Kya bended out the Spirit Water from the vial and brought it down over the burn mark on Korra's backside. The water glowed bright, soothing deep into the Avatar's body. “I'll do what I can for her, and then I'll get started on Asami. Since there's no proper medical equipment on this ship, there isn't much anyone else can do for now. Just let me work.”

The others watched just a moment longer, then backed off towards the other side of the atrium. Kuvira sucked in a deep breath and held her arms around herself. She felt numb, now that she had a moment to herself, to actually reflect on what had happened. There were no tears, much to her surprise—only a hollow emptiness deep in her heart.

Kuvira came out of her inner thoughts when she noticed Wing and Wei approach her. Huan joined a moment later, and then so did Baatar. She smiled as best she could, given the circumstances. “You're all okay...”

“And we have you all to thank,” Baatar said, holding out a hand to her shoulder. “I'm glad you came.”

“So are we,” Wing said. Wei affirmed the statement with a thumbs-up.

Huan nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

“You're welcome,” she replied, with a subtle nod of her own. “I wasn't just going to let them keep you.”

Baatar came forward, pulled her close into a hug. The boys joined in, and then so did Opal. For a brief instant, Kuvira wasn't sure how to respond. She stood there, rigid and awkward, until a sense of calm eased through her. Her smile grew, and she sank against them, arms wrapping tightly in return. In that moment, she felt as though she finally understood what it meant to actually have a family.

And yet, it still didn't feel complete. It never would... not without Su.

* * *

Yuruk grunted out a pained breath, holding his arms limply in his lap. “That damn bitch... she  _ruined_ my arms.”

“Don't worry,” Zaheer said, giving the bloodbender a careful glance. “There are quite a few healers in the Red Lotus. We'll find you one.”

“Better sooner than later...”

The pair sat just outside the entrance to the Red Lotus base, waiting. Another figure soon appeared, shifting out from the shadows—Avan. The man grumbled softly under his breath, then approached them.

“Avan,” Zaheer greeted, with a nod. “How did things go on your end?”

“Not well,” the earthbender muttered. “I got caught up fighting Toph, and she lasted longer than I expected. Then one of those airbenders of theirs took me by surprise. I couldn't stop them from freeing the Beifongs.”

Zaheer hummed out a contemplative breath. “I see... It's of no consequence, in any case. We accomplished what we came here to do. The Avatar is no more, and now there's nothing standing in the way of achieving our goals.”

“Hmph, well that is good news.” Avan looked between the other two a moment, then lifted an eyebrow. “Where's Aoi?”

“Dunno, haven't seen her since we left that old town,” Yuruk said. He shrugged, then leaned back with a yawn. “Probably dead. They really did a number on her tonight.”

“We'll continue waiting for her,” Zaheer said. “If she hasn't returned by morning, we'll go back and look for her. There's only so long we can wait before we leave, though. I want to reach the North Pole by the end of the month.”

* * *

Aoi lifted her gaze above the rock she hid behind. Some hundred yards in the distance, she could just make out the other three fools standing around outside the hideout—waiting for her, no doubt. She lowered her brow, frowning. Those poor, deluded saps had no idea. This was good, though. The Avatar was dead, half the nations were in turmoil, and the world had its full attention on the Red Lotus. Now, no one would notice her. She didn't need them anymore.

A smirk spread across her face, as she pulled away and began marching in the opposite direction.

_It's finally time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And behold Kuvira, the world's first platinumbender. Why did I decide to do this/ Well, as we heard Sokka state in the Yakone flashback, there are many unique special benders out there, with different kinds of power than normal. You have combustionbenders, lavabenders, psychic bloodbenders who can bloodbend without a full moon, even an airbender that can fly... so, why not a metalbender who can bend the seemingly impossible to bend metal, platinum? If there's anyone with the right kind of finesse to connect to platinum that way, I think it would be Kuvira.
> 
> Oh, and look, Aoi is up to something. Soon, folks... her secrets will be revealed soon.


	39. Kanna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovering from the fallout of his life threatening injury, Anraq dreams of painful memories from years past.

_8 years ago..._

“Kanna? Oh, Kaaaanna!”

Anraq stepped into the center of the house and looked around, hands held to his hips. It was a typical small Water Tribe hut, with bamboo floors and animal fur rugs. At the far end of the hut was a sealskin tent used for a sleeping chamber, and in the center, a small firepit lined by bricks to provide warmth. A number of ceremonial headdresses, animal skins, and traditional Water Tribe weapons hung from the walls as decoration. It wasn't much, but it was theirs.

“Hmm, where could she be?” he said, as he paced around the firepit. His eyes fell on the small couch. “Is she...under here?” With pursed lips, he lowered himself to his knees and peered underneath—nothing. “Huh, nope.” He stood straight again, then made his way over to the sealskin sleeping tent. “What about... over here?” Pulling back the flap of the tent, he looked inside—again, nothing. “Hmm, not there either.”

The sound of mischievous giggling caught his ears. He made his way back to the center of the hut and gazed around the small space.

“There's only so many places she could be hiding. Where could she be?” Then, he glanced over at the window curtain. A small bulge billowed under the curtain, and a pair of feet stuck out from the bottom of it. “Oh, I know... she's over here!” Finally, he pulled back the curtain and looked down. A three-year-old girl with scruffy brown hair gazed back up at him. “Haha, gotcha!”

Kanna giggled excitedly as Anraq picked her up into his arms. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, then swung her around in circles.

“Daddyyyy, put me down!” she exclaimed, through a fit of laughter.

“Oh okay, she wants to come down, I get it.” Anraq smirked, then gently slowed the spinning to a stop. He held her just a moment longer, then plopped her back down on her feet. “Whoopsee, there we go. That better?”

“Uh huh.” Kanna gave a firm nod and giggled again. “You found me.”

“Ha, I always do,” he said, with a grin. Then, he glanced up through the window and ushered her towards it. “And you want to know something else?”

“What?”

Hooking his hands under the pit of her arms, Anraq hoisted Kanna up just high enough so she could see through the window. “It's... snowing!”

“Oooh!” A delighted smile curled across the young girl's face. “Can we, Daddy, can we?”

“Of course we can,” he said, letting her down again. “But first, we have to get ready. You remember where your gloves are this time?”

“Uh huh!” Kanna ran over to the door and rummaged around the cubby-shelves filled with outdoor gear. “I left them right next to the door this time.” A moment later, she pulled free a pair of fluffy blue mittens. “See?”

Anraq nodded, holding a hand to his chin. “Hmm, good, and your snowpants?”

“They're with my coat!” She moved over to the pair of hooks hanging next to the door, and pulled back her coat to reveal the pair of snowpants underneath it.

“And your earmuffs?”

“They're... um...” Kanna held a finger to her lips and looked around the door again. When she couldn't find her earmuffs, her eyebrows scrunched together and she frowned. “They were right here.”

Anraq hummed out a quiet breath, then glanced up at a pair of antlers hanging on the wall. He pointed, and Kanna's gaze followed. A pair of fuzzy white earmuffs wrapped around the antlers, far out of reach of the short young girl.

“Daddy!” She held her hand out, waiting for him to give her the earmuffs. “I didn't put them there. Did _you_ put them there?”

“Don't look at me.” Anraq grabbed the earmuffs, then handed them over to his daughter. “I think they climbed up there by themselves.”

“They can't do that!”

“Oh, no? Well, if _I_ didn't put them up there, and _you_ didn't put them up there, then how else did they get up there?”

Kanna pouted, arms crossed over her chest. “You put them there, didn't you?”

Anraq's lips curled into a gentle smile. “Maybe a little.”

“Daddyyy.”

“Just teasing you, Sweet Pea,” he said, with a chuckle. He leaned down and gave a kiss to the top of her head, then urged her forward to put on her winter clothes. “Now come on, get in gear.”

* * *

Anraq glanced towards Kanna as his boots crunched forward in the snow. “How's the head coming?”

“It's the best one ever!” The young girl pushed along a melon-sized snowball, which grew larger as it rolled through the fluffy white powder. “I think it's big enough now.”

“Good job, now come help me with the bottom. It's getting pretty heavy and I might need you to keep pushing it.” Anraq stood in front of a much larger snowball, this one almost up to his waist. He gave it a mock push, shaking his arms and struggling to budge it. Kanna hurried around next to him and planted her hands against the snowball to assist him. “That's it... puuush!” After a brief moment of struggling, the snowball started to roll forward. “Oh, oh it's moving, keep going!”

Kanna giggled and pushed harder. “This is easy!”

“Speak for yourself,” he groaned. He shook his arms more, making it appear as though he could barely keep up with her. “You're so strong!”

She laughed harder, helping him roll the snowball until it was large enough to use as a base. When they were finally done, Anraq fell against it and huffed out a tired breath.

“ _Phew._.. well, that took a lot out of me. Might have to take a shortcut on the middle part.” He took a step away and then shifted himself into a waterbending pose. With a few waves of his hand, a portion of the surrounding snow swirled up into a sphere, larger than the head piece but smaller than the bottom. “There we go.”

“Daddy, that's cheating,” Kanna stated, planting her hands on her hips.

“Is not.”

“Is too!”

“Well, maybe,” he said, with a laugh. “But what can I say, that last one tired me out.”

Kanna walked up to the middle snowball and pushed her hand against it. “Will I ever be able to do that with the water?”

“Someday, maybe. We should probably know in a couple years if you have the ability.”

“Cool.” She grinned widely, then pulled her hands in close to her chest with excitement. “I'm gonna be so awesome, and then I'll be able to make snowmen superfast, and I can shoot the water out like _ppsshhhh!”_ She waved her arms around as if it were water flying through the air.

Anraq smiled, holding his hand on his daughter's shoulder. “That would definitely be cool. And I'll be sure to teach you everything I know. In the meantime, though...” He waved his arms through the air again, and this time the middle snowball lifted up and set down on the bottom one. “Let's finish this guy up right.”

* * *

“And then, Avatar Kyoshi split the land in half with a mighty display of her power! She pushed the peninsula away from the mainland, far out into the ocean, where it became the island known today as Kyoshi Island.” Anraq stood with his legs spread wide, then pushed his fists forward through the air, acting as though he was earthbending.

“Chin the Conqueror could only watch angrily as Kyoshi disappeared into the distance, and his stubbornness led to him slipping away from the edge of the newly created cliff.” He teetered on his feet a moment, pretending that he was on the edge of a cliff. “He fell into the ocean below, and was never seen again.” Then, he stumbled forward and toppled against the couch.

Kanna giggled delightedly and clapped her hands. “Avatar Koshi is soooo cool.”

“K _y_ oshi, Sweep Pea.” He sat upright and patted Kanna's head. “But you're right, I always thought so, too.”

“Oh, ooh, can you do the one with the evil princess Zula?” Kanna asked, with an eager look in her eyes. “She's so scary!”

“ _A_ zula,” he corrected, with a small chuckle. Then, he leaned over to the endtable next to the couch, reaching for a pile of books. He grabbed one in particular— _Five Hundred Years of the Fire Nation Royal Family_. “But alright. One more story, then it's time for bed. Just give me a minute to brush up on my Fire Nation royal family history here.”

“Know what I think?”

“What's that?” Araq said, as he flipped open to the book to the chapter about one of the more recent royal families—Ozai, Ursa, Zuko, and Azula.

“I think Zula wasn't so evil at all.”

“Oh? And what makes you say that?”

“Well, her Mommy disappeared...” Kanna said, as she kicked her legs back and forth over the edge of the couch. “So, I think she was just sad she didn't have a Mommy.”

“Hmm, I suppose that could be the case,” he said, nodding gently. He turned the page, scanning the paragraphs about Lord Zuko and Princess Azula's Agni Kai for the throne. “But I guess we'll never know for sure, huh?”

“Yeah, probly not.” Kanna went quiet a moment. Her expression became more somber. “Hey, Daddy? How come I don't have a Mommy?”

“Kanna...” Anraq lowered the book and breathed out a long sigh. He should have known that he'd have to answer this question sooner or later. “Your mother... She died shortly after you were born. That's why it's just me.”

“Oh...” She paused again, holding a questioning finger to her chin. “What's 'died'?”

“Well, it means that...” How to explain this to a three-year-old... “She's sleeping. It's just... a very special kind of sleep. One that she can't ever wake up from.”

“Never?”

“I'm afraid not.”

Kanna frowned. “That's so sad...”

“Yeah...” Anraq eased out another long sigh, then turned his gaze back down to the book. “It is.”

“But if she's sleeping, can I go see her?”

At this, Anraq smiled gently. He reached out to his daughter, putting his arm around her shoulder. “Sure, Sweet Pea. Some day, I'll take you up to where she's... resting. I'll take you to see her.”

Kanna smiled. “Cool.”

* * *

A knock at the door woke Anraq that night. He sat upright, blinking away his sleep. The knock came again. With a soft groan, he stood up and put on his shirt, then gave a quick glance towards the bedmat on the other side of the room. Kanna snuggled comfortably under her fur blanket, fast asleep. Again, the knocking sounded.

“I'm coming, I'm coming,” he muttered, stifling a yawn under his breath. Who in spirits name could this be so late?

When he reached the hut door, he pulled it partially open and peered outside. At first he saw only a blob of shadows, as his eyes adjusted to the sudden shift in lighting. His vision soon cleared, though, revealing a man standing there, a man dressed in full Northern Water Tribe Military uniform. He frowned at the sight. Those damn Northerners had been stationed here in the South for the past couple weeks, and it didn't sit well with him. Chief Unalaq claimed that it was to preserve their spirituality, or some bisoncrap like that, but he saw it for what it really was: an invasion.

“What do you want?” he asked, already considering slamming the door shut.

“Oh, come on now, Annie. Is that any way to greet family?”

Anraq's gut twisted at the sound of the voice—and at the nickname. As if the voice wasn't noticeable enough, only one person called him 'Annie'. “Yuruk...”

“Good to see you, Annie. Been a while, hasn't it?” Yuruk moved forward and pushed the door open wider, in spite of Anraq's resistance. He took a step inside, looking around. “Nice place you got here. I guess you're doing pretty well for yourself. For a Southerner.”

“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” Anraq glared at him, and then shut the door to keep out the cold air. “What do you want?”

“What, can't I stop by to say hello to my favorite cousin while I'm in town?” Yuruk wandered around the hut, examining some of the pelts hanging on the wall. “I mean, we were always so close growing up.”

Anraq frowned. “We were _never_ close.”

“Well, someone's a little testy, I see.”

“What are you _doing_ here, Yuruk?”

Yuruk turned away from the wall to look back at his cousin, arms crossed over his chest. “Chief Unalaq heard that some rebels had a secret meeting earlier today. Rumor is, they're plotting to attack him. So I thought, hey, you know who I bet knows who was at that meeting? My good cousin, Annie.”

“I don't know about any meeting,” Anraq shot back, with a frown. That wasn't entirely true. He _had_ been invited to the meeting at Tonraq's house, but he had declined. As much as he would have liked plotting a resistance against the North, he had his daughter to look after.

“That so? Hmm... that's interesting.” Yuruk paced around the firepit, staring into the dimming embers. “It's interesting, because someone we questioned earlier mentioned that he gave you an invite.”

A numbness knotted into his throat, but Anraq retained his defiant demeanor. “Alright, so I was invited. I didn't go to it. I have more important things to take care of than starting a rebellion.”

“I'd like to believe you, Annie, really I would. But see, if you lied about knowing the meeting was taking place, then how do I know you aren't lying about this, too?”

“You're just going to have to take my word for it,” he insisted. “I'm telling you, I don't know who was at the meeting. You said you already questioned someone who _was_ , so go ask him again. This is just a waste of both our time.”

Before Yuruk could answer, the flap of the sleeping tent pulled back. Kanna wandered into the room, rubbing her eyes tiredly and yawning. “Daddy, what's going on? Who is that?”

Anraq's heart jolted “Kanna, it's nothing, go back to sleep.”

“Annie! You didn't tell me you had a daughter.” Yuruk grinned, then made a move towards the young girl. “I'd have liked to have known that I had a niece. Hey there, Kanna, was it? I'm your Uncle Yuruk.”

“Ohhh...” She gazed up at him with wide eyes. “I have an uncle?”

“He's not your uncle," Anraq said, with a cold glare towards Yuruk. He quickly put himself between both Yuruk and Kanna. "You're my cousin, Yuruk, not my brother. Thank the spirits for that. Kanna, it's late. Go back to sleep.”

Yuruk patted a hand against Anraq's shoulder. “Nonsense. The kid's already up. Might as well let her join the conversation...”

“I _swear,_ Yuruk...”

“What? We're having a nice conversation, aren't we?” He turned his gaze back down to Kanna. “So, how old are you?”

“Three and a quarter,” Kanna replied, holding up three fingers.

“Oh, three _and_ a quarter, huh? That's sweet.” Yuruk smiled again, then glanced up at Anraq. “Now, are you sure you don't have something you want to say?”

“I told you, I don't know who was at the meeting,” Anraq said. He moved closer to his daughter, shielding her from his cousin's line of sight. “I stayed home to take care of Kanna. Alright? So just _leave.”_

Yuruk eased out a disappointed sigh, head shaking. “Oh, Annie... wrong answer.”

He took a step backwards, then raised one of his hands. Anraq went on the defensive, prepared to defend against any incoming waterbending—it never came. Instead, Yuruk twitched one of his fingers, and a pained shout rang out through the hut.

“ _What?”_ Anraq spun around to see Kanna hovering a few inches off the floor, her body bent and twisted in ways that it should never be. She cried out and sobbed, tears pouring down her cheeks. “Kanna? _Kanna!”_

“Daddy... it _hurts!”_ she squealed.

Anraq turned again to Yuruk. When had his cousin become a _bloodbender?_ No, no time to think about that. He shifted into his own bending pose, and a stream of water burst free from a nearby pot. “ _Let her go!_ ”

“Ah, ah, ha,” Yuruk said, wagging a finger at him. “It's a full moon, Annie. You _know_ what that means. Attack me, and I'll break her in half before you land a blow.”

Anraq clenched his jaw tight, fury surging through his chest. The sound of Kanna's cries, however, soon replaced that anger with fear, and panic. He let his water fall back into the pot, then lowered his posture, passive. “Alright, alright! Just _please_ don't hurt her.”

“I'll let her go when you tell me what I want to know.”

“I already told you, _I don't know!_ I wasn't at the meeting, I swear!”

Yuruk narrowed his eyes, and clenched his fists harder; Kanna screamed louder. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure! _Please...”_

The panic grew stronger. Anraq looked back over his shoulder to see Kanna twitching and sobbing—pain, so much pain. He felt tears welling in his own eyes. They were fearful tears, angry tears. He had to help her... He had to _stop_ this.

“I'm waiting, Annie.”

Anraq couldn't watch Kanna's pain any longer. He clenched his eyes shut and turned around again to Yuruk. _“Stop hurting my daughter!”_

And then, he held his own hands forward, fingers twisting around to gain hold on the largest source of water in the room: Yuruk's blood. Yuruk grunted with surprise as his body jerked and bent sharply, arms flailing back out of place. The instant that Anraq had him under control, the grip on Kanna disappeared, and the young girl fell back to the ground. She curled up into a ball, sobbing and whimpering.

“Heh, Annie...” Yuruk uttered, trying to fight against the invisible grip on his body. “Bloodbending... seems a little dark for you.”

“ _I don't care!”_ he shot back. His tightened his fingers, bending his cousin's body more violently out of place. “You don't get to touch my daughter and walk away!”

A wailing sob reached his ears. Kanna hiccuped, choking on her cries “D-daddy... I'm scared... it still hurts... Daddyyy.”

“Kanna?” Anraq faltered a moment, glancing back at his daughter. She shuddered there on the floor, but didn't look up at him. “Kanna, it's okay. Everything is going to be fine, just hold on one _—aagh.”_

Anraq's body seized up, rising off the ground. He struggled, pulling as hard as he could against the bloodbending grip. It didn't make a difference. No matter how hard he tried, his body only bent farther out of shape, helpless.

“Oh, Annie... that was a nice try, but you need to pay attention,” Yuruk said, as he took a step forward. “Especially the first time you bloodbend. It isn't going to be very strong.” He smirked, and then raised his other hand. Kanna hovered off the floor and started screaming again, limbs twisting around. “Now, I'm going to ask you one more time before I run out of patience.”

“Yuruk.... stop this! Please... _just stop!”_

“Wrong. Answer.”

Yuruk rotated his wrists around in a circle, and Kanna's screaming turned to horrified shrieking. Tears flooded from her eyes. She hiccuped and coughed, sputtered in pure agony. Her voice ripped through Anraq's heart. He couldn't comfort her, couldn't save her, couldn't stop her pain... He could only watch, helpless, as her cries grew louder, fiercer...

And then, silence. Kanna no longer screamed, no longer cried. She only hung there in midair, head hanging limply against her chest, eyes closed.

“Kanna...?” Anraq uttered, barely forcing the word out of his throat. A sudden jolt of nausea erupted in his gut. He stared, eyes wide, unblinking. There was no answer. “K...Kanna?”

“Huh, guess kids can't take as much as,” Yuruk muttered. He lowered his hands, allowing both Anraq and Kanna to drop back to the floor. “And I guess you really _didn't_ know anything. Pity, that.” He watched his cousin crawl over to the young girl. “Sorry, Annie. Looks like I'm done here. See you around.”

Anraq didn't even hear his cousin leave. He couldn't even hear himself _think._ All he could do was kneel at his daughter's side, gently running his hand along her cheek. She was so still... so quiet. “Kanna? ...Sweet Pea?”

“No... no, no, no... _Kanna!_ ” A half-cough choked its way into his throat. He fought it back, then bended the water out from the pot. The water formed a bubble around his hand, and he held it to Kanna's body. “It's okay, Sweet Pea... I'm going to heal you. You'll be fine...”

The longer he held the healing water to his daughter, the less he could hold back his tears. Within minutes, they stained his face, dripping down freely onto the floor. A choked sob found its way fully into his throat this time, sputtering out of his lips. “Please be fine... _please be fine...”_

* * *

_Present day..._

“Kanna!” Anraq bolted upright in bed, sweat pouring down his face. He heaved in exhausted breaths, each one rippling a sharp pain through the center of his chest. Of all the things to dream about, of all the things to remember, why did it have to be that?

Anraq bowed his heads into his hands. He held himself there for a few moments, trying to remain calm. It didn't work. A hollow grief knotted through his heart, and he began to sob again—lightly, gently...but freely.

“Anraq?”

A soft touch to his shoulder lurched him upright, hands immediately working to wipe his eyes. “Who...” When he saw a familiar face sitting at his bedside, he relaxed. “Kuvira?”

“Hey,” Kuvira said, offering him a comforting smile. “I'm glad you're awake.”

“How... how long have I been out?”

“About a week,” she replied. “You almost didn't make it...”

Anraq squinted his eyes shut, thinking. He remembered getting struck by Aoi's lightning, but after that... nothing. “What happened? Did we stop the Red Lotus?”

Kuvira went quiet. She turned from him, looking to the other two beds in the hospital room. “No... we didn't.”

A startled gasp burst from his throat when he saw Korra lying unconscious in the bed next to him, and Asami in the other. They were each hooked up to various medical machines—respirators, heart monitors, IV drips.

“Are they...?”

“Kya says they're alive, but beyond that we don't know much. No idea when they'll wake up, or how long until they fully recover. That's even _if_ they wake up. We... we might have to keep going without them, if we're going to stop the Red Lotus.”

Anraq lowered his gaze down at the bedsheets. He said nothing.

“We did rescue my family, though,” Kuvira said. In spite of that bit of good news, the tone in her voice didn't shift. She remained somber. “We're in Zaofu now. They've been working with the security force to restore order to the city, but there's a lot of work to be done.”

Still, he didn't respond. He kept staring straight downward. A nagging, twisting sadness churned steadily in his stomach. He felt sick, nauseous.

“Anyway... you should get some rest. You're still recovering.”

As Kuvira moved to turn away from him, Anraq lifted his gaze. “Hey, Kuvira?”

She stopped, looking back at him. “Yeah?”

“You... you asked before about Kanna?”

“Yes...” She leaned closer to him, holding a hand to his shoulder. “But only if you're ready to talk about her.”

He nodded, fighting the twisting grief still bubbling in his chest. “Yeah, I... I'm ready. I have to be.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'll excuse me for a second... I need to lay down somewhere and cry. There's... not much more I can say about you. Now you all know who Kanna is, and why thinking about her is so painful for Anraq.
> 
> And of course I couldn't have him just explain what happened, no, I HAD WRITE A DAMN FLASHBACK.
> 
> Honestly, the things I do to my characters...
> 
> Also, I added the excessive violence tag because... well even writing that was hard, let alone someone reading it who doesn't know what's going to happen.


	40. Agni Kai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire Lord Izumi is issued the ultimate challenge.

Fire Lord Izumi scribbled her pen without pause across the stack of documents, one file at a time. So many requests to approve, so many laws to review, so many orders to sign off on... That was the one thing that her father hadn't prepared her for when relinquishing rule of the Fire Nation over to her—the paperwork. Still, she had had much practice with it over the years, and now even the giant mound of papers sitting on her desk did little to intimidate her. An hour, this would take her, or perhaps two; it depended on how long it took her hand to cramp this time.

“Lee, I need a new pen,” she stated, as her signatures began to appear faded on the paper.

Her assistant, a young man with glasses, bowed to her and then retrieved a new pen from the supply desk behind him. She waited patiently for him to return with it, and then resumed signing off on the documents. Once she made it through half the stack, a sudden bang lifted her attention sharply towards the door at the end of the room. A figure stood there in the entrance, but she couldn't determine who it was yet—too far away, at the end of the long hall.

With a frown, Izumi pressed a finger against the intercom button on her desk. “Yira, I thought I told you not to allow interruptions today.” She waited a moment, expecting her secretary's voice to reply with a frantic apology and explanation. Nothing came. She looked down at the intercom and furrowed her brow, then looked up again to the unknown figure striding towards her. “Yira, are you there?” Again, nothing.

“Oh look, you've gone and turned the throne room into an office. How very... quaint.” The figure was that of a young girl, a teenager by the look of it. She wore traditional Fire Nation clothing—of a style that had long since become outdated, by a good 70 years or so—and a gold hairpin in the shape of the Fire Nation insignia. “It's so bright in here with all these lights, and look at this tacky furniture—how mundane. And where is the _fire?”_ Her gaze peered along the raised floor behind Izumi's desk, where at one time, a wall of flames would rage as the Fire Lord sat upon the throne. “This place used to intimidate anyone who entered it... Now, it's about as intimidating as a bunch of turtle ducks. Do you know what I used to do to turtle ducks?”

“Young woman, I don't know who you think you are,” Izumi stated, standing up straight behind her desk, “but you're not allowed in here. If you wish to meet with me, you must schedule an appointment with my secretary.”

The girl pouted. “Hmm, I don't really think that's going to work for me. You see, it seems your secretary is taking a bit of a nap right now. Besides, I don't have the patience to wait for an opening. I'm here now, so we talk now.”

Izumi narrowed her eyes, teeming with annoyance behind her glasses. “Who are you? And how did you get past palace security?”

“Oh that was easy,” the girl replied, as she paced in front of the Fire Lord's desk. “I know every nook and cranny of this palace—all the best hiding places, the secret passages. Not to mention, your guards are sorely lacking in actual skill. Getting through them was easy.”

“Is that so?” Izumi stared at the girl a moment longer, then walked around in front of her desk. “You mean to tell me that you infiltrated the royal palace, fought your way through my guards, and burst into my office unannounced, all by yourself?”

The girl grinned. “Not all by myself, no. There are others with me, and I must say they do serve as quality distractions, if nothing else.”

“I see,” said the Fire Lord. She held her hands behind her back and stood straight, glaring at the intruder. “I think I know who you are.”

“Oh, do tell.”

“You're that Aoi girl I've heard about, of the Red Lotus,” she said. “In which case, I imagine the rest of the Red Lotus is with you. What's the matter, did Zaheer not want to face me himself? He sends children now to do his dirty work?”

The girl tilted her head back and laughed. “Oh, wrong on so many accounts. I mean, yes, I do go by 'Aoi', and I _was_ with the Red Lotus... But not anymore.”

Izumi lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I got bored with them,” Aoi replied. “And since I don't need them anymore, I decided it was time to leave them behind. You see, the world was far too stable for me to go ahead with my own plans. I needed things to be a little more...chaotic. The Red Lotus worked well for that. Now, the entire world is focused on them, and I'm free to do what I want without hindrance. We even managed to kill the Avatar.”

A flicker of concern flashed in Izumi's eyes. The Avatar was dead? No, that couldn't be true. This girl was making an empty boast, trying to throw her off. Well, she wouldn't fall for it. “And your name?”

“What about it?”

“You said you 'go by' Aoi. Is that not your real name?”

“Oh, that.” The girl took a few steps forward, arms crossed across her chest. “You're correct, in that regard. Aoi is an alias. I couldn't have anyone recognizing my real name, you see. Spirits forbid I had the entire Fire Nation out searching for me.”

Izumi held her gaze. Aoi was only a few feet away from her now; she could attack and subdue the girl in a moment's notice, and yet... She found herself curious. Annoyed, but curious. “So, you're claiming that you, a teenage girl, not only know the entire layout of the royal palace by heart, but are also wanted by the Fire Nation?”

“You're not very good at paying attention, are you? That's what I said, isn't it?”

“Little girl, I know the name and face of every Fire Nation fugitive. I've studied their files, given orders to take them in, and worked directly with the Fire Nation military to make certain that they're all captured. You are not one of those faces.”

An amused grin slashed across Aoi's face. “And how recent are your files, I wonder?”

Izumi paused, watching as the girl took a seat on the chair in front of the desk. “Tell me, girl. Why are you here? You already said that you're not with the Red Lotus, so you don't mean to assassinate me and destroy the Fire Nation government. Yet, here you are, sitting in my office, looking me face to face.”

“ _Uck_ , would you stop calling it that? This is a _throne room_ , not an office. That doesn't change just because you've gone and neutered the décor.” Aoi rolled her eyes, frowning with disgust. “To answer your question, I'm here because something was stolen from me a very long time ago. I'm here to take it back. To take what's rightfully mine.”

“I don't know what you think you're owed,” Izumi said, as she made her way back around behind her desk, “but you'll not be taking anything today. If you think you can simply waltz in here and make demands of the Fire Nation, then you are sorely mistaken.”

Aoi let out a sigh. “I had a feeling you'd say that. But really, you might want to listen to what I have to say before you go rejecting me. Your secretary might not like that.”

At this statement, Izumi's eyes narrowed intently, projecting a subtle hostility at the girl. “What have you done with Yira?”

“Nothing, yet. And as long as you listen to me and give me what I want, she won't be harmed. If you don't, well... then I hope Yira is a fan of barbecues.”

Izumi's jaw clenched tightly. She sat down at her desk, back straight in her chair. “You have a lot of nerve, little girl.” Leaning forward, she propped her elbows against the desk, hands raised with fingers linked together. Then, she set her chin against her fingers, staring at the girl across from her. “Very well, then. Speak.”

“Wise choice,” Aoi stated, with a smirk. “Getting down to business, though, I'm here for you. Well, what you _possess,_ actually.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You really aren't the sharpest tack...” Aoi sighed, then pointed to the raised floor behind the desk, where once an elaborate gold throne had been set up for the Fire Lord to rule from—not some stuffy old office desk. “I'm here for the _throne._ ”

Izumi frowned at the statement. “You think I'm going to sit here and listen to your jokes?”

“It's not a _joke,_ you insufferable old woman. I said I was here to take back what was stolen from me, and I meant it.”

“You're deluded, girl. The throne belongs to the Fire Nation royal family, no one else. I don't care what you think you've lost, or what demands you make of me—you're being ridiculous.”

“No, _you're_ being ridiculous!” Aoi snapped, lurching forward in her chair. She smacked her fist against the desk and glared, eyes burning. “Sitting there like a good little world leader, filling out your forms, serving as a lapdog to the other nations... The Fire Nation used to be great. It used to be _feared._ Now, you've driven it into the ground. No one fears us. They barely even _respect_ us. The Red Lotus doesn't even care about you—they'd rather go to the North Pole than come here. You're not worth their time!”

Izumi eyed the girl carefully, her expression remaining calm and quiet. “I'm not sure what game you're playing at, but it won't work. Make all the boasts and claims you want, I'm not going to simply hand rule of the Fire Nation over to some spoiled little brat just because she believes that the throne belongs to her.”

Aoi sat straighter, and appeared much calmer than she had a moment ago. “You will, I assure you of that. Have you forgotten Yira?”

“My secretary is very dear to me,” Izumi stated. “I've known her for years... I consider her a good friend. But she is not more valuable than the rule and stability of the Fire Nation itself, and whatever you do to her, I will unleash on you a hundredfold.”

“So you're saying you won't relinquish the throne?”

“That's exactly what I'm saying, girl. You're wasting your time.”

“Hmm, I thought you might say that. Actually, I never expected you to hand the title over to me at all, which is why I came prepared with a Plan B.”

Izumi's brow lowered. “And what might that be?”

Aoi smirked, then stood up straight in front of the desk. “ _Agni Kai_. For the crown.”

An air of silence past between them. Izumi leaned back straight against her seat, staring at Aoi; the girl had confidence, at least. Still, it wouldn't help her. “I'm afraid you're mistaken, girl. Agni Kais have been forbidden for the past eighty years, ever since my father came into power.”

“Yes, yes, I've read the law,” Aoi said, with a flippant wave of her hand. “I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that he got rid of such a sacred Fire Nation tradition—he always was soft.”

“Don't think to speak about my father as if you know him,” Izumi said, tone shifting with a subtle hint of annoyance. “You are nothing compared to him.”

“It's the other way around, actually. And I know far more than you think.” Aoi came forward, hands held against the edge of the desk. “For example, there are two exceptions in the abolition of Agni Kais. The first, is if the Fire Lord gives express permission for one to take place. The other...if the Fire Lord herself is challenged. Those exceptions were the only way that the people would accept the removal of one of our oldest traditions, as I understand. Or have you forgotten?”

Izumi hadn't forgotten; she just hadn't expected this girl to have read the law so thoroughly. Agni Kais had been a part of Fire Nation culture for hundreds of years, and completely outlawing them didn't sit well with most people. As such, her father, Lord Zuko, had been forced to create those exceptions to placate those who weren't happy about the new law. Even so, Agni Kais had been rare. Only twelve official fire duels had taken place in the past eighty years, with only one in the past thirty. In that time, the Fire Lord had never been challenged.

“There must be witnesses for an Agni Kai to be official,” Izumi said. “As well as when the challenge itself is issued.”

“We have him, don't we?” Aoi pointed to the man standing several paces behind the Fire Lord's desk, who had up until now remained completely silent.

Izumi glanced back over her shoulder. When she saw her assistant, Lee, standing there, she eased out a low sigh. Then, she turned back to Aoi. “So we do. Assuming you lack the patience to wait for an official announcement. We could open up the Agni Kai chamber again—you'd have a crowd to watch.”

“And let you use that time to send for backup and have me apprehended? No, I think I'd much rather take care of this right now.”

“Very well...” Izumi rose from her seat, then lifted a hand to the buckles on her Fire Lord robes. With a few twists and snaps, the buckles released and the robe fell free, revealing a much more form-fitting, combat-ready outfit beneath. Then, she removed her glasses and set them down on the desk. “Lee, stand back and record this. There needs to be an official record.”

“O-of course, Fire Lord.” Lee bowed to her, then scrambled back towards the supply desk. He pulled out a form from the bottom drawer—an Agni Kai request form—and began filling out the information.

“Just because you're young, don't expect me to go easy on you,” Izumi said, with a piercing glare. “You trespassed in _my_ palace, _attacked_ my guards, _threatened_ my secretary, issued _me_ a challenge... If you think you're walking out of here in one piece, then you are delusional.”

Aoi grinned, then began walking backwards down the long throne room hall, each side lined with great black pillars. “Don't let my appearance fool you, Fire Lord. I'm much more formidable than you realize.”

“I suppose we'll see,” Izumi said. “But first, I feel you should tell me your real name. It's only courteous.”

The girl paused, brow coming low over her eyes, and lips twisting into a smirk. “Maybe I'll tell you after the duel... _If_ you amuse me.

“Okay, the form is all filled out,” Lee said, holding up the paper.

Izumi snatched it from him and planted it flat against her desk. Then, she grabbed a stamp from the top drawer and pressed it to the bottom of the paper, leaving behind the official royal family insignia in dark ink. “Now... we can begin.”

The Fire Lord wasted no time; she leaped over the top of her desk and punched out a stream of flames in midair. Aoi backed up a step and waved her hands around in a circle, dispersing the attack. Izumi lunged in at her with a combinations of swift, precise strikes, each one releasing a burst of fire. None of them landed. Aoi blocked each one with swift, defensive attacks of her own. The entire time, she maintained a smug, confident grin.

Their exchange grew rapid, fierce, and yet Izumi appeared to be the only one putting forth an effort. Flames exploded from her fists and feet, burning with as much intensity as she could muster. She meant to end the duel quickly, and yet with each passing moment it became clearer that she wouldn't be able to. Aoi fought with the skill of a prodigy, never faltered, never flinched, and yet she hadn't even performed any firebending. Instead she remained on the defensive.

Izumi's eyes narrowed with understanding, and she backed off, creating distance between them. Aoi was trying to let her tire herself out, she realized. If she continued putting needless force into her attacks like that, she'd become exhausted. Aoi, on the other hand, would remained fresh. An interesting tactic, but not one that would work against the Fire Lord, now that she'd figured it out.

“You're better than I expected,” Izumi stated, shifting back into a defensive pose. “I'll admit that. But I'm afraid you're mistaken if you expect to win this without using your bending.”

“I haven't used it yet because I haven't felt the need,” Aoi replied, waving off the comment. “You're good, but hardly impressive. No surprise there, I suppose, since I assume your father trained you.”

“I've only given you a taste of what I can do, girl.” Izumi widened her stance, and held one fist back above her head. Her other fist, she pushed forward, pointing it at Aoi. “If you really want to see, then come at me.”

“Trying to goad me into attacking, hmm? Well, alright... if you insist.”

Aoi rushed in with quick, sharp attacks. This time, Izumi defended, ducking and blocking. Still, though, the girl didn't bend; her punches and kicks were absent any flames. Was she trying to mock Izumi? A poor tactic, if that was the case. One couldn't afford to showboat in an Agni Kai. Ducking below a high kick, Izumi swept low and drove her heel against the back of Aoi's knees. In the same motion, she spun and emitted a whirling tower of fire around the pair. The flames blew outward, engulfing the hall and scorching around the pillars.

Through the inferno, Izumi kept her focus on her opponent. She delivered another spinning downward kick, this one aimed at Aoi's ribs. But her foot struck only the marble floor, as Aoi flipped backwards and whirled her hands around in a circle. Instantly, the raging flames that engulfed her dispersed, flicking into nothing. When the hall cleared again, Aoi stood there with a smirk, not a single hair out of place on her head.

“Don't tell me that's all you can do,” Aoi said. “I was hoping the Fire Lord would pose more of a challenge.”

Izumi huffed in a breath and kept herself calm. This girl was good, far better than she had expected. It seemed that Aoi's talk wasn't just empty boasting. “Well, it appears I should start taking you seriously.”

Aoi lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean you already weren't? So then, what was all that talk about not going easy on me?

Izumi didn't reply. Instead, she raised her fists and ignited two long blades made of fire. Then, she darted in at the girl. She kept herself focused, precise. Aoi lashed out her arms to defend, but Izumi kept the pressure on harder than before. The girl's eyes flickered at the assault—was that concern?

Aoi blocked the strikes as best she could. She pushed the Fire Lord's arms aside and ducked beneath the cutting daggers. Izumi's style shifted, though. It became more fluid, like water. The daggers cut closer now, and Aoi struggled to keep up. Another block, another duck, a step backwards, and then Izumi's blades finally struck true. The flames sliced through Aoi's sleeve, igniting the cloth. 

As Aoi recoiled backwards and patted out the flames growing on her sleeve, Izumi ducked low and lifted a kick upwards into the girl's gut. A jet of flames released from her heel, the force of which lifted Aoi off her feet into the air. Aoi crashed against one of the pillars with a vicious thud, then collapsed to floor. There, she groaned, pushing herself up on shaky arms.

“It's over,” Izumi said. She remained in a defensive stance, and her fire-daggers burned larger. “Admit your defeat and submit to arrest, and you'll receive leniency.”

Aoi chuckled as she sat upright, a hand held over her abdomen. The fabric of her clothes had singed, blackened with soot. “Oh no, Fire Lord. It's just beginning. I haven't even bended yet, remember?” She sprang back up to her feet, then lowered into a distinct stance, two fingers extended on each hand. A spark of electricity crackled at her fingertips. “Lets see how you handle this!”

Izumi didn't even flinch as the lightning arced through the air. Instead, she shifted her own stance and reached out two fingers to greet the bolt. She caught the lightning against her fingers, channeled it through her body, and then guided her other hand forward. In an instant, the lightning redirected back at Aoi.

Panic flashed in Aoi's eyes. She dove away from the blast, rolling behind one of the nearby pillars. The lightning exploded against the floor where she'd been standing only a second ago. Once she was safe behind the pillar, she lowered her brow into a glare and peered around the corner at the Fire Lord.

“So,” she muttered, “your father taught you how to redirect lightning.”

“Yes, he did,” Izumi replied. “I imagine that's quite unfortunate for you, with your style. I've heard the reports about the Red Lotus—you utilize only lightning in combat. Impressive, to have honed the art of lightningbending that well, but against someone who can redirect it... You have nothing.”

Aoi wandered back out from behind the pillar. She paced around a few paces, keeping her eyes locked on the Fire Lord. Then... she smiled. “Oh, once again, you misjudge me. That will be your end.”

“You're confident, but a fool if you truly believe you're going to beat me with lightning.”

The girl's smile didn't falter. She turned herself back into the same pose, two fingers of each hand pointed out. “No, Fire Lord... not lightning.”

Aoi took a single step, then thrust both her hands forward. This time, there was no spark, no crackle, no lightning. This time,  _fire ._ The flames leaped from her fingertips with explosive force. They roared through the air, burning larger and more intense than any Izumi had ever seen before. So powerful were they that they melted the surface of the pillars on the way by. When they struck the floor, the marble cracked and cratered, as if hit by a meteor.

Izumi stood with her back to one of the pillars, keeping it between herself and Aoi. Those flames... they weren't natural. Rather than try to block them, she had taken the safer route and dodged. How was it that any single firebender could produce fire that strong, that intense? And yet, the size of the flames was not the most striking thing about them. Rather, it was the _color._

_Blue flames._

Who on earth _was_ this girl?

“What's the matter, Fire Lord? I thought you wanted to see my firebending. Now you're hiding?” Aoi shifted her stance again, and raised her foot above her head. Then, she dropped her leg downward in one swift motion. When her boot touched the floor, a towering wave of flames screamed out across the floor.

The blaze collided with the pillar with such force that the marble exploded in a shower of rubble. Izumi shouted as she flew out through the air, knocked clean off her feet by the impact. She rolled a few times across the floor, but managed to stop herself and jump back up to her feet. Her legs wobbled just a moment, but soon locked steady, firm.

“Oh, good, you've come out to play,” Aoi said, with a wicked grin. She thrust her fingers forward, once again releasing a massive jet of flames.

There was nowhere for Izumi to go. She stood her ground, hands raised in defense. When the fire engulfed her, she attempted to gain a connection to it and bend it around her body to protect herself. But the flames were too large, too hot; she was only able to bend a portion of it. The remaining inferno consumed her and sent her spinning wildly across the floor. The entire world whirled out of control around her, nothing more than bright, hot waves of blue. Finally, she crashed straight through her desk and came to a violent stop.

Izumi lay flat on her back amongst a wreckage of her desk, staring straight upwards at the ceiling. She shook herself back to her senses, then glanced down at herself—clothes singed to ribbons, burns across much of her body, and even a broken shard of wood piercing through her thigh. Slowly, she sat upright. Every move she made shocked her body with pain—this wasn't good.

Aoi marched up to the fallen Fire Lord, hands held up and fingers curled. A pair of blue fireballs ignited in her palms. _“Now_ it's over.”

“No, it's not...” Izumi said, as she clambered back up to her feet. She breathed deep, wheezing out a cough. “Not yet.”

Izumi lashed out a fist. A burst of orange flames erupted from her knuckles, pouring forth with every ounce of power she had in her body. It didn't work. Aoi pushed her own hands forward, and soon her blue flames overpowered Izumi's. The Fire Lord could do nothing in defense this time. She screamed as the inferno scorched across her arm, leaping down the length of the limb and then up to her face. The flames continued, burning against her right eye. Her screams grew louder, and she collapsed.

“Yes, I'm afraid it is,” Aoi stated. She pursed her lips a moment, watching as the Fire Lord writhed on the floor in pain. “Oh, that looks like it's going to leave a mark... Ha, you and your father can be burn buddies after this.”

Izumi shuddered, curling herself up into a ball. The pain grew more intense, searing through her nerves like fire. She had never experienced burns this severe before, never felt pain this strong. It consumed her, overpowered her will, until finally, mercifully, the world faded. As the world went dark, the pain ceased, and her screams silenced.

* * *

“Hmm,” Aoi said, with a finger pressed against her lips. “Is she dead?” She knelt down, then held her fingers against the Fire Lord's neck. “Oh, no, she's still alive. My, she _is_ resilient.” With a wide grin, she stood straight again and turned her focus to the Fire Lord's assistant. The poor man cowered behind the supply desk, peering out at her with wide eyes. “You there. Lee, was it? If I were you, I'd record the results of the Agni Kai, and then inform people that the Fire Nation has a new ruler.”

“Uh, y-yes, ma'am,” he uttered, as he scrambled out from behind the desk. He rummaged around the wreckage of the Fire Lord's desk until he found the Agni Kai document. “I'll just... I'll get to this at once.”

“Good. Obey my orders faithfully, and I might not have to kill you later. After all, good help is so hard to come by.”

Lee bowed low, then hurried around her towards the end of the hall.

“Oh, and Lee,” she called, “send for Zuko. I'd like to have some words with him.”

“Right away, Fire Lord.” Lee bowed again, before finally disappearing out of the throne room doors.

Aoi's lips curled into a triumphant smirk. Then, she turned around and marched up to the raised floor behind the Fire Lord's desk. She stood there a moment, looking both ways along the entire length of the pit beyond. “Time to give this place a little more... atmosphere.”

With a simple thrust of her fingers, she expelled a massive burst of flames down into the pit. In an instant, a sea of blue fire burned high behind the platform, just has it had done once before so long ago. Then, she charged lightning to her fingertips. She shot off several bolts, destroying each of the hanging lights on the pillars. The throne room darkened, now lit only by blue light of her fire.

Her grin grew wider. “Much better.”

* * *

Zuko marched up to the throne room doors, his eyes sharp with purpose. He paused just a moment in front of them, staring. “You said she's in here?”

“Y-yes, Lord Zuko,” Lee said, with a bow. “She said she wanted to speak with you.”

“Oh, we'll be doing a lot more than speaking,” he replied. “I don't know who this Aoi girl is, but if she thinks she can attack my daughter and get away with it, she's going to be very disappointed.”

Lee lifted his gaze at the former Fire Lord. “But... it was an official Agni Kai, sir. By law... she's the new Fire Lord.”

“You let me worry about that. Just stay here.” Zuko wasted no more time. He shoved open the throne room doors and hurried inside.

For a moment, he had to squint his eyes to see anything. Apparently, Aoi had a taste for near darkness. The throne room was dim, lit only by a wall of brilliant blue fire that scorched behind the raised platform at the end of the hall. Zuko's eyes narrowed with concern at the sight of them. _Blue_ flames? No, that wasn't right. Any thoughts he had about the color, though, vanished when he spotted his daughter lying unconscious atop her ruined desk.

“Izumi!” He ran to her, and knelt by her side. “Izumi, can you hear me?” No response. Zuko held a hand to her cheek, turned her head. A startled gasp leaped from his lips when he saw the burns plastered across the right side of her face, and down along her arm. “No... _Izumi.”_

“Relax, she's still alive,” said a voice. “For now, anyway. I'm not sure how much longer she'll last without treatment.”

_That voice._

Oh, that voice... It ripped through him like a dagger. He hadn't heard that voice in eighty years, but he hadn't forgotten it. Slowly, he looked up at the raised platform in front of him. There, kneeling in front of the wall of blue flames, was a face that had burned itself into his mind so many years ago, a face he could never forget.

A face that hadn't changed at all since the last time he saw it.

“ _Impossible_...” he uttered. “I don't...understand. How...?”

The girl grinned, then stood up straight, staring down at him. “Oh, Zuzu... You've _really_ gotten old.”

_“Azula?”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dun... Aoi's secret is finally revealed. She's not Aoi at all... she's Azula *gasp*
> 
> And yes, this was always intended from the start! I hinted at it quite a few times over the past 26 chapters. For example...
> 
> -Hinting that Aoi was not her real name
> 
> -The name Aoi itself:
> 
> Aoi = "blue" (Japanese)  
> Azula = "blue" (variant of Azul, Spanish)
> 
> -Having unfinished business in the fire nation
> 
> -Her use of lightning, which was always one of her fighting staples (although her skill with it has clearly grown)
> 
> -Showing off her acting ability, and mentioning she had infiltrated Ba Sing Se before
> 
> -Her age not lining up with how much she's claimed to have done in her life
> 
> -This exchange:
> 
> “Those flames weren't natural, I'm telling you. Did you feel how hot they were?”  
> “I know, and the -color-. I barely got out in time!”
> 
> which was the first time I alluded to her fire being blue
> 
> -Her line, "Looks like... I'm two for two," after she shot Korra with lightning. She didn't mean two for two on Korra and Anraq, she meant two for two on Avatars (Korra and Aang)
> 
> -And then there was the way I wrote her, which was meant to obviously be like Azula... since she is Azula. Some people's guesses were that she was related to Azula, or said that she reminded them of her, and I think someone even guessed she was Azula, which I was actually happy with, since it meant I was writing her correctly.
> 
> And of course there were much more obvious hints in this chapter, but that was because she was actually revealed here
> 
> But I didn't reveal all her secrets! After all, how is she here? How is she still so young? (Someone guessed she was time displaced, but nope, not it). And how is her firebending so powerful (think Sozin's Comet-enhanced levels)?
> 
> All in good time...


	41. Trouble In Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula is back and up to her old tricks, but what does that mean for her brother Zuko, and her niece, Izumi? Heck, what does it mean for the Fire Nation? Meanwhile, Kuvira's feelings for Korra cause her more problems, this time with someone she cares about--Yula.

Azula's grin twisted wider across her face, as she stepped down from the throne platform. "What's the matter, Zuzu? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

“This can't be..." Zuko stared at her with wide eyes. So many questions, so many thoughts, and conflicting emotions, all churned through his head. "Azula, is that...really you?”

“Of course it is, dear brother." She took a casual step towards him and pouted, holding a hand against her hip. "You haven't forgotten my face, have you?”

“No...of course not," he uttered. "But you...you look exactly the same as the last time I saw you— _eighty years ago_. How...?”

“Oh, there's this wonderful new face cream I discovered, absolutely reverses the aging process." Azula chuckled at her own joke. Then, she let out a content sigh, arms crossed over her chest. "But really, what does it matter? I'm here. Who cares how?”

Zuko gave a long pause. He just...stared at her, at his sister, a sister he had thought he lost so many years ago. A sister who had tormented him and his friends, but who he had vowed never to stop trying to help or give up on. “We never found you after you ran off that day. In the Forgetful Valley... We searched, so much, but... Where did you go?”

“Oh, I never left the valley," she stated. "But that's not important. What's important is that the Fire Nation is finally mine to rule. I've reclaimed my crown, after _you_ stole it from me.”

At this, Zuko looked down again at Izumi; her burns appeared worse, and her breathing had slowed. His stomach knotted at the sight—grief, anger. “ _You_ did this... to my _daughter_.”

Azula scoffed, casually waving off the comment. “Oh don't get all upset. Little 'Zumi here accepted my challenge of an official Agni Kai for the title of Fire Lord. We fought, I won, and that's that. Anyone who enters an Agni Kai knows the risks. Can't blame me for being the superior fighter." Her arms folded back over her chest, and she turned a glare to her brother. "Besides, that's how _we_ settled things all those years ago, remember? You and me, an Agni Kai for the throne... Only difference is, I didn't have to cheat my way to victory with the aid of some Water Tribe peasant girl. This time, I won fair and square—just ask Lee.”

“Azula, I don't know what happened to you back then, but if you think you're going to get away with hurting my daughter like this..." Zuko paused. He choked back his words, and calmed himself with a deep breath. No, no threats this time. That was how the old him would have dealt with Azula. Instead, he softened his expression and took a step towards her. "I never gave up hope on you. I thought you could change if given a chance, if we just showed you you had a real family... if we showed you the love you always should have had." He sighed, hanging his head. The kind of love that their father hadn't ever given either of them. "We never got that chance after you vanished. I'd _like_ to give you that chance now, but with the things you've done, everything with the Red Lotus..."

"Oh, but haven't you heard?" she insisted, with a smile. She held a hand to her chest, pointing at herself. "I'm not with the Red Lotus anymore. I'm the Fire Lord. With the other nations busy trying to stop Zaheer, no one's going to do anything about me. Even if they wanted to, I'm a world leader now. They'd have to start a war."

Zuko's gaze narrowed. His sister hadn't changed a bit, that much was clear. "You're playing a very dangerous game, Azula. And I swear to you, if Izumi dies..."

“Oh she won't die. I checked on her myself, she's fine. Just a little on the toasty side." She laughed again, giving her brother a gentle grin. "And look, you even have matching scars now. That _is_ adorable, isn't it? Of course, her injuries will need treatment if they're going to properly heal. Now, I _could_ let you take her to the hospital, or the family doctor if we still have one of those. But if you were to do something stupid, like, oh, say, try to subdue me, or challenge me to an Agni Kai, or anything else I'd find...unappealing..." Azula turned her gaze towards the darkened edges of the throne room. Figures appeared from the shadows, dozens of them. They all wore the same red and black uniform, with metal armor and a Fire Nation insignia emblazoned on their chests. "Well, then I'd probably have to throw you both in the dungeon."

Zuko took a step backwards, eyeing the men carefully. “Who are they?”

“My new personal guard," she said. "Used to be members of the Red Lotus, but I offered them a better deal. They're here to protect me against anyone who might do me harm. You won't need to experience that firsthand, though, if you be a good brother and listen to your dear sister.”

“Azula...”

“Do think carefully, Zuzu. Remember, I just took down your daughter without even breaking a sweat. I was always your better, and I'm willing to bet you've lost a few steps in your old age. What challenge do you think you'd give me? Or them, for that matter?" Azula glanced down at Izumi with a mocking pout. "Do make the smart decision. I'd hate to see poor little 'Zumi in anymore pain. She is my niece, after all.”

“This conversation isn't over, Azula. We'll talk again soon. In the meantime..." Zuko removed his focus from his sister, then knelt down to pick up the unconscious Izumi into his arms. "I'm going to aid my daughter.”

A delighted grin spread across Azula's face. She came forward, hands reaching out to take her brother into a hug. “Oh, good choice, Zuzu! This is so exciting isn't it? Us, reunited, ruling the Fire Nation as a family—well, _I'll_ be ruling it, but you can always help with the boring bits, like the paperwork. It'll be just like things always should have been, don't you agree?”

Zuko frowned, pulling away from the hug a moment later. "I'll be back later."

"Oh, send Lee in, won't you? I need him to get all of this tacky furniture out of here, and see about getting the throne back. I do hope they didn't melt it down, or something foolish like that." She sighed, then held a hand to her chin, thinking. "Oh, and we'll need to set up an official coronation ceremony. The people need to know that they have a new Fire Lord." Her gaze then narrowed at Zuko, as she watched him leave with Izumi. "And this time... you won't be interrupting it."

* * *

Kuvira sat beside Korra's hospital bed, watching and listening to the steady beeping of the heart monitor. She breathed in deep, and reached out to take hold Korra's hand. The touch twisted her gut with grief, regret. Seeing Korra like this broke something in her, and it didn't get any easier as the days went by. It only got harder.

“I'm sorry, Korra," she uttered, lowering her gaze down to the floor. "I tried... _We_ tried. We couldn't stop the Red Lotus, I couldn't help you like I should have, and now you're..." She sucked in a tired, unsteady breath, then looked up again at Korra's face. "I barely even know what I'm saying. Just... _please_ , make it through this. I don't know if I could stand losing you, too..."

Kuvira paused a moment, swallowing back a tight knot in her throat. A solemn breath quivered from her lips. "You've been there for me through so much, helped me more than I could have hoped, made me a better person, and... Spirits, I've never felt about anything the way I do about you. I know I shouldn't say that. I _shouldn't_ feel that way about you. There are too many reasons why, and yet... I can't help it, Korra. I _love_ you."

Her hold on Korra's fingers grew firmer, comforting. She tried to smile, but all she could manage was a pitiful frown, as tears glistened at the corners of her eyes. "I can freely admit it now, I think... It's getting easier to come to terms with. Especially now that Asami knows..." A heavy sigh left her throat, and she turned a moment to glance at the bed behind her. Asami lied there, asleep beneath the blanket—still unconscious, still recovering. "I think... I _know_ I've hurt her even more now. I never _meant_ to. I've already taken so much from her... I'm not going to try and take you, too."

She looked back at Korra again, eyes sinking with grief. "Even if we can't ever be together, even if I can never show you how much I love you... I still want you in my life. I still want to be your friend. I still..." A gentle sob choked in her throat. She lifted Korra's hand to her cheek, held it there... She felt warm, safe, and in that moment she believed that maybe everything would be okay. "Please, just pull through this, okay? I... I need you.”

“You really do love her, don't you?”

Kuvira dropped Korra's hand and bolted straight upright at the sound of the voice. She turned around, nearly falling out if her seat in the process. Asami looked back at her, head turned against the pillow. “What... _Asami_? Y-you're _awake_? How long...?”

“Long enough to hear what you said to Korra," she replied, in a surprisingly calm tone. There wasn't a hint of anger, or annoyance, or even sadness in her voice. There was only peace.

“Asami, I didn't... I mean, I wasn't trying to... you weren't supposed to _hear_ that. Korra wasn't even...”

Asami silenced her with a simple head shake. Then, she slowly sat up in bed; each movement brought with it a cringe of pain and exhausted heave. “Stop apologizing... Please, just stop. I _get_ it. You're in love with her." Her gaze moved from Kuvira over to Korra. A heavy sigh eased from her lips. "Those feelings aren't going to go away just because I don't like it. You can't help them anymore than I can help my own feelings for her. It's not something you can control... it just _is._ ”

Kuvira looked again to Korra. Her stomach knotted tighter and twisted, flip flipping with nausea. She said nothing, though; what _could_ she say?

“When you first told me you loved Korra, I assumed it was just something you were doing to spite me," Asami said. "I thought... hey, Kuvira's already ripped a hole in my life, why wouldn't she make it even bigger?" She sighed, head bowing. "I know that sounds terrible. I know you've changed, and I know you wouldn't do that now... but I still thought it. It still made me angry. But now I think I realize... your feelings for her are genuine, aren't they?”

Kuvira focused on Asami. She didn't answer at first, wanting desperately to shrink away in a hole somewhere. But she had to say something... She at least owed Asami an explanation. With a heavy exhale, she nodded and said, “Yes... I'm sorry. I wish I could feel differently, but Korra is... She's given me so much. There's no one else who knows me as well as she does, no one who makes me feel the way I feel about her."

A sudden twinge of guilt pierced into her chest. She closed her eyes, and dropped her face into her hands. "I shouldn't be saying that... With Yula, I... I don't even know. Korra is different, and this whole thing is just... complicated.”

“Complicated." Asami nodded slowly, lips twisting into a frown. "I guess that's a good word for it.”

“Look, I'm sorry for bringing it up at all,” Kuvira muttered, with a shake of her head. “Just forget about it. I'll... I'll get over it.”

Asami narrowed a stern look. “How am I just supposed to forget about it? That isn't the kind of thing you just ignore. Honestly... this is something Korra and I need to work out ourselves. It's not going to resolve itself otherwise.”

Kuvira returned the gaze for several moments before the knot in her stomach twisted tighter. Finally, she turned away to look at Korra again. “I only hope she wakes up soon...” 

A long moment of silence past between them. They both stared at Korra, listening to the rhythmic beep, beep, beeping of her heart monitor; it was a mocking, spiteful metronome. When Kuvira couldn't bare to watch any longer, she glanced back at Asami. Their eyes met, and for a second they both seemed calm, understanding. 

“Asami, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Why did you save me?” she asked, squinting her eyes with puzzlement. “Of all the people... you had every reason to let Aoi fry me.”

Asami frowned, then sat up straighter in her bed. “Just because I'm not fond of you doesn't mean I think you deserve a death sentence, Kuvira. I saw an opportunity to help, so I took it.” She paused, then glanced away. A gentle sigh eased past her lips, and she shook her head. “But... there's more to it than that. I saw how Korra acted when they were about to kill you. I saw how much losing you would hurt her. I just... I didn't want to see her hurt like that.”

Kuvira's brow furrowed. “And losing _you_ wouldn't hurt her even worse? You're lucky to be alive.”

“Well, to be fair, I didn't exactly intend to electrocute myself. That part was a slight miscalculation.” She offered a small chuckle, but stopped when she winced at a sudden pain in her ribs. “In all seriousness, though? I didn't even think. I knew Korra didn't want to see you hurt, and in that moment... that was enough for me. I can't even explain it, really... It all happened in so fast.”

“I see...” Kuvira watched her a moment longer, then stood from her seat. This was probably a good time to leave.”In any case, I am grateful, Asami. I owe you my life... Thank you.”

“Yeah... you're welcome.”

* * *

Kuvira exhaled a heavy sigh, as she exited the hospital room. She pressed a hand to her forehead. As if things between her and Asami hadn't been dreadfully awkward enough already, this would only compound things, she was certain of that.

"So...how long have you been in love with Korra?"

The voice froze Kuvira in her tracks. She stiffened straight, eyes flying open wide, and then slowly turned around to see a familiar person standing there next to the hospital room room door. "Y-Yula?”

A single thought jolted through her head. _Oh no..._

“H-how long have you been standing there?"

"A while...” Yula took a step away from the wall. “I wanted to see you, but Opal said you'd come down to the hospital again. You've spent a lot of time here the past week... I heard you talking, and I didn't want to interrupt... so, I listened. Sorry."

A numbness knotted deep in her throat. "Yula, I—"

"So, how long?"

No beating around the bush, it seemed. Yula had overheard the entire conversation between her and Asami—and for all Kuvira knew, also what she'd said to Korra—and she wanted answers. "I don't know... A few years, I suppose."

The younger woman breathed out a gentle sigh, eyes drifting downward. "I see..."

"Yula, I'm sorry, I didn't mean...” Kuvira's thoughts jumbled together, and for a moment she couldn't even think of what to say. She huffed out in frustration, steadying her nerves. Now was not the time to become flustered. “ _Nothing_ is going to happen with Korra, I swear. Nothing even _could_ happen."

Yula only shrugged. "But that doesn't change the way you feel."

"Well, I...” she uttered. Again, she couldn't figure out how to get her lips to form proper words. “I guess not, but..."

"It's okay, Kuvira, really.” Yula glanced back up at her, but she wasn't frowning, or scowling, or crying, or angry, or... anything. She was smiling—not a happy smile, more one of understanding, but a smile nonetheless. “I get it."

"You do...?"

Yula nodded gently."It's like Asami said. Sometimes we can't help how we feel about someone, even when feeling that way makes things difficult, or awkward."

"I know, but... that still doesn't make it _right_ ,” Kuvira insisted. “She's with Asami... They _love_ each other. I can't get in the way of that. Besides... I'm with you."

"Yes, you are...” Yula frowned now, and her gaze shifted away. “But maybe you shouldn't be?"

" _What?”_ Kuvira's heart jumped, lodging a knot in her throat. “But Yula, I don't... what do you mean?"

"Even when you're with me, you still love Korra,” she explained, with a simple shrug. “You still wish you could be with her, even if you can't. That's not fair to anyone involved, don't you think?"

"But none of that _matters._ I'm not going to do anything with Korra. I'm happy with _you_."

"Sometimes happiness isn't enough. Kuvira, we've known each other barely two weeks. You've been in love with Korra for _years_. That's not something you're going to get over just like that. Can you honestly tell me that you feel the same way about me as you do Korra?"

Kuvira started to respond, but promptly closed her mouth shut before the words left her lips. She wanted to say yes, to insist that her feelings for Yula were just as strong as the ones she had for Korra... But Yula was right. It would have been a lie.

"...no,” she muttered. “But I _could_."

"Someday, maybe,” Yula said, shaking her head. “But not while you're still in love with Korra."

"So...then, what? What are you trying to say?"

A soft sigh brushed past her lips. "I'm saying that maybe we shouldn't be involved in anything serious right now."

"But _Yula..."_

Yula reached forward, taking Kuvira's hands in her own. She gave them a gentle squeeze, then looked up into her eyes. "Kuvira, I've enjoyed the time we've had together...so much. And I'm grateful I got to know you. You're a wonderful person. I _really_ like you, and maybe someday I could love you, but as long as you still have those feelings for Korra, I don't think that anything between us is going to work. You have to work through those feelings, I think. Perhaps you'll get over them eventually, and perhaps not. If you _do_ , though, and you decide that you want to give this, _us_ , a real chance...then I'll be waiting. Okay?"

Kuvira swallowed the knot in her throat and then let her eyes close. She squinted them tightly to hold back the tears, and for a moment it even worked. "Yeah...Okay."

Yula leaned forward with a smile, pressing her forehead against Kuvira's. "We're still friends, though, right?

She nodded, trying to push back the growing emotion in her chest. Everything that Yula said was true, and she knew this was for the best—this way, no matter what happened, they wouldn't end up hurting each other. Still... That didn't make it any easier. “Right."

“And you'll still help me train?”

Kuvira smiled, then opened her eyes to look back at Yula. “Of course. Whatever you need, I'm there for you. Always.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh*
> 
> Breakups are difficult to write, and yet oddly satisfying at the same time. At least, this is a goodhearted, mutual breakup. Yula's a pretty understanding individual, and she realizes that she and Kuvira aren't actually going to work in the long run, while Kuvira is still holding on to her feelings for Korra. So...she's not going to try and force it. She does what's best for both of them, but keeps it open for the future, in case they get another chance.
> 
> But WILL they get another chance in the future? I can't tell you! (because honestly I don't even know yet *nervous laugh*)
> 
> And oh, it's so satisfying to write Azula AS Azula now... especially interacting with Old!Zuko. Positively delightful, is what I'd call it. Exciting things coming up... exciting things.
> 
> Also, for those of you who haven't seen my tumblr at all, here are a few pieces of art I've had commissioned for this fic-
> 
> From chapter 1: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/123670414633/sleepysenshi-another-commission-for
> 
> From chapter 4: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/123150182643/sleepysenshi-commission-for
> 
> From chapter 21: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/125622678508/sleepysenshi-another-commission-for
> 
> And an official Yula design: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/125702618093/this-is-yula-a-firebending-ba-sing-se-native


	42. The Rift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar makes preparations to go after Zaheer once again, and Asami makes a startling decision.

"So what's the next move?" Bumi asked. "Do we keep waiting for Korra to wake up?"

A brief pause hung over the group. Team Avatar—minus Anraq, Asami, and Korra, all of whom were still recovering—sat around a long table in the middle of the Beifong mansion's gathering hall. Baatar, Sr., Wing, and Wei were off working with Captain Hong Li to restore order to Zaofu, while Huan worked outside to repair the damage done to the estate during the Red Lotus attack. In the meantime, the Team had to come up with a new plan of attack.

"I don't know if we can," Lin said, with a quiet sigh. "We've already spent too much time here as it is. The rest of my family and the remaining security force have a handle on things here in Zaofu, so we should move on. There's no telling how big a jump Zaheer has on us."

"But we don't even know where he's going next," Opal said.

Kuvira tapped her fingers against the table, thinking. "Well, there are only so many nations left to hit. The two Water Tribes, and the Fire Nation. They'll be heading to one of them."

"Have we heard anything recently from Mako or Tenzin?" Bolin asked, giving Lin a worried look. "What's the status on Republic City?"

Lin sighed, head shaking. "It's not good. The police are stretched way too thin trying to deal with the growing gang activity. Entire neighborhoods have been taken over, and with no president or police chief left to call the shots, it's chaos."

Bolin went quiet a moment. His expression sank, and he glanced to Opal. "We should be there to help...That's our home."

"I know..." Opal sighed. "But Zaheer still needs to be stopped."

"Stopping Zaheer is important, but so is fixing the damage he's already caused." Lin inhaled deep, then sat up straight and gave the others a firm gaze. "That's why I'm heading back."

Kya's eyebrows lifted, and she turned to her girlfriend with a curious look. "What? Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I am. They need someone there who can take charge and knows what they're doing. Tenzin is fine, but he doesn't know how to delegate the police force. General Iroh sent in a handful of troops, but he has his hands full in Ba Sing Se already, so it isn't much help." A heavy sigh breathed past her lips. "Looks like I'm coming out of retirement... _Hmph_ , that didn't last long."

"If you're sure, then you know I'm with you," Kya replied, with a hand to Lin's shoulder. "I always am."

Opal glanced back and forth between them, then bowed her head with a sigh of her own. Nodding, she said, "Bolin and I will go too."

Bolin blinked at her. "We will?"

"Yeah, you were right."

"I was?"

She nodded again, and reached out to hold her fiance's hand. "I want to stop Zaheer more than anything, for what he did to my mom, but... Republic City is our home. We have friends there, family... We need to help them."

Kuvira leaned close in her seat, offering a reassuring touch to Opal's shoulder. "Opal, I promise we won't rest until we've taken down Zaheer and the Red Lotus. We'll stop them."

"Damn straight we will!" Toph sat straight upright and smacked her palm against the table. "I got nothing to go back for right now, and I still owe Zaheer the beating of a lifetime, so I'll be going with you."

"And you know I got your backs," Bumi said, with a stern salute. Bum-Ju affirmed his assertion with a chirp, and flew up into the table. "Both of us."

"Thanks, Bumi. And... Bum-Ju." Kuvira gave the dragonfly bunny spirit a careful look, quirking her eyebrow at. Bum-Ju cocked his head to the side and jumped over towards her. She sighed, then reached out to pat him. "You, too."

Bumi laughed. "Aww, look at that, he likes you."

"I want to go, too," said a quiet voice. Yula cleared her throat, and glanced towards Kuvira. "I know I'm still not very good, but... I want to help. Besides, I still need to make sure Aoi pays for what she did to my family."

Kuvira watched her a moment, then smiled and gave a nod. "We'll be happy to have you, Yula. Thanks."

"Hey, don't forget about me." The voice came from the entrance to the room. They turned to look at the new arrival, and when Kuvira saw who it was, she almost jumped out of her seat.

"Anraq!" she exclaimed, her tone mixed with concern and relief. The poor man looked like he was about to fall over. “You shouldn't be up."

"I'm fine," he assured, with a wave. "Just a little tired, is all. Point remains, I'm coming with you after Zaheer. I still need to settle things with Yuruk." He shuffled forward on shaky legs, and then lowered himself into an empty chair at the table. "Plus... I know where they're going next."

"What?" Kuvira lifted her eyebrows at him. "How?"

Anraq paused a moment, hunching in his seat. A tired sigh eased from his lips. "After I got hit by the lightning... I don't think I was completely unconscious. Or at least, I was drifting in and out. At first, I couldn't remember anything after that point, but things are starting to come back to me." He closed his eyes, and held a hand to his head. "I remember... I heard them talking at one point. Zaheer mentioned the North Pole. I think that's where they're headed."

Lin crossed her arms, giving him a skeptical stare. "Are you sure this isn't just some dream or hallucination you had?"

"No, I'm sure," he said. "It felt too real... Besides, we don't have many other options, and we can't really afford to split up. Might as well head north and hope for the best."

Kya glanced to Lin and shrugged. "I guess he's got a point..."

"Everyone!" Another new voice. This time, when they turned to the doorway, they found Asami standing there. She hobbled on weak legs, knees buckling. Even holding her arms against the door frame, she could barely keep herself upright.

"Asami?" Opal sprang out of her seat with a burst of air. She floated down next to the woman and held an arm around her shoulders, to keep her from falling. "What are you doing out of bed already? You should be resting."

Asami's response wheezed from her throat, voice hoarse. "It's Korra!"

Kya shot up to her feet, eyes flying open. She already had a hand on the waterskin at her hip. "Oh spirits, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, it's just... She's awake!"

* * *

"Korra!" Bolin exclaimed, as he hurried towards the hospital bed. He scooped her up into a friendly hug, laughing. "We're so happy you're okay!"

"Hey, good to see you, too." Korra winced, then pulled herself away. "Ouch, though, easy...still a bit sore."

"Oh, right!" Bolin backed off with his hands raised, and an apologetic smile in his face. "Sorry."

Kya walked around the side of the bed and began checking the various medical equipment hooked up to Korra. "Well, your vitals seem normal from what I can tell, but you should take it easy for a while. And I should give you a proper follow up examination later."

"Thanks, Kya." Korra gave her a thankful nod, then glanced at the rest of her Team—her friends... her _family._ "So...what's been going on since I've been out? Has there been any news on the Red Lotus?"

"We think we have a lead on where they're heading next," Lin said, with a nod, "So, half the Team will be heading after them."

"Wait, only half? What about the others?"

"Bolin, Kya, Lin, and I are going back to Republic City..." Opal said.

"From the sound of it, things aren't going so well over there since the president died," Bolin affirmed, with a subtle frown. "Mako and Tenzin could use our help."

"I see..." Korra bowed her head and let out a gentle sigh. After they had received the call from Mako on their way out of Ba Sing Se, she had been concerned, but hopeful that the city would bounce back. Evidently, they weren't that lucky. "Well, I can't say it won't be disappointing to see you go, but I understand. If things are really that bad, then they could use all the help they can get."

"Believe me, I wish we could keep going after Zaheer," Lin stated, "but our home needs us. I know the rest of you will stop him."

Korra looked away, gaze tilting down to the sheets. "I hope so... We haven't exactly had a lot of luck so far."

"We'll stop him." Kuvira came forward and held a reassuring hand to Korra's shoulder. "I promise. I'm with you every step of the way."

"Thanks." Korra lifted a smile, then held her hand over Kuvira's, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's good to have you."

Asami stood near the back of the group. She said nothing, but her eyes locked onto the mutual touch between the two. A heaviness sunk deep in her gut, like lead. She could watch only for a moment, before finally turning from them and hobbling out of the room. She went unnoticed.

"In any case, we shouldn't waste much more time," Lin said. "We'll prepare to head out soon. The train isn't safe to use right now because of the chaos in both cities, so we'll have to go by airship. I want to be in the air by tomorrow morning."

Kuvira nodded. "Alright, the rest of us will get ready to go after Zaheer. We should leave as soon as possible."

"Where are we heading?" Korra asked.

Anraq answered, narrowing a stern gaze. "The North Pole. That's where they're going."

* * *

Yuruk stood at the bow of the small boat, guiding his arms through the air. The water beneath them propelled the boat forward silently, no engine to announce their presence. A bored sigh left his throat. As he turned the boat around the side of an iceberg, he glanced back over his shoulder. Zaheer and Avan sat there, both wrapped in heavy winter clothes. Temperatures this far north had plummeted well below zero.

"So...been a pretty quiet trip so far," Yuruk muttered. "No one has anything to say? At all?" He received no response. With a huff, he looked straight ahead again. "Fine, be that way. It's not like we should probably talk about how half the Red Lotus disappeared overnight, and that we never found Aoi. Just going out on a limb, I'm gonna say that wasn't a coincidence."

Avan grumbled, and hugged his coat tighter around his body. "There's nothing we can do about it. No use complaining."

"Not yet, anyway." Zaheer leaned against the edge of the boat, chin resting on his hand. He gazed out into the icy waters, eyes sharp. "We'll deal with Aoi in time. After all, we know where she's going." With how much Aoi had insisted on going to the Fire Nation, there was no doubt where she had gone. As for what she intended to do there, however... That was what concerned him. "In the meantime, we have a job to do here."

"So, what exactly is the plan?" Yuruk asked. "We just left our ship anchored twenty miles off shore... Kind of hard for the rest of the Red Lotus to join us when we leave them behind."

Zaheer moved his attention from a nearby iceberg to the waterbender. "Patience, Yuruk. The Northern Water Tribe won't be like other nations. They were the only ones to withstand the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War. There's a reason for that. We have to play this slow, and cautious." His eyes narrowed, and again he looked out into the water. A heavy fog was moving in off the horizon—good, it would provide them with cover. "We should already have a man inside. He'll let us in, and then we'll determine how best to get the entire Red Lotus into the city."

"Right, this mystery agent who killed the president..." Yuruk muttered, as he slowed the boat. Going too fast through the fog in iceberg-riddled waters would be suicide. "Who is he, exactly?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Zaheer said. "We're almost there."

Avan heaved out a long, shuddering breath. "Let's hurry... I'm freezing."

Yuruk laughed. "Heh, lightweight. It's not _that_ cold."

* * *

Korra hummed out a quiet breath as she made her way through the long corridors of the Beifong mansion. Now that night had fallen, and most of Team Avatar had either retired to bed or was still preparing to leave, the mansion seemed empty. It was quiet, peaceful...and actually a little unnerving. Hard shadows slashed across the hallways, and a part of her half-expected dark spirits to lunge out at her from the darkness. It didn't help that her legs were still wobbly. While she had been cleared to leave the hospital, she still needed time to better recover. She could do that on the way to the North Pole.

She stopped when she finally reached one of the many guest bedrooms in the mansion. With a smile, she slipped through the partially opened door. “Hey, you.”

Asami glanced up from her seat. She sat at the desk, folding her spare clothes neatly into a pile so she could pack them. “Hey...”

Korra approached on still-shaky legs, forced to hold herself against her girlfriend to keep from falling. She leaned close, and gave Asami a gentle kiss. “How are you feeling?”

“Alright, I guess,” she said, with a shrug. “Still recovering, but I'm not on my deathbed or anything. What about you?”

“Still a little weak. Standing up for too long is difficult, and Kya thinks there might be some after effects.” Korra chuckled, then sat atop the desk and watched Asami work. “Other than that, I'm great.”

“That's good...” Asami's eyes sank back to her clothes, but they carried with them a noticeable air of sadness. Her voice sounded distant, detached. “I'm glad you're alright.”

Korra scrunched her brow together, studying Asami. She knew that look. “...is everything alright?”

Asami shrugged again. “Yeah, everything is...fine.” A quiet moment followed, and then she abruptly stopped folding her shirt. “I think I'm going to head back to Republic City with the others.”

“What?” Korra said, lifting her eyebrows. “But, I thought... Why?”

“Because it's my home, and because it needs help.” Asami started folding her clothes again, but her actions were harder, more aggressive. “I've rebuilt that city twice now. I'm not going to let it fall apart again.”

“I... I can understand that, Asami, but what about our mission?” She reached out and took hold of Asami's hand, squeezing softly. “I need you with me.”

“You'll be fine without me.” Her response bit back with a subtle annoyance to it, and she pulled her hand away. “You have Kuvira, don't you?”

Korra recoiled at the comment, eyes narrowing back at Asami with confusion. “What's _that_ supposed to mean?”

Asami finished folding one of her blouses, then threw it down against the desk. She didn't answer right away, instead shaking her head with her eyes closed. Finally, though, she looked up at Korra with a glare. “How long have you known that Kuvira is in love with you?”

“What...” Korra blinked, eyebrows scrunching together. A flurry of questions flew through her head. Why was Asami asking about that? How did she even _know_ about it? “What does that have to do with anything?”

“How _long,_ Korra?”

“I... I don't know, a couple years, maybe?”

“And in those couple years, did you ever once think it might be worth mentioning that my father's murderer is _in love with you?”_ Asami held a hand to her forehead, sighing. _“_ And not just some weird, meaningless crush, either... She really does _care_ about you. I mean, like the way _I_ care about you.”

Korra swallowed, as a sudden pang of guilt twisted into her gut. “How do you know? How strongly she feels, I mean.”

“I talked to her about it already. A couple times. Do you understand what that felt like, having to hear it from _her?_ Why didn't you tell me this _ages_ ago?”

“I... I guess I just didn't really see the importance of it,” she said. “We discussed it once and came to an understanding. Nothing was ever going to happen. Nothing ever _did_ happen.”

Asami puffed out a scoff of disbelief. “How could you _not_ think that was important to tell me? Because it _really_ shines a new light on how you are with her.”

“What do you mean, 'how I am with her'? She's my friend. _Just_ a friend.”

“Oh come on, Korra. You don't act the same way around her as you do with Mako, or Bolin, or Opal, or any of our other friends.”

Korra hinged her jaw shut tightly, gaze shifting downward. Asami wasn't wrong, really—Korra _did_ act differently with Kuvira than she did with their other friends. It had never been something she really thought much about, but now that Asami mentioned it... she could see how it looked. “We're close. I'm not denying that. But she's never been _anything_ more than a friend to me. I'm with _you_ , Asami, and I would never do anything to jeopardize that.”

“So you're saying you don't have the same feelings for her?”

She snapped her focus back to Asami now in earnest. “Of _course_ not!”

“You know, the way you two comfort each other, and the little moments you share with each other, the little touches, and reassurances, all those subtle interactions...” Asami glanced back down at her pile of clothes, then reached for a pair of pants. She didn't fold it, though—just held it. “That's how things started between us. Do you remember?”

“Well, yes of course I remember, but this isn't...” Korra pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers, head shaking. “That's _not_ what's happening between me and Kuvira.”

Asami shrugged. “Maybe not. Or maybe you just haven't realized it yourself, yet. It took us a while to figure it out ourselves, after all.” Her eyes shifted away, and finally she started to fold her pants. “But there was always something there, deep down... hidden, even if we didn't know it.”

“Asami, how could you even think that?”

Another pause. Asami set the folded pants down, then leaned forward against the desk, head held in her hands. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply. “You remember back when the Red Lotus had Kuvira and I hostage, and Zaheer gave you a choice, me or her?”

“How could I forget that?” Korra muttered, She brought a hand up to her chest. Her heart hurt, she thought—lingering effects from her injury, maybe. “It's the last memory I have before waking up in Zaofu.”

“Yeah, well... You couldn't choose.” Asami hesitated, pressing her hands against her face. “This is... going to sound awful for me to say, because I know you could never make a choice like that, no matter who it was between, but... You want to know what I thought at the time? It was only for a second, but I thought... how is this not an easy decision? Am I really not worth more to you than the woman who murdered my father? Who killed innocent people, and destroyed so many lives? Does Korra really think that little of me? Or... does she really feel that strongly about Kuvira?”

Korra's mouth hung open at the statement, and her heart thumped with another twinge of pain. “Asami, how could you even...?”

“I _know_ , I told you, it sounds horrible. I know that's not the reason you couldn't choose, and expecting otherwise is selfish and unreasonable... but it still crossed my mind. I'm not _proud_ of it.”

“Then why even mention it?”

“I don't know.” Asami dropped her hands, leaning against the desk. Her face drooped with a frown—sad, distant. “I just... I think maybe because it has to do with how I've been feeling lately. As hard as I try to get along with Kuvira... to _forgive_ her for everything... every time I get close, something new happens and just makes things worse. Like this... It _hurts._ Every time, it hurts more. And it just _keeps_ hurting.”

“Asami...” Korra reached out to hold a hand to her girlfriend's shoulder, but Asami shrugged away. “I'm sorry... you know I don't want to hurt you.”

“And yet it keeps _happening._ I've already been hurt so much, and I don't know how much more I can...” Asami bowed her head lower, pressing her fingers against her eyes. They almost hid her tears. “Korra, if we weren't together when Kuvira confessed her feelings to you... would you be with her?”

At this, Korra shrank back with a frown. “That is _not_ a fair question...”

“Please... just answer it.”

“I... I don't know, okay? How am I supposed to even answer that?” She ran her fingers back through her hair, eyes squinted shut. A stronger shudder of pain flickered through her heart, and she couldn't tell if it was from her emotion or from her injury. “Things would have been different, I don't know how I would have felt then. I mean, _maybe,_ I guess, or... _I don't know!_ Okay? I'm not sure what you want me to say here.”

“You don't need to say anything else, Korra...” Asami turned away, and started setting her folded clothes into her travel bag. “But I think some time apart is for the best.”

“What... what are you trying to say?”

“I'm saying... I think we both need to figure out what we really want,” she said. When she finished packing her clothes, she zipped up her bag and stood up. She glanced towards Korra with a solemn frown. A wet streak glistened on her cheek. “I think we need a break.”

“ _What_?” Korra's heart lurched harder, and this time it buckled her legs. She stumbled against the desk, barely able to hold herself upright. "But- Asami, _no._ Please... you don't _mean_ that.”

“Good luck on your mission, Korra.” Asami took a step closer and leaned forward to kiss her—a brief, gentle kiss, to her cheek. Then, she hoisted the bag into her grasp and headed for the door. “Whenever you come back to Republic City... I'll see you then.”

“Asami!” Korra tried to chase after her, but she stumbled. Her legs went like jelly, and she landed hard on her knees. “Don't... _please_ , Asami! Don't just walk away from me!”

By the time she managed to pull herself back up to her feet, though, Asami was gone. Korra stared at the empty doorway a long time, eyes wide with confusion and panic. Her gut twisted harder, and churned with nausea. Then, her heart twinged again.

She pressed her hand tightly against her chest and fell back to her knees, head bowed. Tears brimmed in her eyes, a sob hiccuped from her throat... She couldn't stop herself, as she broke down in a fit of crying. She didn't _want_ to stop herself. She only wanted to lie there, and be alone.

No, not true—she wanted someone to comfort her. She wanted _Asami_ to comfort her... but Asami wasn't there. There was no one.

She _was_ alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so THAT breakup scene was much harder to write than the last one. Because this one wasn't mutual... and there was some bitterness there. And I mean, I ship Korrasami a lot, too. But... with the way this story was going and the things that happened, this makes sense for right now, I think. There's still no telling where it'll go in the future, but Korra and Asami both have some things they need to work through.


	43. Conflictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and his daughter, former Fire Lord Izumi, resign to a less than desirable plan to deal with Azula. Meanwhile, Kuvira attempts to console Korra over her recent breakup with Asami.

Izumi uttered a quiet groan, as consciousness came back to her. She flickered her eyes open, but everything was dark, blurry. A hot, dull pain throbbed across half her face and down along her right arm, and her breaths wheezed from her throat—raspy, dry.

“ _Unngh..."_ she grumbled, trying to sit up. The moment she did, everything went dizzy, forcing her to fall flat against her pillow. She blinked a couple times. Her vision became clearer now, and she could just make out a familiar face leaning into view. "Father?”

“Shh, Izumi..." Zuko leaned closer, and reached out to hold her left hand, the one that didn't throb with lingering pain. “Just take it easy.”

She squeezed her father's hand in return, out of instinct. It brought her comfort. “Where am I? What happened?”

“You're in the hospital," he said. "I took you here, after...”

“After I lost the Agni Kai..." Izumi huffed out a sigh, turning her head away. Now she remembered. She blinked again, and this time she noticed something that gave her pause—a darkness, spread across half her vision. "Wait... why I can't I see out of my right eye?”

“It's just the bandages, don't worry. The doctors haven't removed them yet." Zuko hesitated, with a gentle sigh. He squeezed his daughter's hand tighter. "You were badly burned during your fight. The right side of your face, and your arm... There will be scars.”

A lump knotted in her throat. "Were you able to stop her, Father? That girl... Did you arrest her, or... Anything?"

Zuko could only shake his head, gaze bowing away. "No... I had to get you treatment. I couldn't think about that until I was sure you were safe."

Izumi kept her own gaze pointed at the wall. She stared blankly at it, as a sinking regret burned in her gut. “I lost, Father... I lost the throne. I let the Fire Nation fall into the hands of some spoiled brat who will undoubtedly run it into the ground. I know how long our family has ruled this land... and I lost it. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry, Izumi. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later... these things always do." Zuko paused, lips pressing together. He lifted a hand to stroke his beard. "Besides, it is... technically still in our family."

Izumi rolled her head over on the pillow to look at him. Her eyes narrowed, eyebrows pushing together. “What do you mean?”

“Do you remember when I told you about your Aunt Azula, who we lost long before you were born?”

“Yes...” Izumi raised an eyebrow, uncertain where her father was going with this. “She's believed to have died in the Forgetful Valley. Or ran away and never came back. But what does she have to do with this?”

“Well..." Zuko inhaled deep, then slowly eased the breath out his nose. "We've finally found her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean that girl you fought, the new Fire Lord... is my sister. She _is_ Azula.”

“What?” Izumi sat upright now, propping herself up on her elbows. A wave of pain jolted through her right arm, but she ignored it. “That's not... How can that be possible? She's just a _girl._ If she were your sister, she'd be nearly the same age as you.”

“I have no idea how, and quite frankly it concerns me,” Zuko said. “Whatever the reason, I greatly doubt it's anything good.”

“Are you _sure_ it's her? You're not just... remembering incorrectly? It _has_ been over eighty years since you've seen your sister.”

At this question, Zuko's expression hardened. “Oh no, I'm quite certain it's her. From her face, to the sound of her voice, the way she speaks, all the way to her blue fire. It's definitely Azula... an Azula who hasn't aged a day.”

Izumi blinked, turning her gaze downward towards the bedsheets. “So then, that _teenage_ girl... is my aunt.”

“Technically speaking, yes.”

“And she put me in here...” Izumi glanced at her bandaged arm, and then focused on the darkened half of her vision. “I think I rather preferred not having an aunt.”

Zuko sighed. “I know. Azula was never the most...personable individual. Actually, she never much cared for anyone. There is something different about her, though... She could have killed you, but she didn't. She could have imprisoned me—and she'd have every reason to want to—but she didn't. She could have done any number of cruel things since coming here, and yet she's been rather... reserved, for the most part.”

“You call putting me in the hospital and usurping the Fire Nation throne 'reserved'?”

“For her?” Zuko said, quirking an eyebrow. “Yes, very. Considering how she went about things, we should count ourselves lucky. I don't know what her motives are, though. For all we know she could be playing nice with us as a ruse to get on our good side. Spirits know she never got along with her family before.”

Izumi thought a moment, pressing her left hand against her chin. “From the stories I've heard about her, she's not the kind of person we'd want running the Fire Nation.”

“No, she isn't. I'll agree with you there.”

“Then we should do something.” Izumi sharpened her gaze at her father. “Challenge her, or take her out of the picture, or... something. She _can't_ be allowed to rule. We've worked too hard to make the Fire Nation liked and respected again to have her undo it all with some mad scheme.”

“I wish we could, but...” Zuko closed his eyes. A defeated sigh hissed from his throat. "She wasn't lying when she said she beat you fair and square. An Agni Kai for the throne... that was the condition of your fight. You filled out the form and stamped it, Lee witnessed it, and now people already know. As much as I don't like it, that is the law. Doing something against her now would be treasonous.”

Izumi clenched her jaw shut tight and turned away. She knew her father was right, of course, but that didn't make it any easier to bear.

Zuko stroked his beard again, and gave his daughter a thoughtful look. “What compelled you to accept her challenge, anyway? A strange girl comes barging into the palace and challenges you for the title of Fire Lord... and you give her that chance?”

“I _had_ to accept,” she retorted, glancing back at him. “It was _your_ law that requires the Fire Lord to automatically accept any Agni Kai challenge. That was one of the conditions when you banned them from regular practice.”

“Well, true, but you only have to accept if there are official witnesses to the challenge, and to be honest I doubt Lee would have made much of a fuss if you simply tried to apprehend her.”

Izumi sighed, head bowing. “I know, but she had already threatened my secretary. Facing Azula in an Agni Kai was the only way to save Yira's life, and I was _certain_ I could beat her. I never imagined she'd be so powerful.”

Zuko hummed out a soft breath. “Azula always was a prodigy, and probably the most skilled firebender of her time. She defeated me more times than I can count.”

“Her firebending, though... I've never seen anything like it.”

“Yes, it is unique,” he said. “To this day, she's the only firebender to ever produce blue flames.”

“Not just the color, though.” Izumi's expression darkened, as she recalled her fight with Azula. She could still feel the heat of those flames, still feel the searing pain as they scorched her body, and still feel her awe at their sheer power. “Father, if you'd seen them... How _large_ they were. How _hot_... It was like fighting ten master firebenders at once. I couldn't even bend any of the flames she threw at me.”

Zuko lowered his brow. “That... sounds like it could be new. And it's disconcerting, to say the least.”

“So, what do we do now, then?”

“Right now, you need to rest and recover,” he said. “I have some of the finest doctors and healers in the Fire Nation working on you. You should be better in a matter of days, which is good, since you'll definitely be needing your strength... Azula's coronation ceremony will be at the end of the week, and apparently she expects us to be there.”

“And then what?” Izumi asked, with an earnest stare. “We can't just sit back and watch the Fire Nation fall into chaos under the leadership of a madwoman.”

Zuko held a hand to his chin. “It's true, Azula is not someone I'd want in charge of a nation. Fortunately, though, she'll have something to help prevent her from ruining things.”

“And what would that be?”

“ _Us,”_ he insisted. “It seems as though Azula is intent on working with us, and as long as that remains true, then I think we should. While we may not be able to do anything about her directly, we can at least make sure she doesn't destroy the Fire Nation with reckless abandon. If that means working with her... then we'll have to deal with it. At least until we figure out something else.”

Izumi bowed her head, and eased out a heavy sigh. “I understand. But don't expect me to like her.”

“Oh, I would never expect that. Azula is hardly the most... likable person.” Zuko sat back against his seat and trailed his fingers along his beard. His gaze went unfocused, as he thought back to years past. “Back before she disappeared, I made her a promise that I would never give up on her. I thought I saw the beginnings of change in her, something _good_ breaking through that vicious exterior of hers. I'm sure that change is still in there somewhere... I just have to keep my promise.”

“I wouldn't count on it, Father.”

“No, I know,” he said, with a gentle shake of his head. “I wouldn't, either. Still... an old man can hope.”

* * *

Toph hummed out a contemplative breath, as she ran her fingers along the platinum brick. She concentrated, felt the slightest vibrations running through the metal. The mental image she had of it was clear, firm, and yet still, she could not find a way to make it bend.

"Hmm...show me again," she muttered.

Kuvira held a hand several inches above the brick. She closed her eyes, breathed in deep, and then fought to gain that connection to the platinum. It came slowly, difficult, but soon the solid chunk of unbendable metal cracked and caved inward on itself.

"Remarkable," Toph said, feeling the cracks along the surface.

"Bending platinum isn't like bending other metals," Kuvira said. She spread her fingers outward, and the brick repaired itself. "Even though the metal is pure, the process is...rougher, not as refined. Just getting a hold on it is difficult, let alone making it do what you want. I'm still new at it myself, but with enough practice I might be able to incorporate it into my fighting style. Imagine going up against another metalbender while using platinum."

Toph held the brick in her hand, studying it. "Impressive. You have some real talent to have figured this out. _I_ can't even get it... But then, I am an old woman."

"So...do I still give metalbenders a bad name?"

The old earthbender laughed, then set the brick back down on the table. "I'd say you've redeemed yourself enough by now, wouldn't you? You're a fantastic metalbender, and fast growing into an even better person."

Kuvira smiled, not that Toph could see it. "Thank you...coming from you, that's an honor."

"Don't mention it," Toph said. She tilted her head back and yawned, arms stretching out. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a nap."

The old woman gave a wave, then headed up to her usual spot on the upper deck of the airship. They had left Zaofu yesterday, and were now well on their way to the Northern Water Tribe. By airship, it would take approximately four days to reach their destination, which meant they had plenty of time to prepare themselves for when they arrived. They could use that time to rest, plan, recover, and train.

Yula in particular had been doing plenty of the latter. Aside from eating and sleeping, she had spent all her time on the viewing deck practicing her firebending. Kuvira had been trying to teach Toph how to bend platinum, but so far the attempts had been fruitless—there was a reason it was thought to be unbendable. Anraq had spent much of his time sleeping, to fully recover from his injuries. Bumi, on the other hand, had been put in charge of piloting the airship, since Asami had gone back to Republic City. The others had been reluctant to let him fly at first, but he _did_ have an airship pilot's license from his time in the United Forces, even if there was no telling when he'd last had it renewed. He hadn't crashed yet, at least.

As for Korra...

Kuvira looked around the atrium, scrunching her eyebrows together. Where _was_ Korra? Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen her since they took off yesterday morning.

"Hey, Toph," she called, glancing up at the balcony above her. "Can you tell me where Korra is?"

Toph's voice carried down from the upper deck. "Hmm...feels like she's up on the viewing deck."

"Oh, is she training with Yula?"

"No, Yula's down in her cabin, napping from what I can tell. Kind of like what _I'm_ trying to do."

"Uh, right, sorry," Kuvira said, as she headed towards the elevator. "You really need to help me improve my seismic sense sometime. It's still weaker than I'd like."

Toph chuckled. "Well, maybe if you ask nice, I'll consider it."

When the elevator arrived at the top, Kuvira stepped out onto the viewing deck and squinted her eyes. The night was dark, with a heavy overcast blocking out the stars and moon. Before her vision adjusted to darkness, all she saw were hard, heavy shadows, and the faint outline of the railing that lined the edge of the deck. She did feel a couple rain droplets against her face—the beginnings of a light drizzle—and a cold shiver ran down her spine. Several minutes later, she could finally see enough to chance making her way farther out on the deck. She kept a careful watch for any sign of Korra, but so far the Avatar was nowhere to be found.

"Korra?" she called. "Are you out here?"

A stupid question, she knew. Korra _had_ to be out here—Toph wouldn't have been wrong about something like that—but the question was, where exactly? The deck seemed empty.

Then, she heard it. At first, she wasn't sure what the sound was, but as she drew nearer, she recognized it—sobbing. Kuvira tilted her gaze towards one of the upper platforms, eyes squinted. There was Korra, sitting with her knees tucked up to her chest, and face buried against them. Kuvira hesitated a moment, just watching her, unsure if she should approach or not. After calming herself with a gentle breath, though, she marched up the stairs to the platform.

"Korra... Are you alright?" she asked.

No response, at first. It took a moment before Korra finally lifted her face and wiped her eyes clean. She ceased her sobbing with a few sniffles. "Yeah, I... I'm fine."

Kuvira frowned, then lowered herself to sit next to Korra. "You don't sound fine." Again, no reply. "I haven't even seen you since we left Zaofu... What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."

Korra closed her eyes, head hanging. "It's Asami. She... We broke up. That's why she went back to Republic City."

" _What_?" Kuvira's eyes flew open wide. "But... _why_?"

"Because of you."

"Because of... " Kuvira flinched, and turned away. A guilty knot twisted in her stomach. "Oh."

Korra rose a quick glance at her. "Oh, no, I didn't mean... I'm sorry, that didn't come out right. It's not your fault, it's just..." She sighed, bowing her head again. "We've had problems before, about my friendship with you. I thought we'd come to an understanding about it, but... I guess finding out about your feelings for me made things worse."

"I _told_ her you didn't feel the same way," Kuvira muttered. She dropped her face against her hand. "I told her I'd never do anything. I _wouldn't_..."

"I know," Korra said. "But I don't think it was you she had a problem believing. I should have told her about your feelings after you confessed, then maybe we could have actually worked through it. Instead I kept it a secret, and now Asami thinks it's because I'm hiding my own feelings for you."

Kuvira swallowed. "Which...is obviously ridiculous."

Korra went quiet a moment. When she did respond, she ignored the previous statement in favor of a different subject. "Asami's been hurt before in relationships. So, I get that she's afraid of being hurt again. I never _wanted_ to hurt her... But I still did. Multiple times. I guess...I just never realized how much. I kept telling myself everything was fine, that _we_ were fine..." She pressed her hands flat against her face again, posture sinking. "I should have listened to her more."

"Well... I'm sure this will pass," Kuvira assured, with a slow nod. "You and I... We're just friends. It's all we'll ever be. When this mission is over and you return to Asami, you can let her know that. _She's_ the one you want to be with."

A silent pause drifted between them. Korra stared down at the floor. Kuvira watched her, then turned her head away. The only sound was the wind, as it whipped across the viewing deck. That, and the gentle patter of water droplets. The drizzle had grown, turning into a steady rain.

"I'm sorry," Kuvira said, with a shameful shake of her head. She huffed out a heavy sigh, and then stood up. "I never meant to cause problems between you and Asami. I never meant to _hurt_ either of you. But I guess that's all I'll ever do—cause problems and hurt people, no matter how hard I try." She closed her eyes. The guilty knot in her gut tightened, churning around nauseously, as if to punish her. "I... I should go now." She turned to head back down the stairs; now was a good time to leave, before she made things worse.

"I think Asami might have been right."

Kuvira froze. Korra's voice sent a jolt though her chest, her mind clouded with surprise, uncertainty. She said nothing, but slowly turned to look back over her shoulder. Korra had done the same, and their eyes locked onto each other.

"I keep thinking about the things she said to me...” Korra explained. Her gaze softened, eyebrows furrowed. "I _don't_ act the same around you as I do with my other friends. We're closer than that... And I was never sure why. I never thought about it, never figured it meant anything... But what if I _was_ just trying to deny it to myself? What if there _are_ feelings there, and I just...never realized it before, because I tried so hard to convince myself there _couldn't_ be?"

"Korra, I..." Kuvira didn't know how to respond to that. What was she supposed to say? For Korra to feel that way about her... It would have been like a dream, and yet she never wanted that at the expense of Asami, or Korra's happiness. "What do _you_ think? I... I don't think I can tell you how you feel. That's something only you would know."

Korra held her head in her hands, fingers clawing at her hair. She groaned. " _I don't know._ The more I think about it, the more uncertain I am. Why does this have to be so _confusing_?" She buried her face against her knees again. "I'm the _Avatar_ , master of all the elements. I have all the power in the world but I can't even figure out my own damn emotions!"

Kuvira moved next to her. She stood there a moment, hesitating, until finally she knelt down and held a hand to Korra's shoulder. "Sometimes our emotions are...complicated. Mine have been nothing _but_ complicated lately. You just need to take some time to think about it, is all. You'll figure it out eventually."

A slow sigh huffed from Korra's lips. "Maybe... I guess."

"You still love Asami, right?"

"Of _course_ I do. So much..."

"Well, then that's one thing you're certain of, at least," Kuvira said, with a reassuring smile. "You see, it's not _all_ confusing."

Korra looked up again, glancing to Kuvira. "Yeah... But that doesn't help how she feels."

"She's just upset. She'll come around." Of course, Kuvira had no idea if that was accurate. It wasn't like her own relationship experience was any better—probably worse, in fact. Still, she had to reassure Korra somehow. "And if you need to talk or... anything, I'm here for you. Same as you've been there for me."

Korra finally smiled. It was subtle, barely a curl to her lips, but it was there nonetheless. Her own hand then joined Kuvira's on her shoulder, tightening a grip against the other woman's fingers. "Thanks. "

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fire Nation Family Turmoil! That should totally be the title of that particular storyline. It's difficult writing Izumi, though, considering how little we see of her in the actual series. She's only in one scene where she actually speaks, and it's a formal political meeting, so... really most of this is just personal interpretation, since there isn't much canon to go off of in regards to her actual character. As for Zuko, oh noble, honorable Zuko... he still hasn't given up on his sister. Let's see if that comes back to bite him later.
> 
> And there, you have your Korvira teases. What, you didn't think I was going to have them get together immediately after their breakups, did you? I'm not -that- impatient/obsessed with that ship. No, really. I swear. Honestly.


	44. Coronation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula is officially crowned Fire Lord. Meanwhile, Team Avatar learns some unfortunate news as they near the North Pole.

Coronation Plaza. The last time both Zuko and Azula had been present here was over eighty years ago, during their Agni Kai. Azula was supposed to have been crowned Fire Lord that day, but because of her brother's interference, she never got that chance. Now, however, there would be no interruptions. She would not have the title stolen from her today, like so long ago. After all, she was _already_ Fire Lord. This ceremony was merely a formality, to let the entire nation know of their new ruler. Among the massive crowd of onlookers gathered in the plaza were plenty of reporters. In this day and age, information spread far faster than it used to—radios, newspapers, telephones. Everyone in the Fire Nation would know of Fire Lord Azula by the end of the day.

Azula stood atop the steps in front of Coronation Temple, at the head of the plaza. To her left were her advisers and assistants. That included Lee, of course, who thus far had proven himself to be a useful servant. He feared her, she could tell, and there was no better motivation for working hard than fear. To her right were Zuko and Izumi. Her poor brother looked so fragile in his old age, with a slight hunch to his posture and a weak frame. As for her niece, well, Izumi appeared to be doing well, all things considered. She was conscious, at least, and her bandages had been removed. There was no hiding the burn scars, though—from her fingers down to her elbow on her right arm, and around her right eye. Azula had heard quite a few people comment on the former Fire Lord's new scars, so many of them wondering what had happened.

Oh, they would know soon enough.

Also present atop the steps, as well as lining the edge of the entire plaza, were Azula's new elite guardsmen. They had all formerly been Red Lotus members, but swaying them over to her side had been easy—not all of Zaheer's followers were so eager to throw away their lives for his cause. In the plaza itself was the crowd. Hundreds—no, thousands—of people had gathered, packing the long open space full. While reporters had been given permission to stand at the front of the crowd, the remainder of the onlookers were ordinary citizens. The wealthier ones of course were closer to the front, with the poorer ones stuck at the very back. It didn't matter, though. Everyone would be able to watch the coronation up close at a later time. Azula had hired several different mover companies to record the event, and she would make certain is was available to watch in theaters. All of the Fire Nation deserved to witness this moment, after all.

Azula waited patiently, as Head Fire Sage Shao stood in front of a podium and greeted the crowd.

“Citizens of the Fire Nation,” he said, voice booming over the speakers that lined the edge of the plaza. Such a wonderful invention, the microphone. Even the people in back of the crowd could hear him. “We have gathered here today for a momentous occasion. For the past fifteen years, our nation has been led by Fire Lord Izumi, daughter of Lord Zuko, the Fire Lord before her.” Shao gestured towards the two former Fire Lords—both Zuko and Izumi stood rigid, and stolid, showing no reaction as the crowd clapped for them. “Now, however, we crown a new Fire Lord: Azula, daughter of past Fire Lord Ozai, and sister to Lord Zuko.”

A smirk curled its way onto Azula's face, as she listened to the surprised murmurs ripple throughout the crowd. She knew what they were thinking—how could she be Zuko's sister, when she looked like she did? Oh, those poor hapless fools. They concerned themselves with things that didn't matter.

“Four days ago, Azula challenged the then-current Fire Lord Izumi to an official Agni Kai, on the condition that the victor would take the throne,” explained Fire Sage Shao. “It was Azula that emerged victorious, and by our law she is the new Fire Lord. Today, we crown her.”

The cameras tilted towards Izumi, and again Azua smirked. They were no doubt getting a close-up on the woman's burns. Another wave of surprised chatter washed over the crowd. Some pointed at Izumi, now realizing where the scars had come from. Others focused on Azula, trying to get a better look at their new Fire Lord.

“Azula, if you would please come forward.”

She waited a moment, looking out into the crowd at the faces of her subjects. She saw such a mix of emotions—confusion, surprise, awe, even anger. No one appeared to be happy, though. That would change, in time, she knew. After all, no one could be expected to be overjoyed at a stranger suddenly becoming their new ruler. Once they learned just how capable she was, though, oh they would _worship_ her.

Azula finally stepped forward, keeping her arms tucked within the ceremonial Fire Lord robes. It felt good to be dressed in royal attire again—it had been too long. Kneeling down, she waited for Fire Sage Shao to move behind her with the crown. She kept her head straight, eyes closed, as he lowered the Fire Lord crown into her hair, and when it set firmly into place she grinned. Finally, at long last, she was _officially_ the Fire Lord. No betrayals, no interruptions by Zuko or that Water Tribe peasant, Katara, nothing to stop her.

Shao moved back to the podium so he could speak into the microphone. “Lord Azula, please rise. People of the Fire Nation, I give you your new Fire Lord!”

Azula straightened herself, holding her grin as she gazed out into the crowd again. A wave of applause rippled through the mass of people, though it was weak and not very enthusiastic. She understood, of course. They needed time to adjust, to get used to their new ruler. They would; she'd make sure of it. As the applause faded, she ushered Shao out from behind the podium and stepped behind it herself.

“People of the Fire Nation,” she said, leaning close to the microphone. “I know what you're thinking. A couple things, actually. You're wondering how I could possibly be Lord Zuko's sister, for one. Don't let my appearance fool you. I assure you, in spite of my young appearance, I did grow up with my dear, sweet Zuzu. I know quite a few embarrassing stories about him, in fact. Like the time he accidentally tackled his future girlfriend into the palace fountain when trying to put out a burning apple. You do know you could have just thrown the apple in the water, right, Zuzu? You didn't need to throw the whole girl.”

A handful of the onlookers chuckled. Most of them, though, continued staring with uncertainty, unsure what exactly to think of her. Azula glanced over at Zuko just in time to see him frown and roll his eyes. She smirked at him.

“But enough about my brother,” she said, turning her attention back to the crowd. “I know that many of you must also be concerned with someone you've probably never heard of before becoming your new Fire Lord. Let me be clear that your worries are unfounded. I will be the _greatest_ ruler the Fire Nation has ever had, and I _will_ restore us to our former glory. The world has lost respect for us, you see. They think we've become weak, and complacent. I intend to show them otherwise.”

A rumble of conversation began to surge through the crowd. Her words had gotten their attention, if nothing else. Good.

“Right now, the rest of the world is descending into chaos at the hands of a terrorist group called the Red Lotus,” she continued. “But not the Fire Nation. We stand _strong._ The other nations, though, are on the verge of collapse. _They_ are the weak ones.”

The murmurs grew louder, more intense. At this stage, there wasn't a person who hadn't heard about Zaheer and the renewed threat of the Red Lotus. News about the fall of Zaofu, the Earth Republic, and Republic City, had already fast spread across the world. As far as the people feared, it was only a matter of time before the remaining nations fell, as well.

“The other world leaders were content in sitting back and waiting, hoping that the Red Lotus problem would go away. That's what led to their downfall. I intend to do things a little differently. I will show the world just how mighty the Fire Nation is when we weed out and _exterminate_ this Red Lotus threat ourselves.”

And now the crowd grew thunderous. She heard a steady mix of surprise and excitement amongst the people—just as she had anticipated. They all hated the Red Lotus, as well they should. Knowing that their new Fire Lord would do everything in her power to stop Zaheer's madness put their minds at ease. It intrigued them, made them feel safe. They were so _easy_ to appease. All it took was a little assurance to get them on her side.

“As your Fire Lord, I'm not going to sit around and wait. I will personally be leading the mission to bring down Zaheer and stamp out the Red Lotus from existence, so that the Fire Nation can rest easy knowing they are safe from the chaos that has consumed the rest of the world. While the other nations are in turmoil, we will remain unbroken. We will be _great_. We are the Fire Nation, and _nothing_ , certainly not a cowardly terrorist group, can stand against us!”

And then, there came the cheers. It took so little to sway them, to make them see her not as a stranger, but as their leader. As their _Fire Lord_. She grinned, and stepped away from the podium. They were in the palm of her hand now.

* * *

Azula hummed pleasantly, as she held her head back over the wash basin. A team of servants—well, technically they were _stylists_ , but they were still serving her, so servants they also were—worked diligently to pamper her. One servant washed and conditioned her hair with the finest shampoos the royal palace had to offer—it smelled of lavender, her favorite—while another filed her fingernails, and a third worked on her feet. It had been so long since she had been treated like this—like royalty, like she _deserved_. She had almost forgotten what it felt like.

The door to the washroom burst open. She sighed, already knowing who that had to be. When she tilted her head up from the basin to see, her suspicions were only confirmed. “Zuzu, 'Zumi, you can't just barge into my room like this when I'm being pampered. It ruins the atmosphere.”

Zuko stepped up in front of her seat and crossed his arms, staring at her. “What kind of game are you playing, Azula?”

She flashed him an innocent smile. “Why, whatever do you mean, Zuzu?”

“I mean your plan to go after the Red Lotus.”

“Oh, you're imagining things,” she replied, with a flippant wave of her hand. The servant that had been working on her hands immediately pulled the file back to avoid messing up her nails. Only when Azula returned her hand did the servant continue working. “This isn't a game at all. The Red Lotus is a terrible threat to the world that needs to be eliminated.”

Izumi's eyes narrowed into a glare behind her glasses. “A threat that _you_ were a part of.”

“But not anymore, remember?” Azula held her smile, then let her head fall back again so the other servant could continue washing her hair. “Besides, I never really believed in their goals. I only needed them to get to where I am now. Plus, I have the insider information on them needed to take them out. I know where all their hideouts are, how many members they have... There's no one better suited in getting rid of them than me.”

“So you become Fire Lord, and your first act is to leave the nation to hunt down the Red Lotus?” Izumi questioned. “I would think it would make more sense for you to remain here and actually rule.”

“Oh, but I _am_ ruling. Just in a different way than you're used to,” she insisted. “I can't just sit around and wait for Zaheer to come to us. That's how the other nations fell. We're _not_ the other nations. Actually, 'Zumi, you could learn from this. After all, if you hadn't sat back like a passive louse five years ago, that whole Kuvira situation might not have gone so poorly.”

Izumi's glare hardened. “And how would you know anything about that?”

“Please, just because I've been...absent in past years doesn't mean I haven't kept up with current events. My point remains, I have to be proactive.” She glanced up again, shifting her gaze between her brother and niece. “Besides, I have you two, don't I? You can run things while I'm away, if you're that concerned. You do have the experience required, after all. Zuzu, you can be my personal adviser, and 'Zumi... well, we'll think of an official title for you later. Of course, I'll have to leave behind my personal guard here to oversee things, and make sure you don't do anything... unfavorable.”

Zuko gently pushed his eyebrows together, trying to get a read on her. “What are your motives, Azula? It's not like you to go after the Red Lotus simply out of the goodness of wanting to protect the world.”

Azula smirked. “It's called _leverage_ , Zuzu. Think about it. When the Fire Nation eliminates the Red Lotus and helps restore order to the fallen nations, who do you think they'll be indebted to? _Us_. We can use that to our advantage later.”

“So... you're trying to manipulate the world into owing you a favor?”

“Something like that. It's all about gaining support. The people here are already starting to love me, and I haven't even done anything yet. How do you think the other people of the world will feel when we've helped restore their lives?” She turned her smirk from Zuko to Izumi, and then finally lowered her head back into the wash basin. “You'll see. Both of you.”

Izumi breathed in deep, not saying anything at first. Azula could tell by the hesitation that she was fighting back less than pleasant thoughts. “And when exactly do you intend to leave?”

“As soon as possible,” she said. “I'll need to travel light, though, if I'm to make it to the North Pole before the Red Lotus strikes—that's where they were headed next, you see. I'll require the Fire Nation's fastest vessel.”

“That would be the Dragon's Wing,” Zuko stated. “It's the fastest airship on the entire planet.”

“Hmm, and is it luxurious, as well? I can't be traveling like a peasant, you understand.”

Zuko eased out a quiet breath of annoyance. He couldn't hide it from her, though—she knew she was getting on his nerves, and it only amused her more. “Considering it's been used as the Fire Lord's personal transport vessel... yes, it's quite extravagant. It should suit your tastes just fine.

Azula smiled. “Good, then have it prepared immediately.”

“One thing, first.” Zuko crossed his arms over his chest, and gave a stern look. “I'd like to come with you. Izumi can remain here and run things while we're gone.”

At this, her smile spread delightedly across her face. She laughed, then brought her hands together in a single clap. “Oh, Zuzu, you want to spend time with your dear sister? I'm _flattered._ Hmm... very well. It'll give us a chance to catch up after all these years. I'm very curious to know how your life has gone. Who _is_ Izumi's mother, for example? Did things work out with Mai?”

Zuko glared at her, saying nothing at first. He merely grumbled quietly under his breath. A moment later, he finally turned to leave the room, with Izumi following in tow. “...I'll prepare the Dragon's Wing. I suggest you pack.”

* * *

Yula ducked beneath a barrage of incoming metal strips. A second flurry followed, and she spun away. The strips missed her by mere inches, but she was always that split second ahead. She didn't falter or hesitate; she was fluid, graceful. As close as the strips came to her, she never was in any danger of being hit. A third volley flicked like lightning through the air, and this time she swatted each one away with a burst of fire from her hands. Her actions were swift, rapid, and reflexive, without pause. When the assault finally ceased, Yula stood there untouched, with dozens of metal strips littering the deck around her. She huffed, exhausted from the exercise, but managed a triumphant grin.

"I did it!" she exclaimed, bringing her fists up with excitement. "Did you see that? I was _awesome_!"

Kuvira smiled, then called the metal strips back to reset in place on her armguards. "Yes, I did. Your reflexes have improved immensely."

Yula ran over and pulled Kuvira in for a brief hug, before letting go and taking a step back. "And I have you to thank. You've been working me so hard...but it's really paid off. So, thanks."

"It's been my pleasure," Kuvira replied, with a gentle nod. "You've come a long way in a short time since we left Ba Sing Se."

Yula's smile softened, and a light blush came to her cheeks. "Heh, thanks. _Again._ Since...I already said that." She laughed awkwardly, brushing back her bangs to the side.

"Hey, guys!" A new voice called to them, from the other end of the viewing deck. Korra made her way from the elevator, waving to them. "Alright if join you?"

"Oh, yes of course!" Yula replied, with a firm nod. "It's good to see you. I...haven't noticed you around the airship the past few days."

Korra eased out a soft sigh. "Yeah, sorry about that... I've just been dealing with some things."

"It's fine, really." Yula nodded again, and gave a reassuring smile. "You're still recovering, so you need your rest."

"Well, I feel much better now," Korra said. "So, I hope you don't mind of I ask you to train? I know you've been wanting more lessons."

Yula's eyes brightened. " _Yes_! I mean... That would be lovely, thank you. But, instead of normal lessons...could we maybe spar? Just with firebending, of course. I feel like I really need to apply what I've learned to an actual fight."

"Oh, well..." Korra paused, pointing a questioning gaze to Kuvira.

"She can take it," Kuvira said, with a simple nod. Then, she headed off to the side, getting out of the way. "I'll give you two some space."

With a shrug, Korra backed up a few paces and then took a firebending pose. "Well, alright then. You want a spar, you got a spar."

"Okay." Yula took her own stance, and flashed a confident grin. "And don't go easy on me."

Yula started things, rushing in with a quick series of hard strikes. Each blow released a strong jet of flames, fueled by her control and passion—not by her anger, or sadness. It had taken a lot of practice to harness her positive emotions into her bending, rather than the negative ones. Since her mother and sister died, she had poured all of that grief and rage she felt towards Aoi into her attacks; it made her flames powerful, but wild, uncontrolled. With a little urging by Kuvira over the past few days, however, she was able to fuel her bending with happier thoughts. She remembered the good things about her family, not the tragedy that had ended them. She also though of her father, about how close to him she felt whenever she performed her firebending, even though he, too, was gone.

Although Korra was able to perfectly defend herself against the assault, Yula didn't let up. She came in harder, faster, giving everything she had—a volley of punches, a sweeping kick, a spin. She didn't just go through the forms that Korra had taught her; she made her own forms, reacted to Korra's defense, and improvised whenever she thought she saw an opening. Even though she failed to land a blow, she forced Korra to actually work to defend herself.

After Yula's initial attack series, however, Korra shifted into offense. She blocked a quick strike and then countered with a jumping kick, trailing a wave of flames behind her heel. Yula leaned back and pushed the kick away, bending the flames with it. Korra spun into another kick, followed with a series of sharp punches. Now ,Yula worked the defensive. She blocked and ducked, and bended away the flames that she could. For a while, she actually did rather well, able to match the Avatar step for step. Eventually, though, one of Korra's kicks faltered her stance, and she became ungrounded. Another kick sent her tumbling backwards.

" _Oof._.." Yula muttered, as she sat upright with a hand held to her head. "Guess you got me."

"Ha, yeah, but...you did really...really well." Korra smiled, but heaved in deep breaths, as if exhausted. Sweat poured from her forehead, down over her brow. "I think...you're really com...coming al—" A sudden grunt of pain surged from her throat. She fell to her knees, grabbing at her chest tightly with both hands.

" _Korra!"_ Kuvira was at her side in an instant. She offered support, wrapping an arm around the other woman's shoulders. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

"It's my...I think— _anggh_!" She lurched forward, shouting. Her voice carried a deep, unbearable agony in its tone. "It's my _heart._ It...oh spirits, it _hurts_!"

"Oh no, oh no..." Yula gasped, holding her hands over her mouth. She watched, wide-eyed in panic. "What do we do? Is she going to be okay?"

Kuvira lifted Korra up into her arms and held her close. Then, she took off towards the elevator. "We have to get her to Anraq! She needs a healer!"

* * *

Kuvira kicked in the metal door to the cabin so hard that it bended inward with a massive dent. She ran inside with Korra clutched tightly in her arms, and Yula trailing behind her. "Anraq!"

The waterbender jumped, startled at the sudden intrusion. He had been in the middle of changing his shirt, and so was caught off guard with his arms stuck up above his head, which was poking partway through the fabric.

"Wha—Kuvira, _privacy!"_ He stumbled back against the bed, struggling to fit the shirt over his head. "What in spirits name is so— _oh._ " Now that he had his shirt on properly, he noticed Korra. She shuddered in Kuvira's arms, still clutching at her heart. "Get her on the bed, quickly."

Kuvira hurried forward and set Korra down on the bed, then backed off so Anraq could examine her.

“What happened?” he asked, as he bended the water out of his flask.

“We were sparring,” Yula said, wringing her hands together as she watched. “Then, after a while she got really exhausted and collapsed. She says her heart hurts.”

Anraq concentrated, guiding a glowing glob of water along Korra's body. He stopped it at the center of her chest. “Definitely her heart, from what I can tell. It seems... weak.”

“Could it be a result of the lightning?” Kuvira asked.

“I don't see what else it would be,” he replied. “You did say that the bolt hit her directly in the heart.”

Kuvira turned a worried gaze towards Korra. “Will she be alright?”

Anraq huffed out a slow breath, head shaking. “Hard to say. I should be able to keep her stable until we get to the Northern Water Tribe—we're almost there, as it is. Once we're there, I can see if we can get her some more Spirit Water. Hopefully that will help...”

“What do you mean, _hopefully?”_

“Spirit Water isn't magic, Kuvira. It has its limits. It works wonders on fresh injuries, but something like this? It could be like trying to heal an old scar—it doesn't work that way. If the lightning naturally weakened her heart... I don't know if we can restore it.”

A coarse, pained laugh burst from Korra's mouth. “Heh, figures... Just one thing after... another with me, isn't it?”

“Shh, don't talk,” Kuvira said. She sat at the bedside and held Korra's hand—gently, warmly. “You're going to be fine. I promise.”

“Well... here's ho— _gaahh_!” Korra shuddered again, back arching. Another pained cough groaned out past her lips. “... _hoping_.”

Kuvira swallowed, throat knotting. She gave her hand a stronger squeeze; it was as much for her own comfort as for Korra's.

 _She_ _ **has**_ _to be fine. Spirits,_ _ **please**_ _, she has to be fine_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever write something and you're just so damn happy with how it turns out? Everything just comes together perfectly and you love how you wrote it? That was this chapter for me. I looooved writing Azula's coronation and the followup scene, especially since it's from her point of view. It made for a very enjoyable writing experience.
> 
> I wonder, though, if anyone guessed she'd be going after Zaheer... Oh the entertaining interactions that will bring.
> 
> On the other end, poor Korra... it seems Azula's lightning has some lingering after effects. Why must I put characters through so much? Especially Korra, who's been through enough already in her life...


	45. Beneath the Spirit Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar arrives at the North Pole and meets with the twin chiefs, Eska and Desna, to discuss the imminent Red Lotus threat.

Yuruk gazed out the mouth of the cave, high atop a ledge on one of the ice cliffs next to the city. He watched the people down below, even if he couldn't discern much from his vantage point; they were like ants to him, all the way up here. Still, it gave him something to do while they waited.

“So how much longer exactly do we have to wait?" he asked, without looking away from the city. "We've already been here four days.”

“We wait as long as we need to," Zaheer said. He sat some distance behind Yuruk, farther in the cave. "An opportunity should present itself soon.”

Yuruk frowned. “That's what you said yesterday. And the day before that. Fact is, our members only have so much supplies on board their ship. They're not going to last much longer anchored off shore waiting for us to come get them. We need to hurry things along, and so far the new guy hasn't been much help."

The 'new guy' glared at him. “Hey, I did my part. I got you into the city, didn't I? Plus, I already took out the United Republic president. You're _welcome_.” He pulled his coat tighter around the Republic City Police armor he wore. The police chief badge pinned to his chestplate glinted in the light, just visible beneath the fur-lined fabric."

“Says you," Yuruk muttered, returning a glare of his own.

Zaheer sat straighter, breathing calmly. “Uhara is correct. He was tasked with getting us inside the city. It's up to all of us to determine a plan to sneak in the rest of the Red Lotus. That requires patience."

“It's not like I'm a Northern Water Tribe native and know the entire layout of the city or anything," Uhara said, with a lifted eyebrow. "Unlike _someone._..”

“Hey, I haven't been up here in years," Yuruk countered. "Things have changed, specifically guard routes and schedules. Even if we _did_ have that information, sneaking in an entire shipload of people isn't exactly simple." He huffed out a breath, then turned his gaze down towards the city's docks. "I mean, the easiest way would be to actually bring the ship into port... but unless we can acquire fake shipping documents, that's not going to happen. Even then, we'd have to hope they didn't search the vessel as part of a random inspection.”

Zaheer held a hand to his chin, thinking. “Where would these shipping documents be kept?”

Yuruk shrugged. “I don't know, probably in one of the port offices. If we could forge one, then we could get the guards at the checkpoint to let our ship through the main city gate. We'd have to time it right, though, and get there after-hours. Otherwise they'll want to unload our cargo once we arrive. And since we don't have any cargo, well... That would be a bit problematic. If we were forced to wait until morning for our 'cargo' to be unloaded, however, then we could take the night to get our members off the ship and hidden in the city.”

Uhara scoffed, leaning back with his arms folded. “Right, and just how likely would that plan be to work?”

“Honestly? It's a long shot, at best. Plus, if we're caught, then chances are we're pretty much screwed.”

“It's worth looking into," Zaheer said. "We don't have many options as it is. Since you know the city best, I'll have you attempt to acquire those documents tonight. If you succeed, we can work on getting our ship into port.”

“Fine," Yuruk muttered. "Better than nothing, anyway.”

“Take Uhara with you, too. I feel like you both could stand to become better acquainted.”

Yuruk groaned. _“Seriously?”_

Uhara shot him a disapproving glare. “You're the boss...”

On the other side of the cave entrance, Avan, who had up until now remained silent, stood up and strained his eyes at something in the sky. He stared a while, then pointed. “Zaheer... does that airship look familiar to you?”

Zaheer moved next to him, following Avan's pointing with his eyes. Coming into view above the city's outer walls was a massive airship—one with a Future Industries logo emblazoned on the side. “Hmm... it would appear the Avatar's team has figured out we're here.”

“Minus the actual Avatar," Avan said. "Too bad for them. They couldn't stop us _with_ the Avatar, don't know how they expect to stop us without her.”

“Still, they could cause problems if we ignore them," Zaheer said. "We'll have to make a point to deal with them sometime, before we go after the chieftains.”

Avan exhaled, frowning. “In the meantime, we're just going to be sitting here in the cold, aren't we?" When Zaheer answered him with nothing but a calm stare, he grumbled, then shifted his gaze downward. "Great...”

* * *

The Northern Water Tribe Palace towered high at the very top of the raised city tiers. Its walls were crafted from the same smooth, shiny ice as the rest of the city, emanating a brilliant gleam in the sunlight. A large arcing staircase led up to the entrance, marked on each side by a tall, ornate pillar. Beneath the stairs, as well as spread out all around the palace, was a large pool of water, fed by artificially crafted waterfalls.

“Wow..." Yula gazed up at the waterfalls, mouth hanging partially open in awe. "It's beautiful.”

Kuvira nodded, her eyes wide as she took in the peaceful, serene atmosphere. “Certainly unlike anything back home...”

“Welcome to the Northern Water Tribe, ladies and gentlemen," Anraq said, with a grin. He moved ahead of them on the staircase and gestured his arms up at the palace. "First time visitors, take it in.”

“Yeah, it's pretty, but it's still as cold as ever," Bumi muttered. He reached up to fix his earmuffs tightly into place, then crossed his arms with a shiver. Bum-Ju landed on his shoulder and pressed against him, ears flickering. "It's okay, Bum-Ju we'll get warmed up soon, don't worry." He then reached into his coat and pulled out a small knitted sweater. "Here, you should be wearing the new sweater I made you.”

Toph huffed out a breath and marched carefully up the steps. “Yeah, well I'm sure it's wonderful, but for me it's just cold. And quite frankly, I don't like the lack of earth. It's all _ice_ out here. I can't see anything without earth or metal beneath my feet."

Anraq glanced back at her. "Do you...need a hand?"

"I'm _fine_ ," the old earthbender insisted. She continued up the staircase, though her motions were slow, cautious. "I'm blind, not helpless."

"Well, then shouldn't you at least put shoes on?" he questioned, looking down at her bare feet. "You're going to get frostbite."

"I said I'm fine!" Toph grumbled in annoyance as she moved past him. "Besides, I didn't pack shoes."

Anraq sighed, with a gentle shake of his head. At her request, he didn't try to assist her up the steps. He did, however, stay next to her, just in case. "We'll get you shoes when we get inside. Come on."

Kuvira watched the two a moment, then dropped back to the rear of the group, next to Korra. “How are you feeling?”

“Better..." Korra said, holding a hand up to her chest. "My chest doesn't hurt as much now. Well, as long as I take it easy, anyway.”

“You'll be okay. We'll find you some spirit water, and you'll be good as new.”

“I hope so... I want to stop Zaheer, but I can't do that if I collapse every time I exert myself too long. Not to mention what that would mean for me in the future..." Korra bowed her head, sighing. "What kind of Avatar would I be then?”

Kuvira softened her look, then held her hand against Korra's shoulder. “You'll always be a great Avatar. No matter what.”

Korra didn't say anything, but the smile she gave expressed her appreciation for Kuvira's words. She nodded, then looked straight ahead as they continued up the stairs through the palace entrance.

* * *

Team Avatar arrived in the palace throne room a short while later. A series of icy pillars carved into the shape of animal spirits lined the length of the room, leading up to the dual throne. Sitting atop the throne were the twin chieftains, Eska and Desna, both leaning to opposite sides of their seats. Their chins rested upon their hands, faces sunken with boredom.

The palace guard captain, Karrok, led the group in front of the throne and took a bow before his chiefs. “Chief Eska, Chief Desna. The Avatar has arrived.”

Both twins sat upright in unison when the Team approached, but they retained their otherwise indifferent expressions.

“Cousin Korra," Eska said. "It has been quite a long time since your last visit.”

“Yes," Desna added. "I suppose we should feel honored that you've graced the North with your presence. You and your... subjects.”

“Eska, Desna," Korra said, with a nod. “It's good to see you again. It's a...pleasure to be here.” She paused, glancing back at the others behind her. "And these are my _friends._..not my subjects."

Eska lifted an eyebrow. "I don't see the difference...”

“I am intrigued, though,” Desna stated. “If _you're_ here, then it must be regarding something important.”

“Indeed,” his sister said. “The Avatar does not visit just to say hello. Certainly not with _Kuvira_ in her company.”

Kuvira shifted her stance, averting her eyes as the twins' gazes found her. The last time she had seen them, it had been during Prince Wu's coronation ceremony five years ago, when she'd refused to give up control of the Earth Kingdom. At the very least, they didn't seem to care how or why she was out of prison, though somehow that made things even more awkward. Their icy stares pierced straight through her.

When the twins finally looked back at Korra, Eska said, “So, why have you come?”

“We're here because of the Red Lotus,” Korra explained. “You've probably already heard about their return, and things have only gotten worse since then. Nations have already fallen into turmoil because of them. Right now, the two Water Tribes and the Fire Nation are the only ones left standing.”

“Ah yes, the Red Lotus,” Desna muttered. His expression flashed with a subtle hint of emotion, as his eyes narrowed. “A deplorable group of degenerates, to be certain.”

Eska, too, squinted her gaze. A faint intrigue lingered in her eyes. “You believe they've come here?”

“We're not completely sure,” Korra said, “but it's the best guess we have based on our information.”

“No, we're sure.” Anraq stepped forward, and gave Korra a brief glance before focusing on the twins. “I know what I heard, and I know Yuruk would make sure he got another chance at you.”

“Yuruk?” Desna blinked, then looked to his sister. “Isn't that the man who attempted to assassinate us seven years ago?”

“Indeed,” Eska muttered. “And then he escaped prison...” She sighed, sinking back into her seat. “We should have had him executed.”

“Perhaps. But at least now something interesting might happen. Ruling the North can be so... dull.”

Eska eased another sigh out her lips, heavier this time. “Agreed.”

“Right, well... “ Korra said, glancing back and forth between them. “In any case, you should increase security around the palace, and wherever you go around the city. Zaheer could already be here.”

“Yes, I suppose that would be for the best.” Desna turned his attention to Karrok. “See that the city guards are on high alert.”

The guard captain bowed. “Yes, Chief Desna.”

“In the meantime, I can see that you are all exhausted,” Eska said. “We will have rooms prepared for you, if you require rest.”

“And if you should require sustenance, we will have the chefs open the dining hall,” Desna added. “Will that conclude our business?”

“Actually, Chief Eska, Chief Desna...” Anraq said, giving them both a careful glance. “Would it be possible to get some spirit water?”

Eska eyed him curiously, head tilting. “For what purpose?”

“It's Korra. She was wounded against the Red Lotus earlier, and it's having some...debilitating after effects. I'd like to give her further treatment.”

“Oh. You are a healer. How very... delicate.” Eska leaned forward in her seat, gazing harder at him, studying him. “You are from the Southern Tribe, yes? What are you called?”

“Uh... my name is Anraq, and yes, I'm from the Southern Tribe.”

“In our tribe, Anraq, healers are usually women.”

Anraq blinked, shifting nervously on his feet. “Um... well, I mean, I'm not... _just_ a healer.”

“Yes, I am certain you are quite formidable.” Eska's brow lowered, and then her lips twisted into the subtlest hint of a smirk—mischievous, domineering. “You will make a fine pet.”

“Uh...wait, _pet?”_

“If you require spirit water, you may take Korra to the Spirit Oasis. Karrok will show you the way,” she replied, sitting straight back against her throne. “As for you, Anraq...we will speak again at a later time.”

Anraq stared at her, brow twisting with confusion. He turned his gaze over to Korra, as if to ask what had just happened, but she could only offer him an unknowing shrug.

* * *

The secluded Spirit Oasis greeted them with a heated wave of air as they entered through the round doorway. Anraq coughed out a heavy, hot breath, and immediately removed his coat. Even so, beads of sweat already formed across his brow. Korra followed behind him, also removing her coat, and Kuvira brought up the rear, tugging at the tight collar of the robe beneath her armor. Bumi, Toph, and Yula, meanwhile, had opted to part ways for now and get some rest back at the palace.

“Well, there's definitely plenty of spirit water here,” Anraq said, as he headed across one of the dual bridges towards the center island.

“It's so warm here,” Kuvira uttered. When she made it to the island, she glanced down at her feet. “And there's _grass._ How is that possible here?”

“The Spirit Oasis is the center of all spiritual activity in the North Pole,” Korra explained. She plopped herself down in front of the island pond, watching a pair of koi fish endlessly circle each other. “That energy keeps it warm and tropical.”

“I see...” Kuvira knelt down and brushed her hand through the grass. “Well, it's a nice change of pace from the cold, at least. I was beginning to lose feeling in my fingers.” The sound of chuckling lifted her gaze. Both Korra and Anraq were stifling their laughs, hands pressed over their mouths “...what's so funny?”

“Nothing,” Korra replied, giving her a smirk. It's just always fun seeing non-Water Tribe natives complain about the cold. Happens every time.”

Kuvira frowned, and raised an eyebrow. “Well, excuse me for not growing up in the arctic.”

Anraq moved to the edge of the pond and ran his fingers through the water, testing it. When he was satisfied, he looked to Korra. “Anyway, this should definitely be enough spirit water. Get in.”

Korra gave the koi fish one more look, then eased herself forward into the water. A relaxed breath burst from her lips, as the warmth enveloped her. She set her head back against the edge of the pond, eyes closing.

“So, do you think this will work?” Kuvira asked, as she sat cross-legged on the grass just next to Korra.

“It's too soon to say.” Anraq moved into the water himself, standing in up to his waist. He guided his hands back and forth, and soon the water began to glow, pulsing over Korra in glowing waves. “I'll focus the healing at her heart and see if I can strengthen the organ. I'm not sure if it'll actually have an effect, but I'll work on her as long as I need to. You should probably go rejoin the others and get some rest. This could take a while.”

“No... I'd like to stay.”

Korra eased an eye open and gazed up at her. “You sure?”

“Yeah...” Kuvira looked down at her, offering a comforting smile. “I'm sure.”

A smile of her own curled onto Korra's lips. She didn't say anything at first, but she did reach up one of her hands out of the water. Kuvira stared at it, hesitating. Eventually, though, she took Korra's hand into her own with a firm squeeze. Korra's smile grew, and she nodded with appreciation.

"Thanks."

* * *

Hours later, Korra and Kuvira walked back from the Spirit Oasis together, making their way along the raised edges lining the city's canals. Anraq had stayed behind at the Spirit Oasis for a while—something about wanting relax after the hours of work, as well as replenish his own spirit water supply for future use. As the pair strolled across an arching bridge from one side of the canal to the other, Korra paused to lean against the railing. She stood there, staring up at the sky and saying nothing.

Kuvira came next to her, setting her elbows against the railing. She watched Korra for a moment, then she, too, gazed upward. Magnificent multi-colored lights danced across the sky—waves of green, and purple, and blue. She had never seen anything like it. "So... are you feeling any better?"

"I think so,” Korra said, still watching the sky. “My heart isn't stuttering anymore, at least. There's no way to know for sure if it's any stronger, though. At least, not until I actually put it to use."

"I'm sure it's fine.” Kuvira reached out a gentle hand, setting it on Korra's shoulder. “You're strong, Korra. Stronger than I could ever hope to be... You always have been."

"Thanks...” Korra glanced down from the sky and took a step closer to Kuvira, close enough now that their shoulders were touching. “I'm glad you're here. I don't think I could do this on my own."

"Of course you could,” she assured. “But... you're welcome.” Then, she smiled. “I'm glad I'm here, too."

"So, what about you? Adjusting to the cold?"

"It's not so bad. Probably better once I can get a coat. It's still quite a bit cooler here than I'm used to."

"I'm sure it'll grow on you,” Korra insisted. “Granted, this climate isn't for everyone."

"Maybe not.” Without a second thought, Kuvira pressed her shoulder more firmly against Korra's—she received an equal push in return. “But as long I'm here with you, it's worth putting up with."

A soft chuckle eased from Korra's lips. "Well, I'm glad you think so."

Kuvira held her smile, then turned her gaze back up at the sky again. The colors continued to undulate and dance; it was a brilliant spectacle to behold. "Yula was right... It is beautiful here."

“Yeah...” Korra's own gaze softened, but it wasn't the sky she was looking at. “It is.”

"Do think the Red Lotus is here now? Watching us?"

Korra turned her focus out to the city, studying the icy buildings and dark shadows. "I wouldn't doubt it. Seems like they're always one step ahead of us... If they think they're going to take out my cousins, though, they have another thing coming."

"Speaking of your cousins, are they always like that?” Kuvira asked, with a raised eyebrow. "So....you know?"

"Heh, yeah...pretty much. Just be glad you're not on their bad side. They go from your standard creepy to downright frightening."

"I'll keep that in mind.” A sudden thought crossed Kuvira's mind, bringing a grin to her lips, and a soft chuckle. “Seems like Anraq and Eska were hitting it off, though. Maybe we should set them up.”

Korra cringed slightly at the suggestion, and uttered a quiet, nervous laugh. “Yeah, no... don't do that to him. Eska isn't really, um... Well, let's just say it would be cruel. Just ask Bolin."

Kuvira's eyebrows lifted. "She and  _Bolin_ used to date?"

"If you can call it that. She would have forced him to marry her if we hadn't gotten him out of there."

"I see... Well, perhaps she's changed, since then?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't count on it."

"I suppose that's good to know, then,” Kuvira said, with a slow nod. She again looked back up at the sky, watching the spirit lights dance in front of the stars. “So, do you want to head in? It is getting late."

"No, not yet...” Korra joined her gaze up at the lights, and with a gentle sigh she leaned against the bridge railing. Her head, however, came to rest against Kuvira's shoulder. “I want to stay here a little while longer "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, how I love the twins. Yet, as much as I love them, I find them difficult to write, for whatever reason. Other characters like Lin, or Azula, or Kuvira come naturally, but I find myself struggling with Eska and Desna... hopefully I'm doing at least moderately well with them. 
> 
> Anraq needs to wath out, though... Eska has set her sights on him.
> 
> Also, more Korvira teasings. It's becoming increasingly blatant, isn't it? I think Korra is gradually starting to realize there really is something there, as reluctant as she might be to admit it.
> 
> Oh, oh, and yes, anyone remember Uhara? The replacement police chief that Lin chose to succeed her when she retired? Yup, turns out he was a Red Lotus agent :)


	46. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire Lord Azula arrives at the North Pole to lend her assistance to their Red Lotus problem, but Team Avatar is none too happy to see her. Also, Anraq finds himself the subject of Eska and Desna's intrigue, but with these twins, nothing is ever as it seems.

Anraq uttered a long yawn as he made his way up the arcing staircase towards the palace. He had only intended to stay back at the Spirit Oasis for a short while, but he couldn't help himself. With how warm and comfortable it was there... he had ended up falling asleep. He didn't even know how late it was now, but it was well past nightfall. At the very least, he had replenished his own spirit water supply. He now had five separate vials on hand; that would come in handy later, he was sure.

When he reached the palace courtyard, he found himself staring up at the sky. It had been so long since he had seen the dancing spirit lights of either Water Tribe... He had almost forgotten what they looked like. Growing up, he had only ever seen them when visiting the North. It hadn't been until after Korra opened the Southern Spirit Portal that the lights came to the South. Kanna had been fascinated with them when they appeared in the night sky that fateful night.

'Beautiful', she had called them, and they really were.

But those lights also marked her end. It had been just a few days later that his daughter died. Seeing these lights now... he couldn't help but think of her.

As he made his way past the dual water pools of the courtyard, he turned his gaze downward with a sigh. He still needed closure on Kanna's death, but until he brought down Yuruk, he doubted he would have it. It had been one thing, knowing that Yuruk was in prison. At least then he knew that his cousin wouldn't be able to hurt anyone and was paying for his crimes. But now that Yuruk was free again? Now that he was _hurting_ people again? Any peace that Anraq might have felt after Kanna's death had disappeared. Now, he had to take down Yuruk. Whatever the cost.

A sudden flash of movement pulled him from his thoughts. Anraq looked up to see the water from both pools in the courtyard rise upwards like geysers and slash down at him. He immediately jumped backwards. With a wave of his arms, he raised up the ice in front of himself as a wall to shield against the attack. When he steadied his stance, he bended the water around himself into a protective sphere. His gaze shifted around the open space of the courtyard, watching closely.

Was it the Red Lotus? Was it _Yuruk?_

A pair of cutting ice waves burst across the ground on either side of him. He stood his ground this time and hardened the bubble of water around himself into ice. With a push of his arms, the ice expanded and absorbed the attacks. A shift in his stance, followed by another whirl of his arms, sent the ice waves back the way they had come. Then, he pulled long whips of water around his arms and stood his ground again, gaze narrow, eyes sharp.

“Who's there? Show yourself!” he called. “Come out, Yuruk, you coward!”

“You may relax, Anraq. We are certainly not Yuruk.”

Anraq blinked, then glanced up at the sound of the voice. His gaze fell on the top of second set of steps leading to the palace, where a near identical pair of figures stood, watching him: Eska and Desna, the twin chiefs. When he noticed them, they both descended the stairs in unison towards the courtyard.

“What the... Chief Eska? Chief Desna?” Anraq lowered his arms, though he didn't yet disperse his water whips. “Is...there a reason you're attacking me?”

“Indeed,” Desna said, as they reached the bottom of the steps. “My sister wished to test you.”

“Test me? What in spirits name for?”

Eska approached him, coming to within just a few paces and staring intently into his eyes. “You claimed earlier that you were not just a healer. I wished to see for myself if that was accurate. You did not disappoint.”

“I...okay?” Anraq blinked at her, leaning backwards to create more distance between them. “You could have just asked.”

“This was a far more effective method at discerning your ability,” she insisted. “You were able to detect our surprise attack, and then you defended yourself with expert skill. I am pleased.”

“You're... pleased. Alright, now I'm officially confused. Why exactly did you feel the need to test me in the first place?”

Eska's demeanor didn't change—stolid, expressionless. Her eye stared straight through him. “I needed to be certain that you were suitable for my needs. You intrigued me when we first met, and now I see that my intrigue was not misplaced. You are both as delicate as a turtle duck, and as formidable as a polar leopard. You are perfect.”

Anraq furrowed his brow, jaw hanging open with confusion. “I'm... perfect. For...what, exactly?”

Finally, a shift in emotion came to Eska's face. She gave that domineering grin of hers, and her eyes sharpened. “You will be mine.”

“I'll be what now?”

Desna sighed, as if annoyed at Anraq's lack of understanding. “She wishes establish a physical relationship with you.”

“Indeed,” Eska affirmed. “As chief of my tribe, I am required to pass on my bloodline to extend our family's rule. As such, I must find a suitable spouse with which to bear strong children. You will do nicely.”

“Now hold on a minute,” Anraq said. He waved his hands back and forth, trying to pause the direction of the conversation. He had heard that the Northern chiefs weren't exactly normal, but he hadn't expected them to be this... _odd_. Or incredibly forward. “That's... yeah, that's not going to work for me.”

Eska frowned, brow lowering over her eyes. “You are refusing my advances? Do you find something unsuitable with me?”

Anraq held his palm against his forehead and huffed out a groan. “No, I mean, I just... I'm _flattered_ and all you think I'd make a 'suitable spouse', but I'm not looking to 'bear children' with you. Or _any_ woman, for that matter.”

“Oh. I see.” Eska blinked at him, then turned her gaze over to her brother. They shared a silent look, communicating their thoughts without the need to speak. Then, she focused again on Anraq. “That is fine. I didn't realize.”

A relieved breath eased from his throat. “Good, I'm glad we understand each other.”

“Indeed. If Desna was more your type, you needed only say so. I will concede you to him.”

Desna sighed again, eyeing Anraq up and down with a studious gaze. “I suppose he will suffice, although I must insist he shave that atrocious beard. I require my partners to be hairless.”

Anraq blinked at them both, eyes wide and eyebrows lifting high. “Wait... _what?”_

“So it's settled, then,” Eska said, with a single nod. “You will make yourself presentable and then report to Desna tonight.”

“Hold on, no, things are _not_ settled,” he insisted. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and groaned out a quiet breath. “What I _meant_ was that I don't even _know_ you.”

Eska raised an eyebrow at him, then glanced at her brother again. They shared another silent moment before she turned back to Anraq. “So then, you do not prefer men?”

“Well, I mean, no, I don't actually _have_ _a_  preference, but that's not the point,” he said. “You can't expect me to just up and decide to marry and have children with someone I just met.”

“I see.” Eska stared at him a long time with careful eyes, studying his face. “You are quite the intriguing specimen, Anraq.”

“I am inclined to agree,” Desna said. “You are...most interesting.”

Anraq shifted on his feet. “Uh... thanks? I think...” As if things weren't awkward enough, now _both_ the twins were expressing their interest in him? How in spirits name did he get involved with this?

“Very well. Come.” Eska reached out to grab Anraq's wrist, then began dragging him towards the steps up to the palace. “We will have dinner prepared, and you may 'get to know' us.”

“Yes, you must be famished,” Desna said, as he marched in unison alongside his sister.

“Uh, wait, now hold on just a—” Anraq's voice caught in his throat at the mention of food. His stomach grumbled, and he muttered a scolding breath to himself. It was true, he hadn't eaten since early that morning. Somehow, though he didn't think having dinner with Eska and Desna was the best way to satisfy his hunger. Still, as hard as he tugged against Eska's grip, he couldn't pull free. For an otherwise small individual, she was surprisingly strong. With a defeated sigh, he stopped struggling and simply followed behind them. “You know what, _fine_ , I'm starving. Let's eat.”

* * *

Kuvira wandered down the palace corridor, head turning from side to side so she could examine each room she passed. It was near noontime now, and she hadn't seen any of her Team yet, nor had she seen the twins. She had seen plenty of guards, but not a single one could tell her where everyone had gone. Perhaps it had been her own fault for oversleeping, but they were still supposed to begin guarding the Northern chieftains today. She would have liked to have been there for the planning.

As she rounded the corner, Kuvira nearly collided with another figure walking towards her. She managed stop herself and turn out of the way in time, stumbling as she caught her balance. When she focused on the person she had almost struck, she exhaled a relieved sigh.

"Korra, there you are. I've been looking for you. Or...anyone, really. Where is everyone?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Korra said, with a shrug. "I can't find them anywhere."

Kuvira hummed out softly, and glanced back over her shoulder. "Well, I've already checked this way. I was about to head outside, if you wanted to join me?"

Korra smiled. "I'd be happy to. They're probably just out enjoying the scenery."

"As long as your cousins are safe..." she said. "We're supposed to be guarding them."

When they exited out the front of the palace, they were met with a small crowd in the courtyard. Eska and Desna stood near one edge of the open space, with a dozen guards spread out nearby. Yula, Toph, Bumi, and even Bum-Ju sat partway up the palace steps, looking down below. All of them focused on the center of the courtyard, where Anraq and guard captain Karrok engaged in combat.

"What on earth is going on our here?" Korra asked, as she arrived next to her team. She watched Anraq slide across the ice to avoid an attack, and then counter with a whipping water strike. "Why are they fighting? And why is everyone just watching?"

"Don't look at me, they've been doing this all morning," Bumi said, with a shrug. "Or at least Anraq has. That's just his latest opponent."

"I think they're just sparring," Yula said. "Or...dueling, is what your cousins called it."

"And I couldn't tell you a darn thing," Toph muttered, planting her arms across her chest. She had since acquired warmer, winter attire, including appropriate boots to wear over her feet. "All I know is what I can hear. Can't _see_ anything."

Kuvira turned a raised brow to the old earthbender. "Are you...doing alright? You seem grumpier than usual. No offense."

"Oh sure, I'm just _dandy_." Toph huffed out a grumbling breath, her empty gaze pointed straight forward. "I _love_ all this ice everywhere. No earth, no metal... Can't see, can't bend. I'm doing _great!_ It's not like I'm completely _useless_ right now or anything."

"Um... Sorry for bringing it up." Kuvira looked away from Toph and instead brought her attention to the spar. Anraq bended away an incoming barrage of ice discs, then lifted up a torrent from one of the nearby water pools. With a sweep of his arms, he crashed the water down upon Karrok. "So should we do something about this, or...?"

"I'm...not sure." Korra glanced down at her cousins and frowned. "But we can at least get to the bottom of this."

The twins watched intently, though their expressions didn't differ much from normal. Every now and then, they would offer a raised eyebrow, or a subtle grin, to indicate their intrigue, but other than that they were calm, stolid.

"I must admit, he exhibits an exceptional ability," Desna said, as Anraq whipped Karrok clear across the courtyard. "He's been putting our local masters to shame all morning."

"As I expected," Eska said, with a slight curl to her lips. "He is a perfect selection."

"And yet he still has not accepted your advances."

"Indeed." Eska frowned, brow lowering in an uncharacteristic show off emotion. "He required to know more about us, yet we spent the entire night explaining everything about ourselves. Nothing remains for him to know."

Desna hummed out a thoughtful breath, eyes narrowing into a subtle glare. "Perhaps he _does_ prefer men, in spite of his claims to the contrary. That would certainly explain why he does not express any interest in you."

"If that is the case, then you may have him," Eska said, with a simple shrug. "But if he has no preference, like he says, then I _will_ find a way to make him mine." She paused a moment, as Anraq knocked Karrok clean off his feet with a rising ice pillar. "Of course, you may do with him what you wish in the meantime, regardless."

"The thought _does_ intrigue me," Desna admitted. "Though I would still require him to shave. Beards are so...uncomfortable."

A disgusted groan from behind them drew their attention away. Korra stood there with her head bowed into her hand, cringing. "Okay, just... I can't listen to anymore. You know Anraq is a _person_ , right? Not a piece of seal jerky."

Eska glanced at her brother, eyebrows gently pushed together. "What is Cousin Korra droning on about?"

"I believe she's comparing her friend to a salted strip of dried seal blubber," he replied.

"I mean the way you're treating him!" Korra shot back. "You can't just 'make him yours'. He has his own free will. You can't treat him like a toy to pass between yourselves." She groaned again, squinting her eyes shut. "Which, I might add, is a nauseating thought."

Eska quirked a single eyebrow. "It's called sharing. I suppose you wouldn't understand the concept. You never had any siblings."

Kuvira took a step between the three, holding her arms out to divide them. "Alright, this conversation is getting...out of hand. What Korra means is that you have to let Anraq make his own decisions, no matter how much you want to... _advance_ on him." Just saying that out loud made her shudder. "So, enough about that. How about you explain why you've had him dueling waterbending masters all morning?"

Desna stared at her, unamused. "We desired to see a full display of his skill. So far, he has proven to be exceptional."

"Indeed. He is quite the fearsome little turtle duck," Eska said, as she turned back to watch the spar. Karrok could barely even defend himself against the current assault. "And before you express your distaste, he made this decision himself. In fact, he appeared quite eager to show off."

Anraq let out a triumphant laugh. He bended a torrential stream of water around Karrok's body and lifted the man up into the air. With a cool breath, the water solidified into ice, trapping Karrok up to his neck. Anraq grinned a moment, then pulled his arms back to liquify the water once again. Karrok fell free to the ground with a grunt, and didn't bother getting up.

"Well... I did help train him," Korra said, flashing a smile. "Looks like he's made even more progress since then."

"Everyone see that?" Anraq jogged over to them with a pleased grin. "Impressive, right?"

"Guard Captain Karrok is one of the better masters the North has to offer," Eska stated. "You did splendidly. I knew I chose well with you."

"Agreed," Desna added. "I am most impressed. You did not disappoint."

Anraq smirked, and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, what can I say? Lots of practice will do that. And of course my own masterful talent."

"Okay, _Master_ Anraq, settle down," Kuvira said, in a playful tone. "No one likes a show off."

"We actually greatly enjoyed watching him show off," Desna said, his expression unflinching.

Kuvira frowned at him. "Right...anyway, we should probably discuss further plans for dealing with the Red Lotus. If they're already here, we need to be prepared."

Eska breathed a gentle sigh. "Very well. I suppose if we must, then—"

"Chief Eska!" a voice called. "Chief Desna!" A man wearing a naval uniform ran up the lower steps into the courtyard, waving his arms for attention.

"Commander Sardaq." Desna raised an eyebrow at him, curious. "What is it?"

Sardaq paused a moment with his hands pressed against his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Excuse the interruption... But there's a Fire Nation airship on approach, requesting permission to land. I would have cleared it myself, but it's the Fire Lord herself, along with Lord Zuko. I thought you might want to know."

"I see." Eska glanced at her brother with a barely noticeable smile. The last time Zuko had come to visit, they had investigated a secret ice prison. "Yes, I think we should meet them ourselves."

"Wait a minute, did you say Zuko?" Toph came shuffling forward, holding onto Bumi's arm. "Ha! It's been ages since I've seen him. I wonder how that old badger mole is doing these days "

"Well, I guess we should go find out," Korra said, as she waved the Team along. "Hopefully he and Fire Lord Izumi are here to help with the Red Lotus. We could certainly use their help."

* * *

They arrived at the landing zone just as the airship touched down. The vessel was a deep red in color and bore the Fire Nation insignia on the side. More striking, though, was the dragon painted upon the structure. The dragon's face sat at the nose of the airship, while its body trailed up along the top, and its wings along either side. The airship itself was moderately sized, but built much sleeker and narrow than most other airships. It looked as though it could cut through the air like a blade.

Eska and Desna waited at the front of the group, with Korra standing at their side. The rest of Team Avatar lingered just a step behind them. A dozen guards had joined them, as well, six on either side and standing at attention. When the airship gangplank lowered to the ground, the guards came forward and spread out in front of it. They created two lines for the exiting passengers to walk between on the way out, again with six on either side

The first passenger to appear down the gangplank was none other than Zuko himself. He made his way down to solid ground, through the line of guards, and then stopped in front of Eska and Desna with a bow. The twins returned the gesture. “Northern Chieftains, it is an honor.”

“We welcome you, Lord Zuko,” Desna stated.

“To what do we owe this visit?” Eska asked.

Zuko hummed out a quiet grumble and glanced back over his shoulder. A line of Fire Nation soldiers marched out of the airship down the gangplank. A royal palanquin followed, carried along its spokes by four servants, one on each corner. The hanging curtain shielded their view of the passenger within. “The Fire Lord... wanted to assist with the Red Lotus problem. She insisted on heading here as soon as possible.”

Korra held her hands together and bowed, a smile on her face. “We were hoping that might be why you came. It's good to see you again.”

“And you, as well, Avatar Korra,” he replied, with his own bow. His gaze then turned past her, focusing on the members of Team Avatar. “I see you didn't come alone. Bumi, it's good to see you.”

Bumi stood straight and pulled his hand up into a salute. “Always an honor, sir.”

From Bumi, Zuko looked to Yula. “I'm afraid I haven't met you before.”

“O-oh, my name is Yula,” she replied, with a hurried bow.

“Well, a pleasure to meet you, Yula. Any friend of the Avatar's is a friend of mine.” Then, he focused on Anraq. “And who might you be?”

Anraq breathed in deep to steady his nerves, though it did nothing to hide the wide smile from his face. “Anraq, sir. And you... you're _Lord Zuko_. It's such an honor to meet you, really. I'm a huge f— _mph_.”

Before he could finish his statement, Toph reached up a hand and pressed it against his face to push him back a step. “Alright, kid, save the gushing for later.”

Zuko's eyebrows lifted high when he noticed the old earthbender. _“Toph?_ I had no idea you'd be here.”

Toph spread a wide grin across her face and moved towards the sound of his voice. “Been a while hasn't it?” She reached a hand out, gently feeling around the air until her fingers grazed Zuko's sleeve. With a laugh, she promptly made a fist and then punched his shoulder. “How have you been?”

“I've been well.” He paused a moment, squinting his eyes at her. “Are you... alright?”

“I'm fine. Just can't see a damn thing.” Toph stomped her boot into the snow. “No earth.”

Zuko looked downward, eyeing the ice beneath their feet. “Ah, I see. Perhaps you didn't think that one all the way through?”

“Eh, I'll live,” she said, with a shrug. “In any case, it's good to see you again. In a manner of speaking, of course.”

“And you, Toph.” Zuko held a hand to her shoulder, offering a friendly squeeze. Then, he glanced up at the final member of Team Avatar. His eyes narrowed at her, posture becoming more rigid, and guarded. “Kuvira.”

The breath caught in Kuvira's throat. She clenched her jaw tight, staring straight back at him. His eyes were sharp, and knowing, as if they could see into her soul. “Lord Zuko.”

“I trust you haven't been giving the Avatar any trouble during your temporary release?”

“No, sir,” she replied, as she lowered herself into a respectful bow.

“Kuvira's actually been a great help,” Korra said. “And an even better friend.”

Zuko watched her a moment longer, then eased back a step, posture slackening. “I see. Well, that's good to hear, in any case.”

“Lord Zuko.” Eska took a step towards him, with Desna right at her side. “We have a question.”

“Yes,” Desna continued. “While we are of course honored to have you and the Fire Lord lend your assistance, how did you know to come North? We never sent a message, and Avatar Korra arrived only yesterday.”

Zuko went quiet. His eyes darkened, and he turned his gaze towards the royal palanquin. “Well, the thing is...”

Before he could finish, a voice from behind the curtain cut in. “Zuzu, are you done with your precious introductions yet? It's about time I made my grand entrance, don't you think?”

Toph was the first to react to the voice. Her eyes widened, and back stiffened. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, hesitant. “That's not Izumi. That sounds like... _No._.. Zuko?”

“That's what I was trying to say,” he sighed, with a bow of his head. “Izumi isn't Fire Lord anymore.”

A ripple of concern washed over the group. They looked at each other, sharing silent moments of surprise and confusion. All except for Toph, who stared blankly forward with a frown—she knew. In their pause, the servants carrying the palanquin set it down against the snow. A silhouette of the figure inside could be seen moving behind the curtain—standing, preparing to exit.

“But... if your daughter isn't the Fire Lord anymore...” Korra said. “Then, who is?”

The curtain finally pulled back, allowing the new Fire Lord to descend the palanquin steps to the ground. She wore the standard red, back, and gold robes of the Fire Lord, as well as the crown headpiece in her hair. A delighted smirk slashed across her face, as she gazed at the group gathered before her. First, her eyes traveled over the twin chiefs, then the motley Team Avatar behind them, until stopping on the Avatar herself.

“What a sad looking bunch this is,” she stated, with a mocking chuckle.

Zuko kept his head pointed down, and eased out a heavy sigh. “My _sister_. Fire Lord Azula.”

Team Avatar, of course, knew her by a different name. A powerful mix of shock, anger, and horror twisted upon their faces, and any words of response caught short in their throats. Again, though, Toph was different. She remained standing rigid, frowning, and her eyes flickered with contemplation.

“What's the matter?” Azula asked, propping one of her hands down on her hip. “Catgator got your tongues?”

Korra was the first to harden past her surprise. She scowled, brow lowering over her eyes. Her hands balled to fists. _“Aoi.”_

“No, I don't go by that alias anymore. You heard my dear Zuzu—it's Azula. _Fire Lord_ Azula,” she insisted, as she approached Korra. “I see you're still alive, Avatar. That _is_ fortunate. Last time I saw you, you weren't doing so well.”

“Not _doing_ so well?” Korra's brow twitched, and her scowl grew fiercer. “You shot me with lightning!”

Zuko stiffened at the proclamation. “You did _what?”_

“Oh, like you've never tried to kill the Avatar before?” Azula said, bringing a frown to her brother. “Including Kuvira, there are three people present who've tried to kill her. Or at least a past her, in your case.”

Eska took a step forward and raised her hand. “Four, actually.”

“You see,” Azula said, with a matter-of-fact point to the female chief. “It's _hardly_ an exclusive club.”

“That doesn't matter!” Korra shot back. “What in spirits name is going on here? _How_ are you— _what_ are you— what _is_ this?”

“Simple, really,” Azula stated. “I challenged little 'Zumi to an Agni Kai, I won, and now I'm the new Fire Lord. Oh don't worry, though, she's fine. Just a little crispy.”

Korra pressed her hands against her face. “You... you're... Is this _serious?”_ She looked to Zuko again, completely exasperated. “Tell me this is a sick joke.”

“I'm afraid not...” he muttered. “As our law states... She is Fire Lord.”

“And _how_ is she even here?” Toph came forward, keeping her blind stare pointed straight ahead. Even if she couldn't see Azula right now, or even sense her, the voice was plenty enough to recognize her by. It wasn't a voice that you forgot. “You don't sound any older than the last time we met.”

Azula raised a brow, leaning closer to the old woman. A moment past, and then a flash of understanding flickered through her eyes. “Oh my, _you're_ Toph? _Hahahaha!_ Oh, that's hilarious. It seems Zuzu isn't the only one who got horribly old over the years.”

“Be thankful we're not standing on earth right now...” Toph grumbled, with a deeper frown.

“Yes, yes, I'm sure you'd make a great big fuss,” Azula said, with a dismissive hand wave. “But really, any differences we all have are in the past now. I'm here to _help._ You should be grateful.”

The only response she received was an angry shout. A searing jet of flames followed, aimed at her face. Her eyes narrowed at the attack, and with a simple raise of her hands the flames dispersed into nothing.

“ _You!”_ Yula tried to run forward past the group to make another attack, but Kuvira grabbed her beneath her arms. She struggled, but couldn't break free. _“I'll kill you!”_

The Fire Nation soldiers immediately reacted, dropping into defensive stances. “Protect the Fire Lord!”

Azula rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Stand down. _Fools._ It's just an amateur firebending peasant. No need to ruffle your armor.”

“Yula, _stop_ ,” Kuvira said, tightening her hold around the younger woman's arms. “We can't just attack her. Things are... She's the _Fire Lord_.”

“She's right,” Anraq said. He pressed a gentle hand to her shoulder, trying to calm her. “We have to be smart about this.”

Yula only struggled harder. “I don't care! She _murdered_ my family!”

Zuko gaped, breath catching in his throat. He turned a glare to his sister. “Azula, you didn't...”

“You say that like it would be the worst thing I ever did,” she replied, with a roll of her eyes. “This little wretch needed to be put in her place.”

“You have to _pay!”_ Yula yanked one of her arms free of Kuvira's hold, but couldn't break away. She was crying now, tears of grief and rage streaking down the sides of her face. “She has to answer for what she did!”

Desna glanced at his sister. “I believe things are getting out of hand...”

“I agree,” Eska replied. “We should end things now.”

“Now, now.” Azula raised a hand to calm the twins, then strolled casually towards the sobbing Yula. “It seems to me she has a little pent up stress she needs to work out. Tell me, Yula... I bet you'd like a chance to get back at me, wouldn't you?”

Yula sucked in a harsh breath, trying to steady herself and remain calm. It didn't work. “You... have to _pay_ for what you did.”

“Sounds like you want to challenge me... say, to an Agni Kai? A fire duel, just the two of us. Every opportunity you could ever want.”

“Don't listen to her,” Kuvira said, holding onto Yula's shoulder. “She's just trying to goad you into a fight. You can't beat her.”

Yula seemed to calm a bit, muscles relaxing. Her breaths became softer, no longer broken with hiccuping sobs.

“So...” Azula said. “...what's it going to be?”

Finally, Yula gave one more mighty tug and pulled completely away from Kuvira's grip. She marched to within inches of Azula and glared at her dead in the eyes. _“Yes.”_

“Excellent.” A pleased grin cut like a knife across Azula's face. “I accept.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly not even sure where I'm going with the Anraq thing, but it was funny in my head. It's also sufficiently creepy, but then this is Eska and Desna we're talking about. They're creepy by definition. In any case, expect Anraq to find himself in some awkward predicaments in the coming chapters.
> 
> And then, the reunion we've all been waiting for... well, maybe not all of you, but I have. Azula meets Team Avatar once again, this time no longer under her alias. That isn't good news for anyone, but especially Yula... Give her credit for her determination, but Yula, no, really... stop. This can't end well for you.


	47. The Fire Lord's Apprentice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yula faces off against the Fire Lord in an Agni Kai, but does she have any hope of emerging victorious? And what shocking news does she discover after the duel that will force her to make a life-altering decision?

On one side of the palace courtyard, Yula knelt low on one knee, with a fist planted against the ice beneath her. She breathed deep in attempts to mentally steel herself, although she knew it wouldn't have much of an effect. There was only so much she could do in preparation to duel the Fire Lord, of all people. And yet, she knew she had to do this. This wasn't just the Fire Lord... This was Aoi, or Azula, as she was now called—the girl who had killed Yula's family. She owed it to them to do this, to at least _try_ and make their killer pay.

“Yula, please, don't do this.”

She looked up to see Kuvira standing in front of her. The rest of Team Avatar stood a short distance beyond, as well as Eska and Desna. They all watched her. “I have to. How else will I ever get this chance? You're not going to do anything. _None_ of you are. None of you _can._ As long as she's the Fire Lord, there's no other way.”

“We'll figure out something,” Kuvira pleaded. She knelt low next to Yula and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You can't face her like this by yourself. I know you've improved in the past couple weeks, but this is crazy. You know how powerful she is... You _can't_ win this.”

“Well I have to try. I have to do _something_.” Yula bowed her head, squinting her eyes shut. “I know I don't have much of a chance. I know I'll probably get injured, or _die_ , or... whatever. It doesn't matter. This is just something I have to do, no matter the outcome. Please... stop trying to talk me out of it and just watch with the others.”

Kuvira breathed out a quiet sigh and pulled her hand back. “Alright... just please, be careful.”

On the other end of the courtyard, Azula also knelt against the ice on one knee, with a fist against the ground. She faced the other way, her back to Yula. The Agni Kai would begin soon, after the combatants had mentally prepared themselves. Not that she needed that time to prepare herself, of course—she knew how this would go.

“Azula, you don't have to do this.”

She titled her head upward see Zuko standing there, gazing down at her. Beyond him, the squadron of Fire Nation soldiers waited at attention. “Oh Zuzu, your concern is touching, really. I assure you, though, I'll be fine.”

He frowned at her. “I meant you don't have to do this to _her_. You've already taken enough from this woman. What do you expect to gain by further humiliating her?”

“A few moments of entertainment, if nothing else,” she replied, with a subtle smirk. “Besides, she's the one who challenged me. I'm only responding in kind.”

“After _you_ provoked her,” Zuko said. “Please, Azula. We're here to stop the Red Lotus, not make a spectacle out of someone you've already taken everything from.”

“Relax, Zuzu. This will be over soon.” She lowered her gaze back down to the icy ground below her. “Now, quit being a spoilsport and begin the duel.”

Zuko exhaled, but said nothing else. He marched past her towards the center of the courtyard, between the two opponents. Once he was in position, he gave them both a brief look and said, “Both combatants please rise and face each other.”

Both Yula and Azula promptly stood straight and then turned around. Yula glared, face twisted into a scowl. In spite of the obvious hate and anger written on her face, there was also a fierce determination in her eyes. She knew that this fight wouldn't go well for her, and yet still her resolve did not waver. Azula, on the other hand, stood casually, one hand propped against her hip. Her lips curled into a mocking smirk, and her eyes gleamed with calm delight.

“There are no special rules in this Agni Kai,” Zuko explained, as he raised one of his hands. He held it there, waiting to bring it down. “Combat will continue until one of you is burned or admits defeat. You may use anything within your ability to attack your opponent, without restrictions. Do you both understand?”

“Yes,” Yula insisted.

Azula widened her smirk. “Let's get on with this, shall we?”

“Very well...” Zuko gave them both one more look and then finally dropped his arm. “Begin.”

Yula wasted no time, racing towards her opponent the moment that the fight began. Azula didn't even bother moving. Instead, she waited for the attack to come to her. Yula led her assault with a quick, powerful kick that expelled a ferocious blast of flames from her heel. Azula leaned to the side and raised an arm, pushing the kick away with little effort. Yula stumbled off balance but quickly caught herself. She followed through with a rapid set of punches and chops, each strike erupting forth an intense burst of fire.

Azula avoided and deflected each blow. Her motions were calm, casual, yet still she retained a perfect defense. With every missed attack, Yula's strikes grew fiercer. She put everything she had into her attacks, as much chi and power as she could muster. Her flames became wild, powerful, but also inaccurate, and unfocused. The control she had built into her firebending vanished in those moments, replaced instead by her hate and anger. No matter what she threw at her opponent, she struck only air, or was knocked away off balance. Frustration mounted, and soon she was shouting with every punch, every kick.

This continued for several minutes. Yula made wild, desperate attacks, and Azula defended with crisp, perfect blocks and dodges. No one watching could make the mistake that Yula provided any sort of real challenge for the Fire Lord. The disparity between their skill levels grew increasingly evident with every passing moment.

Azula could have ended the Agni Kai at any time. With every missed attack, Yula opened herself up to a counter. Someone of the Fire Lord's skill level could have used any one of those opportunities to end her opponent, but instead she drew out the fight longer than it should have gone. She allowed Yula to continue attacking with desperate, hopeless abandon. More precisely, she allowed Yula to continue humiliating herself. It wasn't until the the young woman began to shed tears with her assault that Azula finally went on the offensive.

Still, though, Azula did not end things. She kicked out a low line of blue flames along the ground, forcing Yula to jump back and stumble. A second kick followed and then a third. Each burst of flames scorched near Yula's feet, tripping her further off balance. The fourth kick was stronger, and the burst of flames larger. This time, Yula tripped and fell to the ground, catching herself with her hands.

“Is that really the best you can do?” Azula asked, as she gazed down at her fallen opponent. “How pathetic.”

Yula glared up at her, forming one of her hands into a fist. With a shout, she punched out a sudden stream of flames and then jumped back to her feet. Azula bended the flames away into nothing, and countered with a kick straight into the other woman's gut. She released no fire of her own, instead connecting only her boot. Yula's eyes popped open wide at the impact. She staggered backwards, arms clutched over her abdomen.

“Oh, so close,” Azula mocked, with a twisted smirk. “You almost had me there.”

Yula fought against the pain in her stomach. She straightened herself, then lunged in with another attack. This time Azula grabbed her wrist and then delivered a knee strike to the face. Yula grunted at the impact, holding a hand to her mouth. A clear line of crimson leaked out from behind her fingers.

Azula brought her arms across her chest, still grinning. “Are you finished yet? Care to surrender?”

“No!” Yula lowered her hand and tightened it into a fist, then shifted into a steady bending stance. Her lower lip had split open wide, allowing blood to drain freely down her chin. “I'm _not_ finished!”

“Hmm, how very adamant of you. Alright, keep it coming, then.”

Yula shouted as she charged in with another series of desperate strikes. This round didn't go any better than the previous. Once again, Azula defended herself with ease, blocking and dodging with expert precision. Yula's flames burned wilder, larger, but they never came close to hitting their target. With every miss, her angry shouts grew more intense. Soon, though, those shouts became sobs of desperation. With each passing moment it became clearer that she had little hope of achieving her revenge.

Azula switched to the offensive again. She withheld her bending, though, and instead came at her opponent with normal, if still-brutal, strikes. By now, Yula had exhausted herself, making any kind of proper defense impossible. She didn't even see half of the attacks, but she felt them explode across her body. When the assault was over, she lied flat against the ground on her back. She bled not only from her split lip anymore, but also from a cut on her cheek, and her eyebrow, and a broken nose. Pain throbbed all throughout her body, and her breaths wheezed inward, raspy.

“You're beaten,” Azula stated, standing over her opponent. “Admit defeat.”

Yula groaned, glancing up at her. “N... no. I am... _not_ giving up.” She spat out a mouthful of blood, then intensified her glare. “You'll have to _burn_ me.”

“Is that so?” Azula pursed her lips together, holding a finger against them. She thought a moment, then gave a simple shrug. “Very well, then. If you insist.” With a simple thrust of her fingers, she released a concentrated ball of blue flames.

The blast erupted against Yula's chest. She screamed as the fire burned straight through her clothes down to the flesh beneath. Pain seared through her, scorching through every nerve ending in her body. Her back arched, fingers clenched, and tears streamed from her eyes. She didn't even notice her friends rushing to her side. All she could do was writhe there in agony on the ground, crying and screaming and sputtering.

* * *

Yula's eyes flickered open as consciousness returned to her. She groaned, blinking her vision back into focus. When had she even passed out? The last thing she remembered, she had been thrashing on the ground in agony after her duel. After that... nothing. The pain was gone now, but still it felt so vivid. She recalled the feel of the fireball as it scorched against her chest, her nerves screaming, and the tears staining her face. She also remembered the shame, the humiliation...the crushing sense of failure.

 _A fool_ , she realized. That's what she was, to have ever thought she had a chance.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Kuvira leaned into view, sitting at the bedside.

Yula didn't answer the question, mostly because she didn't want to explain how she felt. She wasn't even certain of it herself. So many different emotions swam around in her head—grief, disappointment, self-loathing, anger... It all made her dizzy. Instead, she turned her head over on the pillow and asked, “What happened?”

“You fell unconscious after the fight,” Kuvira said. “We brought you to one of the healer huts to recover.”

“I treated you, so you should be okay.” It was Anraq. He stood next to Kuvira, arms folded. “The burn wasn't that bad to begin with, but I used spirit water just to be sure. The scar should barely be noticeable. I've also healed the cuts on your face, as well as your bruising, and your broken nose. You should be good as new in a couple days.”

Yula looked at them a moment, then tilted her gaze down towards the floor. Her expression sank, and a light mist of tears began to wet the corners of her eyes. “I couldn't... I couldn't _do_ anything. I tried, I _really_ did, but I... She was too strong.”

“That's why we didn't want you to fight her.” Kuvira leaned closer, reaching out to hold her hand. “Yula... I understand the need for revenge...for _closure_ , but you can't let it control you.”

“I had to _try!”_ she shot back. She sat upright now, propped up on her elbows. A dull pain throbbed in the center of her chest, but she ignored it. “What else was I supposed to do? She's the _Fire Lord_ now. We can't just attack her like before. That was the only chance I had at her...and I _failed_. I had my family's killer right in front of me and I couldn't even touch her!” She shouted out with frustration, hands grabbing at her hair. _“I'm useless!”_

“You're not useless,” Kuvira insisted, bringing a hand to the younger woman's shoulder. “You're just new at this, that's all. You'll get better.”

“But no matter how much better I get, I'll never be good enough!” Yula shrugged away from Kuvira's touch and shrank inward, holding her arms around herself. “And even if I did, I'll never have another opportunity like I did today. I failed... I failed, and that's all I'll ever do. _Fail.”_

Anraq eased out a gentle sigh. His eyes softened. “We'll think of something, alright? Just because she's the Fire Lord doesn't mean we can't come up with a plan, or...something. If we can't do anything about her directly, we'll just have to find another way.”

“Thanks...but I think I need to be alone right now.”

“Yula...” Kuvira uttered, reaching out again to her.

She pulled farther away. _“Please.”_

“Alright...” Kuvira watched her a moment longer, then stood up to leave. “Just remember, if you need anything, your friends are here for you.”

“Whatever you need,” Anraq said, with a nod. “Just say the word.”

* * *

Hours past, and all Yula had done since Kuvira and Anraq left was stare straight up at the ceiling. Her vision shifted in and out of focus, partially on purpose and partially because of the lingering jolts of pain that flashed through her chest every so often. She hadn't had anymore visitors yet, but she was thankful for it. She needed the peace, and the quiet, a time to collect her thoughts. Granted, most of the thoughts that went through her mind pertained to the Agni Kai. She replayed the fight in her mind over and over, trying to think of something, _anything_ , she could have done differently.

It always ended the same, though—flat on her back, screaming, burned, beaten. Aoi—or Azula, rather—had been toying with her the entire time. No matter how hard Yula had fought, how much effort she made, she had always been two steps behind. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she would never get revenge. She would never have closure for her family, and their killer would never face justice. The revelation twisted a knot in her stomach, a knot that tightened more with each passing second, and drew quiet sobs from her lips

“My, you _are_ pathetic, aren't you?”

The sound of the voice tore Yula away from her thoughts. Her sobs halted with an abrupt hiccup as she pushed herself upright, gaze snapping towards the entrance of the hut. The knot in her stomach twisted harder when she saw the figure standing there, and that familiar grin.

“ _You!”_ she hissed, spitting the simple word out with venom. Anger filled her, fast replacing any other emotion she had felt before now. “What are you doing here? _Go away!”_

“Oh relax, I'm not here to finish you off or anything.” Azula strolled into the room and sat at the chair beside the bed. “We had our fight and it's over. If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you during the Agni Kai. I'm only here to talk.”

“I have _nothing_ to say to you.”

“Oh, are you sure?” Azula pursed her lips, eyebrow raised. “I thought for certain you'd at least want to yell at me, or threaten me, or declare your need for revenge. No? Nothing?” When Yula didn't answer, she shrugged. “Well, suit yourself.”

Yula swallowed, forcing down a numb lump that had risen into her throat. “What do you want?”

“As I said, I just want to talk,” Azula replied. She shifted in her seat, leaning back with her arms folded and one leg crossed over the other. “You know, your skill really is pitiful. Zuzu could have beaten you as a child, and he was atrocious back then.”

A deep frown twisted onto Yula's face. “So you just want to mock me? You kill my family, beat me, and now kick me while I'm down? Is this how you get your sick kicks?”

“I wasn't _finished_ yet. If you shut your mouth for two minutes, I'll continue.” Azula glared at her, eyes narrowed. When it seemed like Yula was going to remain silent, she relaxed her expression and continued. “Do you know why I wanted to fight you? Why I provoked you into an Agni Kai?” She allowed a brief pause before answering the question herself. “Because I wanted to see what kind of person you were. We'd already crossed paths before, and both times you managed to get the better of me. I blame it on my own complacency. I underestimated you.”

Yula's brow came together, watching Azula carefully. She didn't say anything, but she remained on guard.

“Of course, I was furious about it at the time,” Azula stated, with a subtle frown. “But after I stopped to think about it, I realized that perhaps you had potential. After all, it takes a special sort of individual to throw me off. So, I wanted to see exactly how you fared when faced with an obstacle head on—no surprises, no tricks. An obstacle you had no hope against. And in the end... I wasn't disappointed.”

She paused a moment, finger pressed to her lips. “Then again, considering how little I expected from you to begin with, I suppose you _couldn't_ have disappointed me... But that's hardly the point. Do you want to know what I learned when we fought?”

Yula was hesitant. She frowned, head tilting, cautious. “What?”

“While your skill is atrocious, and you are as pathetic a fighter as I've ever seen,” Azula said, “you showed something else: resolve. You didn't back down. You didn't run scared. You didn't even hesitate. I could have killed you at any time during that fight. It would have been _easy._ But you knew that, didn't you? You _knew_ you had no chance, but still you challenged me. If nothing else, you were fearless, and against me that's saying a lot.”

“How _could_ I be afraid?” A disbelieving breath burst from Yula's lips, and she shook her head. “You've already taken _everything_ from me. The only thing left is my life, and at this point what would it matter if I died?”

Azula tapped a finger against her lips, humming out a thoughtful breath. “I suppose that's one way to look at it. Still, I believe your resolve is something to be admired. You could be great, you know, if only you possessed any talent.”

Yula didn't respond; she wouldn't even know what to say. She could only stare at the Fire Lord, brow twitching with puzzlement and disbelief.

“It's okay, you can thank me,” Azula insisted. “I'm paying you a compliment. That's not something I do often.”

Yula's expression sank with a frown. Now Azula really _was_ mocking her. “Why are you telling me this? Why does any of that matter?”

“Because, I wanted you to know what I think of you. I'm going to offer you an opportunity, Yula. An opportunity to make something of yourself, to become so much more than you are now.”

“What are you talking about?”

Azula grinned that wicked grin only she could give. She sat straight, posture firm and poised. “How would you like to become one of the most feared firebenders in the world? Come with me, become my student, and I'll teach you everything I know. You'll be more powerful then you ever _dreamed_ of.” Her smirk tilted to one side, mocking. “And who knows, maybe the next time you challenge me, you won't do so poorly.”

“ _What?”_ It took a moment for Yula to formulate proper thoughts, so caught off guard was she by the 'offer'. Azula couldn't _possibly_ be serious. “You're _insane!_ Why would I ever accept something like that? From _you?”_

“Because, how else are you going to see your family again?”

“W-what?” She recoiled backwards, eyes widening. A sudden, nauseous twinge bubbled deep in her stomach. “What are you... What do you mean?”

“Your family,” Azula said. “Your mother, and dear, sweet Shayu. I imagine they've grown quite worried after not hearing from you the past couple weeks.”

“You...You're trying to trick me. My family is _dead_. You _killed_ them!”

Azula merely raised an eyebrow. “You're so sure? You saw the bodies?”

“I...” Yula thought back to when she and Kuvira had discovered her family's incinerated apartment building. The hairpin left behind had been meant to indicate Azula's involvement, and yet... no, they _hadn't_ seen any bodies. They had only assumed. “There was the fire...and the rubble. They couldn't have...”

“I'll put it simply,” Azula said. “They're alive. Your mother, your sister... Safe and unharmed. For now, at least.”

“I don't understand. Why... Why wouldn't you have killed them?” The question was an odd one, she knew. Learning that her family was still alive should have relieved her, overjoyed her, and it _did._ She couldn't figure out, though, why Azula would have only feigned their deaths, instead of outright killing them. Everything that Yula had learned about her would not have indicated that kind of mercy.

“Oh, don't get me wrong, I _wanted_ to kill them, and I almost did. But in the end, I thought they'd make better bargaining chips. If something went wrong while trying to achieve my goals, I might have needed to negotiate my way out of a tight spot with you riff raff. Of course, that didn't mean I couldn't let you _think_ they were dead. I did still need to teach you a lesson, after all, and to be honest, your anguish amused me.”

“They're...really alive?”

“Oh, yes. But I'm not sure for how much longer.”

Yula swallowed; her relief twisted into dread. “What do you mean? Where are they?”

“They're being held in a Red Lotus base fifty miles southwest of Ba Sing Se,” Azula explained. “I sent them there after I took them prisoner, and told the Red Lotus stationed there to guard them. I never did need them before I left to become Fire Lord, though, so it's only a matter of time before they wear out their welcome. Since I'm no longer with the Red Lotus, I'm not there to give the guards orders. They may end up deciding that your family is too much trouble to bother with.”

Yula held a hand over her mouth, as tears gushed out from her eyes. They were tears of an odd mix—joy, relief, grief, dread, disbelief. Her family... could it be true?

“After I finish up here and dispose of Zaheer, I plan on seeking out and eliminating the remaining Red Lotus hideous,” Azula said. “Now, I _could_ start at the one holding your family, and you _could_ come with me to see them again...”

“I could...” Yula sucked in a deep breath, steeling herself. Her throat quivered, but she steadied it. “What would I have to do?”

“Pledge your loyalty to me, and become my student. Vow to serve me however I see fit, and to defend the crown with your life, if necessity.” Azula stood from her seat, hands at her hips as she gazed down at Yula in the bed. “Do that, and your family will be safe, and well cared for. They can even stay in the royal palace with us. They'll live like queens.”

“I...” Yula paused, contemplating. She knew she shouldn't believe Azula's words, knew that this was probably just one big lie to further destroy her, and yet... She couldn't afford not to believe it. What if Azula _was_ telling the truth? If her family was alive, and she dismissed the information as mere deceit, if she had a chance to save them but didn't take it...

“It's okay, no need to decide right now. Take a night to think it out over.” Azula started towards the exit, pausing when she reached the doorway. “We're all meeting tomorrow morning in the palace war room to discuss how to deal with the Red Lotus. If you wish to accept my generous offer, then join me there. Just remember... Your family depends on your answer.”

Azula flashed one more grin, and then she was gone.

* * *

The tension within the war room could have been split with blade. On one side of the long table sat Team Avatar—Korra, Kuvira, Anraq, Toph, and Bumi. On the other side were Fire Lord Azula, Zuko, and their Fire Nation soldiers. At the head of the table, Eska and Desna sat side by side. Both twins glanced back and forth between the two opposing groups staring each other down—Team Avatar with folded arms and scowls, Azula with feet raised up on the table and a casual grin, and Zuko with a look of utter dismay.

“Well, I suppose we should begin...” Eska said, as she looked to her brother.

“Indeed...” Desna said. His gaze shifted over to the Fire Lord. “And please, no more Agni Kais until after our meeting has concluded. We just had this room renovated.”

Korra forced out a reluctant groan, then leaned her arms against table. “Alright, fine. I guess the first thing we should discuss is—”

“Hold on, Avatar.” Azula raised a hand to silence her. “Not yet.”

“Uck, what _is_ it?” Korra muttered, rubbing her fingers against the bridge of her nose.

“We're still waiting on someone.”

“ _Who?”_

“You'll see,” Azula said. “Five minutes is all I ask. If she's not here by then, we can start.”

Korra frowned, and her arms came back across her chest. “Fine, five minutes.”

Three minutes past, and still nothing changed. Zuko fidgeted in his seat with a cough, while Azula remained lounging with her feet propped up. Team Avatar continued watching her, glaring. Another minute went by, and then the large double doors of the war room swung inward. Yula stood there in the doorway, hands held together anxiously. She bowed to everyone in the room, and then made her way inside.

“I hope I'm not late,” she said.

“Yula!” Kuvira shot straight upright in her chair. “Should you be out of bed yet?”

“I'm fine...” Yula replied, as she neared the table. “Really.”

“Well, if you're sure...” Kuvira offered a gentle smile, then motioned to one of the empty chairs on their side of the table. “Take a seat, we're just about to get started.”

Yula glanced back and forth between the two groups. Her eyes flickered with apprehension, concern... She shuddered, swallowing back a nervous knot. She could feel the stares, everyone's eyes watching her, waiting. They were trying to figure out why she was taking so long, she knew.

“Yula, dear, we have a meeting to begin.” It was Azula who spoke. She sat straight in her seat now, arms set flat against the table in front of herself. “Do hurry.”

Another moment's hesitation followed, but it was brief. Yula closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath to steady herself...and then turned towards the Fire Nation side of the table. She didn't look at her friends until she had lowered herself into the empty chair right at Azula's side. The shock that she saw, the confusion, incomprehension... It broke something in her, but she didn't let it show. She sat straight, stolid.

“Yula...?” Kuvira uttered. She received no answer.

A smug, satisfied grin spread across Azula's face. “ _Now_ we can begin.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So anyone guess what was going to happen after seeing the chapter title? Did anyone expect it at all? Looks like things are changing for Yula... She's been given some hope, but at the possible cost of her loyalty. And before anyone starts asking why Azula would want to take Yula as a student, well... it's mostly because she can. It's a power play, basically, to show Team Avatar that she can get anything she wants, even one of their friends. She also wants to mold the sweet, innocent Yula into something... fiercer. Again, just because she can.
> 
> Plus, I think she just likes the idea of someone calling her "Master Azula."
> 
> And for anyone interested, here's another commission I had made, of Yula and Kuvira on a date in Ba Sing Se: 
> 
> http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/126286210498/sleepysenshi-commission-for


	48. The Hard Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Red Lotus alter their plans, while Kuvira has a meaningful discussion with Zuko.

Kuvira didn't focus much on the actual war room meeting. She only caught passing comments from the discussion—post troops at the Northern Spirit Portal in case the Red Lotus decides they want to go South, begin actively searching the city for where they might be hiding, keep the world leaders under heavy guard at all times, and other general plans. Her focus remained on Yula throughout the meeting, watching the other woman with incomprehension. She asked herself multiple questions during that time, but the most prominent was, _what in spirits name is Yula doing_?

Yula didn't return any gaze, instead staring down at the table for much of the meeting. She remained rigid in her seat, back straight against the chair and hands folded in front of herself. For the most part, her expression remained calm and indifferent, but every now and then her eyes flickered with a subtle flash of regret.

None of this made any sense. Azula had killed Yula's family, mocked her, humiliated her in an Agni Kai, injured her... And yet now Yula chose to sit at her side? Kuvira couldn't figure out the reasoning. Not only why Yula would join Azula, but why Azula would tolerate her company. Surely, the Fire Lord didn't have the kind of patience to put up with someone she deemed so much lesser than herself.

So then what was going on?

When the meeting concluded, Kuvira waited. She watched the Fire Nation side of the table get up and leave the war room. First, the Fire Nation soldiers exited through the doorway, then Zuko, and then Azula, with Yula at her side. The Fire Lord ushered the other woman along with a hand against her shoulder. Not once did either of them look back at the group still in the war room. A confused, nauseous bubble twisted in Kuvira's gut, until she couldn't stand it anymore. Bolting up from her seat, she hurried after them.

“Yula, wait!” she called. When she finally caught up to them, both Azula and Yula turned back to look at her, the former with that ever mocking grin of hers, and the latter with a nervous frown. “What are you _doing?_ With _her?”_

“Oh, Great Uniter, you worry too much,” Azula stated. “Yula here is only acting within her own best interests. Isn't that right?”

Yula glanced at Kuvira a moment, then at the Fire Lord. “Yes, Fire Lord Azula...”

“Ah, ah, ah. From now on, you'll refer to me as _Master_ Azula.”

“...yes, Master Azula.”

Kuvira recoiled, brow twisting together in confusion. “Wait... _master?_ What are you...?”

“Yula dear is my student now,” Azula claimed, giving the woman next to her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I'm going to teach her everything I know, and when I'm done with her she'll be one of the most powerful firebenders in the world.”

“But... wait, you're not... Yula, _why?”_ Kuvira couldn't put together proper thoughts. This still made no sense. Why would Yula willingly accept being taught by the person who had killed her family? “I don't know what you think you have to do, but this... you don't have to do _this.”_

“Of course she doesn't _have_ to, but she _wants_ to.” Azula grinned, then took a step forward and glared straight into Kuvira's eyes. “She realized something after she fought me, you see. She realized that she was never going to accomplish anything with you. You're holding her back, keeping her from reaching her full potential. You're too _soft._ Me, on the other hand? I won't be soft with her. I'm going to _harden_ her. I'm going to make her _great.”_

Kuvira swallowed, turning her gaze towards Yula. The younger woman immediately averted her gaze, staring down at the floor. “You can't be serious. Yula, she... This is the woman who killed your family.”

“Well, you know what they say,” Azula said, curling her smirk wider across her face. “If you can't beat them, join them.”

“Yula, _please._..” Kuvira uttered. “You're our _friend._ We need you with us.”

And then, Yula finally answered her. “No... you don't need me. I'm useless as I am now... just a burden.”

“Well said, Yula dear.” Azula chuckled, and then turned her new student around to continue down the corridor. “Now, come along. We have preparations to make, and then we'll begin your training right away.”

Kuvira was left standing there, watching them leave with her mouth hanging open. She tried to run after them again, or say something, but she felt frozen, immobile. The anxious knot in her stomach twisted harder. Yula hadn't been her friend for that long, and yet seeing her leave now... Kuvira felt as though she'd lost a piece of herself. Had she been _that_ poor a friend, to push Yula away? Was this her own fault? Had she hurt Yula more than she realized, after their breakup?

Those thoughts continued rotating through her mind, until a gentle touch called her back to reality. She blinked, turning her head to see Korra standing there. “Oh... hey.”

“Are you alright?” Korra asked.

“Yeah, I'm... I don't know. I'm confused.”

“You're not the only one.” Korra looked down the corridor; by now, the Fire Nation procession had vanished around the corner. “Did she say why?”

Kuvira lifted a hand to her forehead, sighing. “Not really... _maybe._ I don't know. Something isn't right, though. Yula would _never_ willingly submit herself to Azula like that.”

“We'll figure it out. I promise.” Korra reached down to hold one of Kuvira's hands. She gave it a tight, reassuring squeeze. “We aren't going to give up on her.”

Kuvira returned the squeeze. The feel of Korra's fingers wrapped against hers... It gave her comfort. It gave her strength. “Thanks.”

A short moment later, Anraq walked up on the couple. He stood next to them with his arms folded, and huffed out a deep breath. “So... I'd say that meeting went... well. Wouldn't you?” When he received no reply, he sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I didn't think so either. You find out what happened with Yula?”

“No,” Kuvira said, with a shrug. “But I think I'd rather talk about something else right now. I still need time to... digest it.”

“Right, I hear you.”

Korra glanced back at him with a curious stare. “So... you and my cousins have been pretty close the past couple days. How are things... _going_ with that, exactly?”

“Oh, just _swimmingly,”_ Anraq muttered. “I mean, don't get me wrong, I think they _mean_ well. It's just they're so...”

“Creepy? Yeah, I know, they've always been that way.”

“Well, I was going to say _insistent,”_ Anraq replied, “but sure, that works, too.”

“You know you don't have to let them make you do anything you don't want to do, right?” Korra said. “Even if they are the chieftains.”

Anraq nodded. “Oh, I know. Trust me, I can handle them.”

Not two seconds later, the twins marched out of the war room and approached Anraq, one on either side of him. They both grabbed one of his wrists, and then began to pull him down the corridor.

“Come, we wish to show you around the city,” Desna stated.

“I believe you will enjoy the armory,” Eska said. “It is very romantic.”

Anraq didn't bother struggling, instead quickening his pace to keep up with them. Glancing back over his shoulder, he shrugged and said, “Uh, guess I'm going to the armory. See you later.”

When they were gone, Kuvira blinked back at Korra. “He's doomed, isn't he?”

Korra sighed. “Certainly doesn't look good.”

* * *

A pair of metal police cables pierced into the side of the icy cliff wall, then reeled in the man attached to them. Uhara flipped himself through the air with his momentum to land inside the cave. Zaheer and Avan waited for him inside, huddled in front of a small fire for warmth.

“Alright, we have a problem,” he said.

Zaheer narrowed a concerned stare. “Did something go wrong getting our members into the city?”

“No, that went off without a hitch,” he replied. “We have them hiding out in the ice caverns beneath the city, awaiting command. The problem is that the North has had some unexpected visitors.”

“What kind of visitors?”

“The damn _Fire Lord_.” The response came from outside the cave. A pair of ice hooks rose into view, embedding into the ledge. Yuruk pulled himself up a moment later, crawling into the cave with a grumble. He shot a glare towards Uhara. “Show off...” After straightening himself back to his feet, he looked to Zaheer again. “And not just the Fire Lord, but Lord Zuko, as well as a whole squadron of Fire Nation soldiers.”

Uhara nodded. “It seems they know we're here.”

“I see...” Zaheer held a hand to his chin, and stared into the fire. “This may not actually be a problem at all. We'd be going after the Fire Lord eventually anyway, but if she and her father are here, then it saves us a trip to the Fire Nation. We'll still need to track down her son later, to assure he doesn't become Fire Lord afterwards, but that will be simpler.”

Yuruk twisted a frown onto his face. “Uh, yeah, sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not quite accurate.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Izumi isn't here.” When Zaheer's gaze became questioning, Yuruk further elaborated. “There's a new Fire Lord, and you're not going to like who it is.”

Zaheer didn't need him to explain, though. He knew. “Aoi...” He'd had a feeling that something like this would happen after they never found her, and after a large portion of the Red Lotus disappeared. Yuruk had been correct when he said that it wasn't a coincidence.

“Sure looked like her,” Yuruk said. “I mean, I couldn't exactly get close, but who else would it be?”

“So, this was her plan the entire time...” Zaheer crossed his fingers in front of his mouth, still staring into the fire. Aoi had used them from the start.

Avan looked to him. “What do you want to do?”

“Our plans will continue as usual,” he said. “But our first target has changed. We're going after the Fire Lord.”

* * *

“No, no, that's all _wrong!”_ Azula shouted. “Get up and do it again. And get it _right_ this time!”

Yula swallowed, and pushed herself back up to her feet. The technique that Azula had started her off with was exceptionally difficult to pull off. The footwork alone tripped her up, never mind the hand motions. Keeping her breathing controlled enough to perfect her flames proved to be almost impossible for someone of her skill level. Regardless, Azula pushed her to do it. No excuses.

“Yes, Master Azula.” Yula took in a deep breath and then walked through the set again. This time, she went slower, but her form didn't falter as badly as before. Her feet did stumble, but she didn't fall.

Azula frowned, shifting her weight to one side with her arms folded. “Better. Not _good_ , but better. Do it again. You're going to run through this until you've perfected it.”

A short distance away, near the edge of the courtyard, Zuko watched closely. Azula was far tougher on Yula than he would consider appropriate, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He could pull his sister aside, try to talk her down, try to make her go easier on her new student... But in the end, he knew it wouldn't have an effect. When Azula set her mind to something, no one could talk her out of it, not even him. _Especially_ not him, at least not at this stage. He needed more time with her, to figure her out. She was the same as she had been all those years ago, and yet at the same time, different. Until he learned more about her secrets, what kept her young... The best he could do was try to mitigate any damage she might do.

“Lord Zuko?”

The voice pulled his attention away from Azula and Yula. When he saw Kuvira standing next to him, he hummed out quietly and brought his hands together. “Kuvira.”

“I was wondering... if I might speak with you, please?” She glanced over at the center of the courtyard. Yula messed up her footwork, and Azula yelled at her to do it again. “In private?”

Zuko exhaled a heavy sigh, then gave a slow nod. “Very well.”

* * *

Kuvira kept her attention focused down at the floor, as she and Zuko made their way through the palace corridors. Not only was she concentrated on her thoughts, but she didn't feel as though she had a right to look the former Fire Lord in the eyes. She could sense an air of caution emanating from him, the same kind that she felt from so many who still viewed her unfavorably.

“What did you wish to speak with me about?” he asked. “I'd say we're sufficiently in private now.”

“Well...” She hesitated. There _was_ something in particular she wanted to ask him, and yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she began the conversation to a more immediate concern. “It's about Yula. Do you have any idea why she went with your sister? Or why Azula would even want to train her? I tried asking about it, but... I didn't anything out of her.”

Zuko raised a hand to his beard, eyes narrowing. “I'm afraid I don't know anything about it. I've actually been trying to figure out myself. There's no logical reason why your friend would want to become the student of the person who killed her family. I assume that some time between now and yesterday they must have spoken, yet I don't have any idea what about. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.”

He paused a moment, bringing his arms across his chest. “What I _can_ speculate is why Azula made this play in the first place. It's likely simply because she can, to show you that she can get whatever she wants, even one of your friends. I know my sister better than anyone. I know what she's capable of, and how manipulative and spiteful she can be. That's why I came with her here, to do what I can to placate her. So far, though, I haven't had much luck.”

“And there's nothing else you can do about her? No way to remove her from power?”

“I'm afraid not,” Zuko said, with a shake of his head. “I could certainly _try_ , but the end result would likely be disastrous. She acquired the crown fairly and legally. As far as the Fire Nation is concerned, that's good enough. Furthermore, she's already acquiring the support of the people by pledging to eliminate the Red Lotus. It makes challenging her politically a messy affair, and as for challenging her _physically._..”

He sighed, staring down at the floor. “I have yet to see what she's capable of now, but she already defeated my daughter with ease in an Agni Kai. Izumi is one of the strongest firebenders in our entire nation, and from the way she spoke about her fight with Azula...” His eyes closed, expression sinking. “I fear my sister may be the most powerful firebender in the world right now. In spite of the things she's done, and how she is... we're stuck with her, unless we can figure out something else.”

Kuvira frowned. “I don't suppose anything comes to mind?”

“No, nothing.”

“I see...” The news only further dampened Kuvira's spirits. Not only had Yula fallen over to Azula's side, but they had no plan of action to deal with the situation. Even Lord Zuko was at a loss.

“Was there anything else you needed?” he asked.

“Oh, no, I...” She closed her eyes and huffed. No, now wasn't the time to lose her resolve. “Just, one thing... I understand that, back in your day, you and Avatar Aang started out as enemies?”

Zuko lifted an eyebrow at her, before a gentle look of understanding came to his face. “Ah... Yes, that is true. And, to be honest, putting it lightly.”

“But then you became friends...”

“Yes, much like you and Korra, as I've seen.”

“It wasn't just Aang and his friends, though,” she said, finally willing herself to look up at him. His gaze wasn't as critical as she expected. Rather, it seemed empathetic. “In spite of everything you did back then, the people saw you differently. They saw that you changed, and... they accepted you. _How?”_

He watched her a moment, studying her. “It wasn't easy, and it didn't happen overnight. In spite of what you may have heard, people didn't just magically forgive the things I'd done, and many of them never forgot. I suffered through resistance, assassination attempts, ridicule, disdain... Everything you could imagine, pretty much. In the end, though, many of those same people who never trusted me—who _hated_ me—came to realize that I had changed, and that I was trying my best to help better the world, to steer the Fire Nation onto a different path, one of peace.”

“So, you were able to redeem yourself...” Kuvira looked back down at the floor, head hanging. “Is there hope for _me_ , do you think?”

“There's hope for anyone, if they truly desire to change.”

Kuvira frowned. “I _know_ I've changed, and I've made some good friends in the process, friends who treat me well, but... the people? Everyone I've hurt? I've done too much to hope for their forgiveness. It feels like every time I try to better myself, I fail, and just end up hurting more.”

Zuko tilted his gaze, studying her closer. “Sounds to me like you've yet to forgive yourself.”

“I've _tried._.. more times than I care to remember. In the end, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. Any chance I had at being anything other than the Great Uniter in the eyes of the world disappeared a long time ago. As long as that's all I am to people, as long as they can't forgive me, what right do I have to forgive myself? It would be... selfish. Inconsiderate to all the lives I destroyed.”

“We are our own worst critics, Kuvira,” he replied. His gaze grew long, distant, as if he were thinking of a time long ago. “I did many things in my early years that I regret. I hurt a great many people, even betrayed the one person closest to me. I was at conflict with myself over my actions for a long time. I was _angry_ at myself, afraid that I no longer knew right from wrong... I didn't know what I wanted anymore.” 

A deep sigh exhaled from his lips. He closed his eyes. “I came to realize, though, that as long as I had this turmoil inside myself, I would never be at peace. Forgiving ourselves for our actions is often the most difficult thing to do, but it is necessary before we can begin to heal.” 

He looked back to her, his expression calm. There was no resentment in his eyes, or caution, or concern—only understanding. “Honor, redemption, forgiveness... These aren't things that anyone is going to simply hand you. They're things you have to earn yourself, by choosing to do what is right. If you are sincere, if you are at peace with yourself, if you  _ truly _ wish to make a positive difference... The people will see that, and your redemption will follow.”

Kuvira said nothing. What _could_ she say? Everything that Zuko had just said... It churned her thoughts with so many different conflicting emotions she could hardly think straight. She wasn't sure if she felt at ease with his reassurances, or more self-doubting than ever.

Zuko stepped forward, and now held a comforting hand to her shoulder. “I believe it's time you take a close look inward and ask yourself the hard questions. Who _are_ you? What do _you_ want?”

“I... I don't know,” she uttered, eyes closing tight. “That's what I've been trying to figure out for the past five years. I _know_ I want to be better, I _know_ I want to redeem myself, but I don't know _how._ It just... It seems so impossible sometimes, like it's my _destiny_ to fail, to hurt people, to ruin lives... It's all I ever seem to do.”

“One day, you'll figure it out,” Zuko assured. “And when that happens, everything else will click into place. You may think that your destiny is already written, that you can never rise up to be better than you were, but there's a funny thing about destiny that someone very close to me once said. It isn't set in stone. You never know just how things are going to turn out, but if you keep an open mind and an open heart, you will discover what your destiny truly is. I think you may be surprised at where it leads you.”

Kuvira pinched her fingers against her eyes, and sank back against the wall behind her. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It couldn't be further from simple. You will struggle, and you will fight, and will you _fail_ , many times. But if you persevere, there is nothing that can stop you from becoming the person you _want_ to be.”

She couldn't think of a response. All she could bring herself to do was lower her hand and stare at the floor, shamefully avoiding eye contact.

“I should be getting back,” Zuko said, with a sigh. “Azula will be wondering where I've gone, and I don't want to give her cause to take out any of her annoyances on your friend. Think about what I've said, though. One day, you'll understand.”

When Zuko was gone, Kuvira sank down to the floor and tucked her knees up to her chest. She sat like that for a few minutes, staring down at her feet. In all her years, she had never felt more alone than that moment—alone with her thoughts, her concerns, her confusion, her own inner turmoil... It ate at her, mocked her, _berated_ her. Eventually, she dropped her face against her knees and hugged her arms around herself, shrinking down into as small a form as she could manage.

What she wouldn't give to be able to disappear...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is, Kuvira's talk with Zuko. Out of all the talks she's had, this was by far the hardest to write... mostly because I couldn't figure out how to get it right. There were so many different things to cover, and I'm still not happy with how it turned out, but in the end I feel it's the talk that will help her more than others. It helps when your old mentor was Uncle Iroh, so you can pass on that wisdom.
> 
> And in other news, Anraq has no idea just how deep in the hole he is. He'll figure it out... Maybe.


	49. This Could Be Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira contemplates what she wants for her future, and the Red Lotus make their move against Azula.

Kuvira shivered as a cold ripple tingled down her spine. She probably should have put on a coat before deciding to linger outside on one of the palace balconies, but she was too lost in her thoughts now to care. A small stack of crinkled documents fluttered in her hands, stricken by a gentle breeze. She held them firm, though, unwilling to let the wind take them. This was the first time she had looked at these papers, ever since she took them from Su after that fateful night in Zaofu. She could still feel the confusion and astonishment that she'd felt when Su had presented them to her. Looking at them now did nothing to make her feel differently.

 _Adoption papers_... Something she would have given anything for when she was a girl. To be a Beifong, an official, accepted member of their family... It was a dream she'd had many times, one she never thought would come true. It _could_ come true, though, if only she could bring herself to sign her name at the bottom of the first page. Then, it _would_ be official, at least once the papers were filed back in Zaofu. She would be _Kuvira Beifong_. And yet...

Her gaze fell on Suyin's signature, at the top of the page. Nausea twisted in her gut when she saw it, and she folded the papers in half. No, no she couldn't... She owed Suyin too much to taint her memory, and the legacy of her family. She could never be a Beifong now.

“Hey, what's that?”

Kuvira jolted at the voice, and immediately stuffed the papers back into her robe. When she turned around, Korra was standing there to greet her. “Oh, uh, nothing. It's... nothing.”

“Well, okay...” Korra took a step next to Kuvira and leaned against the balcony railing. Her gaze lifted up to the sky above, watching the spirit lights dance their colors across a bright, half-moon. “So, what are you doing out here? It's pretty late.”

“I couldn't sleep,” she said, with a sigh. “I've been...thinking about things.”

“Yeah, same...” Korra's focus drifted downward, and her expression sank.

“You alright?”

“I don't know... I just can't help but worry that maybe we were wrong. Maybe the Red Lotus _didn't_ come North.” She paused, and wrapped her arms around herself. “What if they went South? My _dad_ is the chief down there. And they wouldn't stop at him. My mom...”

“Hey, it's okay.” Kuvira moved closer, and held an arm around Korra's shoulders. “Your parents are fine. If something had happened down South, we'd have heard about it by now. It's only a quick trip through the Spirit Portals, after all.”

Korra moved into the hold, allowing Kuvira's arm to pull her in tighter. “Maybe, but... I can't help it. It's just a feeling I have in my gut. If something _did_ happen, we wouldn't know about it until it was too late. If anything happened to my parents...”

“Hey, hey...” Kuvira reached out with her other hand now, and gently brushed back a loose strand of hair out of Korra's face. “Everything will be alright, I promise. Whatever you need, whatever you want to do, I'm with you.”

“Thanks.” Korra smiled, but let her gaze turn away. Her eyes sharpened. “I don't know if I want to head South yet. If the Red Lotus is _here_ , then I can't just leave... Ugh, I hate not knowing. I _hate_ being in the dark, and I _hate_ always being one step behind Zaheer.”

“Korra, look at me.” When their eyes met, Kuvira held both her hands to Korra's cheeks—gentle, reassuring. “We _will_ stop him. Together, no matter what.”

“I know...” Korra breathed out a sigh, then lifted one of her hands to join Kuvira's. “The only question is, how much more damage will he cause before we do?”

Kuvira nodded slowly, pulling away. She knew Korra had a point; Zaheer had already caused so much pain, so much suffering. There was no telling how much more he could do before they finally took him down. Another shiver ran down her spine. She hugged her arms around herself and glanced back towards the balcony doors. “It's getting a little chilly out here. You want to head back inside?”

Korra followed her gaze, then gave a light smile. “Yeah, I'd like that.”

They remained quiet as they walked back up the stairs, towards the guest floor. They didn't need to say anything, though. Just being in each other's company was enough to ease their thoughts. Kuvira glanced at Korra every now and then. Korra would return the looks only to find that Kuvira had already turned away again. They played this little game of tag for several minutes, before it finally ended with a pair of mutual chuckles and gentle nudges.

As they neared the top of the stairs, Korra abruptly slowed her pace, holding a hand to her chest. She winced, and sank to her knees, breaths wheezing out with uneven gasps. “Hold on...I need to stop.”

Kuvira immediately sank down to her side, a concerned hand held to her shoulder. “What's wrong? Is it your heart?”

“I...I don't know,” she uttered. “It doesn't hurt, but... It's fluttering, like... I can't explain it. I just feel...weak.” She winced again, this time harder, with an audible groan. “I think I need to lie down.”

“Alright, we're almost at your room.” Without a second thought, Kuvira reached down and scooped Korra up into her arms. Then, she carried her down the corridor. “I got you.”

Kuvira shoved the bedroom door open, then hurriedly made her way over to the bed. Korra had stopped shuddering, which was a good sign, but her breaths were still raspy and uneven. A lingering feeling of dread began to squirm in the back of Kuvira's head. There was no telling what this episode could mean Korra's health, but it couldn't be good.

Korra huffed out a deep breath when she sat back on the mattress. She closed her eyes, fingers gripping the bedsheets. Gradually, her breathing began to steady, and her discomfort settled.

“You okay?” Kuvira asked, sitting next to her on the bed.

“Yeah... I think I'm starting to feel a little better,” she replied. “I don't know what that was.”

“Maybe Anraq wasn't able to strengthen your heart after all...” Kuvira muttered. The thought worried her. She hated seeing Korra in pain, especially when there was nothing she could do to help. “Do you need anything? Water, or another blanket, maybe?”

“No, I'm okay,” Korra said, offering an appreciative smile. “But thank you. Really.”

“Alright.” Kuvira held her gaze longer than she meant to. She watched Korra, stared into her eyes. Her heart thumped against her chest, and a sudden warmth raced from her heart up into her cheeks. Finally, she looked away and stood up. “So, I'll just...leave you to get some sleep now.” With a nod, she turned to walk away.

“ _Wait.”_

The feel of Korra's hand grasping her wrist stopped her. It wasn't a firm hold. Rather, it was gentle, tender. It was the longing in that touch, the _need_ , that gave her pause. That, and the desire in Korra's tone. Kuvira swallowed, felt an anxious knot twist into her throat. Her heart thumped faster, and her stomach churned. She allowed Korra to pull her back, and again sat next to her on the bed.

“...what is it?” she asked. There was hesitation in her voice, but not of the cautious nature. It was drawn from hope, and uncertainty.

“I...” Korra breathed deep, then slid her hand down from Kuvira's wrist and interlocked their fingers together. “I'd like it if you stayed.”

“If I...stayed?”

“Yes. I...” Korra looked her in the eyes again, but this time it was different. There were different emotions there, stronger ones. There was longing, passion, desire...love?

It set Kuvira's heart alight.

Korra lifted her hands to Kuvira's face and leaned inward, pressed herself close against her. When their lips joined together, an intense warmth surged through Kuvira's chest. In that moment, everything seemed right. All her doubts, all her worries, and regrets, and fears... They all vanished. There was only Korra.

Kuvira brought her hands down to Korra's waist. The touch was tentative at first, but soon she gained the confidence to fully wrap her arms around. She pulled Korra closer, returned the kiss with equal fervor. For the first time in years, she felt truly safe, truly at peace, truly _happy._ This wasn't just a distraction, just a way to avoid her problems. It wasn't just a random fling. This felt _real_ , and she never wanted it to end.

Still, she forced herself to pull away. She gasped, breathless, and held her forehead against Korra's. Her heart had jumped up into her throat now, but in the best possible way. “Wait...Korra...” She swallowed, pausing for a second as she savored the lingering taste of the other woman's lips. “This is... I mean...are you sure?”

Korra closed her eyes, thinking. A stuttering, hesitant breath brushed past her lips. When she opened her eyes again, the desire in them sharpened, renewed. “Yes” was all she could force out, before lunging forward with another kiss.

This time, they fell to the bed. Kuvira shifted onto her backside, and Korra poised over her, legs mounted on either side of her hips. Hands began exploring bodies—touching, fondling, diving beneath clothing. Their kiss broke briefly. Kuvira gasped with delight as Korra's fingers traveled deeper beneath her clothes, against her bare flesh. Soon, though, her own hands elicited the same pleasured response from the Avatar.

The look on Korra's face, the twist of enjoyment and satisfaction... It ignited something in Kuvira. With a single, fluid motion, she flipped herself over and reversed their positions. Now, clothes began to disappear. Her hands worked quickly, frantically, to remove Korra's shirt. It took every ounce of willpower not to simply tear it off. When the shirt was gone, the pants followed.

Before Kuvira could undress her any further, Korra leaned up to do the same to her. Armor, robe, pants—they couldn't come off fast enough. Lips locked together again. Hands caressed bare skin. A shiver of pleasure, a gasp of delight... The world seemed to stand still. Kuvira wasn't entirely sure when her undergarments disappeared, but she didn't dwell on it. She fell closer to Korra, down to the mattress, arms wrapped around each other.

After so many years longing for Korra, loving her, wanting her... Kuvira felt vindicated. Finally, after so long, her feelings weren't just one-sided. It was everything she ever could have hoped it to be, and more. Now, she knew.

This was love. This was real.

This could be forever.

* * *

Azula grumbled aloud, folding her arms across her chest. “ _Pitiful_ , Yula. You couldn't even get that _one_ form right without messing up.”

Yula bowed her head, following dutifully behind her teacher as they made their way from the palace. They marched along the walkways next to the city canals, alone. Zuko and the Fire Nation soldiers had been sent back to the airship earlier. “I'm sorry, Master Azula... I'm trying.”

“Don't _apologize.”_ Azula shot her a cold look. “Apologies are for the _weak._ Just try harder next time, and stop screwing up.”

“Yes, Master Azula...”

As the pair crossed over a bridge towards the other side of the canal, a dark flicker surged through the night. Azula caught sight of the movement out the corner of her eye. She ducked low and pushed Yula out of the way, seconds before a barrage of ice blades skewered the air where she'd been standing. A spiraling wave of water then burst up from the canal and crashed down at her. She flipped herself backwards to safety across the bridge.

“Oh my, aren't I the popular one?” Azula said, lowered into a perfect bending stance. Multiple figures emerged from the shadows of nearby buildings—a dozen, all dressed in red and black uniforms. “So, the Red Lotus finally comes out to play. Still relying on numbers and sneak attacks, I see. Fitting, for cowards.”

Yula took a careful step backwards, staring at the Red Lotus with frantic eyes. “W-what do we do?”

“ _We_ do nothing,” she replied. _“I'll_ take them on. You should probably run. You'll just get in my way.”

“But Master—“

“Didn't you hear me? I said _go!”_

Yula stumbled a moment as she turned to flee. When she regained her balance, she took off in a sprint down the length of the canals, heading back towards the palace.

“So then,” Azula said, focusing on the converging group of enemies. “Who's first?”

A feeling like fire raked across her backside, tearing open her shirt and drawing blood. She growled out a mix of pain and annoyance as she slid herself backwards and turned around. Another figure stood behind her, up atop one of the nearby building rooftops. The man held his arm up, and seconds later a clawed metal hand returned to him, resetting on his wrist.

“How about me?” he said.

“Oh, Avan... How good of you to show up.” Azula shifted her stance around, one arm pointed at Avan, and the other at the Red Lotus on the other side of her. “I was hoping for Zaheer, but I suppose you'll have to do.”

“Your betrayal of the Red Lotus cannot go unpunished, Aoi. You threw away our ideals and became the very thing we strive to overthrow. You _know_ what that means.”

“Yes, I do.” A grin spread across her face. “The only question is, which one of you dies first?”

* * *

Anraq poked his head out the doorway and glanced both ways down the corridor. No sign of anyone— good. Not that he expected to run into anyone this late, but still, he couldn't be too careful. He took a brief glance back over his shoulder into the bedroom, then slipped out and shut the door behind him. Of course, his discretion here was entirely pointless; everyone would know come tomorrow. Still, the longer he could stave off that awkwardness, the better.

“Anraq!”

He jumped at the voice, stiffening straight and forcing his eyes shut. Damn, so close. With a sigh, he turned around to face the figure running towards him down the hallway. It was time for the first of multiple awkward conversations, he was sure. When he saw who it was, however, his apprehension turned to confusion.

“Yula?” he said, lifting an eyebrow. He almost didn't recognize her, with the new outfit. Rather than her usual green and yellow Ba Sing Se garb, she now wore Fire Nation red and gold.

“Oh thank the spirits.” Yula doubled over when she reached him, hands on her knees, and breaths puffing out her lungs. “I thought I wasn't going to find _anyone._ Even the guards... It's like they all vanished!”

Anraq pursed his lips, and brought a hand up to rub his chin—well, Yula didn't seem to notice. No point in bringing it up. “Uh, hey. What's going on?”

“It's the Red Lotus!”

“ _What?”_ His expression hardened, on edge. If the Red Lotus had shown themselves, they had to be stopped. It also meant he might get a chance to deal with Yuruk. “Where?”

“Not far from the palace,” she replied. She sucked in a deep breath and straightened herself, then started tugging at Anraq to follow. “They're attacking the Fire Lord!”

“Wait, hold on.” Anraq lowered his brow into a glare and pulled his hand back. “They're attacking the _Fire Lord_... and you want me to help?”

“Y-yes?” she said. “Of course I do!”

“This is the girl who killed your family, shot me with lightning, nearly ended the Avatar Cycle, was responsible for Asami almost dying... _Why_ do you want to help her, exactly?”

“I... I can't say.” Yula closed her eyes, hands tugging at her hair. “I wish I could, but... Look, we can't just let the Red Lotus succeed, right? Even if it is Azula they're going after. This is the whole reason we're here! We _have_ to stop them!”

Anraq grumbled out a sigh. As much as this didn't sit well with him, he knew that Yula had a point. No matter who the Red Lotus was attacking, they were _still_ the Red Lotus. “Fine... Should I get the others?”

“There's no time!” she said, already running back down the hallway. “It already took me long enough just to find _you._ If we don't hurry, we could be too late!”

“Alright.” Anraq chased after her, eyes sharp. He was ready. “Let's teach these Red Lotus bastards a lesson.”

* * *

Azula jumped back across the bridge. A massive brick of ice smashed into the ground where she'd been standing only seconds before. It exploded on impact, releasing frozen shrapnel in all directions. She spun a dome of fire around herself to melt the ice, then slid further backwards to avoid a crashing water whip. Her injured shoulder throbbed, but she ignored it. She couldn't afford to let a little pain slow her down.

“You're smart, I'll give you that. Coming after me at night, when I'm weaker...” Azula jabbed out a pair of counter blasts. The bright blue flames incinerated an incoming ice boulder. “And with _waterbenders._ Too bad it's still not enough.”

It didn't matter how much stronger waterbenders became at night, or how much weaker firebenders were. The discrepancy in their power was far too great for a little trickery to overcome. Azula charged a shot of lightning at her fingertips, turning her body at the same time to avoid a cutting line of ice across the ground. Her eyes narrowed at a target, and then she fired. The Red Lotus goon screamed as the lightning coursed through his body and fried him down to the bone. In seconds, he flopped to the ground, smoking.

A whirling lattice of cutting water followed, racing across the bridge at her. She narrowed her eyes at the attack, but stood her ground. At just the right moment, she flipped herself into the air, spun around with flames billowing at her heels, and then kicked out both legs to expel an enormous jet of fire. The water burst apart into nothing more than steam, and when the flames struck the bridge, it exploded. Two more Red Lotus were caught in the blast; their screams were shrill, harsh, but quickly silenced as the flames incinerated them.

She saw the metal hand too late. Even as she twisted her body to the side, the claws cut down along her ribs and her back. She grunted, holding a hand to the wound. The flow of blood beneath her fingers was steady, but not unmanageable. It did, however, slow her to the point where she couldn't completely dodge the ice spike that flew up from the ground. She leaned backwards, but the point sliced across her chest and up to her neck. The cut was shallow, but only by a hair's breadth; any closer and she could have lost her throat.

Avan leaped down from the rooftop. He marched towards her, arms clasped behind his back. “You may be skilled, but you're still only one person. Even you can't take all of us alone.”

Azula frowned, watching as the remaining Red Lotus congregated around the former Dai Li commander. She began calculating how best to take them out. A couple concentrated fireballs at the center of the group should do some damage. For as smart as their plan was, they made a mistake sending Avan. With no earth around, all he had was that metal hand of his. They would have been far better off sending Yuruk. Oh well, no point complaining about it.

She slid a small step backwards, reforming her stance. As she did, she noticed movement coming from the left of the Red Lotus. Her eyebrow raised, and she glanced towards it. Well now, how fortunate. “Oh, I'm sure I could if I had to. But it looks like I don't.”

Avan's brow twisted with confusion, but before he could react, a tidal wave lifted up from the canal. The Red Lotus waterbenders worked quickly to freeze it, but the moment they did, the ice erupted in a cutting blast of frozen blades. They scattered, yelling and covering their heads as they went. Avan pushed one of his own men in front of himself to take the hit, then ran back into the shadows. The Red Lotus that could still stand after the attack stumbled around on their feet, trying to gain their bearings.

Azula didn't give them the chance. She leaped up onto the remains of the bridge and punched both fists forwards. A meteor-sized blast of fire erupted from her knuckles and struck the center of the group, destroying the entire side of the canal. When the smoke and flames cleared, the only thing left was a gaping hole in the icy walkway.

“Well,” she stated, planting a hand firmly on her hip. “That was fun.”

“You're _welcome_ , by the way.” Anraq approached, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Yes, yes, your assistance is appreciated.” Azula jumped off the crumbling bridge and landed next to him. “Entirely _unnecessary_ , but appreciated nonetheless.”

Yula ran forward, coming to her teacher's side. “Master Azula, you're bleeding!”

“Oh, it's just a few scratches. I'll be fine.”

“Can you heal her?” Yula glanced back at Anraq, a pleading look in her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow at her. _“Excuse_ me?”

“Well, _can_ you?” Azula asked.

“ _Hmph...”_ Anraq waved an arm through the air and called a bubble of water around his hand. _“Fine.”_

Azula chuckled and turned her back to him. With a few quick flicks of her fingers, she unclasped the straps at the front of her outfit and allowed the top to drop from her shoulders. Several long gashes marred her flesh—three at her shoulder, and two along her rib cage and lower back. “Do be gentle.”

Anraq blinked, then smacked his palm against his forehead with a groan. _“Seriously?_ You're not wearing _any_ support?”

“What? It's built into my uniform.”

“Ugh...” He grumbled quietly to himself, as he raised his hand to her shoulder. The water around his fingers glowed, and began to heal the cuts.

“Hmm,” she muttered, glancing back at him. “You're...Anraq, isn't that right?”

“Yup.”

“The one I shot with lightning?”

“ _...yup.”_

Her gaze tilted further over her shoulder, eyes narrowing in contemplation. “Didn't you have a _beard_ this morning?”

Anraq flinched. He cleared his throat, then absently reached up his free to hand to stroke his clean-shaven jaw. “Yeah, so I shaved, what's your point?”

“Oh nothing... Just a good look for you, is all,” she said. “I must say, though, I am impressed. Not just by your skill, but that you managed to survive my lightning. And you can _bloodbend_ , too. Fascinating.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“What if I were too offer you the chance to work for me?” she asked, with a subtle smile. “I could use a competent bodyguard, and having a waterbender around could have its...advantages.”

Anraq frowned at her, then moved his healing water lower down her back. “I'd tell you you're insane, and to go screw yourself.”

“Oh, Annie,” she cooed. “That's no way to speak to the Fire Lord.”

A reflexive cringe ran through his body, causing him to drop his water. He scowled, and his hands tightened to fists. “Don't _call_ me that!”

“My, someone's touchy about nicknames,” Azula muttered. “Fine, then.”

Anraq inhaled a calming breath, then recalled the water to his hand so he could continue healing her. “You know, I used to read stories about you to my daughter.”

“Oh really now, you have a daughter?” Azula's brow lifted with intrigue. “So you're married then? What a shame.”

“ _Had_ a daughter...” he said. His tone grew softer, quieter. “And no, I was never married.”

“ _Had?_ My, that is tragic.” Azula pressed a finger to her lips, thinking. “So, what stories were these, exactly? I can only imagine what the history books are saying about me.”

“I'm pretty sure you can guess... She was terrified of you. Fascinated, but in a morbidly curious way. She liked being scared like that.”

Azula chuckled. “Well, sounds like your daughter had excellent sense. She _should_ have feared me. _Everyone_ should.”

“Yeah, well, she was also so sure that there was good in you...” He glanced up at her, meeting her gaze. Her eyes teamed with amusement, mockery. “Just the naivety of a child, though. Knowing now that _you're_ Azula... I find that sentiment pretty hard to believe.”

“Well, don't believe everything you read. After all, I _am_ helping you with your little Red Lotus problem, aren't I? And I only have the best interests of my people in mind.”

“So you say. I see right through you, though. We _all_ do. You have another motive for all this.”

“Oh really, and what's that?”

Anraq stared at her a moment longer, then finally looked away. He moved his hand up to her ribs to continue healing. “We'll figure it out. And when we do, we'll be there to stop you.”

“That sounded like a threat,” Azula said, lowering her brow. “Anraq, are you threatening the Fire Lord?”

“Just making a promise.”

“ _Hmph_. Shouldn't make promises you can't keep.”

Anraq remained silent. There was no point in continuing the conversation; chances were, he'd just become more frustrated. Instead, he focused on his work, healing Azula's gashes until they were little more than faded lines across her skin. He tried to hide his discomfort when she turned around so he could heal the cut on her chest, but at the very least she had the decency to cover herself. When he was finished, he tossed the water back into the canal and waved at her to put her clothes back on.

“There, I'm done. You can get back to your airship now.”

Azula took a moment to look herself over. Satisfied, she gave a nod of approval and then clasped her Fire Lord robes back into place. “Excellent work. Yula, I believe it's time to go.”

Yula hurried to her side. “Yes, Master Azula.”

“And Anraq,” she said, as she and Yula began to depart, “should you come to your senses and decide you want to play for the winning team, my offer still stands.”

“Yeah, don't hold your breath,” he shot back.

Azula merely flashed him a grin, and winked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, no more teases. Korvira has happened!
> 
> Actually, it wasn't supposed to happen yet. I was supposed to keep drawing it out, but then I guess my hand slipped while I was writing that scene and.... Well, you can see the end result.
> 
> And we got some action from Azula this chapter, too. Who doesn't enjoy seeing our flawless Fire Lord blowing up some baddies? When in doubt, nuke 'em with fireballs.


	50. How To Interrogate a Coward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Kuvira discuss their mutual feelings for one another, Anraq's secret with Eska and Desna comes out, and Azula interrogates a Red Lotus captive.

Kuvira bellowed out a lengthy yawn, and stretched out her arms as she awoke the next morning. For a brief moment, she almost forgot where she was, or what had happened last night. The feel of another pair of arms wrapped around her waist brought the memories pouring back. Korra's bed; _that's_ where she was. A night filled with passion and bliss... _That's_ what had happened.

She remained lying there, not wanting to disturb Korra. She could let the Avatar sleep in just a little while longer. Feeling the hold around her waist, the gentle rise and fall of Korra's chest against her back, the steady, warm breath at her neck... It made Kuvira's heart pulse, and nerves tingle. If she could, she would lie like this forever, pressed close to Korra and never letting go. It was...perfect. That was the only fitting word she could think of to describe it. _Perfect._

Soon, though, Korra began to stir. She yawned, then hugged herself closer and began trailing slow kisses down along Kuvira's neck. Her hands slid upwards, stroking along Kuvira's abdomen. Then, they returned downward, reaching farther south.

Kuvira squirmed, and uttered pleasant gasp. “Hey," she said, reaching one of her own hands down to join Korra's.

Korra brought her kisses up to Kuvira's mouth. “Hey."

She returned the kiss with fervor, lips pressing hard against the other pair. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth at some point; it wasn't something she meant to do, but Korra eagerly reciprocated nonetheless. When the kiss finally broke, Kuvira pulled back, breathless. “Well, good morning to you, too."

"Mmm, morning."

A soft breath eased from Kuvira's lips, as Korra's fingers brushed through her hair. "So, that... really happened, right? I didn't just imagine it?”

“Well, I can't think of why else we'd be waking up in bed together." Korra smiled, then glanced down at themselves. _"Naked.”_

Kuvira leaned back a moment to fully take in the woman next to her. The sheets had slipped from Korra's shoulders, revealing her exquisite figure beneath. There was so much muscle, built from a lifetime of training—hard, sculpted, yet supple, and beautiful. Korra's body was much the same as Kuvira's own, in fact, but with more mass in her arms, and not built quite as slender. A dancer, the Avatar was not; she was a fighter, through and through.

“True..." Kuvira felt a stirring between her legs, and she squirmed to settle herself. She would stare at Korra all day if she could. "Unless someone slipped us some cactus juice last night.”

“Maybe," Korra said, trailing a finger along her partner's thigh. "But I like the other reason better."

“Yeah... me, too." Kuvira shuddered, and gasped out a warm sigh. Just the slightest touch from Korra set her heart aflutter. When she managed to calm herself again, she brought a more serious tone to her eyes. She seemed worried, almost. "But... I mean, it was _good,_ right? What we did... We both wanted it. We didn't... we didn't make a mistake, did we?”

Korra went quiet a moment, gaze tilting downward. She huffed out a deep sigh, and then sat upright in bed, hugging her knees to her chest. “Kuvira, I've been thinking about this a lot lately. About you. After everything that happened with Asami, everything she said to me... I really had to start trying to come to terms with my emotions." She glanced back at Kuvira, eyes soft, lips turned into a subtle pout. "I _thought_ that you were just a friend, and that's all you'd ever be. I _convinced_ myself of it, because I was with Asami and I would never want to hurt her like that. But... I spent so much time telling myself I _couldn't_ have feelings for you, that I never realized I actually _did."_

Kuvira's stomach flip-flopped. All throughout last night, and even in this morning's waking moments, nagging thoughts had been clawing at the back of her mind.

_Maybe this wasn't real. Maybe Korra didn't mean it. Maybe she was just feeling lonely. Maybe she made a mistake._

And yet, here Korra was, not denying what she felt, not rejecting it, but accepting it. _Admitting_ it. Kuvira's heart beat faster, a growing warmth spreading through her.

"I don't have any idea when these feelings formed..." Korra said. She stared at Kuvira—gently, lovingly. "Maybe before you told me how you felt, maybe after, I don't know. What I _do_ know is that you're always there for me, and without expecting anything in return. You've worked _so_ hard to better yourself, in spite of the whole world being against you. You're intelligent, you're fierce, you're caring, determined, funny, compassionate... and _beautiful."_ A brief blush came to her cheeks, and an embarrassed grin to her lips. “Oh, _spirits,_ you're beautiful..."

Korra gazed at her a moment longer before composing herself. She smiled, openly this time. Happily. "And you _love_ me. Now that I can be open and honest with myself, now that I've had time to think, I realize... I love you, too, Kuvira. I _really_ do.”

“Korra, I..." Kuvira swallowed. Her stomach did another flip. In all her wildest dreams, she never could have imagined this moment. No amount of wondering or hoping could have prepared her for just how happy she'd feel... just how excited, and nervous, and giddy. It was a wonderful feeling, one she hoped would never end. "I don't even know what to say. I... I never imagined you would actually say that to me. That you would actually feel that way... Now that it's happening, I...”

Korra chuckled. “I know. It's overwhelming, right?”

“Yeah... yeah that's one way of putting it.”

“And besides... it didn't _feel_ like a mistake, did it?”

Kuvira grinned wide. “Definitely not. The only mistake you made was describing me as funny. I hardly think I'm funny.”

Another chuckle, and Korra leaned in to give a kiss. “Well, _that_ made me laugh. Guess you've already proven yourself wrong.”

"Well, perhaps." Kuvira licked her lips as the kiss broke, and leaned back on her elbows. She watched Korra again, just staring, appreciating her beauty. Then, another thought sprang into her mind. Her brow lowered, expression sank. This wasn't a thought she could just ignore. "So... what about Asami?”

Korra seemed to know the question was coming. Her gaze shifted away, lips frowned. There was a sadness in her eyes—regret. “I don't know... I do still love her. Even if we're never together again, I know I always will. Even if it's just as a friend..." She sighed, lifting a hand to hold her forehead into. "If I'm being truthful, I wish things hadn't gone the way they did between us. I wish I could have been honest with her, and with myself... maybe things would have gone differently. Maybe we'd still be together."

A pause followed. Kuvira didn't say anything, or pressure Korra to continue. She knew how hard this had to be for her. Instead, she waited—patient, attentive.

Korra shook her head with another sigh. "But... we're _not_ still together. She left me. She went back to Republic City... when I _needed_ her. Probably more than I've ever needed her before. I know _why_ she did, and I don't blame her for it... But that doesn't change what happened." Korra turned her focus to Kuvira now. Her eyes brightened, and she smiled again. "But you... _you're_ here. _You're_ with me. You have been every step of the way, and that...means _so_ much to me. I'm _happy_ , Kuvira. Happy with _you._ I... I want to give this a try. I want to give _us_ a try, and I want to make it work.” Reaching outward, she brought their hands together, fingers interlocking. “Is...that alright?"

Kuvira could only smile, She squeezed Korra's hand and pressed their foreheads together. “It's more than alright, Korra... It's perfect. _You're_ perfect.”

Korra moved in closer, bringing their lips back together for yet another kiss. This one they held for longer than the others, relishing it, _savoring_ it. When Korra finally pulled away, she flashed a grin and gained a mischievous gleam to her eyes. “Do you think we have time for an encore from last night, before we have to get up and actually see people?”

“I don't know..." Kuvira's hands were already gliding along Korra's thigh, traveling without pause between her legs. "But I'm willing to try if you are.”

A sharp gasp burst from Korra's throat. She fell flat against the mattress, hands clutching the sheets. “Well it... _mmph_...couldn't hurt to give it a shot.”

* * *

Anraq grumbled, rubbing the corners of his eyes. He really needed to get some proper sleep later. It had been a long night, between Eska and Desna, the Red Lotus attack, and trying to handle the fallout. Finding all the guards had taken three hours on its own, and now that most of them had recovered, they needed to be questioned about what happened. A terrorist group attacking one of the world's leaders in the middle of a capital city shouldn't go unopposed like that.

Leaning back against one of the pillars by the courtyard, he watched the twin chiefs speak with each guard. Most of them were still woozy, barely able to stand. Others couldn't even sit up straight and had to be held. A heavy air of confusion and shame hung over them; at least they seemed to realize just how bad they had screwed up.

“Hey, what's going on?”

Anraq blinked out of his thoughts to find Korra and Kuvira standing a few paces away. “Oh, hey. So... The Red Lotus attacked last night.”

Korra's eyebrows lifted. _“What?_ Why didn't anyone tell us?”

“It was kind of sudden,” he replied. “There wasn't enough time to round everyone up. Yula only barely got to me in time. Right now, they're trying to find out that happened to all the guards. We found most of them passed out around the city, and a few were outright dead.”

“Wait, Yula?” Kuvira said.

“Yeah turns out the Fire Lord was their first target.”

Korra's eyes darkened. “Azula...”

“Yeah, I know. I thought about just letting them have her, but, you know, that would have been _immoral,”_ he muttered.

“Right.” Korra eased out a breath and gave a simple nod. “It doesn't matter who they're targeting, the Red Lotus need to be stopped.”

Kuvira looked to the guards, her gaze narrow. “So, have they found out anything yet?”

“Not sure,” he said. “The guards only just recovered a little while ago, and the chiefs have been questioning them since. We did manage to take one of the Red Lotus guys prisoner, though. He's the only one who actually survived the fight—Azula pretty much roasted everyone else. Well, and I might turned a few into human pincushions, but... yeah.”

“Good, maybe we can get some information out of him,” Korra said. “We _need_ to know where the Red Lotus is hiding. Then we can go on the offensive for a change, instead of always waiting for them to attack.”

“Have we tried interrogating him yet?” Kuvira said.

Anraq shook his head. “Not yet. We figured, what's the point, until we can use the truth seer we happen to have along with us? They sent for Toph a few minutes ago; hopefully she'll be here soon.”

“Right, that makes sense,” Korra muttered. “The sooner the better, though.”

A few quiet moments past as they three stood there, watching. When Anraq happened to glance down, however, he quirked a brow and took a step back, arms folded. Suddenly, watching the guards didn't seem so important. “So... you two are, uh...?”

Korra blinked, then followed his gaze. The moment that she realized she and Kuvira were holding hands, she stiffened, eyes wide. “Oh, well, we uh...”

“What about _you_ , Mr. Beardless?” Kuvira cut in, focusing on his bare jawline. “As I recall, you once said you'd _never_ shave.”

And just like that, Anraq shifted into the same stunned response, like a child who'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Um.... well, you see...”

It took only a moment for Korra to realize the insinuation. Her brow lifted, and her jaw dropped open.“Oh, Anraq, you _didn't_...”

“Um...” He shifted awkwardly on his feet, trying to fight off their critical, accusatory glares. When he couldn't take it anymore, he simply huffed out a groan and threw his hands up in defeat. "Yes! I did! Alright? Look it's been a _very_ long time for me since I last... you know. And your cousins are _quite_ persistent.” He cleared his throat, then took a step back, trying to calm himself. “Really, once you get past their, uh... _unique_ exteriors, they're actually rather charming. Sort of. My point is, I am a man... with needs... and when someone is blatantly offering to take care of those needs... it's very hard to resist.”

Kuvira planted her arms across her chest, lips pursed. “So, did you do it with... _both_ of them?”

“Well, not at the same time!” he insisted. A second later, he realized what he had just blurted out, and calmly backed off with a nervous chuckle. “I mean... uh... what happens behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors.”

“But you groomed yourself for Desna, at least,” Kuvira pointed out, with a simple point to his face.

“Well... yeah, he was actually serious about the hairless thing...”

“And was it just the hair on your face, or...?” Kuvira let her sentence trail off, instead giving a curious glance downward.

Anraq immediately recoiled, waving his arms back and forth in denial. “Okay, no, I am _not_ discussing that.”

Kuvira forced a hand in front of her face to hold back a laugh, but she did manage to get out another question. “So... which one of you was on the bottom?”

“Aaaaand this conversation is over,” he declared.

“Ew, yes, thank you,” Korra muttered. She had been cringing throughout most of the conversation; now she could breathe a sigh of relief that it was finally over. “Kuvira, really, those are my _cousins._ I do not need to know the specifics of their... alone time with Anraq. Or _anyone.”_

This time, Kuvira couldn't hold in her laugh. “What? I was only curious.”

Korra groaned, dropping her face into her palm.

“What's all the ruckus about?” Toph shuffled into view, with Bumi at her side acting as her guide. The grumpy expression on her face, though, made evident that she wasn't happy about it. Then again, it could have just been her normal morning face. “I was trying to sleep, then some oaf comes knocking at my door telling me I'm needed.”

“Oh, hey guys,” Korra said, with a wave.

“Mornin'.” Bumi gave a salute, then held his arm out for Bum-Ju to land on. “So what's this we hear about a big attack last night?”

“Red Lotus showed up and went after the Fire Lord,” Anraq said. “We drove them back, though.”

Toph deepened her lips into a frown. _“Hmph_. Should have let them give that crazy witch what was coming to her first.”

“Yeah, well... anyway,” he muttered. “We captured one of them and were hoping you could help interrogate him."

"Glad to,” she replied. “Just gonna need some earth or metal to stand on."

"I believe we can assist with that." Desna approached them, shuffling forward with his usual indifference.

"Indeed.” Eska moved in pace next to her brother. “It seems Fire Lord Azula anticipated your involvement with the interrogation, and has offered the use of her airship."

"She does, however, wish to perform the interrogation herself," Desna added.

Toph's frown grew into a scowl. "If you think you're going to stick me in the same room as that psychopath again, you're either delusional or stupid! Probably both."

"Please, Toph...” Korra said. “We need to stop the Red Lotus, and you're the only one who can detect if the prisoner is lying."

"She helped _kill_ Suyin!” Toph shot back. The anger vanished from her face, now replaced with distress, sorrow. Her pale, blind eyes flashed with a panic that they seldom ever showed. It was as though the great Toph Beifong had vanished in that moment, instead replaced by a broken old woman. “My _daughter!"_

Korra breathed out a heavy sigh, head hanging. "I know... We wouldn't ask you to do this if we didn't have to. Please. The Red Lotus, Zaheer... _They_ killed Suyin, too. This is how you help bring them to justice. We'll figure out what to do about Azula later."

A long pause followed. Toph bowed her head, eyes closed; a brief shimmer of tears billowed behind her eyelids, but she fought them back. With a deep breath, she steadied her nerves. "Alright... I'll do it. But for the record, I'm not happy about it."

"None of us are, believe me.” Korra rested a hand on Toph's shoulder; it seemed to put the old woman at ease.

"So, did we find out what happened to the guards last night?" Anraq asked.

"Yes,” Desna said. “Apparently, many of them were incapacitated with shirshu toxin before the attack."

"Others, including the palace guards, were drawn away by a diversion and then ambushed,” Eska added. “The immediate area surrounding the point of attack was left completely unguarded."

Korra tightened her fingers into a fist, arm shaking. "So they were one step ahead of us again... We _can't_ let that keep happening."

"We won't." Kuvira calmed her with with a soft squeeze, linking their fingers together more firmly. “No matter what.

"Right, then!” Bumi declared, as he pointed off ahead of them. “Let's get this prisoner to the Fire Nation airship and begin interrogation at once! We'll have him spilling his darkest secrets in no time, mark my words!"

"Very well,” Desna stated. “We will work to bolster our defenses, to make certain that this sort of thing doesn't happen again."

Eska then turned her attention to Anraq. "Will you be joining us again tonight?”

"Uh...” Anraq glanced back at the rest of Team Avatar, all of whom were now giving him curious gazes. “We'll, uh... we'll see.” Then, with a clear of his throat, he leaned closer to the twins and whispered, “Probably, though."

"Excellent,” Desna said. “We will prepare to accommodate you."

"And have you reconsidered my offer?" Eska asked.

Anraq frowned at her, brow lowering over his eyes. "You mean to marry you and give you children? Yeah, that's still not happening."

"I see. It appears I must work harder then, to win you over.” Eska leaned in far too close for comfort, her face just inches from his. She glared at him, as if issuing a challenge. “We will do many things tonight. Prepare yourself."

Anraq stood stiff. He shifted on his feet a moment, watching as the twins turned to leave. He could already feel the stares of his friends burning a hole through the back of his head. When he finally willed himself to turn around, it was just as he expected—folded arms, raised eyebrows, disturbed frowns. "...what? _What?”_ They didn't say anything, though. They simply marched past him, heading down the stairs away from the courtyard. “Hey, what I do in my personal life is my own business! Don't judge me!"

Toph stopped next to him and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Whatever you say, kid. Whatever you say."

* * *

When they arrived at the Dragon's Wing airship, they were met at the gangplank by the entire Fire Nation procession—Azula at the front, with Zuko on one side of her, and Yula on the other, and the remaining soldiers behind them. The two groups stopped and stared at each other, neither side saying anything. Again, the tension grew heavy between them. The standoff lasted a long moment, until finally Azula stepped forward with a smirk.

"Toph, how good of you join us,” she said, making her way directly to the old earthbender. “Your truth telling ability should be invaluable."

"Go _stuff it_ , Azula,” Toph said. “I'm not doing this for you. And let's get one thing perfectly clear.” She leaned close, staring straight through her with blank eyes. “If you weren't the Fire Lord, I'd _destroy_ _you_ for what you did to Suyin."

"Well, then I suppose it's a good thing I _am_ the Fire Lord,” Azula replied. The grin never left her face. “You forget, though. I didn't kill your daughter. That was Zaheer. He'd have done it with or without me."

Toph scowled harder. "Let's just get this over with."

"Fine, fine. Bring the prisoner.” Azula gestured back up the gangplank, then gave her brother a pat on the back. “Zuzu, stay out here and keep our guests company, will you?”

* * *

Azula propped her legs up on the table, leaning back in her seat. Toph stood near the far wall of the cabin with her arms folded, still with the same look of displeasure twisted on her face. Next to her, Yula stood at attention; Azula wasn't about to pass up this opportunity to teach her new student how to interrogate a prisoner.

The Red Lotus prisoner himself sat chained to a chair on the opposite side of the table. He glared at her, unflinching. He didn't seem afraid...yet. He _would_ be.

“Do you know who I am?" she asked.

The man grunted indignantly. "You're Aoi. The Fire Lord."

"Oh, so close. No, my name is _Azula._ You're right about the Fire Lord part, though. After all, you did try to kill me. Failed, but still tried.” She pulled her legs off the table and leaned forward, hands folded in front of herself. “What's your name?"

"Feng."

"Hmm, good name,” she said, with a simple nod. “You look like a smart man, Feng, so you should know what's about to happen here. I'm going to ask you some questions, and you're going to answer them. Now, where are the Red Lotus hiding in this city?"

"I don't know."

Toph turned her head and spit.” "He's lying."

"Of _course_ he's lying. I didn't need you to tell me that one.” Azula rolled her eyes, then refocused on the prisoner. “Now, Feng, I'm only going to ask you one more time before I lose my patience. Where are the Red Lotus?"

"Screw you,” he spat. “I'm not telling you anything."

"Oh, you disappoint me, Feng. Now, it's time to take more...severe measures." Azula pushed her seat away from the table and stood up. With a quick flick of her hand, a long blade of blue fire burst from her knuckles.

"W-wait, what are you doing?" Feng struggled against his chains as Azula came closer, trying to distance himself from her. It was futile.

"Pay close attention, Yula,” Azula said, with a cursory glance to her student. “This is how you interrogate a coward."

When she pressed the burning blade to the man's flesh, his screams ripped through the cabin.

* * *

Azula returned down the airship gangplank some time later. Yula followed close behind, head bowed. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, panicked. Toph moved as quickly as possible to get past them, nearly shoving Yula over on her way by.

Korra immediately ran forward when they appeared, already on edge. "What _happened_ in there? It sounded like you were _torturing_ him!"

"I got information,” Azula said, with a simple shrug. _“How_ I got it is hardly important."

The Fire Lord's mocking grin churned Korra's stomach, but she held herself in check. The Red Lotus was their goal right now... That's what she had to keep telling herself, anyway. "So, where are they hiding?"

"In a network of ice caverns beneath the city. Shouldn't be too difficult to find."

"So, we have a target..." Korra glanced down at the ice beneath her feet. Somewhere down there, the Red Lotus was waiting.

"Yes, I'd say it's time to pay Zaheer a little visit.” Azula widened her smirk. “Let's destroy these Red Lotus fools once and for all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Korvira scene makes me swooon. I know, I wrote it, but still. I thought it was touching. So, they can both openly admit now that they love each other, even though they aren't sure if it's going to work. They are going to give it areal try, though, and they both certainly want to make it work. So... Let's see if it does :D
> 
> Also, yeah, Azula is cold. She gets to 'interrogate' a prisoner, while also drilling a lesson into Yula's brain: Fear and pain is the only reliable way to get what you want. Yula really didn't know what she was getting herself into when she accepted being Azula's student.
> 
> And then there's Anraq... I'm just going to let that one sit on its own.
> 
> Oh, and a side note, if anyone spots any glaring typos, please tell me! I hate having errors in my writing, but sometimes I don't catch them all. I promise I'll only be happy if you point them out to me!


	51. Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a less than successful raid on the supposed Red Lotus hideout beneath the city, Team Avatar gets a few quiet moments of downtime. Meanwhile, Zaheer commences his plan to take down the North.

The caverns were remarkably bright for being underground. Sunlight reflected and gleamed from the shiny ice walls, as if glowing. With how secluded this place was, and how connected it was to the entire city, it provided the perfect hideout for the Red Lotus. The cavern entrance could be accessed from outside the city walls, and further chambers spread out to various waterways and access pipes. It allowed them to come and go anywhere in the capital, like a bunch of sewer pipe elephant rats.

Korra led the way through the main tunnel, with Kuvira at her side. Eska and Desna followed closely behind them, and Anraq kept pace. Toph and Bumi had remained topside, however—Toph because she couldn't see or bend in the frozen terrain, and Bumi to look after her. A squadron of Northern Water soldiers marched on either side of Team Avatar, forming a protective line. This time, they were ready for any Red Lotus attack.

Bringing up the rear of the procession was the Fire Nation. Azula headed the group, and Zuko kept at her side. Their soldiers followed in orderly fashion—five lines, each line six men deep. Yula had remained with Toph and Bumi on the surface. She wasn't ready yet to risk her life to defend her Fire Lord, according to Azula, and would only get in the way.

They continued through the caverns for what seemed like ages, following the twisting tunnels and empty chambers. No matter what turn they took, however, they found nothing—no Zaheer, no Yuruk, no Avan, no Red Lotus. They only life they discovered was a pod of tiger seals surfacing for air from an underground water pool.

“Are we sure we're going the right way?” Anraq asked.

“Yes, we are sure," Eska said.

Desna nodded in agreement. “The prisoner stated that the Red Lotus were hiding in the caves beneath the city. These are the caves beneath the city.”

“Then why haven't we found anyone yet?”

Korra shot him a glare. “Maybe because they can hear you talking, so they ran away? We need to be _quiet.”_

“Hey, I'm keeping my voice down, aren't I?” he said. "It's not like I'm shouting."

Azula groaned in annoyance. “Would you _all_ be quiet? We're not here to chatter, we're here to eliminate the Red Lotus.”

They continued their search, doubling back around to check any branching path or chamber they might have missed. Still, they found nothing. Within two hours, they had passed by the tiger seals six times in their efforts to locate the Red Lotus, and each time their hopes sank further. There were only so many places that one could hide down here, and even fewer for a large group like the Red Lotus.

“We've searched every inch of these caves, but the only thing interesting we've found is a bunch of tiger seals, and some cracks in the walls that kind of look like an eel hound," Anraq muttered. "I don't think they're here.”

“I don't get it..." Kuvira crossed her arms and stared down a side tunnel. Then, she turned her focus to a different tunnel. She recognized them both, having already been down them at least three times. "Could the prisoner have been lying?”

Azula scowled. “If he did, he'll regret it.”

“No, he couldn't have lied," Korra said, with a shake of her head. "Not to Toph.”

“I believe it likely they knew we would find their location," Desna said, "and decided to move elsewhere.”

“Indeed," Eska agreed. "They've probably relocated elsewhere within the city. We should renew our search efforts on the surface."

Korra breathed out a slow groan, in attempts to hide her annoyance. Even when they thought they finally had the advantage, the Red Lotus still found a way to keep ahead of them. “Alright, but we should keep patrols heading through these caves just in case."

"We should keep communications up, too," Anraq suggested. "We don't want anyone getting ambushed without being able to raise an alarm. There are some portable radios back on our airship we can pass out to the guards."

“I agree, that is a most intelligent plan." Eska turned to him and curled her lips into an ever so subtle smirk. "Our children will be very smart, just like their father.”

“Uh... right, sure," he said, with a slow nod. "How about we just focus on the Red Lotus for now?”

Korra shuddered as she walked past them. “Yes, please, let's." Anything to end the 'Eska having babies' conversation.

* * *

Yula tapped her fingers against the table in the center of the Fire Lord's cabin. She slouched in her seat, shoulders drooping with exhaustion. Azula had made it very clear that she was to continue practicing her training while the others were away, for as long as she could—and so she had. Yula had run through the advanced forms dozens of time, though she doubted she actually made many improvements with them. She still messed up much of the footwork, and she knew Azula would scold her for it later.

That had gone on for hours, though. Now, she had returned to the Dragon's Wing, where she patiently awaited her master's return. An anxious knot had taken hold deep in her gut some time ago. She hoped, _prayed_ , that they had found and defeated the Red Lotus, at last. The longer they were forced to spend here in the North, the longer it would be until Azula took her to free her mother and sister. They only had so much time, too, until the Red Lotus grew tired of guarding her family. When _that_ happened... Well, she didn't want to think about it.

The door to the cabin creaked open. Azula slipped inside with a gentle yawn, arms stretched out. She made her way over to the large, lavish bed, and plopped herself down atop the silk sheets. "Well, that was an enormous waste of of time."

Yula stood straight up from her seat, hands held together in front of herself. “Master, you were...unable to find them?"

“No, it seems that the Red Lotus cleared out before we could arrive." Azula huffed out a quick breath, then fell backwards against the mattress. She curled into the sheets with a tired groan. "They were expecting us to find them down there.”

“Oh..." she uttered, gaze sinking down to the floor. "I see.”

“Don't worry, dear Yula." Azula flipped herself straight upright, leaning back against her arms. "We'll find them soon enough, and we'll eliminate them. Then, I will take you to retrieve your family immediately, on my word as Fire Lord.”

Yula nodded, but didn't look up. “Of course... thank you.”

"Did you continue training, like I told you?"

"Oh, yes." Now Yula looked up, and gave her master a dutiful bow. "I practiced for as long as I could, just like you said. Then, I came back here to wait for you."

"Hmm, yes, you do look positively drained," Azula said, eyeing her student. "Good. Get a little more rest, then. We'll further continue your training after dinner." She yawned, then fell back against the sheets again. "In the meantime, I need a little beauty rest of my own."

“Yes, Master Azula." Yula bowed, and then made her way towards the door. "I'll make sure no one disturbs you."

Azula flashed a subtle grin, and eased out a pleasant groan in response. "Very good. Thank you, Yula."

* * *

Korra leaned against the dresser in her bedroom, fingers gripping the edge so tightly that her knuckles began to whiten. “Another day, another missed opportunity. Just when we think _we're_ the ones with the advantage...”

Kuvira came up behind her and wrapped her own hands around the other woman's waist. That, along with a gentle kiss to her neck, calmed Korra enough to relax her grip. “It's okay. Look at the bright side. We forced them to clear out from their hideout. That means we have _them_ on the run for a change.”

“I suppose you have a point..." Korra breathed out a pleasant sigh and joined her hands down with Kuvira's. "Still, the longer this drags out, the more likely they are to hurt someone else. Next time, it might be my cousins they go after. Or _you."_ She glanced back over her shoulder, eyes sparking with concern. "You did say they were after you, too, right?”

“Yeah..." Kuvira muttered, holding her chin against Korra's shoulder. "Zaheer seems convinced that I'll snap back into Great Uniter mode and try to take over the world.”

“Well, he doesn't know you," Korra assured, with a soft kiss to Kuvira's lips. "Certainly not like I know you. And I _know_ you're not that person anymore. You're better.”

“I certainly hope so. Sometimes, I'm afraid I might not be.”

“Hey, don't doubt yourself." Korra turned around and looked Kuvira deep in the eyes. "You've come such a long way in the past five years, farther than a lot of people ever thought you would. You deserve credit for that.”

“Maybe...." Kuvira hung her head, sighing. "In the end, though, it's not how you perceive me that matters. It's how the _world_ sees me. After this Red Lotus business finishes, it's back to prison for me, remember?" She brought her forehead gently against Korra's, and cupped a hand to her cheek. "I don't know how we'll make things work between us then. As much as we might want otherwise, the Avatar can't really be dating a prisoner, can she?”

“We'll figure something out," Korra insisted. "Once the damaged nations are restored, I'll talk to the new world leaders about your sentence. Considering your help here, I'm sure we can get it reduced, or maybe even changed altogether. House arrest... Or even parole.”

“That... _would_ be incredible," she said. The wonder of such a prospect soon disappeared, though, and she shook her head. "You'll excuse me, though, if I don't hold my breath. There are too many people who'd rather see me locked up forever.”

“Hey, you worry too much." Korra stroked her fingers through Kuvira's hair—comforting her, reassuring her. "I mean, you'll have the Avatar vouching for you, right? That'll definitely account for something. Plus, everyone else on the team. You've made a lot of friends here... They all see you for who you _are_ , not who you were.”

Kuvira felt a sudden calm drift through herself, at those words. She smiled, and leaned forward to wrap her arms around Korra. She just wanted to feel close to her, comforted, and safe. “Thanks... I think I needed to hear that.”

“I know," Korra said, returning the hug with a firm squeeze. "Now... how about we go do something together? There's this great little noodle shop down in the second city tier I think you'll like.”

“You mean, like a date?”

“Yeah, I mean like a date," she said, with a smirk. "Our first one.”

Kuvira felt her heart start to flutter again. She smiled, and brought their lips together. “I'd like nothing more.”

* * *

Anraq sucked in a deep breath, as he stared up at the ceiling. He'd been lying like this for an hour now, arms held behind his head, eyes seldom blinking. He had too many thoughts on his mind to sleep. That was saying something, considering how exhausted he _should_ have been. He glanced to his left—there was Desna, flat on his back and fast asleep. Then, he glanced to his right—Eska, in the same rigid sleeping positing, arms held against her chest like some kind of vampire. She certainly hadn't been lying earlier when she said they'd do many things... By all accounts, he should have been passed out just the same as the twins. And yet...

With a frustrated huff, he pulled himself up and out of bed. He stood there a minute, arms folded and gaze shifting around the darkened room. Considering it was the chieftans' bedroom, the space was huge, and elaborately decorated with furs, tribal weapons, animal horns, Northern-style tapestries, and even a stuffed polar leopard. It definitely put his old hut back down South to shame.

The clear windows of the balcony door, in particular, caught his eye. He wandered over to it and gazed outside, watching the spirit lights cast their dancing flicker upon the city below. How he wished he could have taken Kanna up North, even for just a brief visit; she would have loved it. A small shiver tingled through his spine, as he stood there. In retrospect, he should have put on some clothes before moving so close to the door—he could feel a subtle draft drifting in around the edges.

“You cannot sleep?” said a voice, calling him out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?" Anraq turned to see Eska standing next to him, dressed in a simple blue and white robe. Without her usual eyeshadow, she looked even more indistinguishable from her brother. "Oh... no. Just thinking about things.”

“What sorts of things?”

“The Red Lotus, mostly... and Yuruk.”

Eska took a step closer, her shoulder coming close against his as she, too, gazed outside. “This Yuruk... he is your cousin, correct?”

“Yeah..." Anraq said, with a lengthy sigh. "I wish he wasn't, but you don't get to choose who you're related to.”

“We never used to get along with Cousin Korra," Eska said. "I even tried to kill her once. That was a long time ago. We've worked out our differences, and now we are... close.”

Anraq raised a brow at her. “Are you _sure_ that's the right word to use?”

“We no longer attack each other. How else would you describe it?”

“Never mind...” Anraq glanced back out the window. He frowned, head shaking. “I get what you're trying to say, though. Just... believe me when I tell you the same isn't going to happen with me and Yuruk.”

“Why not?”

“Well for one, he's a twisted, deranged lunatic. More than that, though...” Anraq closed his eyes, and his tone became softer. “I had a daughter once... Her name was Kanna. Back during the civil war, when the North sent its troops down south, Yuruk showed up. He questioned me, there was an altercation...” When Anraq opened his eyes, he released a heavy sigh and swallowed. “He _killed_ Kanna. She was just three years old.”

Eska's eyes flicked towards him, eyebrows pushing together. She watched him a moment, then turned her gaze downward. “This saddens me... I am sorry to hear it.” In spite of her usual blunt way of putting things, she sounded sincere, with an uncharacteristic quiver of emotion in her voice. “Is that why you don't wish to have children now?”

“Well... it certainly is part of the reason,” he replied. “I mean, I still barely know you, so that doesn't help, either. But I need _closure_ for Kanna first, before I can ever think about having a family again. I need to take down Yuruk... He has to _answer_ for what he did to my daughter.”

Eska nodded. “I understand. We will help you stop him.”

“Indeed.” Desna approached, moving to Anraq's other side. He looked straight ahead, watching the spirit lights in the night sky. “This Yuruk sounds like a most despicable person. And he _did_ try to assassinate us once.”

“Yes,” Eska said. “He should answer for that, as well.”

Anraq glanced back and forth between the twins, then uttered a quiet sigh. “Well... thanks.”

“Now, come back to bed,” Eska said, as she grabbed his arm. “I wish to hold myself against you in a sensual manner as we fall asleep.”

“You mean...cuddle?”

She raised a brow at him, confused. “Is that not what I said?”

“Uh...” He stared back at her a moment, and then gave a simple shrug as he followed the twins back to bed. “Never mind.”

* * *

“Okay, so _that_ didn't go quite as planned,” Yuruk muttered. He pulled his gaze down from the sky and gave a look around their surroundings. Somehow, the Spirit Oasis didn't quite have the same charm when it was packed full of Red Lotus members. “You were supposed to kill Aoi before she blew your squad to bits.”

Avan turned a glare towards him. “She was...more challenging than anticipated. It's the first time I've actually seen her bend fire, rather than lightning.” His eyes darkened, sinking with concern. “The flames were __blue.”__

Zaheer cracked one of his eyes open, and shifted out of his meditation. “Blue? Are you certain?”

“Of course I am,” Avan said. “It's not really something you forget.”

“I see...intriguing.” Zaheer lifted a hand to his chin, breathing softly. “There's only one firebender in history who has ever produced blue flames.”

“So there's another one now, big deal.” A short distance away from the other three, Uhara sat with one knee raised, next to the pond on the grassy island. He stared at the ever-circling koi fish, frowning at them. “Who cares what color her fire is? We'll kill her just the same.”

“So long as we don't screw it up again,” Yuruk said, with a roll of his eyes.

“Uhara is right,” Zaheer said, as he stood up. “We'll get another chance, and soon. In a short few hours, both the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation will be without leaders. Then, only the South will remain.”

Yuruk crossed his arms. “So we're ready get this over with, then?”

“Yes. You three will get into place and wait for my signal. I'll remain on the surface to take care of any stragglers. Remember, this has to be perfect.”

“Don't worry, we'll take care of it,” Uhara said. He leaned closer to the pond and reached out his hand towards the surface, just above the koi fish. “Man, don't these things do anything else besides swim in a circle?”

Before his hand could break the water, Zaheer grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him back. “Don't touch the fish.”

* * *

“Man, this sucks,” Tarok said, with a grumble. He raised his flashlight higher to look around the tunnel. It looked exactly the same as the last eight times he had been through it. “Figures we would get stuck with night patrols underground.”

His partner, Kiou, yawned. “We'd still be patrolling at night anyway. Only difference is the location. We're in underground caverns instead of up in the city, what's the difference?”

“The difference is that it's colder.” Tarok pointed the flashlight straight ahead and then continued into the next chamber. “And darker. I don't even know why we're bothering down here, the Red Lotus aren't going to come back now that we know about it.”

“Better safe than sorry, I guess,” Kiou said. “So, how many times through is this?”

“Nine.”

“Wonder how many times we can make through our section by morning...”

Tarok led the way out of the chamber and down another tunnel. “My money's on fifty.”

“I got forty,” Kiou countered. “At the very least, more than the other patrols.”

“Heh, you're on.”

As they continued down the frozen tunnels, Tarok casually waved the beam of his flashlight up and down at the walls. He wasn't worried about bumping into anything down here—the caves were all completely flat and smooth, not to mention empty. At this point, studying the various cracks on the walls was the only form of entertainment he had. As they turned the corner into another chamber, however, one of the cracks caught his eye.

“What the...” He pointed his flashlight at it, slowly moving the beam farther along its length. The crack grew wider as it went, until it opened up into a gaping fissure that disappeared into the ceiling. “You seeing this?”

Kiou stared at the crack with lifted eyebrows. “That... wasn't there before, was it?”

“I don't think so. I'd have remembered it.” Tarok hurried down the tunnel, keeping his flashlight on the wall. As he went, he found several more massive cracks carved through the walls. “This isn't good...”

“Where do they lead?” Kiou asked. “Where under the city are we?”

Tarok gazed up at the cave ceiling, eyes flashing with panic. “I think... we're right beneath the palace.” Immediately, his hand flew to the radio strapped to his hip. “We have to warn someone about this!”

Before he could click the button, however, a metal cable shot out from the darkness and wrapped around his wrist. It tugged his arm backwards, forced him off balance. A second cable appeared, tying itself around Kiou's neck. With a quick yank, a loud snap echoed throughout the cavern.

“Kiou!” The cable at Tarok's wrist tugged harder, and he flew off his feet, flashlight fumbling from his grasp. He reeled across the ground with a shout. In seconds, he disappeared into the darkness, and his voice silenced.

* * *

“Huh, so I guess you're halfway competent,” Yuruk said, as he looked down at the two dead patrol guards. It was the fifth such patrol they had eliminated on the way here.

Uhara patted the armguards of his police uniform. “Sometimes, it really pays to be a metalbender. I'm sure you can agree, Avan.”

Avan merely glanced at him with a disinterested stare. Then, he grabbed one of the fallen flashlights and pointed it up at one of the gaping cracks on the wall. “Looks like these have grown in well enough. Nice work.”

“Timing these fissures was easy.” Yuruk folded his own arms and shot Uhara a confident look. “Sometimes, it pays to be one of the most skilled waterbenders in the world.”

Uhara rolled his eyes. “Uh huh. Let's just set the blasting jelly, already. Sooner we get this over with, sooner we can get out of this frozen tundra.”

“I'm in agreement with Uhara,” Avan stated, narrowing his gaze at the fissures. “Let's bring the palace down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is another one of those "ehhhh...." chapters that I didn't really like. Just a necessary round of fluff to bridge things with the next bit of actual plot. If anything, it should give a glimpse at what's about to come in the next chapter, though.


	52. Red Lotus Burning, Pt. 1: Through The Cracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar finds their momentary peace shattered as the Red Lotus initiates their final attack.

Kuvira leaned close to Korra, as they strolled along the city walkways. Their date had gone on quite a bit longer than they had intended. What should have been a quick dinner had turned into three hours of talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. Even when they had left the restaurant, they took their time returning. The night was calm, crisp, and the spirit lights were glowing brighter than usual. It was a night that neither of them wanted to rush.

“So, you _really_ enjoyed those noodles, huh?” Korra said.

Kuvira glanced down at the bag in her hand. Not only did it contain the leftovers from their dinner, but also a couple extra servings that she had ordered before they left. “Well, what do you want me to say? They're _really_ good noodles.”

Korra gave a gentle laugh, and tightened her hold around Kuvira's arm. “I'm glad you liked it. I thought you would.”

“I did,” she replied, turning her head to give Korra a kiss. “It was a great first date.”

“And it's not over yet... there's still plenty we can do when we get back to our room.”

Kuvira curled her lips into an eager smirk. “Is that right?”

“Oh yeah,” Korra said. She lowered her hand downward and gave Kuvira's rear a sudden, firm squeeze. “I'm getting ideas already.”

The pair continued along the canal walkways, arm-in-arm. They received a few looks from curious passersby, but they didn't care. As far as they were concerned, they were alone. Kuvira held her head against Korra's shoulder at one point and closed her eyes. She sighed contentedly, allowing the other woman to lead her along. There was no telling just how many more chances they would have to go on a simple date like this.

As confident as Korra was that she could get Kuvira's sentence changed, Kuvira had to be prepared to sit in prison for another fifteen years. Moments like this, walking down a street, held closely against her girlfriend—they _were_ girlfriends, a thought that still made Kuvira's heart flutter with joy—would become impossible. Of course, they would always have the Spirit World... But that wasn't the same kind of freedom. This right here, being with Korra out in the open world, where anyone could see them, see just how _happy_ they were together... _That_ was the kind of freedom she wanted.

The kind of freedom she knew she might not have again for a long time.

The palace came into view a short time later, as they ascended the steps towards the highest city tier. They passed by several groups of stationed guards, all of whom appeared on edge and ready for an imminent attack. With the Red Lotus still somewhere in the city, there was no telling when that attack would come. Kuvira hoped that Zaheer would hold off until at least tomorrow; she wanted just one more quiet night with Korra before anything crazy happened.

As they approached the palace courtyard, however, Kuvira's hopes shattered. A low rumble filled the air, forcing her to lift her head from Korra's shoulder. She squinted, gaze shifting around the space—nothing but an empty, open courtyard. And yet, the rumbling grew louder... Where was it coming from?

The ground began to shake. Kuvira stumbled back a step, losing her balance. She looked down at her feet to see gaping cracks rip out across the icy ground, spreading and branching out like lightning bolts. A hand came to the collar of her coat and yanked her backwards, just as one of the fissures opened up where she had been standing. The sudden motion forced her to drop her bag of noodles, but it was better than falling into a cavernous abyss.

Korra pulled her back farther, towards the stairs. Within mere moments, the various chunks of the icy courtyard began to split off and erupt upwards. Other sections sank downward, disappearing into the ground.

“What in spirits name is going on?” Kuvira said, as she took a careful step backwards.

“I have no idea!” Korra replied. “It's like some kind of earthquake!”

The ground shook harder, and the cracks from the courtyard spread out towards the moat surrounding the palace. The water churned in response, waves sloshing up over the edge. The stairs leading up to the palace split in two and then plummeted down into the water below. Even the palace itself began to shudder and quake. The towering structure lost pieces of itself, as icy chunks broke free and fell away. Fissures tore across the base of the palace. The ground caved inward beneath it, and then suddenly it began to sink.

“No!” Korra ran forward across the broken, shifting courtyard. “The palace is falling!”

“Korra, stop!” Kuvira called. “The ground isn't stable!”

It didn't stop Korra from trying, though. The Avatar wasn't one to sit back and watch destruction unfold. She leaped upwards and waved her arms through the air as she went. A controlled ice pillar caught her and lifted her higher, towards the palace. When she came in range, she clasped her hands into fists and raised her arms upward, catching the falling structure with her bending. For a moment, the quaking lessened and almost ceased, as Korra struggled to raise it back into place.

The ground was already too far gone. The fissures in the ice cracked open wider and she lost her grip. As soon as she let go, the entire palace plunged through an open chasm and disappeared into the darkness below. When the ground finally stopped shaking, only a dark, vast rift remained where the palace had been standing just moments before.

“That... that didn't just happen,” she uttered, as she fell to her hands and knees. “That... no. It didn't... It _couldn't_ have.”

Kuvira cautiously approached, taking care to avoid the open schisms on the ground. When she reached the edge of the chasm, she, too, lowered herself to her hands and knees, and gazed down into the darkness. “I don't...believe it. How did that... how _could_ it...? Was it the Red Lotus?”

Korra shook her head slowly, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. “I... I don't know...” With a deep breath, she stood up straight and ran her fingers back through her hair. “Okay, we need to get down there and help everyone caught inside the palace when it sank. There could be injured, or... or worse.”

“We'll find them,” Kuvira assured. “All of them.”

“Right, right... we'll find them.” Korra gave a slow nod. “We just need to find a way down, so we can—”

A sudden burst of wind cut her off, and blew her back over the edge towards the dark void below. She was only able to keep herself from falling by bending out the ice from the ledge to catch her. When she regained her footing, she pulled the ice inward and returned herself to solid ground.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," said a voice from up above.

Korra snapped her gaze upwards. She _knew_ that voice; they both did. _"Zaheer!"_

"Avatar Korra." Zaheer hovered in midair, some thirty feet above ground. He stared down at them, expression calm. "I see you survived our previous encounter. That is unfortunate. This time, though, I'll make sure you stay down for good."

"If you think you can take both of us, you're fooling yourself," Kuvira countered. She tore the coat from her body aside, revealing her armor beneath. "I beat you once already myself."

"I was careless, last time," he said. "This time, you won't be so lucky."

On cue, figures began to appear at the edge of the fractured courtyard—Red Lotus. There were at least a dozen, perhaps up to twenty. They didn't attack yet, instead moving to surround their targets. Korra and Kuvira stepped backwards to create as much distance between them as possible; they didn't make it far before backing up to the edge of the chasm. There was nowhere to go.

A subtle smirk twisted onto Zaheer's lips. "As you can see, I've come thoroughly prepared."

Korra scowled at him, hands tightening to fists. "Throw as many Red Lotus at us as you want, we're going to stop you!"

"You're confident. Not for long." He floated down closer to them, but still kept out of attack range. His gaze shifted over towards to gaping hole in the ice, where the palace had once stood. "Keep in mind, your friends are now buried hundreds of feet below the ice. Waste too much time here, and you won't make it to them in time, whether you beat me or not."

"You _bastard..."_ Korra muttered. Her eyes flickered with white light, beginning to glow. "You're going to pay for _everything_ you've done!"

"We'll see." Zaheer flew back behind his men, then waved an arm at them to commence attack. "Kill them both."

* * *

A thunderous gust of wind exploded upward, blasting away a pile of icy debris. Bumi pulled himself up and out of the rubble with a cough. He took a moment to catch his breath, just sitting there atop the ice and looking around. He didn't see much; this far below ground, there wasn't a lot of light. He glanced upward to determine just how far he'd fallen, but all he saw was a small opening in the distance. The night sky lay beyond, offering a slight glimmer from the spirit lights.

"What in the name of a drunken badger mole happened?" he muttered, scratching his head. With a contemplative groan, he turned his attention back downward and squinted until his eyes adjusted to the dim light. Everywhere he looked, all he could see was a massive pile of fractured ice in varying sizes—all that remained of the palace. "Well that's definitely not good..."

He shook himself back to his senses, then leaped down the sloping ice pile with a few cushioned bursts of air from his feet. When he made it down to solid ground, he looked around again. From what little he could see, it seemed like he had fallen down into the caverns they had searched earlier.

"Hey! Can anyone hear me? Anyone out there!"

A few moments after he called, an eager chirp responded. A soft glow of blue light appeared around the corner of the tunnel ahead of him. Soon, Bum-Ju appeared, fluttering along towards him.

"Bum-Ju, you're okay!" Bumi gave an excited laugh and ran to give his friend a hug. The dragonfly bunny spirit sighed happily and sank against him. "It's good to see you, too, buddy. And hey, spiffy light effect. You're like my own personal lantern." He paused, then turned around with a hand held to his head. "So, you see anyone else down here? We can't be the only ones who survived that."

Bum-Ju flew back through the air again and waved one of his little arms. Then, he took off around the mass of palace debris.

"Hold on, I'm coming!"

Bumi chased after him, keeping pace with a few well-timed wind bursts to propel himself over giant mounds of ice. When Bum-Ju stopped, the spirit chirped louder and jumped against a particularly large chunk of ice. Bumi arrived next to him and paused, listening with his ear pressed against the ice.

"Anyone under there?" he asked. A pained groan answered him, and immediately he began digging, using sharp slices of air from his palms to break through the ice. "Just hang on, I'll get you out!"

"Bumi, is that you?" The voice was muffled, but still clear.

"Toph? Good to hear your voice!" Bumi dug harder, tearing through the frozen debris as fast as his bending would allow. "It's me, alright. I'll have you out in a jiff!"

When he finally broke through, he found Toph sitting there in an empty pocket between the rubble. Her clothes were torn, a line of blood ran out of her nose, and she had quite a few bruises, but she was alive. Wasting no time, he reached in to help her out into the open.

"You okay?"

Toph plopped on the ground and grumbled, arms crossing over her chest. "I can't see, I have no idea what just happened, my back is killing me, I feel like I just got run over by a sabertooth moose lion, and I'm _pretty_ sure my nose is broken. You tell _me_ how I'm doing."

Bumi frowned, scratching the back of his head. "Well gee, when you put it that way..."

"So what _did_ happen, anyway?"

"Well, either we missed one heck of a party, or the Red Lotus sank the palace beneath the ice."

"You mean to tell me we just fell through hundreds of feet of ice, and the palace collapsed on top of us?"

"That's about the gist of it."

Toph scoffed, then turned her lips into a deep frown. "And here I thought I couldn't hate this place any more. The North Pole _sucks."_

"No arguments there," he said. "Now, let's see... We should try to find more survivors. If they're hurt, they're going to need treatment as soon as possible."

"I'm sure they're fine," Toph insisted. _"I_ survived, didn't I?"

A different voice answered her. "Not for much longer."

Toph's ears twitched. She never forgot a voice. "Avan..."

"Hello, Toph Beifong." Avan stepped forward out of the shadows. He stood straight, hands held behind his back. "We didn't get to settle things between us before. It's time we fix that."

"Oh sure, come after me when I'm injured and can't see or bend," she said, with a roll of her eyes. "You're a real man, alright."

Bumi cracked his knuckles, then put himself between Toph and Avan. "Don't worry yourself, Toph. I got this one."

"You..." Avan's gaze narrowed coldly at the airbender. "You took me by surprise before, but this time you won't be so lucky."

"We'll see about that." Bumi shifted into an airbending stance, palms flat and facing forward. I got a few moves I'll bet you've never seen before, and I'm just itching to show you."

Avan lowered himself into an earthbending stance. "Come, then."

"You ready, Bum-Ju?" The dragonfly bunny spirit fluttered next to him and gave an eager chirp. Bumi smirked. "Then let's get him!"

* * *

Anraq bended away the ice with a single, forceful shove. The debris around him blasted in all directions, leaving him standing in a gaping crater atop the rubble. He stumbled forward on shaky legs, carrying Desna in one arm, and holding his other around Eska for support. With a single wave of her hand, Eska turned the ice beneath their feet into a smooth slope. They slid down along the side of the ruined palace until they landed safely on solid ground.

"You alright?" Anraq asked, as he gently set Desna down flat on his back.

"I am fine.” Eska lowered herself to her brother's side and began to examine him. A soft gasp left her lips, and her face twisted with uncharacteristic panic. “He's not breathing."

"Let me see him.” Anraq knelt down at the male twin's side and squinted, trying to adjust his vision to the dim lighting. He liquefied some of the surrounding ice into water around his hand, and then held it to Desna's body. The water glowed, providing a subtle source of illumination. “Looks like there's some ice lodged in his throat, and he hit his head pretty hard."

"You can heal him, can't you?” There was a distinct distress in Eska's voice that couldn't be hidden behind her usual wall of indifference. This was her brother, after all—her twin, her other half. “Tell me you can heal him."

"He'll be fine,” Anraq assured. With his other hand, he liquefied the ice in Desna's throat and bended it out into the open. Then, he brought his healing water to Desna's head. “Just need a minute to work here.”

"Good...” Eska said, breathing an audible sigh of relief. “Good, that's— _aggh!"_ A flying ice chunk exploded against her chest, throwing her back through the air. She slid hard across the ground, until coming to a sudden stop when colliding with the cavern wall.

“Eska!”

A mocking chuckle reverberated out from the shadows. "What's the matter, Annie? Did I hurt your girlfriend?"

Anraq hinged his jaw shut tight, a scowl slashing across his face. His gaze followed the sound of the voice, and sure enough, his cousin stepped out of the shadows. _“Yuruk...”_

"And friends.” Yuruk held his arms out to either side, and soon a dozen or so other Red Lotus members joined him. “See, I can't take any chances here. This time, those twins _die."_

The frozen ground at Yuruk's feet split apart and broke upwards in the form of piercing spikes, forcing him to throw himself backwards out of the way. He bended the spikes safely away from himself, but a following barrage of ice blades forced him to raise up a wall for defense.

Eska slid back into view across a wave of ice, putting herself between Anraq and the Red Lotus. "I will hold them off! You heal Desna!"

Anraq kept his healing water pressed to Desna's head, but he was rigid, on edge. "Are you sure?"

"Yes.” Eska called a swirling stream of water around herself, and shifted into a defensive stance. “Please, make sure he is okay."

"Oh, looks like we got a feisty one. I do like that in my women.” Yuruk brought a grin to his face, then glanced back at his Red Lotus subordinates. “Well, don't just stand there, kill her!"

* * *

Azula leaned close to the window, staring outside. Even down in the airfield, she could see that the palace had just vanished from sight. The only question was: how? "Did you see that, Yula?"

"Yes...” Yula stepped next to her teacher and looked out the window with wide eyes. There had been a great rumbling throughout the city. Even inside the Dragon's Wing, she had heard the echo of ice splitting and cracking apart. Then, the palace had fallen out of view—the _entire_ palace. “What do you think happened?"

"I'm not sure... But I'll bet the Red Lotus is behind it.” Azula took a step away from the window and turned to leave the cabin. “Stay here, I'll go check—"

Her voice cut out with a deafening boom. The metal paneling on the far wall exploded with a rush of fire, and the shockwave lifted them both off their feet. Glass shattered as they rocketed through the window into the open air outside. Azula was the first to recover, twisting her body around in midair to control her fall. Yula fell enough in front of her that she could reach out and catch the woman, just in time to land on her feet and slide across the ground. She dug her boots firmly into the ice, coming to a controlled stop without faltering her stance.

"W-what was that?” Yula said, gazing up at the airship.

Flames poured out a gaping hole in the side of the vessel. A second explosion erupted out the other side, then a third near the back. A second later, the cockpit blew apart. The flames billowed higher, stronger. Then, each window burst apart into a shower of glass shards.

"My airship...” Azula uttered. She set Yula down and took a step forward, gaze locked onto the burning structure with narrow eyes. A moment past, and then her eyes twitched wider, as if realizing a sudden thought. _“Zuzu_ was in there."

Yula blinked at her, curious. There actually appeared to be a faint hint of concern in those ordinarily sharp, cold eyes. "Master?"

Azula ignored her, instead sprinting straight at the burning airship. She whirled her hands through the air to bend as much of the fire as she could back towards her. She poured her chi into it, made it her own, and then dispersed it into nothing. The moment that she extinguished part of the inferno, however, the flames grew back and renewed, stronger than ever. There was far too much to simply bend away, even for her.

“Master Azula!” Yula ran forward and pulled her teacher back, just as another ripple of explosions surged through the airship. The both of them flew from their feet again, hitting the ground hard and sliding to a stop.

Azula flipped back up to her feet and ran forward again. The heat from the flames became so intense now that the ice beneath the airship began to melt; the ground was slushy, slippery. “Zuko!” No nickname this time. The scowl on her face would indicate anger, or annoyance, but her tone couldn't hide it—actual worry.

She made a run for the airship again, but this time something else stopped her—a sharp tug at her wrist. A frustrated growl surged from her throat. She looked to her wrist, noticing a metal cable wrapped around it. The cable tugged harder, forcing her to turn around. When she did, a second metal cable fired out through the air and latched around her other wrist. They both reeled in tight, firm, holding her arms out straight at her sides.

“Master!” Yula scurried up to her feet, but held back, unsure of what to do. She wanted to help, but the fear of messing up and only getting in Azula's way rooted her in place.

"So, you're this incredibly powerful Fire Lord I keep hearing about?” The man attached to the other end of the cables sneered at her. “You just look like some bratty teenager to me. Starting to wish I got to stay back with the others. At least then I might have had a challenge."

“Who are you?” Azula snapped. “Unhand me at once!”

“Name's Uhara,” he replied. He reeled in the cables another couple inches, forcing the Fire Lord to take a step towards him. “Of the Red Lotus, if you're not smart enough to figure it out.”

The scowl deepened on Azula's face. _"You_ did this.”

"Nice work, huh?” Uhara glanced past her up at the burning airship. The flames towered around the structure now—a true inferno. “Of course, the blast was supposed to kill you, but that's okay. We'll finish you now."

Azula's gaze shifted, darting around the airfield. She spotted three Red Lotus members, then a fourth, a fifth... four more. Another three. Fifteen... Sixteen... Eighteen total. When she was sure she had counted them all, she returned her focus to Uhara. If her glare could have shot lightning, she'd have scorched a hole straight through the man.

"You killed Zuzu,” she said, her voice seething out through clenched teeth. “He was my family. My _blood."_

"You mean the great Lord Zuko?” Uhara tilted his head back and scoffed out a cocky laugh. “He was nothing but a has-been old man. I did him a favor really."

“Is that _so?”_ Azula somehow intensified her glare, while wrapping her hands around the metal cables. She tightened her grip around them, sliding two fingers from either hand forward. “Well, then, now I'm going to do _you_ a favor.” Electricity sparked at her fingertips. “By ending your miserable life!”

Without further warning, a pair of lightning bolts shot outward down the length of the cables. Uhara had time only to utter a panicked gasp before they struck him. The force lifted him from his feet and threw him through the air. He screamed, and when he hit the ground he curled into a ball, shuddering and wheezing.

 __"_ Urgh ... _you... bitch...” He crawled across the ground, fingers clawing at the ice. He shot a gaze towards the other Red Lotus and managed to weakly point his finger forward. “Kill them!"

Azula positioned herself back-to-back with Yula, and sunk into her signature bending pose. Her gaze flicked back and forth, watching as the Red Lotus surrounded them. Eighteen against two... The odds were certainly not in their favor.

"So that's how it's going to be? Very well...” Azula's fingertips again crackled with lightning. She kept attention on their opponents, but offered a brief glance back to her student. “Yula, if you want to see your family again, we _must_ prevail here... I think it's time to see what you've learned."

Yula swallowed, stomach fluttering with nerves. She steeled herself, though, and hardened her expression—fierce, adamant. She was ready. "Yes, Master Azula."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And down goes the palace! Down goes the palace! That's one way to start your attack off with bang. Sorry this chapter comes off as mostly a tease, but there are quite a few different confrontations taking place here and I needed to set them all up. This will lead directly into an action packed next chapter, though! Any fight in particular that you're most looking forward to? Do let me know! I'm excited to write them all.


	53. Red Lotus Burning, Pt. 2: Battle of the North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra & Kuvira vs. Zaheer! Bumi vs. Avan! Eska, Desna, & Anraq vs. Yuruk! Azula & Yula vs. Uhara! The stage is set for the most intense conflict yet between the Red Lotus and Team Avatar, but who will emerge victorious?

Korra lifted upward, riding a cyclone of air. Her eyes glowed bright, powered by the Avatar State. The Red Lotus beneath her took defensive stances and shot blasts of fire and ice at her—no earthbenders among them, since there was no earth to bend. She redirected the attacks with ease and countered with her own; anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the blasts suffered the destructive consequences. It didn't matter how many Red Lotus there were, Korra would destroy them all in her current rage.

That was a fact that Zaheer seemed to realize, as he joined the fight. He jetted forward through the air, twisting himself in a corkscrew pattern at the Avatar. Korra grabbed hold of him when he tackled her, but the impact forced them both backwards over the gaping chasm. Zaheer flipped himself around in her grasp. She struggled to hold on, but her grip slipped as he flew up over her head. When he finally broke free, he kicked himself off her shoulders and sent her plummeting down over empty air.

The attempt didn't work. Korra held out her arms and legs, expelling powerful streams of fire from her palms and feet. She propelled forward through the air like a rocket, back towards the fractured courtyard. When she landed, she slammed her fists on the ground and rippled the ice outward like a tidal wave. Once again, she sent the surrounding Red Lotus flying like ragdolls. That's all they were to her in her current state: dolls, to be discarded and thrown away.

When the ice reset itself, the courtyard merged back together as though it had never been damaged. She stood at the center, watching the Red Lotus recover. She barely let them get back to their feet before she commenced her attacks again—an air blast at one group, a jet of fire at another, an explosion of ice and water at a third. It was everything the Red Lotus could do just to defend themselves now.

Zaheer didn't let her go unopposed, though. He flew down behind her and thrust a palm forward. The wind gust lifted Korra off her feet and sent her spinning through the air. She righted herself with ease, but it put her in position to take a whipping stream of water to her back. A chunk of ice greeted her in the gut as she fell downward, followed by a spinning wheel of fire. She hit the ground hard, clothes singed and smoking. The attacks hadn't inflicted much damage, but they did stun her. The Red Lotus used that opportunity to converge on her and prepare another assault.

They didn't get the chance. A series of metal strips zipped through the air and latched onto wrists, and ankles, and over their eyes. The strips flipped the Red Lotus members around, dragged them away from Korra, and slammed them against each other. Before they caught on to what was happening, six of them had already been disabled.

Up until now, Kuvira had sat back, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. With Korra in the Avatar State, there was only so much room for her to assist. Now, though, she had that opportunity, and she didn't let it go to waste. “Korra, I'll deal with them! You focus on Zaheer!”

Korra got the message loud and clear. While Kuvira defended against the Red Lotus with her metal strips, the Avatar turned to face their leader. Zaheer floated above her in the sky, staring down at her. She stared back. Then, her eyes glowed brighter and she surged up into the air atop another cyclone. She punched out scorching waves of fire, but Zaheer spun himself out of the way. He countered with a few whirling kicks of cutting air. The attacks had no effect; Korra merely surrounded herself with a spinning dome of wind that rendered the opposing airbending attacks harmless.

“ _You will not succeed here!”_ she shouted, her voice echoing with the might of her Avatar Spirit. _“Not this time. Not again. Today, the Red Lotus falls, and you answer for_ _ **everything**_ _you've done!”_

Zaheer narrowed his gaze at her, a look of concern coming to his face. He didn't show true worry yet, but he was beginning to realize that this wouldn't be as simple a task as he had hoped. Still, this was the third time he had faced her while she was in the Avatar State; he knew what to expect by now. He flew around her in a circle, picking up speed. When he moved fast enough that she couldn't follow him with her eyes, he changed directions and darted straight at her.

This time, he didn't collided with her. Rather, he veered off just to her side, while trailing a massive air stream behind himself. The concussive air blast exploded when it hit her, lifting Korra into the sky. Zaheer never stopped. He flew up behind her before she had a chance to recover, and hooked his hands beneath the pit of her arms. When he had a firm grasp, he flew upside down in an arc, spun himself around several times for added momentum, and then threw the Avatar downward with all his might.

Korra only just managed to cushion her fall with a bubble of air, but even so, the impact was thunderous. She slammed into the ground so hard that the courtyard ice cracked upon impact. She lay there for several moments, unmoving. Zaheer took the opportunity to fly higher into the air. When he reached a sufficient height, he turned back around and then dove straight at the ground—straight at Korra. He led with his elbow, intent on driving the point into the Avatar's throat.

Just before impact, a metal strip latched around his wrist. His eyes widened at it, but he didn't get a chance to do anything about it before he lurched off course and slammed against the ground. Kuvira focused on him, shifting her arms around with rapid movements. She slid the man across the ground and smashed him against one of the pillars at the edge of the courtyard. Then, she lifted him airborne again.

“Leave. Her. _Alone.”_ Kuvira gave him a stern glare. Their eyes met for just a moment before she dropped her arms and sent him crashing once more into the ice.

As Kuvira prepared to continue her assault, however, a blast of fire erupted across the backside of her armor. She fell off balance, and then lurched forward as the ground beneath her feet exploded in a shower of ice. She recovered quickly with a flip back to her feet, but she was forced to take her attention away from Zaheer and focus on the remaining Red Lotus instead.

Zaheer pushed himself up off the ground with a groan. With a few sharp strikes of air, he cut the metal strip off his wrist and then flew into the sky. Korra had recovered by now, back on her feet. She watched him, waited, and then kicked out a wide arc of flames. He spun himself in a rapid circle, forcing out a dome of air that expelled the fire away. Korra's scowl deepened, and her eyes glowed brighter. She balled her hands to fists, slid her leg back a step, and erupted a hurricane of wind around herself. Zaheer wouldn't get away this time. She wouldn't let him hurt _anyone_ else.

As she made a move to attack him again, however, a sudden pain ripped through her chest. Her body seized up, and the glow in her eyes flickered. She stood there with pause, unmoving, unflinching... Then, the pain jolted again, stronger this time. She raised a hand to her chest, clawed at her shirt with her fingers—another pain, this one strong enough to drop her to her knees. A shrill cry burst from her throat as she fell against the ground. When the next pain surged through her heart, it didn't disappear. It remained constant, sharp. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move a muscle without making it worse. She twitched in agony there on the ground, and her cries grew louder. It hurt so much.

“ _Korra!”_ Kuvira noticed her, and panic set in. She latched a metal strip onto each of the last few Red Lotus enemies, and then dragged them together through the air, bound and unable to attack. Then, she ran to the Avatar's side. “Korra, can you hear me?”

Korra could only shudder and groan, hand grasping at the center of her chest. Kuvira knew what that meant: her heart hadn't healed, and now it was failing.

“What seems to be the problem?” Zaheer floated back to the ground, standing a dozen paces away. He looked calm, and not at all on guard, in spite of having just been engaged in bitter combat with the Avatar. “Is it her heart? That is a shame. Not much you can do about that.”

“Shut up!” Kuvira snapped. She shot a glare towards Zaheer, then brought her focus back to Korra. She brought their hands together, fingers interlocking tight. It was all the reassurance she could give. “It's going to be okay... you just need to relax. You'll get through this.”

“It... _hurts...”_

“I know. Just be strong... _please_ , be strong.” Kuvira gave her a gentle kiss, then stood up straight. Korra needed help, and soon. That much she knew. To do that, though... she had to stop Zaheer, first.

“She's still in the Avatar State,” Zaheer said, with a subtle smirk. “Which means her body is trying to keep her alive. How much longer do you think she'll last?”

She glared at the man, brow low and eyes narrow. She shifted into her metalbending pose, hands raised and fingers pointed. “Long enough for me to end you.”

“By all means...” Zaheer floated into the air and turned his body, one arm forward, the other back, both palms flat with fingers towards the sky. “You're welcome to try.”

* * *

Bumi spun himself away from the flying metal hand and earthen glove. So far, they were the only two projectiles he'd had to deal with. There was no earth down here, which meant that earthbenders, such as Avan, had limited options. For the time being, it made evading the attacks easy. Bumi sidestepped the projectiles as they came back around, and then whirled his arms around to release a wind blast from his palms. Avan held his arms up to shield himself, but the blast slid him backwards across the ice.

When the wind ceased, Avan delivered a pair of kicks, launching his earthen boots into the air, as well. They joined the glove and metal claw and swirled around the airbender. Then, they raced inward from all sides. Bumi leaped straight upwards, propelling himself with a blast of air. The projectiles collided with each other in a cloud of dust, but Avan quickly reformed them.

"You can't keep running and evading forever," Avan said, as he guided another attack towards his target.

"Sure I can." Bumi delivered a spinning kick and knocked away the projectiles with a cutting arc of wind. "So long as that's all you have to bend, you're not putting up much of a fight."

Bumi landed farther down the tunnel, then leaned backwards with another palm thrust. The air stream he released this time was harder, more concentrated. It nailed Avan square in the chest with concussive force, knocking him clean off his feet. Bumi followed up with a kick that blasted the man up into the ceiling. When Avan landed back on the ground, he grumbled and sat up on his hands and knees.

"You see?" Bumi said. "Piece of cake!"

"Don't get cocky, kid." It was Toph who scolded him. The old woman shifted herself around on the ground, reaching out carefully with her hands. She was feeling, sensing, trying to grasp something that would allow her to gain her bearings. "It's not over until he's out cold."

"Ah, come on, what can he do?"

Avan glanced up with narrow eyes, then recalled his metal hand to reset upon his wrist. The earthen glove and boots returned shortly after. "You talk too much, airbender."

With a sudden jerk of his hands, the ice on either side of Bumi split apart. Metal chains burst free and hovered in midair. Then, Avan clenched his fingers, and the chains flew inward. Bumi realized the ploy too late. He made a desperate leap away, but the chains wrapped around his arms and legs, then dragged him to the ground. They bound him, squeezed him, threatening to crush his bones.

"Did you think I wouldn't come prepared?" Avan said. He squeezed his fingers, and the chains tightened, eliciting a pained shout from Bumi's lips. "I've set up chains like this all throughout these caverns. I may not have any earth, but that doesn't mean you can take me lightly."

Bumi groaned, struggling against the chains. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't break free. "Okay... Okay, my mistake. Definitely not letting that happen again."

"No, you won't... You won't be _alive_ to make another mistake." Avan wrapped the chains tighter—just a little more, and they would snap Bumi in two. "This ends n— _gaah!"_

A sudden smack to his face sent Avan recoiling backwards, arms flailing in defense. Bum-Ju fluttered at him with a harsh chirp and kicked his feet against the man's face once again. Avan swatted at him, but Bum-Ju floated out of reach.

"Hey, Toph!" Bumi called. "Little help?"

"Already on it," she said. Even though she couldn't see right now, she could still feel the metal chains nearby. Raising her hands, she gave her wrists a gentle flick and snapped the chains away from Bumi.

Avan shouted with frustration, this time thrusting his hand forward. His earthen glove shot outward and wrapped around the dragonfly bunny spirit. When he pulled his hand back, the glove dragged Bum-Ju towards him. He snatched the spirit by the ears and held tight. "That's enough out of you!"

"You take your hands off Bumi, Jr.!"

So distracted by Bum-Ju had Avan been, he didn't notice his opponent leaping towards him until the last moment. When he turned his head, Bumi's fist met his jaw with an explosion of concussive air that sent him spinning into the cavern wall. The ice cracked upon impact, and when Avan fell to the ground he didn't get up.

"You alright, Bum-Ju?" Bumi freed the spirit from the earth glove and then held out his arms. Bum-Ju jumped into them with a happy chirp. "Aww, no problem, little buddy. I wouldn't let anything happen to you, not while I'm around."

Toph found her way over to the Red Lotus earthbender and held a hand against him. She pursed her lips, eyebrows lifting—he was out cold. "Hmm, okay then. _Now_ it's over."

* * *

Eska stayed back on the defensive, as the Red Lotus moved in at her. She coiled water around herself into a solid sphere, and then erupted a dozen tendrils from its surface. Like an angry octopus, she swatted at her enemies. The unfortunate few who had drawn too close careened airborne when the tentacles thudded against them. The others backed out of range and attacked from a distance, to little effect. Eska deflected any incoming ice projectiles with her water whips, while their fire blasts steamed harmlessly against the surface of her protective shield.

The Red Lotus attempted to regroup, but Eska cut them off. She thrust her hands back and forth in rapid succession, firing out a near endless barrage of icy shrapnel. To keep her water from running dry, she replenished it with the ice beneath her feet. The Red Lotus waterbenders ran to the front of the line and raised out frozen walls from the ground. Eska's projectiles pelted the walls, ripping away at them one chunk at a time. The waterbenders simply reformed the walls to make them stronger, but she didn't let up. She couldn't. She _had_ to protect Desna long enough for Anraq to heal him.

Yuruk watched the fight a moment longer before huffing out in annoyance. This wasn't going anywhere. "Honestly, do I have to do _everything_ myself?"

He moved past the other Red Lotus members and cast his arms aside. The ice walls they had put up in defense obeyed his command, splitting into pieces and rocketing forward. Eska ceased her ice barrage so she could deflect the frozen blocks. When she did, Yuruk slashed out a whip of water. Eska swatted out her own tendrils to block it, but just before they made contact Yuruk froze his whip into a sharpened blade. It cut clean though Eska's water tentacles and drove into the protective shell around her. The sphere froze on contact, and then with a simple clench of Yuruk's fingers it burst apart.

Eska cried out as the explosion knocked her from her feet. Before she even landed, another ice chunk flew up from the ground and collided with her gut. Then, a flat slab lifted up from the ground and sped towards her. She could do nothing before it smashed against her and drilled her into the cavern wall. When the slab fell away, she tumbled to her hands and knees with a weak groan.

"Honestly, I beat both you twins before by myself," Yuruk said, with a roll of his eyes. "What hope could you possibly have against all of us on your own?"

Eska struggled to right herself, stumbling against the wall and watching as the Red Lotus drew closer in preparation for another attack. Yuruk led the way with an icy blade attached to his arm. There were so many... _too_ many. They attacked in unison. A barrage of water, ice, and fire erupted towards her, and she made a desperate attempt at defense. The single ice wall she managed to raise in front of herself would only absorb so much damage, though—not enough.

Just before the assault collided with her shield, another ice wall shot up in front of her. This one was larger, thicker. The resulting impact blew it to pieces, but it protected Eska enough that she remained unharmed, huddled behind her own wall. When the ice and flames cleared from the air, the ground erupted with a field of icy spikes that forced the Red Lotus to back off. Even Yuruk had to move quickly to avoid impalement.

"Away from my sister." Desna slid into view and came to Eska's side. He appeared weary still, with exhausted eyes, but he was alive, and conscious.

Anraq jumped in next to them and split the frozen ground apart in front of them. With a single fluid hand motion, he erected another wall for protection. This one, he added a line of spikes to. "Let's see how you do when the odds are just a little more even."

"Desna, you are alright." Eska offered a pleasant smile, then leaned forward to give her brother a hug. "I'm glad."

"As am I," Desna said. He then turned from her and focused on the Red Lotus. Both he and Eska mirrored each other's actions in fluid unison as they shifted into bending stances. "Now, we must eliminate our enemies."

Yuruk glanced between the three and took a step backwards, frowning. "Damn...forget this," he muttered. "Red Lotus, take them out!" He continued backwards as the Red Lotus moved past him to attack. Once he was safety behind them, he turned and fled down the tunnel.

Anraq's heart jumped when he noticed his cousin disappearing, but he could do nothing to give chase. The Red Lotus attacked moments later, forcing him to remain on the defensive. "Yuruk! Come _back_ here!"

Eska fired one of the wall spikes at their enemies, then glanced to her brother. Desna met her gaze and acknowledged her thoughts with a simple nod. "Anraq, you go after Yuruk. We will handle the Red Lotus."

He turned to her with lifted eyebrows. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied, keeping her focus on the fight. "We are more than enough for them."

"I will make you and opening." Desna raised his arms and then parted them. The ground split between the Red Lotus, and a pair of icy partitions burst upwards. The partitions slid sideways, forcing the group of Red Lotus apart with a clear path down the center. "That won't hold them for long. You must go now."

Eska looked to him, then leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Go. Get your closure."

"Right..." Anraq breathed deep and looked ahead, gaze like steel. The ground beneath his feet rippled, and then raced forward across the ice, skating between the parted Red Lotus. Moments after he past them, their waterbenders broke through the partitions and commenced attack.

Anraq didn't look back; he couldn't afford to. He could only skate faster, his focus pointed straight ahead down the tunnel. He wouldn't let Yuruk get away this time. No, _this time_ , he would _end_ things. For his closure. For his own sanity.

_For Kanna._

* * *

Everything happened so fast, Yula barely had time to process any of it. The Red Lotus came in all at once, unleashing shots of water and fire and ice. She didn't think—no _time_ to think. She only reacted. Had she been in a state of mind to actually comprehend what she was doing, she might have been surprised at how sharp and quick her own reflexes were. She ducked and blocked and weaved through the attacks with countering blasts of her own fire. Not once did she flinch, not once did she slow down. She kept on attacking.

There were so many Red Lotus, but somehow she managed to keep them all in her field of view—three on her left, three in the middle, and three to the right. Nine in total. Four firebenders and five waterbenders. She made sure to go after the waterbenders first—they were more dangerous at night, and especially in this kind of terrain.

They seemed surprised at how fierce and powerful her strikes were. In spite of their efforts to remain on the offensive, her attacks forced them to back off and defend. One of her fireballs struck a target in the stomach, and another erupted against a man's chest, igniting his shirt. Just like that, she was down to seven opponents.

A thunderous explosion boomed behind her. She didn't look— _couldn't_ look—but she knew what it meant. Azula was fighting off the other half of the Red Lotus, and doing a lot more damage than Yula could ever hope to. She could hear panicked screams, the sound of flames scorching the ground, and lightning sizzling through the air. The smell of burnt flesh reached her nostrils and initiated a nauseous reaction in the pit of her stomach—she ignored it, kept fighting.

Two more Red Lotus fell from her attacks, and then she grew bolder. Ducking beneath a flying ice brick, she raced forward across the ground towards the nearest attacker. The man tried to kick a wave of fire at her, but she deflected his leg to the side and snapped a quick jab to his jaw. Flames burst from her knuckles and sent the man tumbling to the ground with a scream, hands clutched to his face. She immediately moved to the next target, a waterbender this time.

The man lashed out a line of water at her, but she sliced the whip in half with an arcing blade of fire. Then, she leaped into the air and spun with a whirling kick. A twisting mass of flames blazed outward from her heel and engulfed the man. He yelled, dropping into the snow in attempts to extinguish himself. Only three more Red Lotus left now.

When she turned to the final three opponents, another line of water sprang out from the ground beneath her and wrapped around her ankle. She tugged her leg, but was powerless to keep herself from being lifted into the air. The water swung her around and then slammed her against the ice. Colors flashed in front of her eyes at the impact, and her throat went numb. Everything started spinning, humming... She felt sick to her stomach.

When she finally regained her senses, she looked up to see those three Red Lotus members converging for another attack. She tried to right herself, but her head spun again and she stumbled dizzily back to the ground. No, no, no, she _had_ to get up, she _had_ to defend herself! Her vision refused to reset itself, though, and the nausea churned stronger. She could do nothing as her enemies made their attack.

A meteor-sized ball of blue flames erupted at the center of the three Red Lotus assailants. They screamed with agony, voices reaching a shrill pitch only to cut out seconds later. When they collapsed, they rolled across the ground in futile attempts to put out the fire. Their efforts lasted only a moment, though before they ceased moving altogether. The flames consumed them.

“You really need to work on your recovery,” Azula said, as she stood above her student. She held a hand down and Yula took it to pull herself back to her feet. “But I must say, I am pleased with your performance. Perhaps you're not as hopeless as I thought.”

“Uh, thank you, Master...” Yula replied, with a gentle nod. As the adrenaline from battle drained away, she took a moment to process everything. She glanced around at the fallen Red Lotus—some writhing in pain, others unconscious, and others scorched or fried down to the bone. From the looks of it, Azula had inflicted tenfold more damage than Yula could ever hope to. “I tried.”

“And you succeeded. For the most part.” Azula shot a quick look towards one of the Red Lotus men crawling away, and then pointed her fingers at him. A bolt of lightning blasted into the man's backside, and a moment later he fell unmoving. _“Never_ show mercy, Yula. Your enemies will use it against you.”

Yula swallowed, bowing her head with another nod. “Yes, Master Azula...”

“Hey! Aren't... you forgetting about... someone?” A metal cable zipped through the air and wrapped again around Azula's wrist. It reeled backwards, but the tug was weak, loose.

With a sigh, Azula glanced over to the foolish man, Uhara. He quivered there on his knees, doubled over and wheezing. The one arm he had raised to hold her with his cable sagged, almost limp. “Really now, we've already done this.”

“You think... this is over?” Uhara said. Even in the face of complete and utter defeat, he was defiant. “I'm not... finished with you, yet.”

“But _I'm_ finished with _you.”_ Azula yanked her arm backwards, pulling the cable and Uhara with it. When he stumbled against the ground, she delivered a solid kick of blue flames along the length of the cable. When the flames reached Uhara, he screamed and thrashed atop the ground. Seconds later, he was still, silent. Azula showed no sympathy, no remorse. She only glared, watching him burn. “That's what you _get_ for killing Zuzu.”

Shortly after she finished speaking, a crash drew her attention back towards the burning airship. A powerful blast of fire broke free the metal siding along one of the lower walls, followed by a thick billow of black smoke. Moments later, a figure stumbled out of the haze, carrying along three others with him. When the smoke began to thin, and the figure drew closer, Azula's eyes spread open wide.

“ _Zuzu!”_ Her expression flashed with momentary relief, but just as soon as it appeared, she wiped it clean and returned to her usual calm, collective demeanor. “Well, I must say, I'm surprised you survived that. I had my doubts... But then, you are my brother—of _course_ you made it.”

Zuko stumbled forward, dragging along three barely conscious Fire Nation soldiers with him—the only other survivors from the explosion. When he neared his sister, he let out an exhausted huff and released the soldiers from his grasp. “Honestly, I'm not sure why people keep trying to blow me up. It never works.”

“Lord Zuko!” Yula stood straight at attention and then gave him a low bow. “It's good to see you're okay.”

“And you as well,” he replied. He returned the bow, then looked around at the havoc they had wreaked upon the Red Lotus. “I see you two took care of things out here...”

“Yes, no thanks to you,” Azula said. “But this is just the start. The royal palace _disappeared_ not long ago, which certainly means that Red Lotus have begun their attack on the others. That means Zaheer.”

“So... what should we do?” Yula asked.

Azula looked between Yula and Zuko a moment. Then, she turned towards the city and ran ahead, leading the way. “We join the fight, of course.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... much... fighting...
> 
> Fight scenes hard. Many fight scenes. *collapses* This chapter really drained me. I was so far ahead of of my normal time frame early on, too, and then I just fizzled out near the end. But I finished it! Things are really heating up now (no pun intended... Azula).
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. What's your favorite fight so far? Let me know, I'm curious!


	54. Red Lotus Burning, Pt. 3: I Am Beifong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira faces off against Zaheer in order to protect the Avatar, and in doing so comes to a self revelation that will change her forever.

Kuvira wasted no time. With hands raised, she fired a rapid barrage of metal strips from her armguards, one after another. She couldn't afford to hesitate, couldn't afford to take her time. Every second was precious. The longer she spent fighting , the weaker Korra became. Without any kind of treatment, there was only so long until her heart stopped altogether. Kuvira couldn't allow that. She had to end this fight _now_.

Zaheer wasn't about to make it easy, though. He hadn't been lying when he said that he was careless the first time they fought. This time, he was focused, determined to extend the fight long enough for Korra's heart to fail. He swatted away Kuvira's metal strips with sharp blasts of air, and countered with vicious gusts that put her on the defensive. Kuvira had no way to guard against his attacks. She had no earth, nor any abundant supply of metal. She had only her strips, which he continued to dodge and knock away no matter how many she threw at him.

If she had a chance to continue guiding the strips at him unopposed, she might have been able to break through his guard. Between every attempt she made, though, Zaheer knocked her off balance with another blast of wind, or forced her to dodge. He threw her off her rhythm, never allowing her to get in a groove. Kuvira grew increasingly frustrated as time went on. It made her reckless, and desperate. Every time she missed, every time Zaheer blocked, or dodged, or flew away from her attacks, she could feel her heart jump with panic. Every second longer she took was one second longer that Korra suffered.

“Stand still!” she shouted, as she guided several metal strips in at him from all sides.

Zaheer spun his body, knocking away the the projectiles with a whirling cyclone of wind. Then, he flew at her. He picked up speed and dove straight by her, veering off at the last moment to avoid collision. The wind stream that came in behind him lifted her from her feet and threw her. She made a desperate grab with her hands, trying to hold herself down to the ground, but she grasped only empty air. When she hit the ground, she bounced and rolled until finally coming to a stop near the edge of the chasm.

Another blast of wind slammed into her gut as she stood up. It forced the air from her lungs on impact and buckled her knees. A second arcing gust sent her spinning down to the ice. She thudded onto her stomach, fingers clawing at the snow. A nauseous bubble twinged deep in her stomach, and it only got stronger as she returned to her hands and knees. She took a moment there to catch her breath. Her vision blurred and spun, but she fought it off, steadied herself.

Zaheer didn't allow her respite. He flew at her again and delivered a spinning kick to the back of her head. The resulting air blast smashed her down against the ice and then lifted her up high on the rebound. With a simple thrust of his palm, Zaheer pushed out another gust and launched her higher. She flew airborne, flailing in attempts to right herself. She only barely twisted her body around in time to plant her feet beneath herself as she landed. Even then, she still fell backwards and slid across the ground.

For several moments she didn't move—she _couldn't_ move. Only when the world stopped spinning could she finally bring herself to sit upright. Doing so pulsed a numb pain through her chest. Even through her armor, Zaheer's attacks had done damage. The pain she felt, though, was unimportant. She could live with the pain. It was the wasted time that sent panic racing through her. As she staggered there on her knees, she shot a glance over towards Korra. The Avatar huddled into a ball on the ground, hand still clutching her chest, still shuddering, and eyes still glowing—the light was fading, flickering. How much more time did she have?

Zaheer floated down from the sky and landed in front of her. He stared at her, brow low and eyes narrow. It was a look of disgust, of condescension. “So, this is the best you have to offer? I must say, I expected more out of the Great Uniter.”

“I'm not... the Great Uniter,” she muttered. She tumbled forward, holding herself up with her arm against the ground. “Not anymore.”

“Oh, no? It's the title you called yourself during your campaign.” Zaheer kicked out another wind blast, knocking Kuvira to her back. “It's what the people know you as. I heard how they supported you, how they cheered for you, all while you led them down a dark road of corruption. The Great Uniter, the people's champion—nothing but a monstrous dictator obsessed with power and control. It happened once, and if you're left unchecked it'll happen again.”

Kuvira groaned, rolling over onto her side. She winced at a sharp pain in her side, then forced herself back up to one knee. “No... I won't. I'm _not_ that person anymore. I've _changed!”_

“People like you don't change!” Zaheer kicked her to the ground again and stood over her, glaring. His usual calm demeanor twisted with anger. “That is why the Red Lotus exists, to put an end to those like you who seek to control the world and oppress the innocent! _You_ are what is wrong with this world! _You_ are the corruption we strive to snuff out and be free of!”

“ _No!”_ Kuvira sat upright again, but her motions were slow, weak. Every movement she made, she cringed with sharp, stabbing pain. “I'm _better_ than that. I've worked... so hard to become better. I don't want to hurt people anymore!”

One again, he kicked her down. This time, she couldn't bring herself to get back up. “You will _always_ hurt people! It's in your nature, Kuvira. Just like all the other corrupt kings and queens throughout history, the tyrannical Fire Lords, the bloodthirsty conquerors—you're the worst of them all, Great Uniter!”

Kuvira's fingers scratched against the ice. She tried to sit up, but could only manage to curl inward into a ball. She didn't want to listen to him, didn't want to acknowledge his accusations, and yet... What if Zaheer was right? What if she _was_ still that dictator, that monster? What if the Great Uniter was all she would _ever_ be?

“It's time I put end to you,” Zaheer stated, as he shifted his stance. It was a stance he had used many times before—the same he had used to kill Suyin.

“No...” she uttered, slowly dragging herself up on her elbows. “No... I'm not... a monster. That's not me. Not...anymore.”

Zaheer deepened his frown. “But it _is,_ Kuvira. It's all you'll _ever_ be.”

She lifted up to her knees now, still leaning forward on her elbows, head hanging. Every inch gained was a struggle, a fight. “No... I'm _not_ the Great Uniter. That's _not_ what I want. That's not who I _am.”_

“Then who _are_ you?” Zaheer questioned. “If not the Great Uniter, if not the power-hungry dictator that threatened to crush other nations, who killed innocent people, then _what?_ What else could someone like you _ever_ hope to be?”

Kuvira paused. A numbness built up in her throat. Her mind raced, thoughts sharpened. As she knelt there, pained and weary at Zaheer's mercy, staring down at the ice beneath her, voices echoed in the back of her head—familiar voices, friendly voices.

“ _Forgiveness of oneself is the most important step in coming to terms with the things we've done.”_

“ _Our pasts don't have to determine who we are, Kuvira. They merely create the starting points for who we're going to be.”_

“ _Suck it up already and let it go. Yeah, you screwed up. You made mistakes. You hurt people. So what? You learned from it, and now you're a better person because of it.”_

“ _There are people who will hate you because of the things you've done, but there's also people who will love and forgive you. The sooner you realize you can't control that, and just accept it, the sooner you can move forward.”_

“ _Forgiving ourselves for our actions is often the most difficult thing to do, but it is necessary before we can begin to heal.”_

“ _It's time you take a close look inward and ask yourself the hard questions. Who **are** you? What do **you** want?”_

“Who am I?” The question repeated in her head. Over and over, she asked it to herself. She had thought about it so much, but had never had an answer. She didn't know who she was, didn't know what she wanted, didn't believe she could ever forgive herself, or come to terms with the horrible things she had done. It had always been just as Zaheer said: she would only ever be the Great Uniter.

_Not anymore._

“I... _know_ who I am.” Kuvira tightened her fingers against the ground and forced the pain out of her body. She couldn't let it slow her now. She breathed in deep, steadied her nerves... Then, she lunged up from the ground and fired a metal strip from her armguard. “I am _Kuvira Beifong!”_

Zaheer recoiled with widened eyes, but he was too close to react in time. The strip wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. He tugged at it, tried to rip it away, but Kuvira tightened it into place—it wouldn't budge now.

“Daughter of Suyin Beifong!” She cast another metal strip forward, this one latching around Zaheer's wrist. “Of the Metal Clan!” She added a third strip, around his other wrist. “Protector of Zaofu!” Two more strips fired out, wrapping around his ankles. “Ally of the Avatar!” The metal strips flipped over and took Zaheer with him, spinning him through the air. "And as long as there is breath still in me, I will stand against you. I will _never_ stop fighting to make this world a better place, to defend those who can't defend themselves, and to help maintain peace. _That_ is who I am! That is what I _strive_ to be!” Kuvira lifted her arms upward, raising Zaheer higher into the sky. “That is what I _want.”_

Then, with a single sweep of her arms, she threw Zaheer downward. He collided square against the ground with a sickening thud. A weak groan hissed from his lips, and he made no move to get up. All he could do was twitch his fingers, the pain too much to fight through. Kuvira didn't let him rest, though. With a sharp motion of her hands, she lifted Zaheer up to his knees and then bound his wrists and ankles together with the metal strips.

“You remember Su?” Kuvira said, as she stood over him. She leaned forward, holding her hands to his shoulders. The strip across his eyes shifted upwards, so she could meet his gaze with a hateful glare. “You _killed_ her. You've killed so many, hurt even more, and destroyed too many lives to count. You think you're some kind of hero, some freedom fighter making this world a better place? You're nothing but a terrorist. I'm not the monster here, Zaheer. _You_ are. Now, you answer for it.”

“This isn't over!” he countered. “Things have only just begun! The Red Lotus will not be silenced by the likes of you! Our goal is righteous! We will free the world! We will— _mmph.”_

With a simple flick of her fingers, Kuvira lowered the metal strip down over the man's mouth, silencing him. “Shut. _Up.”_ Then, she wound up her hand, made a fist, and drove her knuckles as hard against his face as possible. Zaheer's head whipped to the side, eyes rolling back and then closing. He fell to the ice and lied there, unmoving—defeated.

Kuvira buckled down to one knee to catch her breath. She didn't remain there for long, though; there wasn't enough time to worry about her own recovery. With a single deep breath, she sprang back up to her feet and made her way to Korra's side.

"Korra?" she said, holding onto the other woman's hand. "Can you hear me?"

Although Korra had stopped shuddering, she still held her hand tight over the center of her chest, and her face still contorted with pain. She said nothing, but gazed upward with faint glowing eyes and managed a soft nod.

"You're going to be okay," Kuvira said. "I'll get you to a healer and you'll be fine."

As Kuvira leaned down to lift Korra into her arms, however, an icy brick exploded out of the ground and collided with her chest. It struck so hard that her armor cracked upon impact, and sent her crashing to the ground with a grunt. The wind surged from her lungs, but still she fought to right herself. She stumbled and coughed as she rolled onto her hands and knees, arms shaking and legs quivering.

When she looked up at last, her stomach sank. The Red Lotus that she had previously disabled with her metal strips had managed to free themselves and regroup for another attack. There were...too many, and she was too exhausted; she couldn't beat them all. Still, that wouldn't stop her from trying. She forced herself back to her feet, staggered on shaky legs. Every breath she took pulsed a dull, throbbing pain through her chest.

"Come on, then!" Raising her arms, she recalled all her discarded metal strips back to her armguards. Then, she shifted into as sturdy a bending stance as she could muster. "You want the Avatar, then you go through me first!"

Just as the Red Lotus prepared to make their attack, a blue flaming meteor crashed into the center of the group and exploded. Those caught in the blast fell screaming, trapped in a growing conflagration that incinerated everything it touched. The fortunate ones that escaped the initial inferno scattered in a panic. They shielded their faces from the heat with their arms, and stumbled away to where it was safe. Their safety didn't last long, though, as three figures soon appeared to combat them.

Azula led the charge. She cut her fingers through the air, releasing a pair of arcing fire whips that seared across the ground. Two Red Lotus waterbenders attempted to put up a defense, but the flames sliced clean through their ice walls and engulfed them. Zuko ran ahead and engaged another three enemies. He weaved around their attacks, countered with explosive fire blasts, and put them down with ease. In spite of his old age, he remained fluid, and agile. Yula joined the fray with a spinning kick that ignited a fiery cyclone across the ground. It sent the remaining Red Lotus running, and allowed her to close the distance for close range attacks.

Within moments, the fight was over. The three firebenders stood amongst the scattered group of fallen Red Lotus, looking around at the devastation—the most obvious was a giant crater in the ice, where Azula's initial fireball had exploded. When they were certain that the Red Lotus had been defeated, they relaxed their guards and turned to Kuvira.

"You can thank us later," Azula said, with a flip of her hair. As she approached Kuvira, she noticed the bound and unconscious Zaheer lying in the ice. "Oh, pity, you already beat him. Here I was hoping to get a crack at him myself. No matter, we can still take him prisoner."

Zuko looked past Kuvira. When he saw Korra lying there in pain, he quickened his pace and came to her side. "What happened?"

"It's her heart." Kuvira huffed out an exhausted sigh and collapsed next to Korra, unable to stand any longer. With a gentle touch, she held Korra's hand. "It was weakened during an earlier fight, and I think it's failing... She needs help. I don't know how much longer..."

Zuko gave a quick nod, and then looked to Yula. "I need you to take her to a healer. She needs treatment right away. In the meantime, I'll make sure Zaheer is secured."

"Of course, Lord Zuko," Yula said, as she came to the Avatar's side. Zuko assisted in lifting Korra up onto her shoulders, then went to retrieve Zaheer.

"Be strong," Kuvira said, giving Korra a brief kiss. "I'll be with you as soon as I can, once our friends are safe."

Korra uttered a pained groan and nodded, then slumped weekly atop Yula's shoulders. Wasting no more time, Yula carried her off down the courtyard steps.

Azula hummed thoughtfully, and then turned to look out over the gaping chasm where the palace used to be. "My, I can't imagine anyone survived a fall like that."

"Of _course_ they did," Kuvira shot back, as she stumbled up to her feet. "And we have to get down there to help them."

"Oh, so eager to work with me now, are you, Great Uniter?"

Kuvira fired a glare at her. "You're all I have."

"True, I suppose you're stuck with me." Azula took a step back, then leaped out over the chasm. Holding her palms flat downward, she expelled a steady jet of flames from each, as well as from her feet. Slowly, she began to lower herself through the air. "Well, are you coming?"

Kuvira watched her a moment, then latched several metal strips around her own wrists, ankles, and waist. With the metal secured, she bended herself out next to Azula in midair. Together, they descended into the void.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was oh so satisfying to write, on so many levels. Finally, after 54 chapters, Kuvira has accepted the things she's done, forgiven herself, and realized who she wants to be, and what she wants to do. Granted, there's still a lot more work for her to do, but at least now she can begin to truly heal and take steps towards becoming that better person she's wanted to be for so long. This is a shorter chapter than usual, but only because the whole scene ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated, and it didn't feel right to go into a new scene. I wanted to preserve the entire feel of this chapter by having it be just about Kuvira's triumph, both emotional and physical.
> 
> And for those who don't recognize the lines that Kuvira thought of when she was having this revelation, the first two were from Iroh in chapter 7, the second two from Toph in chapter 24, and the last two were from Zuko in chapter 48. I thought of including lines from other characters (such as Korra, or Su), but ultimately I wanted to keep it to the three major wisdom/advice conversations she had, the ones that would have had the most impact on forgiving herself.
> 
> Also, the image of Kuvira KO punching Zaheer is my new favorite thing.
> 
> On a side note, when she and Azula are descending into the chasm, I picture Azula using her fire like Iron Man, which is another kickass mental image if I do say so myself.
> 
> (And yes, the chapter title is a play on 'I Am Legend')


	55. Red Lotus Burning, Pt. 4: A Frozen Heart Beats Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anraq faces off against his cousin, Yuruk, in one final confrontation. One way or another, only one of them will be walking away from this battle.

Anraq skated around the corner of the tunnel, picking up speed as he went. He had to be getting closer now. These caverns were only so big, and he hadn't come to any branching paths yet, only this single winding corridor. He didn't care what it took, Yuruk was _not_ getting away. Not this time.

The tunnel opened up into a large chamber filled with icy stalactites hanging down from the ceiling, and stalagmites rising up from the ground—a pointy field of icicles. They offered a strange, frigid glow, lighting the chamber with an eerie blue hue, and they shined like mirrors. As he weaved his way through the glowing icicles, his reflection followed him, rippling upon each of the cylindrical surfaces like some kind of carnival funhouse. He kept his eyes open for any sign of his cousin; if ever there was a place to hide, it would be here amongst this forest of frozen blue spikes.

What he didn't see was the sudden notch that sprang up from the ground. His foot collided with the mound and sent him airborne, crashing though a grouping of icicles. He rolled out of the shattered ice and returned to his feet, already set in his bending pose. That had to have been Yuruk... But _where?_ Everywhere Anraq looked, he saw only his own reflection.

"Ha, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist following me, Annie." It was Yuruk's voice, but with the way it reverberated through the chamber, it didn't give away his position. "So, you finally want to end things, huh?"

"If you have to ask, you're as stupid as you are deranged." Anraq stepped carefully through a cluster of the frigid spikes, body turning back and forth. Still, he saw only his own reflection. "It's time you answered for _everything_ you've done. For what you did to _Kanna!"_

“Still going on about Kanna, huh? It's been eight years, Annie. Sometimes, you just gotta let things go.”

Anraq turned at a flicker of movement and bended one of the surrounding icicles at it—just his own reflection again. _“Shut up!_ You wouldn't know what it's like, losing someone you care about like that. You've never cared about _anyone_. You've never _loved_ anyone. You're nothing but a deranged, spiteful lunatic!”

“Ouch, that _hurts_ , Annie,” Yuruk replied. His voice echoed around the chamber again, still offering no clues to where he was. “Really, is this any way for family to treat each other?”

“We may be related but we are _not_ family.”

“Again with the words, Annie. You know just how to hit where it hurts.” A pause followed, and then a mocking laugh. “Then again, so do I.”

The ice at Anraq's feet exploded upwards, launching a barrage of razor-edged shards at him. He threw himself backwards and swept an arm forward to bend the projectiles away. In the process, he tripped over another notch in the ground and crashed through a solid grouping of icy columns. The air rushed from his lungs, and he groaned. He should have seen that one coming.

As he sat upright, the frozen spears dangling from the ceiling above broke free and fell at him. His heart jolted, and he bended up the surrounding ice into a shield over himself. The falling spikes exploded against the barrier, leaving him unharmed. With a relieved breath, he pushed the shield away and then stood upright.

The moment he reached his feet, a flying brick of ice collided into his gut. His eyes flew open wide at the impact, and he fell to his knees, arm clutched around his abdomen. He had only a moment before a bladed wave of ice sliced across the ground at him. He lunged away, diving through another pair of frozen stalagmites. Ice crashed around him, pelted him, buried him.

He knew he couldn't lie there, though. He forced himself to get up, to stumble back to his feet. When he stood upright, a whirling water whip smacked against his face and sent him spinning back to the ground. A pained hiss leaked from his lips. He blinked, struggling to clear his vision. Still, no matter where he looked around the icicle-filled chamber, all he saw was his own reflection.

“So what exactly was your plan when you came after me?” Yuruk asked. “Because somehow, I don't think getting your ass kicked is a good way to stop to me. And it seems to me that's all you're good at doing.”

Anraq remained still, which meant so did his reflections. He shifted his eyes around the chamber, peering between the gaps in the frozen forest. Just a single instance of movement, that was all he needed.

“You're so certain you have nothing left to lose, but that's not entirely true, is it? You have all those friends of yours with you.” Yuruk chuckled. “So maybe I won't kill you yet. Maybe I'll keep you alive long enough to watch me kill _them._ Then, once you've _really_ lost everything, I'll kill you.”

_There._

The motion was fleeting, but he saw it. He reacted instantly. A line of water wrapped around his arm and then shot forward, blasting apart a frozen stalagmite on its way by. He heard Yuruk gape with surprise, and that was when he knew he had him. The whip wrapped around Yuruk's waist and lifted him into the air, then smashed him through various clusters of icicles. Finally, Anraq threw his cousin into the chamber wall.

“That's _it!”_ Anraq shouted. The moment that his cousin hit the ground, he raised his arms and broke away every icy spike hanging from the ceiling. They floated there in midair for a moment, and then pierced through the air at Yuruk. “It's _over!”_

When the icicles reached their target, they shattered and exploded outward. Yuruk guided the shrapnel away from himself, and then redirected it, forcing Anraq to raise a frozen wall in defense. After the barrage ceased, the chamber was free of obstructions. It was empty now, just Yuruk and Anraq facing each other.

“This is just getting started, Annie.” Yuruk slid a leg back and raised his arms. “Or did you forget who you're dealing with?”

No he hadn't forgotten. But he had been hoping that maybe, just that once, luck would be on his side. As it turned out, though, luck wasn't going to help him here. He had to rely on himself, his own skill. Yuruk wouldn't fall any other way.

“Lets finish this, then,” Anraq said, shifting into his own bending pose. “Just you and me. No more tricks.”

“Heh, well alright then... if you insist.”

Yuruk struck first, but Anraq was ready for it. He guarded, and countered with an attack of his own. Yuruk blocked it just the same. They each took turns firing shots of ice and water at the other, and soon the exchange became a relentless barrage that shook the entire cavern. In spite of their best efforts, neither could break through the other's guard. They were both too determined, too focused, and near evenly matched in skill. No, this wasn't going to be decided from a distance.

Anraq shifted the ground beneath his feet. He rocketed out across a wave of ice and raced towards his cousin in an arcing path. When he came within range, he drew an ice spear around his arm and lunged up through the air. Yuruk watched him, readied himself, and formed an ice blade of his own around his arm. The two clashed with a fierceness that, to anyone else, would have seemed like reckless savagery.

There was skill in that savagery, though. Anraq never lost his focus or his resolve. He parried Yuruk's attacks, countered when he saw openings, and combined water strikes into his assault whenever he had the chance. Though neither combatant landed a clean hit, there were plenty of glancing blows. Anraq took a cut across his arm, and his ribs, while Yuruk suffered a gash on his thigh, and one across his shoulder.

“Give it up, Annie.” Yuruk took a step back and then thrust his blade. The ice extended as he did, for added range.

Anraq twisted his body away from the strike, and then trapped Yuruk's arm with his own. “I will _never_ give up. Not to you.” With a quick jab of his elbow, he smashed Yuruk's face and forced him to back off. “You'll have to _kill_ me.”

Yuruk held a hand over his nose, blood leaking from his between his fingers. He glared, his brow low. “That can be _arranged_ , Cousin.”

The pair clashed again, and this time Yuruk came in with renewed fervor. Anraq ducked beneath two vicious slashes, then swung his own blade upward; he struck only air. Yuruk spun away, coming behind him. With a full, arcing swing he cleaved open a gash along the entire length of his cousin's backside.

Anraq screamed as a hot wave of pain ripped through him like fire. He stumbled to one knee, but forced himself to keep moving, rolling across the ice out of range from Yuruk's follow-up strike. Once he did make it out of range, he fell to his side and cringed. Every move he made only increased the pain; he could barely twitch his muscles without his body seizing up in agony. He couldn't even keep his ice blade formed around his arm, as it melted away into water.

“Come on, Annie, did you really think you had a chance here?” Yuruk strolled forward, casually tapping his own frozen sword against his shoulder. “I don't care how much you've improved over the years, I still outclass you. I'm _better_ than you, always was.”

“ _Fuck...you,”_ Anraq groaned. He crawled back across the ground, smearing a line of crimson across the ice as he went. His vision was starting to go hazy, out of focus.

“Ah, see, again,” Yuruk said, “that's no way to talk to family.”

“You are not... my family. You _never_ were.” Another pained gasp burst from his lungs. The feeling in his legs drained away, becoming numb. “I _had_ a family... and you  took her away from me.”

“You want to know something, Annie?” Yuruk said, with pursed lips. “When I came to you that night, I didn't know you had a daughter. I wasn't looking to kill a little girl or take anything from you. To be honest, it was an accident. I didn't realize the kid would be so fragile... or maybe I just didn't know my own bloodbending strength. My point is, I didn't _mean_ to kill Kanna. But you want to know something else?” Yuruk crouched down low, and leaned in close to Anraq's ear. With a growing smirk, he whispered, “I don't _regret_ it, either.”

Something snapped in Anraq. A white hot rage exploded in his chest, and all he saw was red. He shouted—nothing in particular, merely an incoherent howl of anger. The pain vanished from his body in that moment, and he was able to sit upright. He pushed his arms forward, clenched his fingers together, and then stood up. Blood continued pouring from out his wound, but he ignored it. He didn't care. The only thing that mattered was putting an end to his cousin, once and for all.

Yuruk screamed, head tilted back and mouth open wide. “H-how...how are you— _aaarggh!”_ He hovered there in midair, a foot of the ground. His limbs twisted, body bent backwards. His smugness had disappeared. The panic in his eyes, the pain—it was real. “It's...it's not...a full moon! How are you... _bloodbending?”_

“Hate is a powerful thing,” Anraq growled, clenching his fingers tighter. Bones began to fracture, tendons tore, muscles shredded. In truth, he didn't know how he was doing it. Perhaps his anger gave him some kind of power, the boost he needed to bend blood outside a full moon. It didn't matter how. It only mattered that he could.

Yuruk's arms rotated around a hair too far and snapped. His screams grew louder, tortured. His legs followed, breaking at the knees. Anraq never let up. His rage burned hotter, his hate intensified. He twisted his cousin's body tighter. Any more and he'd crush Yuruk into a bloody mass. Nothing could stop him now.

_Daddy!_

Anraq gasped, and released his fingers. The voice was nothing more than a shade, a ghost echoing in the back of his mind somewhere—his conscience, perhaps—but it still gave him pause. A calming warmth flickered through him, and suddenly all his anger, all his hate, and pain, and sorrow eased from him. He let Yuruk fall to the ground, then took a step back. He just stood there, breathing easy, and staring with tears in his eyes.

“W-what's wrong?” Yuruk coughed out a laugh, glancing up from the ground with a mocking smirk. He couldn't even move, with his arms and legs mangled and broken, yet still he retained his defiance. “Not gonna kill me? I thought you were doing this for Kanna? _Huh?_ I thought you were going to finish this!”

Anraq said nothing. He merely turned his focus downward at his cousin. No anger. No hate. Just a calming gaze.

“I _knew_ it,” Yuruk chortled. “Even now... even when you have all the power... you're still _weak!”_

Shifting his stance, Anraq held his arms out and bended the surrounding piles of ice up into the air. The frozen water spread out and merged, becoming a storm of sharpened spears. He rotated them, aimed them directly at his cousin. Yuruk let out an audible gasp; he could only stare at the countless razors as they hovered there above him. Then, with a single swipe of his arms, Anraq shot the spears downward.

Yuruk screamed, and snapped his eyes shut. The icy spikes drove like needles into the ground, pelting it, spearing it. And yet... there was no pain. A moment past, and then Yuruk eased an eye open. The bladed projectiles had pierced the ground all around him. They came within inches of his body, even skewered through his loose clothing, and yet not a single one drew blood from his flesh.

“You're wrong,” Anraq said, as he straightened his stance and raised his arms upward. Yuruk lifted from the ground, encased in a solid block of ice—he wasn't going anywhere now. “If I were weak... you'd be _dead.”_

Pain began to return to his body. Not the emotional kind—the pain he felt for losing Kanna would always be there with him, but in that moment he felt could finally move past it, finally be at peace with it. That wasn't the pain he felt now.

No, the pain that returned to him now was physical. The gash along his back bled harder, and the feeling in his body had almost completely disappeared. His vision blurred. His legs buckled. He stumbled, dizzy. The world around him spun, and then the next thing he knew he was lying on the ground, staring up at the ceiling.

He hadn't even felt himself fall.

“Don't worry, Kanna...” Anraq eased out a soft, gentle breath. A smile drifted onto his face, and he let his eyes close. “Daddy's coming...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for another short chapter (actually I think it's the shortest one to date), but again I wanted to focus on the single battle without being broken with any other scenes, since it's an important confrontation. Also, an emotional one, as you can see... Satisfying, but in a bittersweet way. What happens from here? Well... I can't be giving out spoilers, now can I? You'll see soon enough.


	56. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar recuperates after the final battle with the Red Lotus.

Kuvira groaned as she pulled free another body from the icy rubble. Just as with the previous bodies, this one was motionless and not breathing. She had been searching and digging for what felt like ages, and yet all she'd found were lifeless guards that had died in the fall—no sign of the others

“That's the eighth guard you've pulled out," Azula said. She leaned back against a large ice boulder, with one of her hands raised in the air. A bright blue flame burned in her palm, offering a source of illumination. "I'm telling you, there's no way your friends survived.”

“And I'm telling you you're _wrong,"_ Kuvira said, with a bite in her tone. So far, Azula hadn't done much of anything except melt a few piles of ice.

“Fine then, have your fantasies." Azula rolled her eyes, head shaking back and forth. "But when we start pulling out their bodies from this mess, I _will_ say I told you so.”

Kuvira grumbled out in annoyance, and then pulled the dead guard across the frozen ground to where she had lined up the others. “You make it _very_ easy to hate you, you know that?”

“But do I?" the Fire Lord questioned. "Hate is such a powerful word, after all. Have I _really_ done anything to you bad enough to warrant that?”

“You helped Zaheer _kill_ Suyin," Kuvira said, as she listed her points off on her fingers. Her eyes sparked with contempt. "You worked with the Red Lotus to assassinate world leaders. You killed Yula's family, and then somehow stole her over to your side. You've done nothing but cause pain and death everywhere you go. What reason would I have _not_ to hate you?”

“Hmm, I suppose you have a point." Azula held a finger to her chin and thought a moment. Then, she gave a simple shrug. "Of course, none of that really matters. We're on the same side now, after all.”

“If you think I'm just going to forget the things you've done, Azula, then you're delusional. _Nothing_ is going to change how I feel about you, whether you're Fire Lord or not.”

Even as she said the words, she realized just how familiar they sounded. How she felt about Azula... It was exactly the same as half the world probably thought about Kuvira herself. The irony of that did not escape her.

Azula sharpened her gaze. “Harsh words, Great Uniter. I'd think that someone like yourself would understand what it's like to have to do...questionable things, in order to get what you want. That's exactly what _you_ did, isn't it?”

“And that's just another reason for me to hate you," she countered. "You're everything that I used to be, everything that I've worked so hard to change from. You're heartless, and cruel, and you don't care who gets hurt as long as it means you get what you want." A long, heavy breath eased from her lips. She bowed her head, staring at the ice. "I used to be _just_ like that. Not anymore.”

“So what, you hate me because I'm just like you, is that it?”

“Like I _was,"_ she corrected. "But even then, no, you're worse. At least I always had my people's best interests at heart. At least I thought I was _helping_ people. You're just selfish. I see through you, Azula. You just want power, control. You don't care about anyone other than yourself—not your people, not even your own family.”

Azula's expression darkened. “You don't know anything _about_ me, Kuvira.” Her tone was cold, sharp... defensive. “Don't act like you do.”

Kuvira rolled her eyes. “Right, you're _so_ compassionate. You only scarred your own niece to steal her title from her.”

“To be fair, I'd never met her before," Azula said, with a single shrug. "So, it's not like I had any attachment to her. She's still alive and well, isn't she? Besides, the title of Fire Lord is mine by right. I lost it when Zuzu stole it from me, and now I've taken it back."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Kuvira muttered. "Just know, if you weren't Fire Lord, I'd do the same to you as I did Zaheer."

"Careful, Great Uniter..." The flame in Azula's palm grew stronger, brighter. "That sounded like a threat."

Kuvira shook her head and scoffed. She turned away, instead shifting her attention to a pair of nearby tunnels. “They might have already dug themselves out and headed farther into the caverns. I think we should split up to cover more ground.”

“For once, you say something I agree with." Azula strolled over to the nearest tunnel, while pointing at the other. "I'll take the left. You go that way. And hopefully never find your way out." She paused a moment, then glanced back and waved her flame at Kuvira. "Do have fun stumbling around in the dark.

Kuvira said nothing. She merely held out a flashlight she had pulled off one of the guards, and clicked it on.

Azula's smirk sank into a frown. "...well, aren't you the resourceful one.”

* * *

Toph huffed as she held on tighter to Bumi's shirt. “Do you have any idea where you're going?” They had been wandering these tunnels now for what felt like an eternity. Considering that she still couldn't see, her mood had soured into full-on irritation.

“Not really, no,” Bumi said. “Navigation was never my strong suit. To be honest, I'm just following Bum-Ju. He has the light, after all.” The dragonfly bunny spirit glanced back and offered a shrill chirp, as he fluttered along through the air.

“Boy, that's real reassuring,” Toph muttered.

“You know, it isn't exactly easy going when I'm carrying around this oaf on my back, either.” Bumi hoisted the unconscious Avan higher up onto his shoulders. They had completely wrapped the former Dai Li up in chains, but that did nothing to make him easier to carry. “He's gotta be two hundred pounds of dead weight. I know I'm in the best shape I've been in since boot camp, but this still isn't easy.”

“Quit your belly aching. Just concentrate on getting us out of here.”

“Hey, I don't see _you_ helping.”

Toph scoffed again. “What do you want me to do? Yell for help and hope someone hears us through a hundred feet of ice? I'm a blind old earthbender with no earth, you dunderhead.”

Bumi grumbled quietly, shooting the old woman a glare. “Well, excuse me. I'll just get back to doing all the work, then.”

“Shh, hold on.” Toph pulled on Bumi's shirt to stop him. Then, she paused, listening. “I thought I heard something.”

“What? What did you hear?”

She waited another moment, ears sharp and attentive. The sound of boots crunching across the ice sounded from farther down the tunnel. “There's someone approaching ahead of us.”

“Alright, who's there?” Bumi said, taking a few steps forward. “Come on, show yourself! But I'm warning you, I got airbending and I'm not afraid to you use it!”

“Bumi? Toph? Is that you?”

Bumi squinted. Just visible at the edge of Bum-Ju's glow was a lone figure coming towards them. When the figure stepped into the light, he curled his lips into a relieved smile. “Hey, Kuvira! Fancy meeting you down here.”

“Did you get caught in the collapse, too?” Toph asked.

“No, Korra and I were on a—” Kuvira stopped herself mid-sentence and cleared her throat. She and Korra hadn't exactly come out to everyone yet that they were dating. “We were, uh, out of the palace at the time.”

“Mhm...” Toph lifted an eyebrow at her, lips pursed. If there was one thing she was good at aside from earthbending, it was detecting certain inflections in a person's tone—she knew when someone was hiding something, even without being able to feel their vibrations. “So, what are you doing down here now, then?”

“Looking for you guys,” Kuvira said. “I figured something like that wasn't going to take any of you out.”

Bumi looked past her a moment, squinting his eyes again. “What about Korra? Where is she?”

“She's...” Kuvira paused, easing out a sigh. “She should be at a healer right now. Her heart started acting up again when we fought Zaheer... It was bad.”

Toph's eyebrows lifted. “Wait, you fought Zaheer? Did you stop him?”

At this question, Kuvira widened a smile, even if Toph couldn't see it. “We did. We got him, Toph. Just like I said we would.”

“And did you give him a good beating?”

“Nearly knocked his head clean off,” she assured. “I put a little extra in it just for you.”

Toph spread a grin of her own across her face. A pleasant gleam came to her pale eyes. “Well, it's about time.”

“Ha, that's what he gets for messing with us!” Bumi exclaimed. “Great work, Kuvira.”

“Thanks. I see you guys got one, too.” Kuvira's attention shifted up to Avan, still draped across Bumi's shoulders.

“We sure did! This guy likes to talk tough, but he was no match for the unbeatable team of Commander Bumi and First Lieutenant Bum-Ju. Isn't that right?” Bum-Ju flew in next to him and held a paw up, allowing Bumi to give the spirit a high-five.

Kuvira smiled as she watched them. As inane and goofy as Bumi could be sometimes, and as grumpy and irritable as Toph pretty much always was... They were her friends, and she was happy to know them. “Well, it's good to see you both are alright. We should keep searching the caverns for others, though. We still need to find Anraq and the twins, and any other survivors that might be down here.”

“Then let's get going!” Bumi started marching again, but then suddenly paused to give Kuvira a pleading look. “But, uh... you think you could carry this guy now? Metalbending and all.”

“Oh, sure...” she said, with a simple wave of her hand. The metal chains binding Avan lifted him up into the air. “Couldn't Toph have done that already, though?”

Bumi opened his mouth to answer, but stopped short when the revelation his him. He blinked, and glanced back at Toph. “Wait... you _could_ have been carrying him.”

“But you just looked so determined,” Toph insisted. “I didn't want to take away from your accomplishment.”

“I looked so...” Bumi frowned, glaring at the old woman. “Why do you do that?”

Toph tilted her head back and let out hardy laugh. “Because you make it so easy!”

Kuvira managed to hold back her own laugh, but couldn't hide the amused smirk that came to her lips. “Come on, let's go.” Toph hurried along next to her, holding onto her armor as they went, while Bumi trudged along behind them with his shoulders slouched.

Several moments past, and then Toph sucked in a deep breath. She let it out slowly, with a smile. “Finally.”

“What's that?” Kuvira asked.

Her smile grew, but it was a distant one—a smile filled with sadness, sorrow. “Finally, I can _grieve_. _”_

* * *

Azula strolled into the chamber with a hand planted against her hip. She gave her other hand a simple flick and extinguished her guiding flame. The walls of this particular icy cavern gave off its own glow of dull light, so she had no reason to continue exerting herself for the time being. Her eyes darted around the space, taking it in—countless shattered mounds of ice, and frozen spears pierced all along the ground, divots and holes, remnants of shattered ice walls... Absolute devastation, in a word.

“Oh my, what happened here?” she mused, as she made her way deeper into the chamber. “Hmm... looks like quite the battle.” 

As she neared the center of the chamber, her eyes were drawn to a solid block of ice. In particular, she focused on the man within the ice. When she walked around in front of it, she gave a mocking grin at the man, and folded her arms across her chest. “Oh, hello there, Yuruk.” The Red Lotus waterbender could only twitch his eyebrows and widen his eyes in response, as he remained completely motionless within his prison. 

“Don't look so surprised to see me. You had to know we'd meet again sooner or later. Looks like you got beat pretty bad, too...” Her grin grew wider. Yuruk's arms and legs had been mangled, and were bent in several places where limbs should never be bent. “Honestly, that's a good look for you.”

Then, Azula turned around to gaze down at the man lying on the ground, flat on his back. His eyes were closed, and a dark patch of crimson spread out beneath him, staining the otherwise pristine ice. She recognized him easy enough—Anraq, Yuruk's cousin. “Now there's someone who isn't looking so good. Is he dead?” She came closer, kneeling down at his side. “Pity... He had such potential.”

She paused a moment, lips pursed. After a moment's hesitation, she reached two fingers down and pressed them to Anraq's neck. She was mostly just curious, and yet... There was a pulse. Azula's eyebrows lifted. “Oh, so he's  _ not _ dead. Interesting...” She quickly turned him over and pulled his shirt apart to expose the jagged gash along the length of his backside. “He will be soon if this keeps bleeding, though. Hmm...”

Azula pressed two fingers to her lips and thought briefly. What to do, what to do... When another spurt of blood gushed out of the wound, she sighed and then held her fingers out. A concentrated blue flame ignited at the tips. She touched it to the top of Anraq's gash, and instantly his skin began to sizzle and burn. As she dragged the flame across the entirety of the wound, his flesh melted together, fusing. In mere moments, the wound had closed, and the bleeding stopped.

“There, that should help. Maybe.” Azula gave a little smirk, then reached down to lift the larger man up onto her shoulders. She grunted a moment before staggering upright onto her legs—he certainly was heavy. “Now, let's get you out of here, hmm? Probably should get you some actual treatment.” She paused as she made her way by the ice block again. “And don't worry, Yuruk, I'm sure someone will be along for you eventually."

* * *

Yula leaned forward in her seat, watching as Korra slept in bed. The Avatar had been out cold like this ever since the healer treated her. Now... they could only wait, and hope.

"How is she?"

The sudden voice drew her attention towards the door. When she saw who was standing there, she sat straight upright at attention. "Oh, Lord Zuko. She's... okay, I think. I mean, the healer stabilized her, but..."

"But her heart is still weak,” he muttered, with a contemplative sigh.

"Yeah...” Yula eased a sigh of her own, and looked again to Korra. “There's nothing a healer can do about that."

Zuko raised a hand to his chin, gently stroking his beard. "Hmm... There may be one healer who can.” After another moment's thought, he turned from the room and headed towards the exit. “Stay here, Yula, I'll return. I just need take a trip through the Northern Spirit Portal."

"Wait, who are you talking about?” When he didn't answer her, she stood up and ran to the door. “Lord Zuko?"

He looked back at her and gave a reassuring smile. "The best healer there is, and a good friend of mine."

* * *

"Hmm, it appears that Anraq was victorious,” Desna said, as he gazed up at the frozen Yuruk.

"Indeed,” Eska replied. She turned her gaze around the chamber, frowning. “But then where is he?"

Desna, too, looked around momentarily. When he spotted a branching tunnel leading away from the cavern, he pointed and said, “He may have continued on to look for his friends, or perhaps became lost trying to find us again."

"We should search for him,” she insisted. When she started towards the tunnel, however, she paused and looked back at the ice block. “Although, one of us will need to move Yuruk."

"I suppose I will,” her brother said, with a subtle sigh. “His limbs appear to be broken in several places, and he's frozen solid. I should be able to handle him just fine.”

Just as the twins began to go about their tasks, a voice called out to the them. "Chief Eska? Chief Desna?"

Eska turned around in unison with her brother. She raised her brow ever so slightly when she saw Kuvira standing there, along with Toph, and Bumi. And Bumi's pet. "Ah, Kuvira. I see you are all well."

Kuvira nodded. “It's good to see you both alright, too.”

Eska frowned, looking between the them. "Where is Cousin Korra?"

"She should be at a healer by now...” Kuvira said, with a gentle exhale. “She was wounded against Zaheer."

"Whose butt Kuvira totally kicked, by the way,” Bumi said. “The Red Lotus is finished."

"I see.” Desna looked to his sister, and gave a silent nod. “Well, we have excellent healers here in the North. Korra should be fine."

"Looks like you guys got Yuruk, too,” Kuvira said, as her gaze shifted over to the ice block standing behind the twins. “That's good. What about Anraq? Have you seen him?"

"No, although he is the one who actually who defeated Yuruk,” Eska said. “I was about to search for him, while Desna took the prisoner back to the surface."

"We'll come, too, then."

Bumi shook his head, and put a hand to Kuvira's shoulder. "Actually, I think you should head back with Desna. Toph, too. Take Avan with you, get him locked up. Bum-Ju and I can keep looking for Anraq."

"But... Are you sure?” she asked. “I should really be helping."

"Sure he's sure,” Toph said. “I heard you stumbling the entire way here, you know. You need to rest or you're going to collapse. Besides... Korra's going to need you there when she wakes up."

Kuvira gave them both a brief look. Then, she huffed out a heavy sigh and let her posture sink. She had been struggling this entire time to remain upright and balanced. In truth, her entire body throbbed and ached from her battle against Zaheer. Getting some rest actually sounded like a good idea. "Alright... let's go."

"Yes, let us.” Desna lifted a single hand. As he did, the entire block of ice containing Yuruk slid across the ground behind him. “I've grown quite exhausted of these caves."

* * *

Consciousness returned slowly to Anraq. He wasn't even sure he _was_ conscious. Everything felt so... distant, and hazy, like he had his head submerged beneath a lake. His eyes flickered, and he started to see vague outlines of shapes—a ceiling, a table, a window... Then, someone standing over him, looking at him. "Who... Kanna?"

"Hardly. Welcome back, Annie."

The voice, he recognized—Azula. "Told you not...to call me that."

"Ah yes, silly me,” she said, with a flippant sigh. “My mistake."

He tried to move, but as soon as he twitched his muscles, a sharp pain raced along his backside like fire. A dull gasp of pain surged past his lips, forcing him to remain still. "What happened?"

"You almost died, that's what happened,” Azula said. “Fortunately for you, I found you in time. You'd have bled out of I didn't cauterize your wound."

"My... wound?” The memories came flooding back—Yuruk, the blade, slicing open his back... It seemed so long ago.

Azula sat back in her chair, with her feet propped up on Anraq's bed. "You'll have one wicked looking scar, that's for sure. It's not a bad thing, though. You should be proud of it. Wear it like a badge of honor."

"Where am I?"

"Oh, some healer hut in the city,” she said, with an unknowing shrug. “I'm not sure _which_ one—there are so many. You should be fine in a few days, though.”

Anraq went quiet. He breathed deep, let his eyes close. The pain in his back wasn't so bad, as long as he remained still. After the silence drew out long enough, he opened his eyes again and turned his head to look at Azula. “Why...Why did you help me?"

She shrugged again. Her lips turned into a pout, and she shifted her gaze away from him. "Why not? Like I said, you'd have died if I didn't. That would have just been a waste of a good man."

He swallowed, unsure how exactly to respond to her statement. He couldn't take anything she said at face value, he knew that. There had to be an ulterior motive—there always was, with her. "And Yuruk?"

"Oh, he's still right where you left him,” she said. “Mangled and frozen. Unless of course your friends found him already, in which case I imagine he's locked up, same with Zaheer, and Avan, and any other of their surviving followers.” She looked back at him again. Taking her legs off the bed, she sat forward and folded her hands, elbows resting on her knees. “The Red Lotus has been beaten. It's over."

"Good..." Anraq let his head sink deeper against his pillow, eyes closing again. It was over... _finally_ over.

"Oh my, you're really out of it, aren't you?” Azula leaned closer and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead—he was burning up. Then, she hummed out softly and brushed his hair back out of his face. “Very well, get your rest. You're going to need it."

* * *

Korra eased her eyes open, and slowly the room came into focus. She lied there a moment, flat against the mattress, hand held to her chest. There was no pain. She tested herself, sat upright...and still no pain. A relieved breath burst from her lips. “Thank the spirits...”

"Welcome back, Korra. You had us worried for a while there."

"Wha...?” She knew that voice... But it _couldn't_ be. When she turned her head to see the person sitting in the chair at her bedside, however, it was. Korra's mouth fell partially open, and her eyebrows lifted. _“Katara?"_

"Hello again, child,” Katara said, with a warm a smile. “It's wonderful to see you again."

"I don't believe it... What are you doing here? _How_ are you here?”

"Zuko sent for me through the spirit portals, told me you needed my help. It was a good thing he did, too.” Katara stood up and approached the bed. She reached out, resting a hand on Korra's shoulder. “Your body had undergone serious turmoil. I've been healing you all day."

Korra bowed her head, absently reaching up a hand to clutch at her chest. "It was my heart..."

"Yes, I know. I've done what I can, and I believe I've helped restore it to the best of my ability."

A nervous twinge flickered through her. She glanced upwards, cautiously. "What... do you mean exactly? To the 'best of your ability'?"

Katara breathed in deep. Her expression sank with concern, and regret. "I won't lie, Korra. Your heart had been extensively damaged. While I have healed it, there may be moments in the future where it will...act up, and give you problems. You may find you even tire out quicker than you used to. It shouldn't be serious, and it won't happen often, but you should still be aware of it. Your heart won't ever be as strong as was before."

Korra looked down at the sheets. Her gaze was distant, lost. "I see... Thank you, Katara."

"It's always a pleasure.”

The door to the roomed opened a moment later, allowing two very familiar figures to enter. When Korra noticed them, her spirits brightened, and a smile spread wide across her face. “Mom? Dad?”

"Oh, honey, you're awake.” Senna crossed the floor in an instant, wrapping her arms around her daughter. “Thank the spirits."

Tonraq approached at a calmer pace, but when he reached the bed he joined the hug. "We were so worried. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine.” Korra tightened her arms around her parents, breathing deep. A gentle trickle of tears began to fall from her eyes. It had been so long since she'd seen them. “You guys came, too..."

"Of course we did,” Senna said. “We're your parents, Korra.”

Tonraq nodded, with a comforting smile. “We'll always be there for you."

"Thanks...” she said. “I love you guys."

The door opened again. This time, Kuvira entered. She made it halfway across the floor before realizing what was going on. All eyes turned to her, and suddenly she found herself frozen in place. "Oh, excuse me... I didn't realize... I'll come back later." Somehow, she managed to make her legs turn herself around so she could leave.

"Kuvira, wait,” Korra said. “Please.”

She stood frozen there, staring at the door. It seemed so close, yet so far away. Finally, she exhaled a deep breath and slowly turned around to face them.

“You remember my dad, right?" Korra asked, gesturing to her father.

Kuvira nodded, then gave a respectful bow to the older man. "Chief Tonraq. Hello, sir."

"Kuvira..." Tonraq eyed her carefully, cautiously. While she had once saved his life, that had been so long ago. Her campaign as the Great Uniter was a much more recent memory, and here she was, so near his daughter. He had a right to be skeptical of her.

Korra gestured to her mother, next. "This is my mom."

Senna, too, seemed apprehensive. She had never had any interactions with Kuvira before, and so only knew what she had heard, from both her husband and her daughter, and general news. Still, she held her hand out in greeting. "My name is Senna. It's...nice to meet you."

"You, too, ma'am.” Kuvira stared at the hand a long moment, as if afraid it would bite. Eventually, she reached out and gave it a firm shake. “A pleasure."

"And this...is Katara,” Korra said, looking now to the old woman. _“The_ Katara."

“Oh, Korra, there's no need to introduce me like that,” Katara said, with a soft chuckle. She turned to Kuvira and bowed. "Greetings, Kuvira. I've heard a great deal about you."

"It's an honor," Kuvira replied, giving a bow of her own. “I've read a lot about you, too.”

When introductions were finished, Korra sat up straighter in bed and cleared her throat. "So, Mom, Dad... I should probably tell you something.” She let a pause linger, while her parents looked to her. Then, she sucked in a deep breath. “Asami and I...aren't together anymore."

"What?” Senna's eyes opened wide. A deep disappointment twisted on her face—sadness, even. “Oh, honey, what happened? You two were so good together."

"It's a long story, actually...” Korra eased out her breath. She shifted on her mattress, scratching nervously at the back of her head. “But, um, so the thing is... _Kuvira_ and I are... sort of together now."

This time, Tonraq was the one who shot his eyes open with shock. "You're _what?"_

"Again, it's a long story, but... Yeah,” she said. “We are."

Tonraq flicked his attention back and forth between his daughter and Kuvira. There was the caution again, in his gaze, and the worry. "I trust there's an explanation..."

"Look, I know what you all must think of me,” Kuvira said. She swallowed, then inhaled deep to steady her nerves. “A lot of people think the same, and I know I might never change their minds. I'm okay with that. But I promise you, I would never do _anything_ to hurt your daughter.” Moving closer to the bed, she reached out to hold Korra's hand. Their fingers laced together, tightening into a firm hold. “She means more to me than anything... I'd _die_ for her if I had to. I _love_ her."

"It's true... Mom, Dad.” Korra offered a half-smile, still nervous, anxious, about her parents' reactions. “This is... It's real. I love her, too."

Tonraq stared at them a long moment. His eyes seemed critical, and yet thoughtful at the same time. With arms folded across his chest, he hummed out a contemplative breath. When he finally answered, his eyes softened slightly, but they still bore a noticeable uncertainty. "This might take some time...adjusting to...but I trust my daughter. So, if she trusts you...then so will I."

Kuvira uttered an air of relief. "Thank you, sir."

"Well, Korra, honey...” Senna said. “If this is what makes you happy, then you know we're happy, too. Your father is right, though, this will take time getting used to. You were with Asami for so long...” She sighed with a lingering disappointment, but soon she managed to turn her frown into a supportive smile. “But if you both really feel that way about each other, then we certainly won't judge you."

Korra returned the smile. "Thanks, Mom."

"I _have_ heard a lot about you from Korra, these past years,” Tonraq said, as he stepped in front of Kuvira. “About how much you've changed... If that's true, then you've earned a second chance.” He held his arm out, but his gaze remained stern. “Just don't ever go back on that promise."

Kuvira nodded, and shook the man's hand. "You have my word."

"Well, I think it's about time we leave these two alone,” Katara stated. She looked to Tonraq and Senna, then nodded towards the door. “Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, yes of course.” Senna leaned in to give her daughter a kiss on the forehead. “Get some rest, honey. You've been through so much."

"I will, Mom."

"We'll be in the next room if you need anything,” Tonraq said. “Goodnight."

“Night, Dad.” Korra gave them a parting wave, and when they were gone she huffed out in relief. “Well... that was awkward.”

Kuvira forced out a small laugh. “Yeah... just a little. I think it went okay, though.”

“Certainly not as bad as it could have.”

"So... how are you?" Kuvira sat at the edge of the bed and reached out, brushing aside Korra's bangs.

"I think I'm okay, actually,” Korra said. “Katara said I might never be the same again, even with how she healed me, but I'm not sad about it. We stopped the Red Lotus. We stopped Zaheer. We _won._ If a weakened heart is the price I have to pay to restore balance to the world... That's worth it."

"I know that still must be hard for you.” Kuvira leaned closer, resting her head against Korra's shoulder. “Whatever you need, I'm here. I always will be."

Korra smiled at her. “I know... And you have no idea how much that means to me."

Kuvira flashed a smile of her own, then brought their lips together into a gentle kiss. When it ended, she held their foreheads together. "I love you."

"I love you, too.” Korra then scooted over on the bed and pulled the blankets open, allowing space for Kuvira to join her. “Lie with me?"

Kuvira's smile brightened as she crawled in beneath the covers with her girlfriend. Korra immediately curled up against her, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "Nothing would make me happier."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how do I follow up a couple of short chapters? With a really long one, obviously. Way longer than I actually meant it to be, but there were a lot of scenes I wanted to get through. This was mostly just a wrap-up chapter to tie together the end of the Red Lotus battle. We have Team Avatar regrouping with each other and the twins (Eska and Desna are alive!), Azula finding Anraq (who is also not dead! But why would Azula really help him? Hmm...), and even some surprise appearances by Katara, Tonraq, and Senna (Oh hey, what was that about a full reunion with Zuko, Toph, and Katara? Well now it can happen!). Winding down to the end of this storyline, folks... but there is still much more to come afterwards.


	57. The Art of Manipulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remaining world leaders discuss how to handle the Red Lotus prisoners, the last few members of the old Gaang meet up for the first time in years, Azula teaches Yula a new skill, and Anraq makes a life changing decision.

Korra pushed the door open and made her way inside the small meeting chamber. With the palace completely destroyed, they had had to settle with a smaller council building. The meeting itself was supposed to have started thirty minutes ago, but Korra had 'slept in' a little too late with Kuvira—not her fault, really. It didn't help that the council building was all the way on the other side of the city. From the moment she entered the chamber, the remaining world leaders—Eska and Desna, Azula, and her father, Tonraq—stared at her, watching as she approached the table.

“Sorry I'm late,” she said, as slid herself into the lone vacant chair. “I, uh... was feeling a little weak this morning. But I'm here now, so... let's get started.”

Tonraq raised a curious brow at her. “Right...” While normally he would have been concerned, the tone in Korra's voice did little to hide her otherwise unwarranted embarrassment. He decided it best if he didn't press the matter. “So then, how are we handling the prisoners?”

“We will retain custody of Yuruk,” Eska said. “He is from the Northern Water Tribe, and has attempted to assassinate us twice.”

“Yes, he will receive a fitting sentence for his crimes,” Desna added. “We will not make the same mistakes with him that we did the first time around.”

“We should send Avan back to the Earth Republic,” Korra said. “That's where he's from, so that's where he should face his trial.”

“Once that nation is in order again, anyway.” Azula leaned back in her chair, feet propped up on the table—hardly proper council etiquette. “I hear Ba Sing Se is still quite the disaster at the moment, and other cities are falling into similar disarray.”

Korra glared at her. “No thanks to you.”

“Oh no need to get snippy with me, Avatar. I already have a plan to fix things.”

“Oh really, and what's that?”

“Once we're done here, I intend to offer my assistance with the fallen nations,” Azula said. “I have the entire Fire Nation military at my disposal, after all. I can send in troops and whatever other aid is required to help restore order.”

Korra's brow lowered with caution. While such assistance would have been welcomed by anyone else, this was _Azula._ They couldn't afford to take anything she had to say at face value. “And why would you do that?”

Azula merely shrugged. “Why wouldn't I? I'm a world leader now, after all. I don't care what you think of me, I still have a job to do. Now, I _could_ just keep my troops back in the Fire Nation and do nothing... but so long as I get what I want, you'll have my aid.”

And there it was.

Korra sank back against her seat, planting her arms across her chest. “Do I even want to know what you want?”

“I want Zaheer.”

“You want _what?”_

“You heard me,” Azula said. She sat up straighter now in her seat, pulling her legs back off the table. “I want to take him back to the Fire Nation as my prisoner.”

“No, no way!” Korra shot back. “Absolutely not! Dad, tell her. She can't have Zaheer.”

“Zaheer is the head of an international terrorist organization that has caused extensive damage to many people across multiple nations,” Tonraq stated, with a nod. “He'll be given back to the White Lotus, who will make sure he's put away for good.”

Azula scoffed. “Oh please, the Fire Nation has the most secure prison in the world. Besides, the White Lotus has had him _twice_ now, and both times he's escaped. They don't really have a good track record when it comes to holding Red Lotus members, you know. Plus, he did try to have me assassinated. I have a right to charge him for that.”

Eska glanced at her brother, sharing a quiet nod with him before speaking. “The Fire Lord does have a point.”

“Yes, and _we_ certainly don't want him,” Desna said.

Korra shot a look of disbelief at her cousins. “You guys can't be serious!”

Eska shrugged. “The logical decision here would be to accept Fire Lord Azula's terms.”

“Indeed,” Desna said. “It hardly matters _where_ Zaheer is imprisoned, only that he _is._ ”

“Really, be reasonable, Avatar.” Azula leaned her elbows against the table, and gave Korra a challenging smirk. “You give me one prisoner, and I send in my troops to fix things in Ba Sing Se, and wherever else needs it. Seems like a fair trade, to me. Furthermore, I'll be raiding all remaining Red Lotus hideouts to take in any of their lingering members. We don't want a repeat of what happened this time around, after all, when they built their numbers back up over the years.”

Tonraq folded his arms, fingers tapping gently against his elbows. “I suppose it _is_ reasonable...”

“What?” Korra said, lifting her brow at her father. “Dad, what are you talking about? Two seconds ago, you were on my side!”

“Korra...” Tonraq leaned closer to her, so he could whisper without being overheard by the others. “I understand that there are issues with this new Fire Lord, and she's clearly trying to play a power game right now. I can see that, believe me. But the nations that Zaheer damaged could really use that aid. We both know the United Forces aren't nearly enough to cover everything. They're barely holding onto Ba Sing Se as it is.”

"But what about the Water Tribes? Couldn't they help?"

"Korra, our military is naval focused, and trained to fight in the arctic, where we have a terrain advantage. If you're expecting me or your cousins to send in troops onto foreign land, I don't think you'd be pleased with the results."

"Well, yeah... But Dad, you can't really be considering this."

“Either way, Zaheer is locked up,” he assured. “Your cousins are right—it doesn't matter where.”

Korra huffed a frustrated sigh. “I don't know about this...”

“If you want prisoners so badly, then you can have all the ones I capture from their hideouts,” Azula said. “Plus the ones we've already captured here. Besides, there is still that Uhara guy. I mean, sure, he's suffering from severe third degree burns, and his armor melted to his body... But he _is_ still alive, and he came from Republic City, didn't he? You should take him back.”

Korra groaned, then finally threw her hands up in defeat. “Alright, _fine!_ You can have Zaheer.”

“Excellent. Now see, was that so difficult?”

“You'd better hold up your end of the bargain, Azula. Ba Sing Se needs that aid.”

“ _Fire Lord_ Azula...” she corrected. “Honestly, show some respect. But yes, you'll have my assistance. No need to worry yourself.”

Desna looked to his sister. She nodded back at him, and then he turned again to the others. “In any case, I believe that concludes our meeting.”

“Oh, not yet,” Azula said, as she set her feet back up on the table. “See, when the Red Lotus attacked, my airship was badly damaged. According to your engineers, it'll take several weeks to repair. As much as I absolutely _adore_ the North Pole, I can't be waiting around that long. I need to head out at once to begin raiding the Red Lotus bases. So, if I could borrow some kind of transport, it would be most appreciated.”

“We do have several spare airships,” Eska replied. “You may borrow one of those, if you like.”

Desna nodded. “Once your airship has finished being repaired, we can arrange to exchange the vessels. Would that be agreeable?”

Azula grinned. “Yes, thank you. That will work perfectly.”

* * *

Toph made her way cautiously through the the doorway of the small tea shop. She had had Bumi walk her this far, but had shooed him off before going inside. There was no way in the world she'd be seen having a guide for this meeting, even if she still couldn't see worth a damn in this frozen wasteland. Besides, the voices within painted a decent enough picture of the shop. At least, two voices in particular.

“Now there's a couple of oafs I know pretty well,” she said, as she approached the table.

“Toph, glad you could make it.” Zuko held a hand out for her to grab, and she accepted it long enough to find a seat.

“Are you kidding me?” she replied. “I wouldn't pass this up for the world. Some nice soft earth to walk on, maybe.”

“It's wonderful to see you again, Toph.” Katara's voice—no mistaking it. “It's been quite a while, hasn't it?”

Toph laughed, and accepted the cup of tea that Zuko passed her. “Yeah, I'll say. When's the last time we were all together like this?”

Zuko hummed out a gentle breath. “Aang's funeral, I believe.”

“Oh, right...” Toph went quiet a moment, sipping at her tea. “I remember now. Sokka tried to play the tsungi horn. Heh. It was the only time I've ever wished I were deaf, instead of blind.”

“He wasn't... _that_ bad,” Katara said, though the tone in her voice indicated she didn't have a great deal of confidence in her statement.

“Well...” Zuko thought a moment, then took a sip of his tea. “His heart was in the right place, at least.”

A quiet beat past, and then the three burst into laughter. They didn't say anything for a while, instead just quietly sipping their tea and enjoying the company.

When Katara finished her tea, she set the cup down and eased out a pleasant sigh. “This is nice. I missed this.”

“Yeah, me too,” Toph said.

Zuko nodded with agreement, then finished the last of his tea. “We should try to so this more often. Who knows how much more time we'll have to be together like this?”

“He's got a point.” Toph turned to Katara and gave her a gentle punch to the shoulder. “We're not getting any younger.”

“No, I suppose we're not,” Katara replied, with a soft breath. “I know I'd like that, though. It's good to catch up with old friends.”

“ _Best_ friends,” Zuko insisted.

“Yeah...” Toph took a final sip from her tea, and then curled a smile onto her face. “Best friends.”

Katara allowed another silent moment go by. Then, she turned and rested a hand on Toph's shoulder. When she spoke again, her tone was somber. “And Toph... I just want to say how sorry I was to hear about Suyin.”

“Thank you, Katara...” Toph breathed in deep, then slowly let it out. “I know I was never the best mother, but she still turned out to be a wonderful daughter. Now that this is all finally over, I can actually start grieving... get back to Zaofu, have a proper funeral... and try to move on.”

Zuko, too, offered a comforting hand to her shoulder. “If you ever need anything from either of us, you know you only have to ask.”

“I know. Thanks.”

"So...” Katara grabbed the teapot at the center of the table and poured herself another cup. “Are we going to talk about the giant elephant rat in the room?"

Toph lifted a brow. "There's an elephant rat in here? That can't be sanitary."

"She means Azula."

"Oh right... I knew that. I was just testing you."

"I could hardly believe it was true,” Katara muttered. “But then I saw her on my way here. There's no doubt about it... It's Azula.” She went quiet a moment, staring down into her cup. “Fortunately, she didn't recognize me. I can't say that's a conversation I wanted to have."

"So, what are we going to do about her?" Toph asked.

Zuko poured himself another cup. His attention seemed distant. "I'm still working on that. I just...need more time with her."

Katara watched him with a subtle frown. Out of any of them, he had to be the one going through the most confliction with Azula's return. "Zuko, I can understand you wanting to show her compassion because she's your sister, but you have to consider the things she's done."

"Katara's right.” Toph's expression hardened, lips twisting into a deep frown. “Before she became Fire Lord, she was working with the Red Lotus. She was there when Zaheer killed Su, she nearly killed several of us, including Korra, she helped bring chaos to several nations... And she scarred your daughter to take the Fire Nation throne. We can't just let her run around unchecked doing whatever she wants."

"I know that, believe me, but I have to think of a plan,” Zuko stated. “I can't just forcibly oppose her. That would only cause more problems. And before either of you suggests it, I'm certainly not going to assassinate my own sister, I don't care what she's done."

"No one was going to suggest that,” Katara said.

Toph shrugged. "Well, I might have."

Katara raised a brow at the old earthbender—it was difficult to tell sometimes when Toph was joking. "I'm sure we can find a way to resolve this without causing anymore pain or death."

"That's what I'm hoping for,” Zuko said. “I just need to learn more about her. If I only knew how she was still so young... Katara, is it possible for a person's aging to be reversed through healing?"

"Not that I know of, no,” said the old healer, with a shake of her head. “That's not really how healing works. Whatever is keeping her young, I would doubt it's from this world."

"The Spirit World, then?"

"That would be my best guess."

"I suppose that would make sense...” Zuko raised a hand to his chin, and began calmly stroking his beard. “She _did_ disappear in the Forgetful Valley, a very spiritually charged location. Perhaps something happened to her there..."

"Well, figure it out as fast as you can,” Toph said. “We need to stop Azula before she ruins the Fire Nation, and whatever else she has planned."

Zuko nodded. "I know. In the meantime, I'll be doing everything in my ability to placate her. I've worked too hard rebuilding the Fire Nation into something good to let her destroy it. One way or another, we'll figure this out.”

* * *

Anraq lied unmoving in bed, glaring up at the ceiling. He hadn't done much moving at all over the past couple days. In fact, he'd been sleeping for most of it. A few hours here and there, he'd wake up into a groggy state of awareness, and he thought he recalled getting a couple visitors, but for the most part he'd been out cold. Now, though, he couldn't sleep at all.

The door to the room eased open a hair, followed by a gentle knock. He turned his head across his pillow to look at it. "Who's there?"

A moment later, a familiar young woman with glasses poked her face into the room. "Hey."

"Oh, Yula...” Again, it took him a moment to recognize her. Not only her clothes were different, but her hair, too. No longer was it styled as a simple ponytail—rather, tied up into a traditional Fire Nation style, with hairpin. “How are you?"

"I'm fine,” she said, as she slipped into the room and closed the door behind herself. “What about you? You're the injured one."

He shrugged. "Tired, mostly. The pain is pretty much gone, but I'm still weak."

"Oh, well that's good to hear. That you're not in any pain, I mean."

"So, where's your new master?"

"Oh, she's...making preparations to leave,” Yula said, turning her gaze to the side. “We'll be going soon."

"So you're really going with her...” Anraq breathed out a disbelieving sigh. He sat himself upright in bed, struggling against shaking arms to hold himself up. “Why? After everything she's done... After what she did to your family..."

Yula swallowed, but didn't give an answer. She fidgeted there on her feet a moment, holding her hands close against her chest.

"You can tell me, Yula.”

"I...um..."

“What does she have on you?"

Still, no response.

“Come on, Yula, what—”

"My family!” she blurted. She stared back at him a moment, then ran her fingers up through her hair. Her gaze shifted down again, and her eyes squinted shut. “She has my family..."

Anraq blinked at her, brow twisting with puzzlement. "She has... what?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but... Azula didn't kill my family,” she said. “She just took them prisoner and let me _think_ they were dead. That was before she became Fire Lord. Now, they're being held in a Red Lotus base. Azula is taking me to free them."

"Are you... being serious?"

She nodded. "Yes. That's why I became her student. It was her condition: pledge loyalty to her, and we'll save my family."

Anraq raised a hand, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. If ever someone could make a mistake, it was trusting Azula. "And you don't think she's lying?"

"She could be. She probably is...” Yulla inhaled a deep breath, and then steadily eased it out past her lips. “But I can't afford not to go. If Azula _is_ telling the truth..."

"Then you need to get your family back.” Anraq uttered a quiet groan, and nodded. As crazy as it sounded, he knew that Yula didn't have much of a choice here. “Yeah, I understand that."

Yula came closer to the bed. She paused a moment, then gave him an earnest look. "Can I...ask you something?"

"Uh, yeah, of course. What is it?"

"Come with me. Please?"

"What?” Anraq stiffened, brow lifting high. “Go with you? With _Azula?_ Why would I... what are you asking here?"

"It's just... I don't know if I can do this myself,” she said. Her eyes quivered with a deep sense of terror. “Azula scares me. I don't know anything about the Fire Nation, I won't have any friends with me, and if she is lying, then I'm trapped with no family, too. I just... I need someone there I know. Someone I trust."

"Yula, I... I don't know.” He stared back at her, into her eyes. The fear he saw there... Azula must have been even more frightening than he thought. “That's a pretty big favor to ask. What makes you think Azula would even let me go with you?"

"She mentioned once that she offered you a position as a bodyguard... You could accept that offer, right?"

"Well, I mean... I guess,” he said. “But why me? We're not exactly that close.”

Yula swallowed again, and offered a simple shrug. “I know, but... I know you're a good person, and I know I can trust you. Everyone else still has something holding them back, other obligations, but not you... I mean, you don't have to chase Yuruk anymore, you don't have anything else to go back to... I guess you just seemed like the only one who might actually be able to go with me.”

Anraq turned his gaze. His brow lowered, and a frown came to his lips. There really _wasn't_ anything tying him down anymore. There never had been, ever since he lost Kanna. With Yuruk taken care of now, he could finally be at peace again. Sure, there were his friends. There was Kuvira, and Korra, and Bolin, Opal, Bumi, Lin, Kya... all of them.

But Yula needed him right now more than they did. That much was clear.

"Please, Anraq...” Yula uttered, her voice nothing more than a whisper. “I need someone... I don't want to do this alone."

He breathed out a sigh, and held a hand to his forehead. Somehow, he knew he'd regret this. "Alright... I'll do it. If anything, I can take this as an opportunity to learn about Azula, maybe come up with a way to stop her or something."

Yula's eyes brightened at his response. She uttered an excited gasp and then lunged forward at him, wrapping him tight with her arms. "Oh, thank you!"

"Yeah, don't mention it,” he said, with a subtle smile. “I mean, I did always want to see what the Fire Nation is like."

* * *

Yula breathed out in relief as she exited the healer hut. Her heart raced, and her nerves pulsed, but she had made it through the ordeal. In truth, it had been exhilarating, but in a terrifying and horrible way. She wasn't sure she enjoyed twisting someone's good nature like that.

On the other hand, knowing that she _could_ was exciting all on its own. She'd never been able to do anything like that before—she'd always been far too timid and shy. Had she attempted something like this a few weeks ago, she'd have given herself away in an instant. Not now, though. Anraq hadn't been able to see through her at all.

"So, how did that go?"

A jolt ran through her heart at the voice. She stiffened, and turned around to see Azula standing there. After taking a moment to settle herself, she raised her hands and gave a formal Fire Nation bow. "It went well, Master. He agreed to come with us.”

A pleased grin spread across the Fire Lord's face. "Excellent work, Yula.” She pushed herself away from the building and guided her student along down the canal walkways. “You learn quick."

“I feel... dirty,” Yula admitted, with a quiet sigh. “I don't know if I liked manipulating him like that.”

“Manipulation is an essential part of any intelligent person's repertoire,” Azula assured. “It's not just bending I intend to teach you, Yula. I said I'd teach you _everything_ I know. That includes how to get what you want in situations where using force is ill advised. This was your first test, and I have to say you passed with flying colors.”

Yula glanced at the ice beneath her feet, and offered a simple nod. Still, the praise caused her lips to turn into the slightest of smiles—even if that praise was coming from Azula. “Thank you, Master.”

“No need to thank me. Just continue learning.” Azula turned down the next canal and waved Yula along to follow her. “Now, come. We have preparations to make if we're to go after your family. I want to leave by this afternoon at the latest.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like Yula said, I feel... dirty, after writing that scene. Poor Anraq just wants to help his friends, and yet he's playing right into Azula's clutches. At the hands of Yula, even. Looks like the Fire Lord's apprentice is picking up her new skills pretty quickly. 
> 
> And aww, we finally have the bittersweet reunion we've all been waiting for with the Gaang getting back together. It's just too bad Sokka and Aang couldn't be there, but... that's what happened when you're old.
> 
> Overall, I wasn't actually too pleased with how this chapter turned out on the technical side... it felt kind of awkward to write, but then that always happens with dialogue heavy scenes. I think I'm even worse with that than action heavy scenes. I like it when there's a good balance between the two, but sometimes you just can't avoid them.
> 
> As always, I appreciate everyone who reads my fic, and any comments I receive! And please, if you notice any glaring typos, let me know so I can fix them! I do go back and edit before I post, but I know I don't catch everything, and I hate having those kinds of mistakes in my writing.


	58. More Than Meets The Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar leaves the North Pole to return to Republic City. Meanwhile, Anraq settles into his new role as Azula's bodyguard.

Korra looked up at the Future Industries airship with sense of relief and satisfaction. When they had first set out on their mission, things had seemed like they were falling apart. Zaofu had fallen, Su was dead, the Beifongs had been captured... Now, though, they could put that behind them. They could finally try to move forward towards recovery.

"I can't believe we're finally heading home..." she said, with a gentle smile. "I know it's only been a month, but after this whole Red Lotus thing, it feels like so much longer."

Kuvira held an arm around her. "I know the feeling..." Her own thoughts strayed from relief, though. When she looked at the airship, she felt only dread, and disappointment. She was overjoyed to have finally taken down Zaheer, of course, but with their success came the reminder of her impending imprisonment. Once they returned to Republic City, her freedom was over, again.

Still, Kuvira wasn't afraid to face it. She had known this was coming, prepared herself for it. This time, she was more ready than ever. Whatever happened, however her sentence was handled after she returned, she would face it with her head held high. She would repent. Then, once she was out, she would work to make the world a better place, the right way this time.

"There's still plenty to do, though." Bumi let out a quiet sigh, and lifted his duffel bag onto his shoulders. "Soon as we get back to Republic City we'll be helping everyone put things back in order."

"Ba Sing Se and Zaofu, too," Korra said. "There's a lot of damage left to fix."

Toph wandered in behind them with a scoff. "Send _me_ to Zaofu. I'll have that place sorted out in a day. Spirits damn me if I can't get a funeral for Su."

"What about me?" Kuvira let her expression sink, as she turned a hopeful glance towards her girlfriend. "I know I'll be taken into custody again when we get back to Republic City, and I'm ready to accept that... but I want to be there for Su's funeral. I _have_ to be.”

"We'll figure something out," Korra assured. She leaned close to give Kuvira a kiss, then held a hand to her arm. "I promise, no matter how we have to do it, we'll get you to Su's funeral. Besides, there's no telling how long it'll actually take to fix things. Could be days, or weeks, maybe months. I hope not years."

"The Earth Kingdom took three years, last time around," Toph said. "No reason to think it couldn't take that long again."

"Yeah, well... With Azula helping out, things should go more smoothly." Korra grumbled to herself at the thought. “As frustrating as that is to say... If anything, when the Fire Nation troops get to Ba Sing Se, General Iroh can recall the United Forces back to Republic City to help us."

"Are we almost ready to get out of here, then?" Bumi said. "I've about had it with this place." As soon as he finished his words, he cringed and turned to his left. Eska and Desna stood there, watching him. "Err...no offense."

"None taken," Desna replied.

Eska nodded. "The Northern climate is not for everyone."

"I think we're just waiting on Anraq...” Korra turned around, looking back out at the city. “Did anyone remember to tell him we were leaving?"

“I went by the healer hut to tell him earlier,” Kuvira said, “but he wasn't there. I just assumed someone else beat me to him.”

"Oh, well maybe he was feeling well enough to leave on his own?" Korra said. “He might have gone to the council building looking for us.”

Bumi brought a hand to his chin, lips pursed. “But we only just left, and there's only one way to get there. We'd have seen him on the way here, if that were the case, and that's if he left the same time we did. Kuvira said he was already gone a while ago.”

"Has... _anyone_ seen him?” Korra glanced around at the entire group—Team Avatar, Eska and Desna, even her parents, and Katara. They all responded with unknowing shrugs and shakes of their heads. “...where is he?"

"I believe I can answer that." The voice belonged to a new arrival—a familiar old man who approached the group from behind.

"Lord Zuko?” Korra blinked at him a moment, confused. “What are you doing here? I thought you left yesterday with your sister."

"I was supposed to,” he replied, with a frustrated frown, "but she ordered me to stay behind to oversee the repairs to the Dragon's Wing. I'll be meeting up with her in a few weeks when it's finished."

"Oh, okay... So what about Anraq, then?"

Zuko exhaled a sigh, and deepened his frown. "He left yesterday with Azula, and Yula."

 _"What?”_ Kuvira stared at the old man, eyebrows lifting high. “Why would he...?"

"I don't know,” he said. “They didn't say."

"That doesn't make any sense... He just left with them? Without even saying goodbye?” Kuvira took a step back and ran her fingers through her hair. Knowing that Yula had left without so much as a goodbye had stung bad enough, but Anraq too?

"First Yula, now Anraq...” Bumi muttered. “What is Azula playing at?"

"I wish I knew more, believe me,” Zuko said, “but I'm just as in the dark as you are."

Toph folded her arms with a huff. "Sounds to me like he's planning something. Something potentially stupid. Or brilliant.”

“What do you mean?” Korra asked.

“Think about it. Anraq doesn't like Azula anymore than we do, but he does know we need to do something about her."

"So what,” Kuvira said, “he's keeping his enemy close, to learn about her?"

Toph shrugged. "It's the only thing that makes sense. At the very least, it's what we have to believe. He's a bright kid. Let's trust him on this."

"I suppose...” Kuvira thought a moment, then uttered a quiet sigh. “Still, it would have been nice if he said something to us. But I guess that might have tipped off Azula...”

“Hmm, brave guy, that Anraq,” Bumi muttered. “I know I wouldn't want to put up with Azula like that...” Hoisting his duffel bag higher onto his shoulders, he headed towards the lowered gangplank of the airship. “But in that case, looks like we're ready to set off. You all got ten minutes before I fire up the engines, so hurry it up!”

Korra smiled, and turned to her parents. “Mom, Dad.” They came in to hug her, and she tightened her arms around them. “I promise I'll visit soon, when this whole mess has been cleaned up.”

"Have a safe trip, honey,” Senna said. “We love you.”

“And if you need anything, don't hesitate to send a message,” Tonraq added.

"I will, thanks.” Korra pulled away, watching her parents for another brief moment. Then, she turned to the airship and waved the others along. “Alright, let's get moving."

* * *

Anraq leaned against the railing, hands wrapped around it in a tight grip. He'd been standing like this for an hour now, just staring out the window ahead of him and watching the ocean pass by. This particular airship wasn't as large as one made by Future Industries, but it did have a regal style all its own. With the distinct Water Tribe architecture and décor, he actually felt quite at home—or at least, as much as he could have. This whole situation was taking him as far from home as he could possibly go.

"Don't look so down, Annie.” Azula's voice made him cringe, and not just because of the nickname. “Oh, oops. _Anraq._ ”

He eased out a grumble and glanced back over his shoulder. Azula lounged on one of the plush sofas behind him, arms folded behind her head and feet propped up on the armrest. Yula sat straight in the chair next to her.

“You made the smart decision, coming with us,” she continued. “We're going to do some real good here. You'd have just been held back if you stayed with them."

"You'll excuse me if I'm still skeptical,” he muttered.

"What's the matter, still don't trust me?” Azula flipped herself upright, arms draped across the back of the sofa. “If you're going to be my bodyguard, trust is an important factor."

He paused, then glanced back at the window. "All I said is that I'm skeptical. Consider this an opportunity to change my mind."

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure we'll be getting to know each other quite well. It is just us up here, after all. Well, aside from the crew...” Azula looked over her shoulder, and over the edge of the balcony behind her. From where she sat, she could see the open cockpit down below, where a Northern pilot operated the airship. The captain stood some distance behind the cockpit, looking over a large map. There was also an engineer roaming about the lower bowels of the vessel somewhere. “And of course there's Zaheer, locked up in the cargo hold. But they're not important."

"Right...” Anraq watched the ocean a while longer, until he couldn't bear looking at the empty sea of blue anymore. With a sigh, he turned back around with his arms folded. “So, what exactly do you need me to do for now?"

"Just relax, make yourself at home. It'll be a couple days until we make our first stop.” Azula then hopped up to her feet, one hand propped against her hip. “Yula, I believe this airship has a viewing deck up top. We should continue your training while we have the chance."

Yula followed suit, rising out of her chair. "Yes, Master."

"You're welcome to join us, Anraq. Unless of course, you'd rather stay here staring out the window.”

He glared at her, tapping his fingers against his arms. That smirk of hers had a real way of getting under his skin. Still, he had agreed to this for Yula's sake, so he might as well be there during her training. With a low sigh, he pushed himself away from the wall and followed.

* * *

Later that night, Azula marched through the lower levels of the airship. She had reached two dead ends already, and somehow still hadn't managed to find where she was going. For a vessel that wasn't particularly large, it wasn't as easy to navigate as it could have been. Granted, she _could_ have asked the engineer for directions, but she couldn't bring herself to seek help from a lowly maintenance worker. That was beneath her.

As the turned the corner of the next corridor, she saw the door marked 'cargo hold'. A breath of relief burst from her throat. _Finally._ After making sure to smooth out the front of her Fire Lord robes to appear presentable, she opened the door and slipped inside. At first, she didn't see the man who should have been inside, but with a closer look she noticed the chains drifting upwards. Her gaze followed those chains, and then she saw him, floating up in the air: Zaheer.

“I thought you might stop by to see me eventually.” Zaheer floated down and sat himself on the floor. The chains bound tight around his body, in addition to a straitjacket that set his arms in place across his chest. “Azula.”

“So, you finally know who I am,” she said, with a subtle smirk. “Did someone tell you, or did you figure it out all on your own?”

“I knew as soon as I heard about your blue flames,” he said. “I started thinking about our conversations, and everything that you claimed to have done in your life. They didn't match up for a teenage girl to have accomplished. They did, however, match quite well with the feats of a certain Fire Nation princess from the end of the Hundred Year War, a princess who was said to have bended blue fire.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I had my suspicions about you from the start, but I never imagined anything like this.”

“You were right to be suspicious of me. The problem is, you weren't suspicious enough. Now look at you.” She gestured down at him, indicating his chains and straitjacket. Her grin widened. “Pitiful.”

“So tell me, how old _are_ you exactly? By all accounts, you should be well over ninety, and yet you look like a teenager. One might think that impossible.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Don't you know it's rude to ask a girl her age?”

“My apologies,” he stated, retaining his typical expression of indifference. “I didn't realize the new Fire Lord was so sensitive. I'll have to keep that mind, lest I upset you."

"Please, Zaheer, don't flatter yourself.” She gave him another smirk, this one filled with condescension and disdain. “You're too far beneath me to get under my skin."

"If you think so little of me, then why are you here now?"

"I'm here because I wanted you to see me,” Azula said, as she marched closer to him. She didn't lower herself to his level, though. She allowed him to remain sitting there, while she stood over him, glaring down at him like the peasant he was. “I wanted you to know who it was that beat you, who it was that _owns_ you now.” Her grin grew wider. “I played you from the start, since I first joined the Red Lotus, and it was _easy."_

He looked up at her a moment, then floated into the air so he was at eye level with her. "Your victory is only temporary. Just as before, the Red Lotus will bloom again. When it does, you will be the first to perish."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong.” Azula held her hands behind her back and began pacing in front of him, but never took her eyes off him. “See, where you're going, you'll never see the light of day again. Furthermore, no one's coming to free you this time. Once I'm finished with the Red Lotus, there won't be any of you left."

"You have confidence, but then so did the White Lotus the last two times they put me away. Trust me when I say you won't hold me forever."

A scowl twisted onto her face now, a pure look of hatred and disgust. "You're pathetic, Zaheer. Do you know how loathsome it was for me to play subservient to you all this time? To be a good little Red Lotus follower and obey your commands? You make me want to _vomit.”_

She paced around him in a circle now, marching behind him. He tried to follow her with his gaze, but his chains prevented him from turning around, and he could only turn his head so far. “You think yourself some righteous liberator of the world, but you're just a deluded old man. Do you even hear yourself when you speak? Chaos, the natural order? _Please.”_

Azula continued around to the front of him again. She brought her arms across her chest, and deepened her frown. “You sound like a child who couldn't get his way, throwing a tantrum. People are like sheep. They need someone to guide them, someone to rule them, someone to _worship._ That's how you keep the world in line, _that's_ how you maintain order. Doesn't matter how you have to do it—fear, manipulation, power, admiration. It's all about _control._ Not chaos."

The stoicism on Zaheer's face faltered ever so slightly. He returned a frown at her, but it was brief. He breathed in deep and wiped his expression clean again, calm. "And I suppose you believe yourself to be the one to rule them?"

"But of course,” she replied. “I was born with that right. It's in my blood."

"And you call _me_ deluded?” A short laugh burst from his throat—more of a cough, really. “The world will never accept an absolute ruler. Kuvira tried it with her Earth Empire, and look what happened. The rest of the world stood against her, and she failed. It won't be any different for you."

"Kuvira went about things all wrong.” Azula began pacing again, but still she never took her eyes from him—even wrapped up in chains, Zaheer was too dangerous for her to let her guard down. “You can't forcibly make the entire world follow you. Some, yes, but not all. My father, my grandfather, even my great grandfather... They all made that mistake. It led to a hundred years of war, and ultimately ended in failure.” Bringing a hand to her chin, she flashed another one of her confident smirks. “No, this kind of control requires cunning and manipulation, something I have in spades."

"Even you can't outthink the entire world,” Zaheer countered.

"Of course I can. It's already begun, in fact. The pieces are falling into place, and all I have to do is fit them together."

"And how exactly do you intend to do that? You have a lot of ambition, certainly, but I don't see a plan here."

Azula scoffed. "Please, as if I'd waste my time explaining my plans to you. Besides, it won't matter to you, once you've been locked away."

Zaheer went quiet. His expression shifted with a subtle glare, brow sinking low over his eyes. He watched her, studied her. When he finally spoke, his tone was calm, but stern. "When things inevitably come crashing down around you, I want you to remember these words: pride is like the water in a river. At just the right levels, it is a source of great strength and power. Too much, however, and it becomes a source of destruction and ruin. Your pride has already overflowed, Azula. It will be your downfall."

"I've no interest in your lame proverbs,” she sighed, with a flippant wave of her hand, “and quite frankly, you're beginning to bore me. So long, Zaheer. This will be the last time we speak." She gave him one final smirk, and then exited the cargo hold. The door slammed shut behind her.

* * *

Anraq held his arms around his knees, gazing out over the edge of the viewing deck. They had passed over land hours ago, so at least the scenery had become more appeasing to look at—not that he could see much of it in the dark. Even if there hadn't been any clouds, the moon was dim tonight, fading closer towards the dark end of its monthly cycle. It didn't matter if he couldn't see much, though; he wasn't up there for the scenery.

His thoughts drifted back to the earlier training session. Azula had been brutally severe in her lessons, and poor Yula had struggled just to keep up. It twisted his gut to see someone so sweet and innocent being driven into the ground by such a vicious instructor. That wasn't even the worst of it, though. It had been how _receptive_ of the training Yula was that worried him the most. She had struggled, and cried, and messed up more times than he could count, and yet she always got up when Azula yelled at her, always came back harder, and fiercer.

Her determination was a good thing, certainly, and yet... He could see something changing in her. The way she dutifully followed orders, the way she referred to Azula as 'Master', always without hesitation. He couldn't even see any resentment in her eyes, the way he would have thought she'd feel. Rather, it was...admiration that he saw, whenever Yula looked at Azula. Admiration, and obedience. _That_ gave him the most concern.

"I thought I might find you up here.”

Anraq flinched at the voice. When he looked up over his shoulder, Azula was standing there with a grin to greet him. He glared at her a moment, then turned his focus back out to the landscape.

“You shouldn't sulk alone in the dark,” she said, as she seated herself next to him. “It's unflattering."

"Who said I'm sulking?"

"Well, what else would you be doing up here?"

A low grumble eased from his lips. "Just wanted a quiet place to think. Didn't realize that was a crime."

" _Hmph._ You really are pathetic."

"What do you want, anyway?” he asked. “It's late. Shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep or something?"

"Well, I can hardly go to sleep without my bodyguard there to actually _guard_ me."

He turned a frown towards her. "We're on an airship that's empty except for us. Who do you expect to attack you?"

"You never know when an assassin may appear,” she said. “No matter how safe you think you are. Besides, there is still the crew. _They're_ not Fire Nation. They came with the airship. And what if Zaheer escaped?"

"Now you're just being paranoid."

"Yes, well, better safe than sorry, as the saying goes.” Azula leaned back on her hands, then looked straight ahead to watch the scenery. She didn't seem too impressed with it, as she tilted her lips into a pout. “In any case, since you _are_ my bodyguard, that means we'll be spending quite a lot of time together."

"Yeah, so what's your point?" he said.

"My point is that we should get to know each other."

Anraq's brow lifted in response. He turned to her, watching her carefully. She didn't look back at him. "Really wouldn't have taken you for the 'get to know each other' type."

Azula gave a simple shrug. "I'm not, usually. But let's be honest here, you don't particularly like me."

"Well...” He paused, scratching at the back of his head. The accusation was true, of course, but that didn't mean he wanted to be blatant about it. As far as Azula knew, he had agreed to come with her because he _wanted_ to be there. Still, he found himself at a loss at how to defend himself. “I mean..."

"It's fine, I get it.” She shrugged again, and then tilted her gaze downward at the floor. A brief sigh brushed past her lips. “I know I'm not exactly the...easiest person to get along with. I mean, I did shoot you with lightning, after all. If I had to make a guess, I'd say you're only here for Yula. That about right?”

Anraq blinked at her, but said nothing. What was even the point of trying to lie to her now? She could already see right through him.

“I thought so. Since that's the case, we should at least bring ourselves to tolerate each other, right? After all, what good is having a bodyguard who doesn't care whether or not you die?"

Some semblance of resolve returned to him at those words. He looked away from her, head shaking. "I really don't know how you expect to change my mind about you. After everything you've done, all the people you've hurt..."

"Says the man who's friends with Kuvira,” she countered. “Look at all the things _she's_ done."

"Kuvira actually showed remorse for what she did, and had a real desire to change," he retorted, shooting a glare back at her. “You're just as heartless now as you ever were."

Azula stared at him. Her expression wasn't what he expected—no smirk, no gleam in her eyes, just a sour, distant frown. "So quick to judge me, yet you know nothing about me."

He held his gaze against hers for as long as he could bear, then he turned away again. "I know enough."

They sat in silence for a long while, neither looking at the other. They only stared out at the landscape, watching it all go by—mountains, rivers, forests. Anraq pulled his knees back up against his chest, chin set against them. Azula sat with her back straight and legs crossed, hands pressed to her thighs. One, a simple Southern Water Tribe man who had lost everything he ever had in the world, the other a manipulative, cruel Fire Lord bent on control and power.

They couldn't have been more different if they tried.

"I see you're growing your beard back."

“Huh?” Anraq blinked out of his thoughts again and glanced at her. He raised a hand to his chin, feeling the stubble he had let grow in over the past few days. "Oh, yeah... so what about it?"

"Nothing,” she said. “I just think you look better without it."

"And why would I care what you think?"

A frown came to her lips. "Because I'm your Fire Lord."

"Whatever.” He looked away again. “It's my face, I'll grow my beard how I want."

"Fine, be that way.” She huffed out a sigh, turning her focus straight ahead. Her gaze lingered there for a while, before eventually returning to him. “Aren't you cold up here? You're wearing short sleeves."

"I grew up in the South Pole, one of the coldest places on earth,” he countered. “This is nothing. I'm actually pretty warm right now."

Azula's lips pursed together, and her eyes sharpened. The gears in her head began to turn, and when she finally came up with a suitable response, she smirked. "Yes, I suppose you are warm. One might even say you're _hot."_

"Uh...” He glanced at her again, lifting an eyebrow. “Sure?"

"You should be careful. You might accidentally set fire to the nation's crop fields, leaving thousands to die of starvation in the coming winter.” She widened her smirk, though now it looked more like a deranged grin, with her lips pulled back and teeth exposed. “Because you're so hot."

"Um...okay.” He blinked at her again, and then slowly turned his attention away. "I'll...stay clear of crop fields, then."

Azula laughed at his response. At least, Anraq _thought_ it was a laugh. It sounded so forced, so unlike anything anyone would naturally utter, that it sent a shiver through him and caused him to cringe. When he looked to her again, she was still grinning like an idiot at him.

"...are you alright?"

"Yes... I'm fine.” Her expression relaxed, but her eyes remained wide...almost hopeful, even, with her brow raised high. “Why do you ask?"

"Never mind..."

When Anraq once again looked away from her, Azula huffed out a groan and stared down at the floor, pouting. "So... what kinds of things do you do for fun?"

"And... why exactly do you care?"

"Can't a girl be curious?” Azula folded her arms, turning a glare towards him. “I'm trying to get to know you. Excuse me for showing an interest."

"Okay...” He stared at her a moment, as if expecting her to rescind her apparent 'interest' and call him pathetic, or some other insult. When she didn't, he continued, “Well, I like to read. I play the yueqin, too. And I used to play pro bending."

"Oh, that _atrocious_ sport?” Azula groaned with disgust, eyes rolling. “Honestly, who would want to waste their time with such amateur trash?"

"Well, _this_ amateur trash happened to be quite good at it,” he said, pointing his thumb at himself.

“Please, how hard could it be?” There was her cocky smirk again—Anraq had almost forgotten what it looked like. Almost. “I'd destroy anyone who opposed me."

"There are rules in pro bending, you know. You can't just jump in and destroy your opponents."

"Rules are for the weak."

"You'd make for a terrible pro bender, then."

"You mean _flawless_. _"_

Anraq uttered a groan, and bowed his head against his hand. Azula really was impossible to reason with sometimes. Well, most of the time. Or possibly all of the time. "So, what do _you_ do in your spare time, then? No wait, let me guess... You torture people and kick polar bear puppies."

"You really think I enjoy causing pain and suffering that much?” When he responded with an accusatory glare, she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Well okay, I do, but not like _that._ The truth is, I don't really have a lot of spare time. Between training, planning, being Fire Lord, hunting terrorists—"

"Hurting people, spreading misery..."

"Don't get cute with me,” she snapped, with a fierce glare. “My point is that I have very little downtime. I usually spend that time resting, or being pampered—I do like taking care of myself."

"So your life is busy, basically."

"Oh it is. Busy, tedious, hectic, frustrating...” Azula paused a moment. Her eyes shifted away from him, and she gazed out over the edge of the viewing deck again. “...lonely...” She uttered the word in barely more than a whisper, so quiet that Anraq wasn't sure if he had heard it right. As she continued staring out at the countryside, her lips curled into a frown, and her eyes sank—was that longing, in them? The moment lasted only a second. She composed herself with a simple breath, and returned her usual smug demeanor. “But I enjoy it. After all, I was born for it, _raised_ for it. It's in my blood. It's my _destiny."_

Anraq didn't say anything at first. He just watched her, trying to figure out where that brief show of emotion had gone. It couldn't be that easy for her to hide it... could it? Or had he simply imagined it? "Sounds to me like you never had a chance to be anything else."

"Please, what else would I want to be? This is what I'm _supposed_ to be, and so I _will_ be.” Azula breathed deep, and after a moment's paused she climbed back to her feet. “In any case, this conversation is starting to bore me, and I'm tired. Come.” She motioned for him to follow, as she headed towards the elevator. “You're to guard my cabin while I sleep. Yula will relieve you in a few hours."

Anraq studied her a second longer; whatever he had seen, it was gone now. With a quiet sigh, he stood up and followed her. "As you say, Fire Lord..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep telling myself to write shorter chapters, and then things like this happen. Another long chapter for you. This one was fun to write. I particularly like the Azula/Zaheer scene, and the final Azula/Anraq scene. We're starting to learn a little more about Azula here, and I'm hoping that people find it intriguing... as the chapter title said, there may be more to her than meets the eye. Or, she could simply be manipulating again. It's hard to tell with her sometimes, and that's why I love writing her. Question is, what will this mean for Anraq?
> 
> On a side note, yes, I had to deliver my own rendition of bad flirting Azula. Because unintentionally dorky Azula gives me life. Her social skills have not improved in the past ninety years. If anything, they're probably worse.


	59. Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula arrives with Yula and Anraq at the Red Lotus base holding Yula's family, but everything is not as it seems.

Anraq looked around with a raised eyebrow. “This...is the Red Lotus hideout?”

“What, you didn't think that all their bases were in underground caves, did you?” Azula said. “Some of them are a little more conventional.”

Yulla gave them both a brief glance before turning to study their surroundings. The supposed hideout that Azula had taken them to was a small mountain town, nestled in a valley between two peaks. A river ran alongside the village and cut away into a forest in the distance. The people who lived here seemed to be simple folk—farmers, fishermen, shopkeepers, and the like. Certainly much different than big cities like Ba Sing Se. It confused her to think that this was where Red Lotus members were hiding out, and concerned her. If they could be hiding in a quaint little town like this, then they could be hiding anywhere.

“Master...you're _sure_ that my family is here?” Yula asked, giving her teacher a hopeful look. Her stomach knotted with a mix of dread and worry. She so badly wanted Azula to be telling the truth, to believe that this whole thing hadn't been just one elaborate hoax to fool her... And yet, she knew she had to prepare for that possibility.

“Yes, I'm quite certain. At least, this is where I left them.” Azula marched down the street, watching several townsfolk pass by her. “I did tell the Red Lotus not to move your family, but honestly they were never very good at listening.”

No one in town paid much attention to them, as they made their way through the market. A few passing glances here and there, but otherwise the townsfolk minded their own business. Although Azula was the Fire Lord, these people wouldn't know that. This far out in a tiny Earth Republic town, no one would have heard the news yet of the Fire Nation's change in leadership, let alone have seen a picture of her.

"Over here," Azula said. She waved for the pair to follow her, then sat down outside a small noodle stand. "Three servings of your spiciest dish, please."

The man behind the counter turned around from the stove to look at her. When he did, he uttered a surprised gasp and jumped, almost knocking over his pot of boiling broth. "Oh, uh, Aoi... Didn't realize you'd be visiting again so soon. Did, uh...Zaheer send you, or...?"

"No, Suda, I'm here on my own," she replied, with a stern look. "I've come for the woman and her daughter. I trust they're still here?"

Suda turned back to the stove and began dishing out three bowls of noodles. "Yeah, yeah, we've been taking good care of them, just like you said."

Yula tensed up at his words. "Where are they? Let us see them!"

Suda turned around again and gave her a careful stare. "Uh, and who are you, exactly?"

"Oh, don't worry about her," Azula stated. "Or Annie here, either. They're both new, so you'll have to excuse their manners."

"I see..." Suda passed out a bowl of noodles to the three of them, then gave them each a curious stare. "Some odd outfits you're wearing. I mean, far be it from me to question a highly ranked member such as yourself, Aoi, but... You three don't really blend in that well.” He pointed to Yula. “ _She_ looks like she's straight out of the Fire Nation." Then to Anraq. _"He_ couldn't be more Water Tribe if he was carrying an otter penguin.” And then to Azula. “And _you._.." He squinted, studying her. "You kinda look like you're dressed as royalty or something. Should really consider some simpler outfits if you're traveling around these parts, otherwise you're going to attract attention."

"I'll keep that in mind, Suda." Azula pulled her bowl of noodles close, but stopped short with her spoon. She frowned. "You know, I'm not really in the mood for your soggy noodles, now that I think of it. Both of you, too, don't bother. You'd be insulting your taste buds."

Yula and Anraq looked at each other, but they didn't question Azula's command. Instead, they pushed their bowls away and waited.

"Oh, no, they've gotten much better," Suda insisted. "Honest, give them a try. You won't be disappointed."

"Is that so? Hmm..." Azula held a hand to her chin and thought a moment. "You try them first, then, if they're so good."

"Uh, w-what?"

"You heard me. You shouldn't have any trouble taste-testing your own recipe, right?"

"Well, I..."

"Unless of course there's something wrong with them.” Her gaze narrowed. “Such as the three drops of liquid you added to the pot just before filling the bowls being poison."

Suda stumbled back a step, breath catching in his throat.

"You thought you were being sneaky, didn't you?" Azula lowered her brow into a stern glare, and twisted her lips into a frown. "But I saw the vial you pulled from your sleeve. Nothing gets by me. Certainly not a bumbling fool like you."

"I... I..." Suda stared back at her a moment, tense and on edge. Soon, though, he became calm, and his expression hardened. "We know you're not with the Red Lotus anymore, Aoi. Not everyone you tried to recruit for your little expedition to the Fire Nation went with you. If you want Jaya and Shayu, you're going to have to get through us."

Yula's heart jolted with alarm. Jaya and Shayu... That was her mother and sister. They _were_ here!

Azula slowly stood up from her seat. A smirk slashed across her face. "Oh yes, I'm quite aware of that. Just like I'm aware of the men you've had surrounding us during this conversation."

Both Yula and Anraq stiffened at the comment, and then turned to look behind themselves. The entire marketplace had emptied, except for a group of ten or so men that had moved in around the noodle stand—Red Lotus.

"So, Suda..." Azula's grin widened, challenging him. "What's your next move?"

Suda hesitated only a second. With a combative shout, he took a step back and then stomped on the ground. A crag of earth erupted from the ground, piercing through the wooden counter. Azula, Yula, and Anraq reacted instantly, flipping backwards from their seats to evade the attack. When Anraq righted himself, he pulled the water out of his hip flask and then whirled around. The water whipped outward at the surrounding Red Lotus, knocking them off their feet.

"Stand strong, you two." Azula shifted into her signature bending pose, with fingers extended. "You heard Suda. If we want what we came for, we have to get through them first."

Yula didn't hesitate. These men had her family, and she would do whatever she had to to get them back. She ran in at the man nearest her. He hadn't even returned to his feet yet when she struck with a whirling kick of fire. The hot wave knocked him back of balance, but still he attempted a counter. He punched one arm upwards, launching a boulder up out of the ground. Yula spun away from it. Her reaction was quick, precise, and perfect. The man gawked at her as she slid in closer to him. He could do nothing to defend against the following blast of fire that sent him spinning through the wall of a nearby hut.

The earth beneath her feet burst upwards. Yula staggered off balance to catch herself, but then the ground split and pushed her down to her knees. Before she had a proper chance to recover, another of the Red Lotus men raced at her upon a large ripple of earth and rocks. Instead of running, or trying to dodge, she stood her ground. When the man came within range, she lunged at him, leading with a jet of flames from her fist.

The move surprised the earthbender. He tried to slide himself to a stop and turn his attack into a defense, but he wasn't quick enough. The fire engulfed him, and he fell backwards with a yell. Frantically, he rolled across the ground to put himself out. Yula waited until the flames had extinguished, and then snapped a kick at his face. This time, he flopped flat against the ground. He didn't get up.

Anraq made sure to cover Yula's back. With a pair of water whips wrapped around his arms, he snatched a pair of attackers coming at her from behind. He yanked the men clean off their feet and tossed them through the second floor window of a barn. A third man surfed across the ground with a pair of boulders hovering over his shoulders. Anraq spread his water over that ground and froze it. As soon as the man's feet hit the ice, he catapulted through the air with a shout. Then, Anraq lifted him with a glob of water and shoved him against the side of a building. The water hardened, leaving the man frozen to the wooden wall.

Azula put forth the least amount of effort during the battle. Three earthbenders rushed her in unison, but she weaved through and evaded their attacks with ease. They slung boulders at her, split the ground under her feet, and burst sharpened stone pillars at her. She jumped away, all the while retaining a confident smirk.

When she did finally decide to go on the offensive, her assault was brief—three simple blasts of blue fireballs, one for each opponent. They each raised an earthen wall in front of themselves to guard, but they couldn't have prepared for the impact; the fireballs exploded with the force of a falling meteor. Their walls erupted apart in a shower of dust and rocks, and all three earthbenders rocketed away through the air, singed and smoking. None of them moved after they landed.

Within a matter of minutes, the only Red Lotus man remaining was Suda. He glanced around with wide eyes at his fallen comrades, but still stood strong in his bending pose.

"Well, that was a lovely warm-up," Azula said, with a bored sigh. "But it looks like the fun is over. Now tell me, where are they?"

"I'm not telling you anything, Aoi." Suda took a step backwards, trying to keep all three of his opponents in sight. "They don't belong to you."

"Well they certainly don't belong to the Red Lotus. Either tell us where they are, or you'll be joining your friends here in pain and agony." Azula glanced at the Red Lotus she had obliterated earlier; they didn't seem to be breathing.

"Screw you, traitor!"

Suda kicked up a cloud of melon-sized stones and shot them forward. Azula didn't move. She merely stood there, smirking. Just as the rocks reached her, Yula jumped into their path and erupted a spinning cyclone of fire from her body. The rocks scattered away, and then Yula charged.

Several earthen spears burst free from the ground. Yula dodged them, twisting and ducking as she ran at the man. As she came closer, Suda lifted a sheer wall in front of himself for protection. It didn't help. Yula tore through the wall in an explosion of fire and dust. She met Suda head on with a quick combo of strikes that sent him reeling and burning. When Suda hit the ground, he washed a blanket of dirt over himself to extinguish the flames, then popped back to his feet.

The moment he stood upright, Yula collided into him with a full force tackle, and dragged him back to the ground. She landed atop him, drove her knee into his stomach, and ignited a flame dagger into her grasp. With one hand, she grabbed his collar, and with the other, she held the fiery blade inches from his eyes.

"Where are they?!" she yelled. A rage burned through her, of a strength she had felt only once before—when she had thought Azula killed her family. Now, she was so close to having them back, so close to seeing them again. Whatever it took, she _would_ make this man talk.

"I- I can't... I can't tell you," Suda said, watching the flame flicker so close to his eyes. Sweat beaded along his brow, and his voice quivered—he was breaking.

The rage jolted stronger. Yula held the man's collar tighter, and then without even flinching she pressed the flame to his cheek. "Tell me!"

Suda's screams surged through the air, as the flesh began to melt from his face. He writhed, and kicked, and smacked the back of his head against the ground, but still Yula held the fire in place.

"Yula!" Anraq ran forward and grabbed at the younger woman's shoulder. "That's enough!"

The tug pulled Yula out of her rage-induced trance. With a sharp gasp, she sat back and removed the flame. Suda immediately grabbed at the burn, sobbing and groaning in agony.

"I... I'm sorry," Yula uttered. She stared down at the man with shock quivering in her eyes _—she_ had done that. She had just _tortured_ the man.

"Don't apologize." Azula approached her, smirking wide. "You're doing well. This one isn't a particularly strong-willed one. Just a little more and he'll break."

Anraq swung a glare at her. "Are you insane? You can't just encourage her to torture someone like that."

"Of course I can," she insisted. "Suda has her family. He's reluctant to give up their location. Pain is an excellent motivator to make someone give you information they don't want to tell you. Really, the process couldn't be clearer."

Yula clawed her fingers through her hair, eyes closing to block her tears. "I just want my family..."

"W-wait..." Suda looked up at her, managing to shudder out his words between his pained cries. "Your... _family?_ I... I didn't... Okay, I'll tell you. They're up in a house just outside of town. Little path...past the bridge...it'll take you to a farm. That's...that's where they are."

"Ah, you see?" Azula shot Anraq a triumphant smirk. "Results."

Yula stumbled back up to her feet. She stood there a moment, breathing deep. "Okay... Okay, let's go get my family."

"Not yet," Azula said, giving her student a stern glare. "Remember what I said about showing mercy to your opponents. Finish him."

Yula's eyes flew open. "W-what?"

"Y-yeah, what?" Suda uttered. "Let's not...no, please don't."

Anraq stepped in front the Fire Lord, putting himself between her and Yula. He glared at her, straight in her eyes. "I don't think so. That is where we draw the line."

Azula didn't back down from him. If anything, she returned an even fiercer glare, as if challenging Anraq to remain defiant. "Yula is never going to get anywhere if she's afraid to end her opponents when the need calls for it. You know that, too, don't you? Your hands are hardly clean."

"Killing an enemy in the heat of battle, when _they're_ trying to kill _you_ , that's one thing," he countered. "This man is already beaten. He's defenseless, and at our mercy. What you're calling for is an execution. It's _murder."_

"Y-yeah, listen to him," Suda pleaded.

Both Azula and Anraq turned to him, and in unison shouted, "Shut up!" Suda sank back with his head bowed, still nursing his cheek.

"M-Master?" Yula said. "I get that I need to be strong... I do. But Anraq is right, isn't he? I know this man is with the Red Lotus and deserves anything he gets... But I can't just kill him like that. Besides, we're supposed to be taking prisoners, aren't we?"

Azula pressed her lips together, giving Yula a long look. She brought her attention back to Anraq next, and then to Suda again. Finally, she huffed out a defeated sigh and waved them off. "Very well, bind him and the others. We'll take them back to the airship and lock them up, then we'll get Yula's family."

* * *

Yula eased the door to the farmhouse open and poked her head inside. It was a simple, quaint residence, with typical Earth-style décor—a lot of greens, browns, and yellows. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect as she entered. She feared finding her family chained up in the basement, beaten and wallowing in filth. Tortured, barely alive... She had no reason to think that the Red Lotus would have treated them otherwise.

As she made her way farther into the home, however, she heard voices coming from a distant room. She squinted her eyes and focused on them—they were familiar voices. It took only a second to recognize them, and when she did she ran towards them. Coming around the corner, she found herself in the kitchen. A small teapot sat on the stove, steam billowing from its spout, and the table had been set with cups, and plates of fruits and vegetables.

Two figures sat at the table, sipping from their teacups and chatting. They were both smiling, laughing... happy even, and neither looked hurt. Yula stood in the doorway and stared at them in disbelief for a few moments. A surge of relief took hold of her heart and rippled up through the rest of her body. She choked out a sob and began to cry, but the tears were happy. Joyful.

Jaya finally noticed her standing there. She turned her head towards the doorway, stared back at her a moment, and then broke out with a pleasant smile. “Oh, Yula! You're alright!”

Shayu, too, looked to the door. When she saw her sister standing there, she grinned and jumped out of her seat. “It's about time you showed up. We were starting to get worried.”

Yula could barely move as her family ran over to greet her. She just stood there, legs shaking, and lips quivering. When they threw their arms around her, she hugged back tightly, sobbing. “Mom... Shayu... It's so good to... to see you. I thought... I really thought...”

“Honey, are you alright?” Jaya said, giving her daughter a concerned look. “Why are you crying?”

“I... I just really missed you,” Yula said, as she wiped her eyes. “Are you guys okay? You're not hurt, are you?”

Jaya lifted an eyebrow. “What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

“Yeah, your friends took great care of us,” Shayu said. “At least we're away from that whole mess in Ba Sing Se...”

Yula blinked, brow twisting with confusion. “My... friends?”

“Yes, those nice young men from the counselor's office,” Jaya said. “They've been so nice to us, especially Suda. He's really gone out of his way to make us feel at home here.”

“Uh... oh... right.” Yula blinked again. “Of... of course. _Those_ friends.”

That...didn't make any sense. Suda and the others had been with the Red Lotus—definitely not from the counselor's office. And yet, they had been... _nice_ to her mother and sister? Jaya and Shayu certainly didn't look like they had been mistreated in any way...

Before Yula had a chance to think any further, however, Azula entered the room. Up until now, she and Anraq had been watching from the doorway. “Jaya, Shayu. It's so nice to see you're doing well.” Her tone was friendly, cheery even.

“Oh, thank you,” Jaya said, with a bright smile. “It's Aoi, right? You're another of Yula's friends, the one who brought us here?”

“Yes, I am.” Azula held her hands together and gave a traditional Fire Nation bow. “However, I'm afraid I was dishonest with you before. Due to extenuating circumstances, I couldn't tell you who I really was.”

“Oh...” Jaya glanced at her daughters, then raised a questioning eyebrow at Azula. “Well, then who are you?”

“My name is Azula. Well, it's _Fire Lord_ Azula, actually.”

Jaya uttered a quiet gasp, eyebrows raising. “You... you're the Fire Lord?”

“Wait, I thought the Fire Lord's name was Izumi?” Shayu said.

“It was, until recently,” Azula said. “Leadership of the Fire Nation has since passed over to me. Again, extenuating circumstances.”

“It's true, Mom...” Yula moved to Azula's side and gestured at her, to properly introduce her. “She's the Fire Lord.”

“Oh my...” Jaya stared a moment longer, then returned a low bow. “Yula, you never told us you knew the Fire Lord. It's an honor.”

Shayu frowned, planting her arms across her chest. “Yeah, seriously. You never thought to mention that before?” Her mother gave her a firm slap to the shoulder, prompting her to follow suit and deliver a bow of her own.

“Um, well... it's just, I met a lot of import people at my job, Yula said, with a shrug. “It's hard to remember them all sometimes. But, um... I'm also sort of her student now. She's really been helping me improve my firebending.”

“Yes, and I have to say your daughter is incredibly gifted,” Azula added. “She's come a long way in such a short time.”

Jaya beamed at her daughter. “Goodness, Yula, that's wonderful.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“There is one more thing.” Azula smiled, holding a hand to Yula's shoulder. “As my student, Yula will be moving to the Fire Nation with me to continue her training. You're both welcome to come, too, of course. You'd be staying in the royal palace. I have to imagine that would be better than some stuffy old farm, or trying to wait out the turmoil in Ba Sing Se, wouldn't you agree?”

“Oh... oh my.” Jaya stared with wide eyes, and dropped her jaw. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, quite serious. It would be a pleasure to have you.”

“Mom. _Mom.”_ Shayu tugged at her mother's sleeve in earnest. “She said  the _royal_ _palace!_ We're going, right? _Please_ tell me we're going.”

Jaya looked back and forth between her daughters, then to Azula again. Words came with difficulty, catching in her throat several times before she was able to muster a response. “I... well, yes. Yes, of course. It would be an honor.”

Azula grinned. “Excellent. I'll leave you all to have some time alone while you prepare, then we'll take you back to the Fire Nation right away.” To Yula, she added, “Once they're settled in, we can continue our mission.”

“Mission?” Jaya questioned.

“Yes, a very important mission for the Fire Nation,” Azula said. “It's part of her training, actually. I promise to take great care of her, of course. Your daughter be safe with me.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Jaya gave another bow. “Thank you again, Fire Lord.”

Azula returned the bow, then headed for the doorway. Before she even exited the room, Anraq came forward and grabbed her wrist.

“A word,” he said, with a heated glare. With a simple tug, he pulled her along through the house. _“Now.”_

* * *

Anraq dragged Azula back outside. When the door closed, and they were safely out of earshot from the others, he turned around and pushed her against the wall of the house, hands tightened around her shoulders. “What is going on here?”

“Careful, Annie.” She fired a scowl of equal displeasure back at him, though she had yet to attempt breaking free of his grip. “Laying your hands on your Fire Lord like this is grounds for treason.”

“Cut the bisoncrap,” he shot back. “I asked you a question. What in spirits name is going on here? Yula's family sure didn't look like prisoners to me.”

“Oh they were,” she said, with a simple shrug. “Just not in the conventional sense.”

“What are you talking about? They're in there sipping tea!” He paused himself, then glanced up at the window—closed. Turning his glare back at Azula, he continued. “They were talking about those Red Lotus goons like they were friends, and they seem to be on good terms with you, when _you're_ the one who captured them in the first place. How exactly does that happen?”

“Captured?” Azula rolled her eyes around in a slow circle, lips pursed. She was mocking him. “Hmm, no. Close, but not quite.”

Anraq's grip tightened on her shoulders. “Would you just _explain?”_

With a sigh, Azula set her head back against the wall. “Very well. See, when I found them in Ba Sing Se, I told them that Yula had some important business to take care of, but that she wanted to make sure that her family was safe. It made sense, of course, what with the city falling apart. So, I took them out of Ba Sing Se, set them up here, and told the Red Lotus to watch them—not as prisoners, but as guests. Evidently, they all hit it off rather well with each other.” She brought her lips together again, and tilted her eyes upwards, thinking. “Come to think of it, that's probably why they attacked us, and tried to poison us. They must have thought they were _protecting_ Yula's family. From me, obviously.”

“You... what?” Anraq's grip eased just a hair. He stared at her, eyes shifting with confusion. “But why do that? Why wouldn't you just take them prisoner like anyone else?”

“Please, what did those two ever do to me? No, Yula was the one I was trying to hurt at the time, by making her believe her family was dead. Besides, in the case I needed them as bargaining chips later, I wanted to be sure they hadn't been damaged.”

“So this whole time...” Anraq lowered his gaze slightly, letting the gears turn. He was starting to understand now. “...you _knew_ that her family wasn't in any danger. You _knew_ they were being treated well, and hadn't been harmed.”

“Well, I strongly suspected,” she said. “Those were the orders I gave, but I still couldn't be certain that the Red Lotus hadn't decided to do otherwise.”

Anraq twisted a scowl back onto his face, fiercer this time, hateful. “You let Yula think her family was being held captive, like any other prisoners. _After_ letting her think they were dead!” His grip tightened, and he shoved her harder against the wall. “This whole time she was freaking out over whether they were alright, and you could have put her at ease!”

It was Azula's turn to harden a glare. Any smugness, any amusement, vanished from her face, instead replaced with a stern, adamant resolve. “Yula needs an _edge_ , Anraq. She's too soft, and too timid, even with her brief flashes of ferocity. By letting her think her family was in danger, I gave her the means to gain that edge.”

“Wait...” Another thought came to him. He glanced up at the farmhouse again, then back down to Azula. “You knew they were here... at this farm. You said _you_ set them up here. So we never needed to go into town in the first place! So then what was that? Just a ploy to push Yula over the line? To make her kill someone?”

“Oh, would you relax? We're trying to take down all the remaining Red Lotus hideouts, remember? We would have needed to go into town to get them anyway.”

“But we could have done that _after_ Yula was sure her family was safe.”

“True,” she said, with a gentle nod. “But then I wouldn't have been able to see just how far she was willing to go. Not quite all the way, but she did torture a man. _That's_ the kind of edge I'm talking about.”

Before Anraq even realized what he was doing, he took one hand from Azula's shoulders and bended the water out of his hip flask. He hovered the water behind himself and sharpened it into a point. Then, it sat there, awaiting further command. “You can't keep doing this to Yula! You can't just mess with her emotions like that! You're _hurting_ her. You're changing her into something she's not meant to be!”

“She's _my_ student, Anraq.” Even in the face of a spear pointed at her face, Azula still didn't back down. She retained her glare, retained her edge. He could threaten her all he wanted, but he couldn't intimidate her. “I'll do what I want with her. When all is said and done, she'll be stronger than she ever thought possible, both physically and mentally. Breaking her down is all part of the process. You've already seen what I've been able to push her to do so far, and that's in just a week. In time, she won't be that shy, mousy little twit anymore. She'll be fierce, and powerful, and unforgiving.” She stared straight into Anraq's eyes, as if daring him to attack. “And you know what? She'll _thank_ me for it.”

Anraq swallowed the knot in his throat. He held his water there, just inches from Azula's face, but he couldn't bring himself to follow through. That wouldn't have been in the heat of battle, that wouldn't have been to protect anyone. It would have been murder. With a frustrated scoff, he let his water fall back into his flask. “You're a monster...”

He wasn't quite sure what happened next. One moment, he had Azula pinned to the wall, and the next moment their positions were reversed. The actions were so quick, so precise, he never had a chance to defend himself. Azula twisted one of his arms across his chest in such a way that any movement he made with it sent a jolt of pain screaming through him. With her other hand, she held a flaming dagger a hair's breadth away from his throat.

“Don't _call_ me that!” Azula stared at him with wide eyes. When he looked into them, though... he didn't see anger. Not at the forefront, at least. No, there was something else churning in her gaze—pain, and grief. He knew that look all too well to mistake it for something else. “Don't you _ever_ call me that! It'll be the last thing you ever do, do you understand?” Her throat quivered, and she pressed the fiery blade closer, close enough that the heat began to burn him. _“Do you understand?!”_

“Sure...” he uttered, unmoving in her grip. “I understand.”

“Good... good.” She finally released him and took a step away. She stood there a moment, breathing deep and slow, in attempts to compose herself. She didn't look at him, though. Her gaze lowered to the ground, unblinking. “Now go back to the airship. We'll meet you there soon.”

He watched her a moment, and then marched straight past her. He didn't bother looking back. “Gladly.”

As he distanced himself down the path, she glanced up and called after him. “Contrary to what you might think about me, Anraq, I'm not heartless.” She wasn't even sure if he heard her. Bowing her head again, she squinted her eyes shut. They were wet, she realized. “Not entirely...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know you all were probably expecting a Republic City chapter here, but as far as time goes, this chapter would have taken place first. Team Avatar is still on their airship heading back to the United Republic right now, so we'll catch up with them next chapter!
> 
> Take from this chapter what you want. There are quite a few interesting tidbits, at least I like to think so. We have Yula reuniting with her family, who Azula actually made sure were treated quite well. We also have another slight glimmer of actual humanity in Azula at the end there... of course, we also get many more showings of her cruelty and manipulative nature. And then there's the instance where Yula almost falls over the edge when she's pushed too far... just how much is spending time with Azula really affecting her?


	60. We Really Screwed Things Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar returns to Republic City, where the situation is more dire than ever in the wake of the Red Lotus attack. Meanwhile, Yula discusses with Anraq how she really feels about Azula, and Korra confronts Asami for the first time since their breakup.

Lin looked down at the map of Republic City with a heavy sigh. It didn't matter how much she stared at it, though; these problems weren't going to solve themselves. She and the others needed to come up with a plan that actually worked.

"Alright, let's go over what we're dealing with here," she said. "Things have only gotten worse since earlier this week."

She glanced up at the others around the table—Mako, Bolin, Kya, and Tenzin. Several of her more trusted officers stood at attention around the room. For now, they had been using Air Temple Island for their base of operations. With the turmoil going on within the city, the island was the safest place to be.

"What? _Worse?"_ Bolin uttered a groan of disbelief. "Man, how is that even possible?"

Lin pointed down at the map. "The Triple Threats have expanded the most since the president was killed. After the prison let out, their numbers nearly doubled. They've spread out from Downtown into Dragon Flats, and they're currently fighting with the Red Monsoons over the industrial sector."

"Meanwhile, the Terras and the Agni Kais have actually merged together," Mako said. "They're calling themselves the Terra Kais now, and they control everything from the city's port over to Kyoshi bridge."

"We've been trying to stop as many of them as we can, but there's too many." Lin breathed deep, bringing her fingers up to pinch the bridge of her nose. She really needed to start getting more sleep, but there was too much to do. "The police force only has so many officers, and those numbers are falling everyday with more injured. We're spread way too thin to have much of an effect, even with the squads that General Iroh sent us." She pulled her hand down again and leaned against the table. "That Red Lotus attack was everything the triads needed to become emboldened. They're not hiding from the police anymore. They're attacking and controlling."

Kya moved next to her, and offered a comforting touch to her shoulder. "How are evacuations going?"

"We've managed to evacuate roughly half the neighborhoods unaffected by the conflict so far." Lin raised her own had to join Kya's on her shoulder. The touch tightened, and their fingers locked together. "The others are more difficult since they're in the middle of triad turf wars... But we're doing the best we can."

"My airbenders and I can continue our efforts in locking down various neighborhoods long enough to get civilians to safety," said Tenzin. "If we concentrate our efforts on a single block at a time, we should be able to make some progress. It's certainly not an efficient method, but we don't have many options."

"Especially with most of the United Forces already in Ba Sing Se," Mako added. “We don't have any backup coming.”

Bolin eased out a long sigh, head hanging. "Things aren't really looking good here...are they?"

Mako gave a slow nod of agreement. "We need help. We need... _something."_

"Everyone!" The door burst open, and Opal raced inside. She beamed at them with a smile. "They're back!"

"What?" Lin lifted an eyebrow at her. "Who's back?"

"Korra and the others!" Opal exclaimed. "Their airship is coming in now!"

The group looked around at each other with a sudden renewal of their spirits. They could see it on each other's faces—hope.

"If they landed at the police force airfield, they're right in the middle of Triple Threat territory," Lin stated. "We'd better meet them there with an escort. Everyone, let's move!"

* * *

Korra was the first to exit the airship when the gangplank lowered. Kuvira walked beside her, followed by Toph and Bumi. Their escort was already waiting—Lin, Tenzin, Kya, Mako, Bolin, Opal, and a whole squad of police officers. Bolin broke away from the group first, running towards the others with a laugh.

"Ha, Korra!" He lunged at her and pulled her in for a hug. "You're back!"

"Well it's good to see you, too," she replied, with a soft laugh of her own.

Mako approached her next, offering a warm smile. "It's great to see you're all okay. I'm sorry I couldn't go with you."

"It's alright, really." Korra stepped forward to give him a hug, too, and then pulled away again. "I know you've had your hands full here."

"Please tell me this means what I think it means," said Lin. Her eyes were eager, hopeful for some kind of good news; there was only one reason why they would have returned.

"You're darn straight it does!" Toph announced. "We kicked Zaheer's behind and took down the Red Lotus for good!"

Opal's eyes widened, as relief flooded her face. "You guys did it... I _knew_ you could."

Lin breathed in deep and slowly let it out to compose herself. Still, she couldn't hide the growing satisfaction in her smirk. "Excellent work, everyone. In that case, let's get Zaheer into custody and lock him up, for good this time."

"Um..." Bumi cleared his throat, while giving an awkward glance over to Bum-Ju on his shoulder. "That might be a little difficult."

Lin's gaze narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"We, uh... don't actually have him with us," Korra said.

"What?" Tenzin approached them now, eyes flickering with concern. "Why not? Where is he?"

"And where's Anraq?" Kya asked. She looked past the others, as if expecting to see more exit the airship. "And Yula?"

Kuvira looked between the two groups a moment. Then, she bowed her head and sighed. "A lot happened up at the North Pole... We should explain."

* * *

Anraq leaned against the railing of the airship's viewing deck, staring out at the world below them. They were over the ocean again, now well on their way to the Fire Nation. Once Yula's family was set up in the royal palace, they'd be heading back to raid the Red Lotus bases. It seemed like such a simple plan, but then nothing with Azula was ever simple.

"Hey." Yula arrived next to him, resting her arms against the railing. "The captain said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah, I did." He glanced over his shoulder a moment to make sure they were alone. When he was sure that no one else was up on the viewing deck, he brought his attention back to Yula. "I just wanted to know how you were doing?"

"Oh." Yula raised her brow, as if surprised at the question. "I'm doing great. Perfect, even. After what happened in Ba Sing Se, I thought my family was _dead._ Now... I have them back." She leaned closer against the railing and looked out at the ocean. A faint smile came to her lips. "I never actually thought I'd see them again... I'm happy. So, so happy."

Anraq shifted, bringing his own gaze back to the ocean. "You do remember that Azula is the one who took them in the first place, and made you think they were dead, right?"

"Yeah, I remember..." Yula sighed, bowing her head. "And I won't forget it, either."

"So then why are you still with her? You have your family back. You could just leave."

"Because I'm also trying to move past it," she said. She paused a moment, breathing in deep. Then, she turned to look at Anraq again. "Look, I know what Azula did was horrible, and I'm still angry about it, but we were enemies then. That's what enemies do to each other—horrible things. But now, we're not enemies. She's my teacher, and I really am learning a lot from her."

Yula's eyes softened and her expression slackened, yet still she was smiling. "Plus, she's giving my family a better life. For most of our lives, we've had to struggle just to barely get by. Even when our lives were finally in order, Ba Sing Se fell apart and we lost everything again. If I stay with Azula, then I don't have to worry about that anymore. We'll have a good life in the Fire Nation. That's more than I ever dreamed of."

Anraq twisted his brow at her—skeptical, confused. "Yula...you can't be serious. I mean, alright, I can understand wanting to give your family a better life, but don't you see how Azula is taking advantage of you? How she's _changing_ you? That whole thing at the town was all part of her plan to see how far she could push you. She's trying to force you into becoming sometime you're not—becoming like _her."_

"Yeah, I know."

"You...what?"

Yula sighed again and leaned backwards, hands holding onto the railing. "I know I might be shy and a little timid sometimes, Anraq, but I'm not stupid. I'm actually quite smart—it's how I got my position as Secretary Guan's assistant. I figured out Azula's motives shortly after I met with my family. It wasn't that difficult to put together the pieces." She pulled herself inward again, elbows propped against the railing. "And I know she's trying to harden me, and...mold me. Why wouldn't she? I _am_ her student. Honestly, maybe I do need an edge to me. I've always been so afraid to stand up for myself and go after what I want... I don't want to be that way forever. I don't want to be a pushover. I want to be _strong."_

"But...Yula, you tortured a man. Azula tried to make you kill him."

"I know...I went too far. I'm not ready for those kinds of...methods." She closed her eyes, and a shudder ran through her. "I'm going to do this at my own pace, not any faster. If I am ever ready to step up like that, and do what I need to when the moment calls for it, it'll be because _I_ decide I am, not just because Azula wants me to be. She's not going to force me into it, either. You were there, remember? We talked her down."

Anraq frowned, lowering his gaze. "Well...yeah, but I don't think..."

"Azula is a cruel, manipulative, unforgiving person," Yula insisted. Her gaze hardened, and grew stern. "I know that. We _all_ know that. By any account, she's horrible.” Then, she relaxed herself, and eased a gentle sigh. “But I don't think she's evil, like we keep imagining her to be. I think...there's something more to her, and for me, I think that's worth seeing through."

"Maybe..." Anraq looked away, drifting off into his own thoughts. He knew Yula might be right. As cruel as Azula was, as vicious, and manipulative, and downright terrible... He had seen flashes of something else in her—something hidden deep, something painful. "It's just so easy to hate her, with everything she does."

"Yeah, I know. Believe me."

"So, you're really okay with all this?” he asked, returning his focus to her. “Everything she's putting you through?"

"At the very least, I can endure it,” she said. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Anraq, I do. That's why I wanted you to come with me. But I think I'll be okay, really.” She offered him a gentle smile, then brought her hand to his shoulder. “I know you don't want to be here... So, if you want to go, you should go. Azula might not want to let you, but I can probably talk her into it."

He watched her a moment, then turned his head away. "No... I think I'll stay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure,” he said, with a nod. “It's like you said, there might be something more to her, and it's worth figuring out."

Especially if that meant coming up with a way to stop her.

* * *

Lin rubbed her eyes, trying to imbibe everything they had just learned. Kuvira hadn't been lying when she said a lot happened at the North Pole. "Okay... That's a lot to take in."

"Yeah, I'm not even sure I got it all...” Mako said. He was more in the dark than anyone, except perhaps Tenzin. Everyone else had been there during the first half of the mission, so at least they had the basics. Mako, though, had no idea what to make of it.

"Weeell...” Bolin took in a deep breath, preparing a long-winded explanation. “It sounded to me like that crazy Red Lotus lightning girl really turned it to be Lord Zuko's long lost sister, Azula, who's somehow still as young as she was eighty years ago. She challenged Fire Lord Izumi to an Agni Kai and won, so now _she's_ the Fire Lord, and then she went up to the North Pole to help stop Zaheer, where she somehow convinced Yula to become her student. So theeen, after they beat Zaheer, Azula made a deal to send her military to Ba Sing Se in exchange for taking Zaheer as a prisoner, and Anraq decided to go with them for some reason before they left, so that's why they're gone and we don't have Zaheer.” He paused a second, then added, “Oh, and that Uhara guy that Lin picked as her replaement Chief of Police turned out to be a Red Lotus sleeper agent, and he's the one who killed the president. Did I miss anything?"

Korra blinked at him. "Uh...no, I think you...got everything there.”

"Oh man, my brain hurts now..." he muttered, holding a hand to the top of his head.

"Why don't you take it easy, Bolin?” Opal rubbed his shoulder, then pulled him back away. It was never a good idea to let him think too hard like that.

Lin held a hand to her chin. "Well, I suppose as long as Zaheer is locked up somewhere, it doesn't matter. I'm more concerned about this new Fire Lord.”

“Yes, I heard stories about Azula when I was growing up,” said Tenzin. “I can't imagine she's any better now."

"Please, I _knew_ Azula back then,” Toph scoffed. “If anything, she's worse now."

"We're all worried, believe me,” Korra said. “Until we figure out what to do about her, though, we have to play along. She _is_ the Fire Lord."

Lin nodded. "I agree. We have more important things to take care of right now, like getting Republic City back in order. We should get a move on and come up with a plan, now that we're all together. Having the Avatar back can only help us."

"Wait, hold on.” As the group turned to leave, Kuvira hurried forward next to Lin. “You can take me back into custody now... I'm ready.”

"Kuvira, I'm not sure now is the time...” Lin said, with a curious glance. “We could use all the help we can get right now."

"Lin, you don't need to go easy on me, or protect me,” she said, with a simple shake of her head. “I'm not going to run from my responsibility. The agreement was that I'd receive parole until we took down Zaheer. Well, we took him down. It's time for me to continue my sentence."

The entire group went silent, staring at Kuvira. Lin watched her briefly, then turned her focus around at the others; none of them seemed to be offering any help on the matter.

"...alright, if that's how you feel.” With a short sigh, she shrugged her shoulders and then motioned to several of her officers. “Take her into custody."

Kuvira made no resistance as the officers came forward and placed a pair of platinum cuffs around her wrists. She glanced down at the cuffs, and forced herself not to smile. "I'd suggest a wooden cell, though. I can bend platinum."

"Right..."

"It'll be okay, Kuvira.” Korra moved next to her, and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Once everything is sorted out, I'll talk to the world leaders about your sentence. I promise."

Kuvira smiled. “I know. Thank you."

Korra returned the smile, and then without even thinking about the reaction she was about to receive, she leaned in and gave Kuvira a kiss. Toph and Bumi, of course, already knew by now. The others, however, responded with wide open eyes and gaping mouths. Tenzin, especially, looked paralyzed in his shock.

"Alright, take me away," Kuvira said.

Lin blinked at her, and then glanced at Korra. Then, she rubbed her eyes, head shaking. "...Okay..." When she finally regained her senses, she motioned to her officers to lead Kuvira away.

Once Kuvira was gone, Bolin crept forward with a confused stare, eyebrows lifted high. "Uhhhh.... Korra? What was that?"

"Are you two...you and _Kuvira...?”_ Mako could barely get his words out. “I mean, you just... _what?”_

Opal, at least, managed to put together sensible thoughts. "Korra... what happened with Asami?"

"Wait, she didn't say anything?" Korra questioned.

Kya was the one who answered, with a slow but steady shake of her head. "She definitely didn't mention anything that would have made us see that one coming. What on earth is going on?"

"It's...a long story.” Korra uttered a frustrated groan, holding a palm against her forehead. “I promise I'll explain later. Right now, I really need to see Asami... Do you know where she is?"

"Uh, yeah, try her office,” Mako said, still with his mouth partially agape. “She's been spending most of her time there lately."

"Thanks.” She gave them a parting wave, and then ran off across the airfield. “I'll catch up with you guys later!"

* * *

Korra stood frozen outside the door to Asami's office, at the top floor of Future Industries Tower. She had come here to see her, she _knew_ she had to talk to her, and yet the nerves pulsing through her gut rooted her in place, preventing her from opening the door. Instead, she found herself thinking about other things—nsignificant things, such as, why was Asami up in her office when the tower wasn't even operating?

In fact, most businesses were closed with the chaos running rampant throughout the city. The streets were dangerous, people had been evacuated, and the various triads controlled more than half the city. No one was going to get any business done like that.

“Stupid, stupid...” she muttered to herself. She had to stop delaying herself with pointless thoughts like that. She had to just...open the door and go inside.

It took another few minutes before she finally worked up the courage. She sucked in a deep breath, slowly eased it out her nose, and relaxed her nerves. Then, she pushed the door open. She didn't enter all the way, though. Rather, she leaned forward and poked her head inside.

“Hello?”

Asami was hunched over her desk, pouring over various sheets of paper and schematics. She hadn't even noticed the door open, and it wasn't until Korra actually spoke that she looked up. When she saw her standing there, she stiffened up in her seat. “Oh, hey... You're back.”

Korra gave a gentle nod. “Yeah, I'm back. Can I... come in?”

“Uh, sure,” Asami said, as she began straightening out the papers on her desk into neater piles. “Of course.”

Korra slipped inside the office, and then just stood there a moment, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. After another deep breath, she approached the desk and sat on the sofa in front of it. “So, uh... we stopped Zaheer.”

“Oh, that's good.” Asami visibly brightened at the news, but even still she couldn't hide the lingering awkwardness. That kind of news should have been a cause for celebration, and yet any excitement she gleaned from it disappeared soon after. “It's really... really good.”

“So, uh... what are you doing?”

“I'm just... going over plans for the city. Things that will have to be fixed after this mess is sorted out, repairs that need to be made, the election we'll have to have for the next president... You know, boring stuff.”

“Ah... right.” Korra bowed her head and went silent. Her nerves were on fire, churning a sick feeling of dread in her gut. She tightened her fingers against the fabric of her pants and breathed deep, fighting against that dread. When she finally began to settle down, she looked up again. “Okay, Asami... I'm sorry. For what happened, for how things went between us... I never meant for any of that to happen.”

“I know.” Asami stared down at her papers. A deep regret rippled in her eyes. “I... might have overreacted, too. I was upset, and afraid, and... I didn't know what to do. I thought... I don't know. I thought that was the best way to handle things at the time. Those things I said... I didn't mean them.”

“No... I think you did.”

“Korra—”

“It's okay, really. I get it. I lied to you, and I hurt you... just like I always said I wouldn't. But more than that... you were right.” Korra closed her eyes, tilting her head down again. “About Kuvira. I... I realized that over the past couple weeks. I _do_ care about her... and I do have feelings for her.”

“Oh... I see.” Asami stiffened again, fingers clenching together against her palms. She swallowed, easing out a deep breath in attempts to remain calm. “So... what are you going to do about it?”

“Well, I decided to let it play out,” she said. “To... explore those feelings, and see how it goes.”

Asami's eyes flew open wide. “Wait... you mean you're... with Kuvira? You two are...?”

“Yeah...we are.”

“Korra, I... I said I wanted to take a break, not...” Asami's expression shifted into a mix of shock and anger. Her gaze narrowed, brow lowered. The glare she gave was fierce—it hid the pain. “I didn't want to break _up._ I wasn't... and now you and Kuvira are... _together?”_

Korra blinked at her, puzzlement twisting on her face. “Wait, but you said—”

“That we needed some space to think! Not... not that I wanted to _end_ things. Not that I wanted you to go jumping into another woman's arms as soon as I left!”

“It... It _wasn't_ as soon as you left,” she uttered, still trying to work past her confusion. She had been so sure that Asami had broken up with her, so convinced that things were over. “Asami, I spent a lot of time thinking about this. About you, about Kuvira, about how things went between us... You can't really think that I just seduced Kuvira as soon as you were gone.”

“How much time did you really spend, Korra? It's only been a couple weeks. That's a little quick, don't you think?”

“Asami, I—”

“So what exactly went through your mind?” Asami was standing now, hands planted flat against her desk. “You break up with your girlfriend of five years, so you just replace her the first chance you get? Did I mean that little to you?”

“Of course not!” Korra came to her feet now. The confusion had past—it was her turn to defend herself, to open up, to rant. It was her turn be angry. “Asami, you mean more to me than my own life! That's never going to change, no matter what happens between us, or me and Kuvira, or... or anything. But you _left_ , Asami. I _needed_ you, and you left me. You think that didn't hurt? Because it did. I was shot with _lightning_ , and that didn't hurt as much as you leaving! Instead of staying to work things out, you ran away and let me ache!” She swallowed back a growing knot in her throat. Her eyes were starting to water, but she wiped them dry. “I was angry, broken, I could barely sleep... After everything we'd been through together, I thought... I thought you didn't care anymore.”

“Korra, of _course_ I still cared,” Asami shot back. “I'll _always_ care about you. I love you!”

“Well what was I supposed to think? You were gone! I was in pain, and you weren't there!” Korra quivered out a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Her arms were shaking, she was so mad—or was that grief? “But you know who _was_ there? _Kuvira_. I needed someone to help me, I needed someone to cry on, someone to support me, and tell me things would be alright... and _she_ was there. After I came to terms with my feelings about her... is it really that surprising we started something together? I thought you'd _ended_ things with me, what was I supposed to do?”

“You could have waited! I was still here. I... I just wanted you to sort out your thoughts, Korra, I didn't...” Asami paced out from behind her desk, fingers raking through her hair. “I didn't mean for you to get involved with my father's killer!”

Korra balked at the comment. A sharper jolt of anger twisted through her, and she slammed her fist down on the desk; it shook at the impact. “She's not that person anymore!”

“I know!” Asami whirled around, eyes wet and make-up starting to run. She exhaled a shaking breath, but it did little to calm herself. “I _know._.. and that's hard enough for me come to terms with. I keep trying to hate her, to be _angry_ with her... but it gets harder every day. I'm more upset now over her feelings for you than anything she did in the past... even to my dad. How pathetic is that?"

Asami held a hand to her face and sank back into her seat. She sat there, shoulders tilted, and saying nothing. Korra just watched her. A silence drifted between them—a painful, awkward silence, the kind that could deafen.

"It's not pathetic...” Korra took a step forward and gently reached out. She hesitated before bringing her hand the rest of the way and placing it atop Asami's. “It just means you're healing. Moving on."

Another silence past. Asami took in a deep breath, and tightened her fingers about Korra's. When she removed her other hand from her face, her tears had stopped—or at the very least, they had slowed. "Look, I get that she's different now. I get that she's changed... but that doesn't suddenly make it easy to think of you two... together. I never wanted to lose you, Korra. I... I still _love_ you.”

Korra took a step back and plopped herself back onto the sofa with a sigh. “...what are we doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, why are we fighting? I don't want this to be how things end between us... I don't want to be angry at you. I don't want this to be what destroys our relationship... whatever that relationship happens to be.”

“I know..." Asami glanced away, gaze sinking. "Neither do I.”

“We really screwed this up, didn't we?”

“Yeah, we really did." Another pause, and then Asami brought her focus back to Korra. "I'm sorry, Korra... I shouldn't have left you when you needed me. I was just scared, and upset, and... I made a mistake. A big mistake... and now I can't take it back.”

“We both made mistakes, Asami. I should have been honest. With you, with myself..." Korra huffed, and dropped her hands down into her lap. "Maybe things would have gone differently. Maybe we'd still be together... I'm sorry.”

“So... what now?”

“I don't know." Korra met Asami's gaze, and in that moment her heart broke a little. "I... I know how hard it must be for you, and how much it probably hurts... but Kuvira and I, we... we _are_ together. I don't know how, or if, things will work out between us, but we're going to give it a real shot.”

Asami stared at her a long while in silence. Then, she looked away, eyes closed. "Does she make you happy?"

"Does she...?" Korra paused, surprised at the question. Of all the things she expected to hear out of Asami's mouth, it wasn't that. "Yes... Yes, she does."

"That's all I want for you, Korra...to be happy."

 _"You_ made me happy, too."

"I know... But I guess that ship has sailed." Asami swallowed, dropping her head back into hand. "Maybe things will work out better for you two than they did for us.”

Korra stood up from the sofa and made her way around the desk. She stood there a moment next to Asami's chair, and then leaned close to her, a hand on her shoulder. “Asami, no matter what happens, I still want you in my life. I _need_ you in my life. I don't want us to be bitter at each other, or hate each other, or... anything like that. It might be...hard, and take some time for things to settle between us, I know that. But... can we please still be friends? You're _so_ important to me... I don't want to lose you anymore than I already have.”

Asami reached up to join her own hand with Korra's. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she managed a smile. “Yeah... of course. We'll always be friends, Korra. And I'll always love you. No matter what.”

“Thank you...” Korra returned the smile, and then lowered herself to pull Asami into a hug. “I'll always love you, too.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand we're finally back to Republic City. This was mostly just an introductory chapter to set up how bad things are for the city right now, but we do get two important conversations here. The first being Yula and Anraq's discussion about Azula. We can see that as horrible as Azula is, Yula is actually benefiting from being her student, and Yula knows it. In spite of Anraq's efforts to get her to see otherwise, Yula is deciding to put up with Azula here... which makes for a very interesting dynamic, I think. She knows she's changing, but she wants to change. The question is, how much?
> 
> And then, of course, Korra and Asami's confrontation... this went a little differently than I had imagined it, in that they got angrier than I thought they would... but they ended on good terms, at least. It's obviously not going to be easy, and they're both hurting over it, but it's good to see that they're going to work through it and remains friends. At least, I hope so. Who knows what the future holds.


	61. Spa Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula introduces Anraq to his new Fire Nation lifestyle in the most unimaginable way—with a makeover.

As much as Anraq wanted to remain surly and irritable, he couldn't help but marvel at the great halls of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. The only other palace he had ever seen was the Northern Water Tribe palace, and as much as he admired his own culture's feats of frozen architecture, he had never imagined stepping foot inside a structure this grand. Granted, the lighting was a little dark for his tastes, but the enormous arches and pillars that comprised the halls still took his breath away at their sheer size. His attention was most drawn to the tapestries on the walls. He had always had an appreciation for art, and those towering woven tapestries were some of the finest he'd ever seen.

"Did you hear how they cheered for me when they saw Zaheer in chains?” Azula walked next to him, with a delighted grin cutting across her face. They had just returned from a public announcement at the Royal Plaza, to inform the people of their success in stopping the Red Lotus. That included showing off their prisoner, Zaheer, before he was taken away to prison. That, in particular, had been a cause for celebration amongst the people. _“That's_ how you get the support and admiration of your people, by keeping your promises. I told them I would end the Red Lotus threat, and I did. Now, they can rest easy knowing they're safe.”

"Well, almost, anyway.” Anraq brought his gaze down from the tapestries to Azula. “We still have to go after their hideouts."

"Yes, yes, and we will soon enough,” she said, with a simple hand wave. “Once Yula gets her family settled in the palace, we can make preparations to leave. In the meantime, we have the whole day to ourselves."

"And what does the Fire Lord do, exactly, when she has a whole day to herself?"

"I thought I'd visit the Royal Spa today, while I can take advantage of it,” she said. “I could use a good hair combing and skin treatment. You'll be coming with me, of course. You're in desperate need of a makeover.”

Anraq stopped walking, and turned a wide-eyed stare at her. “I'm...what?”

"Look at you.” She gestured at him, pointing out his blue and white Water Tribe warrior uniform. “You _scream_ Water Tribe. We can't have that if you're to be the Fire Lord's bodyguard. So, we're going to make you Fire Nation."

"You're not serious...” He blinked at her a couple times, but when her expression didn't change, his eyebrows lifted even higher. “Wait, you're serious, aren't you?"

"Of course I am,” she stated, as she waved him along to follow her. “Now, I've already scheduled an appointment with the royal stylists to take care of that matted mess you call hair, and if you insist on keeping your beard, then you'll have to keep it groomed in a traditional Fire Nation style. After that, we have a facial, and then massages, and I might insist on taking advantage of the steam room while we're at it. Then, we'll be meeting with the royal designers to fix you up with a proper wardrobe."

Anraq lifted a hand and dragged his fingers through his hair; it was stiff, and coarse, just like it had always been. “So, you're taking me...on a spa day. This is not what I signed up for..."

"Oh don't complain, you'll have fun,” she assured. “You are spending the day with _me_ , after all."

"Right...” He huffed out a sigh, bowing his head. “Lead on, then."

* * *

The Royal Spa had seen quite a few renovations since Azula had last been there. It was much larger now, no longer just a single room but an entire wing of the palace. There were many rooms, each one meant for a different sort of treatment. They were each styled the same, though—gold dragon murals on the walls, ornamental trees and exotic plants in the corners, and several jade sculptures. A soothing track of tsungi horn music played over the speakers in the background, creating a calm, serene atmosphere to relax.

Azula eased out a gentle sigh, with her head tilted back above the water pool. Her hair had been let out in full, draping back into the water behind her, and a team of stylists worked diligently to comb and wash it. Since beginning their spa treatments, both she and Anraq had changed into red and gold silk robes for added comfort.

"Ah, now see,” she said, “isn't this relaxing?"

"It- _ow_ -sure.” Anraq flinched as the comb came to a sudden halt in his hair, pulling at the roots. “It's- _ow_ -nice."

"Sir, please try to remain still,” said the stylist combing his hair. “Your hair is very knotted."

"Well maybe I would if you- _ow_ -stopped trying to tear it out of my head!" he shot back. He flinched again, gripping tightly at the arms of his seat

"Don't mind him, this is his first time here,” Azula said. She lifted her head as much as she could from her position and gave him a side-eyed glance. “Honestly, when's the last time you ever combed your hair?"

"Well- _ow_ -that would probably be...never? _Ow!"_

Azula raised an eyebrow, then let her head drop back against the water pool, eyes closed. "Oh my, well then it's a good thing we came here. You have a lot of fixing to do."

Anraq grumbled out another pained grunt, as the comb yanked through a particularly stubborn knot. His hair wasn't long—in fact it was much shorter than most Water Tribe men wore it—but that didn't make it any easier to work with. "And why exactly do I have to be fixed so much?"

"Because you're my bodyguard, and you'll be seen with me quite often. You have to look presentable in my presence."

"I was perfectly- _ow_ -presentable before."

Azula scoffed. "For a backwater Southern peasant, perhaps. But as official bodyguard to the Fire Lord? _Hardly._ Just think, though. If you were cute before, imagine how you'll look when we're done here."

Anraq snapped his head upright to stare at her. "Wait, I'm _what?"_ Had he heard that right?

"Hmm?” Azula opened a single eye to glance at him. “Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

* * *

Anraq huffed out a deep breath, remaining still in his seat. He kept his eyes closed—it wasn't like he could see right now, anyway. "So...what, we just sit here? Doing nothing?"

"That's about the gist of it,” Azula replied. “You have to allow the cream a chance to soak into the skin, otherwise it's pointless."

"I feel ridiculous.” He twitched his nose a little, feeling the onset of an itch he wouldn't be able to scratch. At least, not while this weird cream was plastered all over his face. “And what's with the cucumbers?" He tried to ease one of his eyelids open, but it was pointless; all he saw was an up close view of the cucumber slice placed over his eye.

Azula hummed out in contemplation. "You know, I'm not even sure. I always just assumed it was for atmosphere."

"The cucumbers are an excellent way to moisturize and lighten the skin around your eyes,” said one of the stylists. Anraq couldn't tell which one, since he couldn't see them. “They'll get rid of any dark circles that might have been forming."

"Ah, you see?” Azula said. “I knew there had to be a reason."

"Right... I still feel ridiculous,” he muttered. “The hand and feet treatment isn't any better. Is this really necessary?" He was referring to the four other stylists working on his fingers and toes, trimming and cleaning his nails.

"What, you want your nails to be neat and tidy, don't you?” Azula let out a heavy sigh. “Honestly, men take some of the worst care of their nails I've ever seen. Especially on your feet. So yes, it _is_ necessary."

"Fine...” There wasn't anything he could do about it right now, anyway. Might as well play along.

* * *

"Okay...now _this_ isn't so bad." Anraq sank his face against his arms and eased out a long, pleasant groan. The face cream and cucumbers had been awkward, but now that they had moved on to massages, he felt like he could actually relax. Every time his masseuse dug her fingers farther into his back, he felt another knot loosen and pop free.

"The Fire Nation has some of the best masseurs and masseuses in the world,” said the woman working on Azula. “The ones here at the Royal Spa are renowned for their skill."

"Yes, yes, you're good at what you do,” Azula sighed, with a wave of her hand. She didn't look up, though, keeping her head rested against her pillow and eyes closed. “Less talking, more massaging."

Anraq groaned out again, as a particularly large knot in his lower back came undone. "I can't say I've ever had a massage before... Spirits, it feels like my stress is just floating away."

"That's the whole point, to loosen the knots in your body and get rid of your stress,” Azula said. “Honestly, you're so uncultured. Not to worry, though. Now that you're part of the Fire Nation, this will become a regular aspect of your lifestyle."

"I guess that's not so bad..." He tried to sound indifferent, but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. It was fortunate, then, that Azula had her eyes closed.

Azula hummed pleasantly, twisting a smile of her own onto her face. "Yes, now be quiet and just enjoy yourself, won't you?"

* * *

After the massages came the steam room. Anraq sank back against the wall, head tilted and body relaxed. As if the massage hadn't been enough to relieve his stress, sweating away in a heat box worked wonders. At the very least, he was in here by himself, without having to worry about Azula interrupting him. He could just sit there, waste away, and enjoy himself...

And then the door opened. "Don't mind if I join you, do you?"

"Wha-” Anraq lifted his head to look up at the doorway. Azula stood there, dressed in a simple towel wrapped around herself. He immediately shifted straighter in his seat and cleared his throat. “Uh, no, I... I guess not. Sure."

"Good, because there's only the one steam room, and the Fire Lord can't be waiting around for someone else. It's improper." The door closed again, and Azula sat down in the seat across from him. Then, without warning, she reached up to the knot on her towel and undid it, letting it fall away.

"Whoa, hey!” Anraq shot his hands up to cover his eyes, and turned his head away. “What in spirits name are you doing?!"

"Would you relax? I'm wearing a swimsuit, you idiot.”

"You're...what?” He slowly eased one of his eyes open and glanced back at her again. Sure enough, she was wearing a red skirted bikini—not particularly modest, but not that revealing either. “Oh... Right."

Azula glared at him a moment, arms crossed over her chest. Then, a sudden revelation hit her and she looked downward, lifting an eyebrow. "Wait...are you not wearing trunks under there?"

Anraq stiffened, and looked down at himself—he wasn't wearing anything other than a towel wrapped around his waist. "Well, uh..."

A mocking snicker burst from Azula's throat. She held a hand to her lips, trying to stifle herself. "Oh dear, better be careful with that towel then. We wouldn't want any accidents."

"Um...yeah..." he muttered, reaching down to make sure the towel was tied tight.

"You know, you really shouldn't think like that about teenage girls,” she said, leaning back against the wall with her arms folded. “Someone might mistake you for a dirty old man."

Anraq flinched, then shot Azula glare. "Okay, _first_ of all, I'm twenty-nine. I am _not_ an old man. Second of all, _you're_ not a teenage girl."

"Oh, aren't I?"

"How _could_ you be? You were born over ninety years ago! If anything, _you're_ the old woman here."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Oh you're so dramatic.” After a brief pause, she sighed and added, “Alright, I'll admit, I'm older than I look. But not _that_ old."

"How is that even possible?"

“That's for me to know, and you to...well, not."

Anraq dropped his head against his hand, grumbling in dissatisfaction. "Do you just not physically age? Did you get zapped with some crazy spirit magic that turned you young again? How old _are_ you, really? Because none of this makes sense."

"Didn't you just hear me?” she said. “It's my secret, and I'm not going to tell you."

"Ugh, fine,” he muttered, letting his head drop back against the wall. “You know what? I don't even care."

A brief pause lingered between them. Then, Azula glanced downward, only to immediately look away with a clear of her throat. "Annie... you may want to close your legs."

Anraq immediately pulled his legs together and held his towel tighter around himself. He said nothing, but did mutter his annoyance incoherently under his breath. Again, Azula held a hand over her lips and stifled a mocking laughter.

* * *

"Well, look at you,” Azula said, with pleased smirk. “Fit to be my bodyguard."

Anraq stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was straight and glossy, tied up in a small Fire Nation top-knot with decorative gold hairpiece. Instead of a full beard, his facial hair had been trimmed down into a thin goatee. Gone was his Water Tribe uniform, now replaced with robes of red and gold. To complete the outfit, darker colored armor with a gold trimming had been fastened over his chest and shoulders. The image looking back at him made his stomach churn.

"This doesn't feel right...” he said, with a slow shake of his head.

Azula gave his shoulder a firm pat. "Oh you're just not used to it. Don't worry, it'll grow on you."

"If you say so."

"Now, come with me,” she said, dragging him along by the wrist.

There was little he could do to resist her, so he simply followed along out of the spa, and back down the halls of the palace. “And where are we going?”

"We're going to take a stroll around the city, so I can show you off.” Azula paused a moment. Then, realizing what she had just said, she cleared her throat and added, “Uh, I mean show you around your new home."

"Right..."

* * *

The sun hung low in the sky as the Fire Lord's procession made its way through the streets of the Royal Caldera City. A line of guards stood on all sides, with a palanquin drawn by four servants at the center. Anraq walked directly next to the palanquin, the curtain of which Azula had chosen to leave open so she could speak with him, and see the city.

Many of the passing Fire Nation citizens stopped to give a brief greeting to the new Fire Lord, while others watched from afar. Up in Caldera, these citizens were some of the most important nobles in the nation, evident by their elegant and flashy style of dress. While still keeping to the traditional Fire Nation design, their outfits consisted of much more jewelry and finer fabrics than the common folk in Harbor City, at the base of the mountain.

"You see, this is nice, isn't it?” Azula poked her head out of the palanquin to look around. “Capital City was always one of the grandest cities in the world, Caldera in particular. It looks like the years have only improved it."

While the city retained the same traditional style it had over the past centuries, the last few decades had brought it more modern amenities. Chief among these was the presence of satomobiles, both for personal use and for business. Of course, Azula could have had herself driven around the city in the Fire Lord's personal transport vehicle, but her tastes were more antiquated. Nothing beat the regal feel of being carted around by servants aboard a palanquin.

"I'll admit, it is impressive,” Anraq stated, with a careful look around. Not since Ba Sing Se had he seen a city this impressive. Republic City and Zaofu both had their own charms, of course, but he was still new to the Fire Nation—he hadn't gotten over his awe, yet. “Can't say I've ever seen a city inside a dormant volcano, either."

"Yes, it is a marvel.” Azula leaned back behind the curtain, watching as they turned down another street. When they rounded the corner, she caught sight of a small floral shop. At first, she thought nothing of it, but then suddenly an idea came to her. “Hold on a moment. Stop, set me down.”

The servants immediately came to a halt and set down the palanquin. Azula then stepped out to solid ground and hurried towards the floral shop. While the other guards remained in formation, Anraq hurried along beside her. As her bodyguard, he had to remain at her side at all times.

When they made it inside the shop, Azula walked straight up to the counter and slapped her palm down upon it. “A dozen fire lilies."

The man behind the counter turned around to face her. When he saw who his customer was, he uttered a startled gasp and then lowered himself into a respectful bow. "Oh, Fire Lord! You honor me.” He then straightened himself and began gathering up a bouquet of fire lilies. “You'll get only the best from me, I promise you that. Finest flowers in all the Fire Nation right here. You've come at just the right time, too, at the heart of their blooming season."

"Yes, yes, they're lovely. Just hurry it up,” Azula said, with a roll of her eyes. When the shop owner finally handed her the bouquet, she slid two gold coins across the counter to pay for them. Then, she motioned for Anraq to follow him back outside.

Once they made it back to the palanquin, Azula turned to Anraq and held out the flowers towards him. “Here, these are for you." The smile she gave him seemed forced, with her lips pulled back and teeth bared—was that intentional, or did she really not know how to give a natural smile when she wasn't mocking someone?

Anraq blinked at the fire lilies, lifting an eyebrow in confusion. "Uh...why, exactly?"

"What?” Azula glanced down at the flowers, then up at him again. “People enjoy getting flowers. That is a thing, right?"

"Well, sure I guess. I mean, usually girls like getting flowers...” He scratched his head, still staring at the bouquet. This was...odd, to say the least—not just the act of Azula trying to give him flowers for some reason, but also the fact that she seemed...genuine in her act—completely strange and awkward, but genuine. “Not sure what I'm supposed to do with them."

Azula's smiled twisted into a frown. Her grip on the stems of the flowers tightened, snapping them between her fingers. "Well _fine_ , if you don't want them I'll just _burn_ them. Waste of money anyway. _Stupid flowers."_

"Wait, uh, no, hey.” Anraq snatched the flowers from her grasp before she could set fire to them. “I didn't say I didn't want them. I'll just, uh...let _him_ hold on to them for now.” He turned to the guard nearest him and handed over the now broken bouquet. “In case I need my hands later."

"Hmm, very well.” Azula gave the guard a stern glare, leaning close to him. “Take care of those flowers, or you'll suffer the consequences."

The man stiffened straight, and clutched the bouquet to himself as though it were made of gold. "Uh...yes, Fire Lord. As you wish."

"So, now what?" Anraq asked.

Azula sat back down on her seat in the palanquin and hummed out a thoughtful breath, as she looked around the street. "Oh, look there.” She leaned forward, pointing towards a large building with bright lights out front—a mover theater. A large billboard at the top of the building bore a black and white picture of Azula standing behind a podium. “They're playing my coronation. You weren't there for that, were you?"

"No, I can't say I was."

"Excellent, then you _must_ watch it.” She gave a wave at her servants to lift the palanquin again, and the procession continued down the street. “I'll have the theater run a private showing for just the two of us. You'll love this. It's one of my better speeches, I assure you."

"Uh, of course...” he replied, as he marched alongside the palanquin. “Can't wait."

* * *

Azula walked out of the theater with a pleased grin spread across her face. "I have to say, it's even more impressive listening to it back again."

"It was definitely...inspirational,” Anraq said, with a slow nod. Watching Azula's coronation had been...eye opening, to say the least. It further punctuated how manipulative she could be—she knew exactly the right things to say to endear people to her, even those who had never met her before, _and_ after she had just usurped their former ruler through an Agni Kai. It _was_ inspirational...but in a scary way. “The people seemed to enjoy it, at least."

"Of course they did.” Azula stepped back into the palanquin and plopped herself down in the seat. While she and Anraq had gone in to watch the mover, the servants and guards had remained outside, waiting for them. “They recognized my greatness, and now they love me. I'm the ruler they've always needed, and under my leadership they'll prosper more than they ever dreamed."

"Mhm... I suppose I'll take your word for it."

She turned a sidelong glance towards him, eyes narrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Anraq shrugged. "Nothing, just that I have no experience in any kind of leadership matters. I wouldn't know where to begin ruling a nation."

"That's because you weren't born for it,” Azula sighed. As the procession started up again, she lounged back in her seat and tilted her head, eyes closed. “I was. It's my _right_ to rule, and I was raised how to do it. That's why I'm Fire Lord now, and that's why my people look up to me. That's why the entire _world_ will look up to me."

He turned a glare back at her, studying her—the entire world? He wasn't sure if that had been a simple slip of her tongue, or if she meant something else by it... Either way, it probably didn't mean anything good. "So, where to next? Looks like it's getting pretty late."

Azula opened one of her eyes and looked up at the sky. By now, the sun had dipped low behind the rim of the crater walls surrounding the city. "Hmm, you're right. We should head back to the palace. There's one more thing I want to show you."

* * *

By the time they returned to the palace, night had fallen. It was a calm night, quiet and peaceful, with not a cloud in the sky—only the stars, and a small sliver of moon. Anraq wasn't paying attention to the sky, though. Rather, his attention was focused on the royal gardens that Azula had brought him to. A small pond sat at the center of a lush, grassy field, surrounded by flower beds and stone walkways. Hanging low over the water was a single cherry blossom tree, dropping its pink petals onto the surface, while a large dragon-shaped fountain sat alongside the main garden walkway, serving as a gathering place for a family of small dark-feathered birds.

"Wow...” he uttered, as he took in the sight. Combined with the silver glow of the moon reflecting off the pond, it filled him with a sense of calm. “This is..."

"Wonderful, yes?” Azula turned a smirk to him, with her hands held behind her back. “I thought you might enjoy it. You seem like the type."

"I've never seen gardens this...beautiful before."

"That's because you've never been to the Fire Nation before,” she said, with a simple shrug. “Anything the rest of the world does, we do better."

Anraq wandered through the garden, down the stone walkway. When he neared the pond, he heard a loud quack that drew his gaze down to the water. When he saw the source of it, he uttered a small laugh and knelt down at the water's edge. A small family of turtle ducks swam there, watching him.

"Ha, turtle ducks. I haven't seen one in ages." He held a hand out, prompting the small birds to swim in close, cautious. They quacked at him again.

"I used to throw rocks at them when I was a kid. They didn't like it, but I had a blast.” Azula stood next to him and glared down at the turtle ducks. They took one look at her and then fluttered back through the water. She smirked at the response. “Looks like they still know to fear me."

Anraq frowned up at her a moment, then looked back down to the water. A single turtle duck still remained at the water's edge, looking up at Azula with a series of shrill quacks. "That's alright, the big bad Fire Lord isn't going to hurt you. Is she?"

"Please, I don't have time for childish nonsense like that anymore. They're safe for now."

"That's what I thought.” Anraq lowered his fingers into the water and gave a gentle splash, urging the turtle duck to swim back to his family. “Go on, go join your siblings."

"You are such a pathetic softy,” Azula said, with a roll of her eyes. In spite of her attempts to sound insulting, however, her tone was almost...playful. Endearing, even.

"Well, excuse me for having a heart,” he replied, as he raised himself back to his feet.

Azula went silent a moment. She looked at him briefly, and then turned her gaze out over the pond. When she did speak, her tone was quiet, gentle. "Anraq, I have something I want to tell you."

"Uh, alright,” he said. “What do you want to tell me?"

"I'd like to...apologize for my outburst back at that town. You know, when we saved Yula's family."

He blinked at her, lifting an eyebrow. "You...what now?"

She breathed in deep, then slowly let it out, head bowed. She still didn't look at him, instead keeping her focus over the pond. "Yes, that was no way for a Fire Lord to conduct herself. I lost my composure in that moment, and...I'm sorry."

"Uh...wow. Seriously?"

"Yes, what's wrong?” Azula shot him a glare, lips curled into a frown. “Is my apology not good enough for you? I don't do this often, you know. Or _ever."_

"No, no, it's not that,” he insisted. “It's just...surprising. If I'm being honest, I never would have thought I'd see you apologize for something. Ever."

Azula looked away again and shrugged, with her arms wrapping further around herself—no longer simply crossed, but actually hugging herself. "Well, I told you before. Even I'm not entirely heartless."

Anraq watched her, fighting with his own thoughts. Azula had just... _apologized_ to him. If he could have made a list of all the impossible things he could think of that would never happen, that would have been right at the top. Furthermore, it meant he had to reciprocate. Even as much as he didn't want to, and as much as he thought he shouldn't have to, he couldn't be the less reasonable one between himself and Azula, of all people.

“I...guess I'd like to apologize too, then,” he muttered.

“Oh?”

He nodded. “I was wrong about Yula. I was attacking you for how you were treating her, because I thought I knew what was best for her. Turns out, she's her own person and she knows what she wants... and she wants to be your student. So, I was wrong. I still don't think what you're doing with her is a good thing, but I realize now that it's not my place to butt in.”

“I see...”

“And I'm sorry for calling you a... well, for what I said.”

Azula studied him closely, as if expecting him to recant his apology. When he didn't, she gave a subtle nod and then looked away. “Well, apology accepted.”

An awkward pause followed, as the two just stood there next to each other, looking around the garden. A stray cloud drifted in front of the moon, blotting out its silver glow and darkening the night.

“It's a nice night,” Anraq said, as he drew his gaze across the cheery blossom tree. He had to say _something._ The silence had been deafening.

Azula shrugged. “I suppose, if you're into that sort of thing.” Another pause, and then she looked back at him. “So... did you have a good time today? With me.”

When he met her gaze, he was surprised at the tone in her eyes. They weren't stern or calculating, as they usually were. Rather, they seemed...hopeful, and yet at the same time worried. He stared at her eyes a moment longer, before finally looking away again with a sigh. “I'll admit...when you're not being horrible to people, you're actually not that bad to be around.”

“Please, I'm a _joy_ to be around.”

A brief laugh burst from his throat, more a cough than anything. “That's one word for it.”

Azula's expression softened with caution, and she shifted around on her feet—she looked almost nervous. “So, you _did_ enjoy yourself?”

“I can't believe I'm saying this, but... yeah.” He gave a simple shrug of defeat, and then offered a very subtle, very reserved smile. “I did.”

“Well...” Azula's expression lifted, returning its usual confidence. Then, she smiled—not awkward, this time. A _real_ smile. “Good.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here, I got it up! Pretty late today, but I hope it's worth the wait.
> 
> Oh man, was this chapter a fun one to write. Not just because it was humorous (Anraq being treated to a spa... I thought it was funny, at least), but also because we get to see that there really is another side of Azula trying to come through. Beneath all her cruelty, all her malice, and manipulation, there's something... else. She's actually trying to win over Anraq without the use of fear or manipulation, probably the first time she's ever made such an attempt. The question is, will it work, and what will it mean for her if it does?
> 
> Also, more awkward flirting Azula for your viewing pleasure ("People enjoy getting flowers. That is a thing, right?")


	62. Restoring Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even with Kuvira back in prison, she and Korra find the time to have dates to further strengthen their new relationship. In the meantime, General Iroh contemplates how to fix things in Ba Sing Se.

Kuvira lounged on her new prison bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. The entire cell was made of wood—the ceiling, the walls, the floor, the table, chairs, even the bed. There were a few obvious exceptions, though, such as her mattress and sheets, and her prison uniform—the fabrics were softer this time, too, a welcome change from her first visit to a Republic City jail. The shower and toilet, on the other hand, were both comprised of ceramic materials. In the end, the result was the same—no metal, not even platinum.

Of course, that also meant that the guards had taken away the platinum pendant that Korra had given to her, so many years ago. With an absent sigh, she reached up to grasp at the empty spot around her neck, where the pendant used to be. It was the first time she'd taken it off since she got it. She felt...almost naked without it.

A knock on the cell door pulled her away from her thoughts. The guard—one of only very few currently stationed at the prison—peered in through the window slot. "You got a visitor."

Kuvira immediately sat upright with a smile. There was only one person she was expecting, and sure enough, when the door opened, Korra entered, carrying a large plastic bag with her. "You came."

"Well of course I came,” Korra said, as she made her way over to the table. Kuvira joined her there a moment later and greeted her with a kiss. “You didn't think I was going to miss our date, did you?"

"Our very first prison date,” Kuvira said, with a sigh.

Korra chuckled softly, then placed the bag down on the table. "Hopefully not the first of many.” She paused after she spoke, realizing how her words sounded. With a flustered grumble, she attempted to recover by adding, “Uh, because hopefully you'll be out of prison soon. Not because...we wouldn't be having more dates...because obviously we will. A lot."

Kuvira could only smile her. "You're adorable when you stammer, you know that?"

"Well, I would hope I'm _always_ adorable,” she replied, as a subtle blush came to her cheeks. “But thanks."

"Mmm...” Kuvira took in a deep breath through her nose, and sat down at the table. “Something smells good."

A wide smile spread across Korra's face. She opened the plastic bag to pull out a few styrofoam containers and wooden chopsticks, as well as a large plastic thermos and paper cups. “Brought some takeout from Kwong's, and some Jasmine tea.”

"You know me so well."

"Well, that _is_ a girlfriend's job."

Kuvira flashed another smile as she took one of the food containers. When she opened it, the smell of sweet dumplings overpowered her, and her stomach grumbled with eager anticipation. "So, how have things been going around the city?"

"Honestly? Not very good...” Korra breathed out a deep sigh, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. “It seems like no matter how hard we try, things just keep getting worse. We don't have the numbers to fight all the triads at once, and every time we make progress with one group, another takes advantage. All we've really been able to do so far is evacuate more civilians to safety."

"Well, that is important, too.” Kuvira snatched one of her dumplings up with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. An explosion of flavor followed, and she tried to keep her satisfied groan down as quiet as possible. “Have you heard any news from Ba Sing Se or Zaofu?"

Korra shook her head. "Nothing from Zaofu. Toph left to help a couple days ago, but she hasn't sent any word yet on how things are going over there.”

“What about—”

“Before you worry, no, they're not going to have Su's funeral without you,” she assured. “Toph promised me."

Kuvira eased out a gentle breath, then lifted another dumpling to her lips. "Thank you."

"As for Ba Sing Se, we did get a message from General Iroh this morning. Apparently, things are even worse over there. The United Forces are doing everything they can, but they're not a large military, and I think we sometimes forget just how big that city is. Even with the Earth Republic military helping, it's slow going."

"Where are Azula's forces? She made a deal to send aid when we gave her Zaheer."

"I know, but I wouldn't be surprised if she backed out if it.” Korra poured a a cup of tea from the thermos, then offered it to Kuvira. “It's only been a week since we left the North Pole, though. It'll take longer than that for a sizable force to make it from the Fire Nation all the way to Ba Sing Se. As much as I hate to say it, we need to be patient and trust Azula's word. For now, anyway."

Kuvira accepted the cup of tea, but she didn't take a sip right away. Instead, she stared down at her reflection in the hot liquid. "Even after we stopped the Red Lotus, there's still so much to do..."

"Yeah... But worrying about it right now isn't going to help.” Korra huffed out a breath to calm herself, then lifted her own cup of tea. “We're on a date, so let's focus on that and enjoy ourselves."

With a warm smile, Kuvira finally tilted her cup up to her lips and took a sip. "I already am."

* * *

General Iroh hunched over the map of Ba Sing Se spread over the war table. He moved several markers around on it, through the various city rings. Each of the pins represented a different battalion of the United Forces troops, but there weren't nearly enough to cover the entire city. He and his troops had been spread far too thin since they arrived to help restore order to Ba Sing Se, and in the following few weeks they had only spread thinner.

“What are your orders, General?”

Iroh glanced up to see one of his captains standing there, awaiting orders. He paused a moment, then moved a pair of green pins across the map. “I want the Second and Third Earth battalions clearing out more rubble from the collapsed walls. In all likelihood, it's far too late now to pull out any survivors, but there are still numerous missing persons. The least we can do is find them and give their families closure. As for the First and Fourth Earth battalions, I want them erecting new walls between the city's rings. I'm not expecting the grand walls that they used to be, but I want something to start separating Ba Sing Se's neighborhoods so we can keep our efforts more organized.”

“Right away, General.” The captain gave a salute, then marched out of war tent.

When he was gone, Iroh looked to his other side, where another one of his captains stood at the ready. “Captain, I want you to take the First and Second Fire battalions and sweep the tunnels beneath the city. From what I understand, many escaped prisoners have been using them as a hideout, and to get around Ba Sing Se easier. I want you to round up anyone you find down there and bring them into lockup. When we get the chance, we can start sorting through the city's records to determine who they are, and what prisons they belong to.”

“Yes, sir.” Just like the first captain, he gave a firm salute and then marched off to complete his task.

“Commander Sheng.” Iroh moved another red pin across the map, joining this one next to a blue pin. He then looked up straight ahead at the man standing there in red uniform. “Take the Third Fire regiment and meet up with Captain Kedo of the Second Water battalion in the Middle Ring. I've received reports of several fires breaking out in the eastern neighborhood. Could be the arsonists from last week. I want you putting out those fires, and taking in anyone suspicious who might have started them.”

Commander Sheng bowed, and then hurried out of the tent.

“What about me, General?” A soldier in a blue uniform approached with a salute. “What should I have the Third Water battalion do?”

“I want you to meet up with General Hao of the Earth Republic Army, down in the Lower Ring,” Iroh said. “Continue trying to keep the peace and putting a stop to any riots that might break out. Arrest anyone who shows hostile behavior, and try to keep the conflict away from innocent civilians.”

“Of course, sir.”

And with that, he was alone again. Iroh huffed out a heavy sigh, and then sank back into his chair in front of the war table. He knew it was hopeless. No matter how many times he did this, no matter what plans he made, or where he sent his men, the conflict within the city only grew worse.

Ba Sing Se was an enormous city, large enough to be considered its own country, even. Hundreds of millions of people lived here. The United Forces came from the United Republic, a much smaller nation. Their Army was only a few thousand soldiers strong in all, and their Navy and Air Force wasn't going to be much help here. Not only that, but there were only so many Earth Republic forces available here in the city to help. With no government or leadership, putting out an order to recall any other troops from around the nation proved difficult.

When he had last spoken to Chief Beifong a few days ago, she had mentioned that the Fire Nation would be sending aid. Unfortunately, there was still no sign of them. If they didn't arrive soon, then Iroh knew he and his troops wouldn't last much longer here. It would be only a matter of time before they failed, and Ba Sing Se fell completely out of hand.

“General!”

Iroh looked up to see one of his messengers running into the tent. “What is it? What's going on?”

“A fleet of Fire Nation airships is approaching Ba Sing Se, sir! We just received a message from the Fire Lord herself.”

“My mother?” Iroh bolted up out of his seat. While he had known the Fire Nation was on its way, he hadn't expected his mother to come personally. “It's about time they got here. How many are there?”

“According to my intel, there are fifty dropships inbound.”

Iroh's eyebrows lifted. “What did she do, send half the Fire Nation Army?” A single Fire Nation dropship could transport up to 750 ground troops, and there were _fifty_ of them? He wasn't going to refuse the help, of course, but that almost seemed excessive.

“I don't know, but... this is a good thing, right?” the messenger asked. “With those kinds of forces, we should be able to clear up Ba Sing Se in no time.”

Iroh nodded. “It's excellent news. Make sure the airfield is clear, and send an escort to meet them. I'll join you shortly.”

“Right away, sir.”

* * *

Iroh waited at the airfield with an escort of three United Forces squadrons behind him. He stood stiff at attention, arms held behind his back, as the Fire Nation dropships floated down into the airfield. It was a tight fit, but there was just enough space to ensure that they all landed safely. As the gangplank to the fleet's flagship lowered, he took a step forward and breathed in deep. It had been years since he'd seen his mother, with how much his work kept him away from the Fire Nation.

When the procession of soldiers exited down the gangplank, however, it wasn't his mother he saw leading them. It wasn't his mother wearing the royal Fire Lord robes and the crown headpiece. No, instead it was a young girl, who couldn't have been more than sixteen years old, a girl he had never seen before. At one her sides was a man with a neatly trimmed goatee, and at her other, a young woman with glasses.

“Ah, you must be General Iroh,” the girl said, as she reached the bottom of the gangplank. “So good to finally meet you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Who are you? Where's my mother?”

“Oh, little 'Zumi couldn't make it,” she replied, with a smirk. “She's busy running things back in the Fire Nation while I'm away. As for who I am, well... I'm the new Fire Lord. Fire Lord Azula, to be precise.”

“You're _what?”_ Iroh stared at her with raised eyebrows, mouth hanging partially agape. “New Fire Lord... What are you _talking_ about?”

“There's been something of a change in leadership back home. I'm not surprised the news hasn't reached you here, yet, with how much of a mess things are. Honestly, Ba Sing Se is a disaster, from what I saw flying in.”

“I don't understand... How did...?”

Azula smirked again, then reached into her robes, fishing around for something. “Oh compose yourself, General. Everything's fine. The only thing that's changed is that _I_ rule the Fire Nation now, instead of your mother.” She pulled out a rolled up piece of paper sealed with the royal family insignia, then presented it to him. “Here, this will explain everything that's happened in the past few weeks. In the meantime, your troops are to pull out from Ba Sing Se and return to Republic City, as I'm sure you've already been informed—I hear they could really use your help over there. My forces will be clearing up things here, so don't worry.”

Iroh unrolled the missive and scanned the page as quickly as he could. He caught sight of various tidbits of important information—something about an Agni Kai, his mother being scarred, Azula being crowned the new Fire Lord, stopping Zaheer and the Red Lotus at the North Pole... Just because he read it, though, didn't mean it was easy to accept. He knew it had to be true, though. If it weren't, and this was all just some lie, then Azula wouldn't be standing in front of him in the Fire Lord's official attire at the head of a fleet of Fire Nation dropships. That would have been impossible to fake.

“I don't believe this...”

“Well start believing,” Azula stated. “Things are different now, and denying it isn't going to help.”

One of the nearby United Forces soldiers stepped next to him, with a concerned look. “General... What should we do?”

Iroh stared at the paper a moment longer, thinking. There was so much about this situation that didn't sit right with him... and yet, he knew there was nothing he could do about it. His mother might have been Fire Lord before, but he was still primarily a United Republic citizen. Fire Nation matters, while personal to him, weren't something he could afford to involve himself in right now. He had a different job to do.

“Recall our forces...” Iroh said, as he rolled up the missive. “Our plans haven't changed. We're returning to Republic City as soon as we can.”

Azula widened her smirk. “Good choice, General. I know the Avatar will be pleased to have you. I do hope you do better clearing up that city than you did here, though.”

Iroh glared at her, then gave a simple salute. “Good day, Fire Lord.”

* * *

When the United Forces troops had left the airfield, Azula watched the other airships lower their gangplanks. A short few moments later, thousands of soldiers began marching out in formation. “Well, I think that went smoothly. Once the United Forces pull out of Ba Sing Se, our troops can begin liberating the city.”

“While _we_ go after the remaining Red Lotus hideouts, right?” Anraq asked.

“That is the plan, yes. I'll be leaving General Xhiao in charge here while we take care of that business. When we're done, we'll return here and oversee our military's efforts. By that time, Zuzu should be back from the North Pole, too.”

“How long do you think it'll take?” Yula watched the Fire Nation troops march off towards the State House in the distance, which would serve as their base of operations. “Ba Sing Se really is a mess...”

“Oh, it shouldn't take long,” Azula said. “Once order has been returned to Ba Sing Se, the rest of the nation should follow quickly, too. When that happens... they'll owe _everything_ to the Fire Nation. To _me.”_

* * *

Korra grinned, as she lowered her finger down to one of her Pai Sho tiles. “Looks like I have you backed into a corner.”

“For once,” Kuvira said. She returned a confident stare, lips curling up into a challenging smirk of her own. “It won't last, though.”

“Oh no?” Korra jumped the tile over one of Kuvira's pieces and then crossed her arms flat over her chest. “What are you going to do about that?”

“I think I might try... this.” Kuvira reached up to one of the tiles she had moved farther up on the board, and then jumped it backwards. She didn't stop at just the one jump, however, as she was able to move over several of Korra's tiles in succession.

“Wait, what?” Korra lowered her gaze closer to the board and stared at it, blinking. “No... No that's not right!”

Kuvira chuckled. “You have to keep your eyes on the whole board, Avatar. Otherwise, you open yourself up to an attack from behind.”

“Oh yeah, well...” Korra frowned up at her a moment, and then without warning she lunged upwards to pull Kuvira in for a kiss. She held their lips together for several solid seconds, until finally pulling away to fire back another smirk. “Bet you didn't see _that_ one coming.”

“No... But I'm not complaining about it, either,” Kuvira replied, as she licked the taste of Korra from her lips. She would never tire of that. “Wait a minute...” When she brought her gaze back to the Pai Sho board, she realized that several of the tiles were in a distinctly different location than they were a few seconds ago. “You moved the tiles!”

“Me? Nooo... Never.”

“Oh, you...” Kuvira frowned in attempts to look displeased, but the frown quickly turned into a smile as she made a move to pull the Avatar inward. Korra fell against her with a laugh. “Come here.”

They shared another kiss, this one lasting longer. When it finally ended, Kuvira held Korra close to her with a pleasant smile, just lying there atop the bed. It had been another week since they returned to Republic City, and in that time they'd only gotten closer, happier. Kuvira being in prison had thankfully done nothing to come between them. If anything, it had only strengthened their relationship. Korra came by to visit everyday, without fail. Kuvira never felt alone, even if she couldn't leave her cell.

Korra set her head down in Kuvira's lap, and gazed up at her. “It's nice to see you smiling so much.”

“It's hard not to when you're with me,” she replied, retaining the loving smile to which Korra had been referring. She brushed her fingers through Korra's hair, and then offered a pleasant sigh. “You know, I was a little worried when I went back into custody. Being locked up... it's not easy, no matter how ready you are to face it. But things are so different now from when I first came to prison. I have friends, family, a _girlfriend._.. I know who I am, and what I want. I'm _happy_ now, happier than I've ever been, and I owe so much of that to you.”

Korra smiled, reaching out to take one of Kuvira's hands in her own. “You don't know what it means to hear you say that. I'm happy for you, Kuvira.”

“Hey!” A voice came from the other side of the cell door. “Hey, Korra!”

Kuvira lifted an eyebrow. “Is that... Bolin?”

“Sounds like it...”

“Korra!” The window slot in the cell door slid open, and Bolin's face appeared. “Hey!”

Korra glanced up at Kuvira, then sucked in a deep breath. When she sat upright and snapped her gaze towards the door, her eyes glowed bright white, and her voice boomed with an echo. _“What is it? I'm in the middle of a date!”_

“Waahh!” Bolin ducked out of sight for a moment, then slowly eased himself back into view. Korra's eyes weren't glowing anymore. “Hey, that's not funny!”

Kuvira snickered under breath. “It's a little funny.”

“Sorry, Bolin,” Korra said, as she sat straight on the bed. “What is it?”

Bolin cleared his throat, then pressed his face closer to the window. “We just got word from General Iroh! Azula's forces arrived in Ba Sing Se, so now the United Forces are on their way back!”

Korra's eyebrows lifted. “Really? That's fantastic!”

“I know, right? Lin is putting together a meeting, she wants everyone to be there.”

“I'll be right there.” Korra started to get up, but suddenly paused and looked back at Kuvira. They _were_ still in the middle of a date...

“Go on,” Kuvira said, with a simple wave. “I'll be fine. You have work to do.”

She nodded, then leaned back to give another kiss. “I love you, Kuvira.”

“I love you, too.”

Bolin watched them with an awkward look, eyebrows scrunched together. “Man, that is still going to take a lot of time getting used to...”

Korra merely shook her head, then hurried out of the cell to join Bolin. “Alright... Let's go take back Republic City.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is a little disjointed and mishmashed. I wanted to have some Korvira date time, but I also had to show the situation in Ba Sing Se and get to Azula finally getting her troops over there to help. The reason for seemingly rushing through that? Because I'm trying to get to the next big part in the storyline, which starts in the next chapter... six months later. What will have happened in those six months? Well, stick around to find out!


	63. A New Beginning/Hearts Are Won With Speeches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six months have passed since the fall of the Red Lotus. A lot has happened in that time, including some big changes for several important characters. Kuvira, Asami, Azula, Izumi—what is in store for them now?

Six months.

It seemed like a long time, and yet if you didn't pay attention it could go by in a blink. For Republic City, those six months were some of the shortest in its history, even when at times it seemed like it should have been the opposite. Within a month of the United Forces returning, the triads had been completely overwhelmed and neutralized. At the least, their numbers had dwindled to the point where they were running scared of the police again. The prison, too, had once again been filled with dangerous criminals.

Following the eradication of the triad threat came the return of evacuated citizens, and then repairing damages to the city. It seemed like Republic City's infrastructure needed to be repaired and upgraded every few years. First it had been the UnaVaatu attack, then Kuvira's giant mecha, and now the Red Lotus and triads. Right at the forefront of those repair efforts had been Varrick and Future Industries working together. Not only had they repaired damages, but they had also completed the underground train network for better public transportation, which had indeed been dubbed the 'Varri-Rail'.

For Kuvira, on the inside of her wooden cell, she hadn't seen much of the restoration efforts during those months. She had heard all about it from Korra, though, as well as her other visitors. Bolin and Opal came by often enough, as did Bumi and Bum-Ju. Lin, who had since returned to her position as Chief of Police, visited too, and not just when she was on duty. Korra had even talked her into bringing Kya along a few times for some rather awkward but enjoyable double-dates.

Her family, too, had visited quite a few times from Zaofu—Baatar, Sr., Wing, Wei, Huan, and even Toph. The only one who hadn't come to see her was Baatar, Jr., who she still hadn't seen or spoken to since that time shortly after Su's death. Somehow, she suspected they would never speak again. Even so, that hadn't stopped her from finally signing her name on those adoption papers. Now that order had also returned to Zaofu, the papers had been filed. Kuvira was now an official part of the Beifong family—a dream finally come true.

All those visits, from all her friends and family, made the time pass quicker than she would have thought possible.

Six months, all in a blink.

Now, Kuvira sat in her bed and flipped through one of the many books that Korra had brought her during that time— _The Legend of the Sun Warriors_. Korra always had a way of knowing exactly the books Kuvira would love, the kind she could sit and read from cover to cover in a single sitting. This one was no different, as she had been absorbed within its pages for the past several hours.

They had both come to know each other so well over the past half year, and Kuvira had never felt closer to anyone. The kind of love she felt for Korra was...indescribable. All those years ago, when they had faced each other as enemies, she never could have imagined that the Avatar would bring her this much joy, this much happiness. Even after she had fallen for Korra, she couldn't have dreamed they would ever be together. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without Korra there, without the dates, and the touches, and the kisses, the passion, the love...

In all her life, Kuvira had never been happier, and she wouldn't trade it away for anything.

As she flipped to the final chapter in her book, the guard outside her cell gave the door a knock and slid open the window. “Hey, you got a visitor.”

Kuvira blinked up from the pages. She thought a moment about who could be by to visit her in the middle of the afternoon. Korra wasn't due to visit until later that night, and everyone else should have been gathered at city hall for the big event. At least, she _thought_ that was today... Perhaps she had confused the dates?

When the door opened, however, a stiff jolt ran through her spin. Kuvira sat straight upright and set her book down, staring at the woman. “Asami?”

“Hello, Kuvira.” Asami stepped forward into the cell. She carried with her a small wrapped bundle under her arm, a bundle that she set down on the floor when she sat in one of the chairs across from the bed.

“I...” Kuvira paused, at a loss for what to say. “Isn't today your big day?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then... what are you doing here?

“Because, I wanted... I _needed_ to speak with you.”

Kuvira lifted a curious eyebrow. “And it couldn't have waited? You have to be running late by now, and that's probably not a good first impression to make.”

“I still have forty-five minutes,” Asami replied, with a simple shrug. Her expression remained completely calm, stolid. “And City Hall is only ten minutes from here. Plenty of time.”

“Okay, but _why_ are you here? I mean, you haven't visited me at all since I came back, and after what happened with Korra...” Kuvira stopped her words mid-sentence and bowed her head, eyes closed. This was the first time she had seen Asami since the relationship drama six and a half months ago. “I'm sorry, you know. I never meant to come between you two. I never meant to _hurt_ you, and now...”

“Kuvira, please... it's okay,” Asami said, with a deep, slow breath. “It's been six months. That means I've had six months to think—about you, about Korra, about everything. What happened between Korra and I was just that—between us. We've already talked about it, and worked through things... and I've come to terms with it. We're still friends.”

“Oh, well... I see. That's good, then.”

“I've also had time to see the effect you've had on her.” Asami glanced downward, her gaze becoming distant, and thoughtful. “She's so... happy, you know. She's always smiling, always laughing... and she always has something wonderful to say about you.” She stared down at the floor a moment longer and then closed her eyes. A line of wet tears began to trickle out from behind her eyelids. “What I'm trying to say is... you're good for her. You're good for each other. Seeing Korra that happy all the time...”

Kuvira leaned closer on the bed, giving the other woman a hesitant look. “Are you...alright?”

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Asami sucked in a deep breath and wiped her eyes dry. “I just want to say that I'm _glad_ you two are together. For what you mean to Korra, and what you've done for her... and even what she's done for you. It might hurt, for me to know you two are together, but I've seen the good in it, for both of you.”

“Asami...” Kuvira stared at her a long time, caught in a stunned silence. Her lips fumbled for words. “I... I don't even know what to say.”

“You don't have to say anything,” Asami said, with a shake of her head. “I still...have more that _I_ want to say. I haven't just been thinking about you and Korra together. I've been thinking about just _you_ , about how I feel about you, as a person. It used to be that whenever I saw you or thought about you, I'd see my dad dying again in front of my eyes. I never thought that would go away. But now...”

Asami bowed her head again, and closed her eyes. “Kuvira, I know how much you've changed. I've _seen_ it. You aren't the person who killed my father anymore. I've tried so hard during these past few months to keep hating you, to be angry at you for everything you did, to my father and to others... But I _can't_. It's just...exhausting.”

She looked up again, meeting Kuvira's gaze. Their eyes locked on to each other's, and for a brief moment a mutual understanding flickered between them. “Now, when I look at you, I don't see my father's death anymore. I don't feel angry anymore, or hatred. I just... I see a changed woman, a woman who was willing to risk her life not just to save the world and the people she cares about, but to redeem herself. I see a _good_ person. Kuvira, what I'm trying to say... what I _mean_ is...”

A gentle sigh eased past Asami's lips, as she stood from her seat. She took a few steps closer in front of the bed and then reached outward, taking one of Kuvira's hands in her own. The touch was... tender, comforting. When they looked at each other this time, there wasn't just an understanding there between them—there was peace. “I _forgive_ you.”

Again, Kuvira stared at the other woman in awe, mouth hanging open. Receiving forgiveness from someone like Asami, who she had hurt so much, and so deep... It almost didn't feel real, as though this were a dream she would awaken from at any moment. “Asami, I... Thank you. What that means to me to hear you say... I never imagined...”

“Don't get me wrong.” Asami pulled her hand back and sat down again on the chair. “I'm not saying we'll suddenly be best friends, or that I even particularly like you, but that doesn't mean we can't move on and put the past behind us. Whatever happens from here on... we'll just have to play it by ear.”

Kuvira offered a gentle smile, and nodded. “I can live with that. It's more than I ever could have hoped for.”

“There is one more thing, Kuvira. You might not be my favorite person or anything, but... I'm not going to let that get in the way of me making a good decision. This is something I've thought a lot about, and for the longest time I couldn't decide what to do. I wasn't even sure about it during my ride over here. Now, though... I know what to do.”

“Uh... what are you talking about now?”

“Here.” Asami reached down to pick up the bundle on the floor, then tossed it over onto the bed. “Get dressed.”

“Get...dressed?” Kuvira opened the bundle, and couldn't refrain from uttering a startled gasp at what she saw inside—her Zaofu robes, complete with metal jewelry and armguards. Right on the very top of the pile was her pendant, the one Korra had given her. She lifted it into her grasp slowly, tentatively, as if afraid it were just an illusion. Then, she looked back up at Asami, brow twisted in confusion. “What's going on?”

“You're coming with me,” Asami said. “We're going to make an announcement.”

* * *

Kuvira inhaled a deep breath and held it, trying to settle her nerves. She felt so strange to be standing there in her full Zaofu garb, hair tied back in her signature braid. Just twenty minutes ago she had been wearing a Republic City prison uniform. Now, she was standing just inside the front entrance to City Hall, looking out the window at the hundreds of people gathered in front of the steps.

Atop the steps, a podium had been set up next to a line of seats. Asami sat in the first seat, Eska and Desna sat in the next two, and Tonraq in the fourth. In the fifth seat was Lord Zuko, who had arrived to represent the Fire Nation—evidently, Azula had more important things to take care of. Although Zaofu had yet to appoint an official new leader, Toph had come to represent the city. The final two seats at the end of the line were empty.

“Are you ready for this?”

Kuvira jumped at the sound of Korra's voice. She calmed herself a second later and turned away from the window. “No. Not even a little bit. I mean, I know what I should say... what I _need_ to say, but this is the last thing I expected to be doing today. I'm sure this is the last thing the people out there expect, too. I'm... nervous. That's probably an understatement, but yeah. Nervous.”

“Hey, don't worry.” Korra smiled, and pressed her hand to Kuvira's shoulder. “You'll do great. You've _earned_ this... You're ready.”

Kuvira returned the smile, and gave a gentle nod. “Thanks, Korra.”

“Alright...” Korra glanced out the window to see Lin arriving behind the podium. “Let's get out there. Looks like things are about to start.”

They both exited City Hall, coming out atop the steps with the others. Korra led the way to the end of the row of seats, where she and Kuvira occupied the final two empty ones. At first, no one appeared to notice them. Within a few moments, however, the reporters at the front of the crowd began whispering to each other, and pointing. Soon, they all turned their cameras towards Kuvira and began taking pictures. Kuvira sat there stiff as a board, keeping her attention focused on the podium and doing everything she could to ignore the growing murmurs from the crowd. Fortunately, Lin silenced them when her voice boomed out over the loudspeakers.

“People of Republic City,” said the Chief of Police, leaning close to the microphone. “You've been through a lot this past year. I know I don't have to tell any of you that. The good news, though, is that through the combined efforts of the Police Force, and the United Forces, as well as Varrick Industries, Future Industries, the Avatar, and numerous volunteers, our city has been restored once again.”

A round of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd. When the noise died down, Lin continued, “The only thing left to do now is to inaugurate the new President of the United Republic of Nations, as elected by you, the people, during these past few months.” Everyone's attention shifted over to the row of seats. Lin, too, looked towards them, her attention falling on Asami. “Without further ado, Miss Sato, would you please come forward?”

Asami stood from her seat and approached, standing straight and calm. Lin turned to her, moving slightly to the side to give more room behind the podium.

“Asami Sato,” Lin said, “you have been elected by the people of Republic City to serve as president of the United Republic of Nations. Do you accept the responsibility this involves?"

With a firm nod, Asami leaned close to the microphone and replied, "I do."

"Do you vow to uphold our laws, to always put the interests of your people first, and to guide this nation to best of your ability?"

"I do."

"Then I present you with the presidential pin, in recognition of your position. May you wear it proudly.” Lin moved closer to Asami and lifted a gold pin from the podium. Her expression changed when she attached it to the front of Asami's blouse. Rather than her usual stoic, serious demeanor, she curled a congratulatory smile onto her face, as if a proud mother. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your new president, President Sato."

Again, the crowd burst into cheers. Asami stood there beaming for several moments, unable to hide her emotions any longer. She gave a wave to the crowd, soaking in the applause, and then finally moved behind the podium herself. When the crowd died down, she gazed out at them and spoke into the microphone.

"Thank you all,” she said. “It is an honor and a privilege to have been elected into office as your new president. I promise to all of you, I will do everything in my power to keep Republic City safe, and to continue advancing our society to be the best it can possibly be.” Another round of cheers. “Now, I'd just like to take a moment to recognize the brave men and women who helped restore order and peace to the nation.

“To our very own Police Force, led by Chief Beifong, to General Iroh and the United Forces, to all those working at Varrick and Future Industries, to all the volunteers who offered their help, and to Avatar Korra and her team especially, who worked tirelessly to take down the Red Lotus, we thank you. We thank _all_ of you.”

Korra gave a wave of her own to the crowd, as more cheering followed. When the noise again settled down, the crowd returned their attention to Asami. Now, though, the president's smile had disappeared. She had become stern, serious.

“There is one person in particular I would like to recognize right now.” That was when Asami glanced down the line of seats next to her, all the way to the end. “Kuvira Beifong.”

Silence.

Kuvira sat there, unable to bring herself to move a muscle. She couldn't even look out at the crowd. Instead, she just stared up at the podium, at Asami. All the while, her hurt thumped like mad in her chest.

“This woman gave everything she had to aid the Avatar in their efforts to stop Zaheer,” Asami explained. “She risked her life, and proved time and time again that she would do whatever it took to protect innocent people and bring peace back to the world. She did all this when she didn't have to, without being asked, and without expecting anything in return. She did this when she believed the whole world to be against her, and when she had every reason not to help.”

Asami finally removed her gaze from Kuvira, and brought it out again at the crowd. Some of them looked back at her, but most were still focused on the former Great Uniter. “But she _did_ help. In spite of the mistakes she made in the past, she chose to do what was right. Without her efforts, I might not be standing before you today. Avatar Korra might not be standing before you today. Republic City, Zaofu, Ba Sing Se, and all the other nations might still be in chaos. We owe a lot to her.

“That is why, in light of her service to the world and to the people, I'm giving her a full pardon for her past crimes. From this day forward, she will be a free woman—free to choose her own destiny, and free to help make this world a better place.”

The silence finally broke. A ripple of murmurs flooded through the crowd, soon picking up into a deafening cacophony. Reporters scrambled over each other to get a better angle on Kuvira for pictures, while some started shouting questions at her. She couldn't hear them. She still couldn't even bring herself to look at any of them.

A comforting hand found its way onto her thigh—Korra, she knew, even though her focus remained locked onto the podium.

It was time.

With a deep, heavy inhale, she stood from her seat and marched towards the podium. Asami moved off to the side, giving her space. When she finally turned to look out of the crowd, her heart almost leaped up through her throat and out her mouth. She saw such a mix of reactions and emotions amongst those people—confusion, caution, hesitation, anger, hate, fear... She was used to it all.

Soon, the crowd quieted. The stares, though... The stares remained—countless eyes burning a hole through her as they watched her, waiting, expecting her to say something. She breathed in deep again, but it did little to settle her nerves.

"Greetings, everyone. I, uh...”

Kuvira's mind blanked. She swallowed, huffed out another breath, and then turned a glanced back down the line of seats. Korra flashed her a smile, and an encouraging thumbs-up—it was then that her nerves finally began to calm. With another sigh, she again looked out over the crowd. This time, she knew what to say.

“I know what many of you think of me, and I know there is little I can do to change that,” she said. “I did many terrible things to many people, and no amount of apologies will ever make that better. But... I am going to try. I owe it to all of you, to the world, and to myself, to show you how I've changed, and to help the world however I can.”

The tone of the crowd shifted somewhat. Most remained cautious and on edge, but a few were looking at her now with intrigue, and speculation.

“I am humbled to stand before you today a free woman. It...feels like a dream. Honestly, I never expected this, to be given another chance at bettering myself and bettering the world.” Kuvira swallowed, and breathed in deep once more. The wolf bats in her stomach at last disappeared. “I may not be able to make anyone forgive me, but I promise to do my best to help those who need help, and to keep peace in the world. I'll be working closely with the Avatar to make this happen.” She flashed a subtle smile towards Korra. “If there's anyone who can keep me in line, it's definitely her.”

A few chuckles rippled through a crowd. It wasn't much, but to Kuvira, it was everything. “The Great Uniter is no more. That part of myself is in the past, buried with my sins, and my crimes. I stand before you now as Kuvira Beifong. You may still be angry at me. You may still hate me. You may never forgive me.

“That's okay. If you hate me, then hate me. If you're angry at me, then be angry. And of you think you can never forgive me, then don't. I'm not here to tell you how you should feel about me. I'm only here to tell you that I will do my best to right the things I've done wrong.”

Another smile drifted onto her face. This one was softer, distant... but it was also hopeful. “Someday, perhaps I'll even change a few of your minds."

* * *

Azula looked out the window of Ba Sing Se's state house—or rather, the royal palace, as it was once again called. The amount of people that had gathered outside seemed impossible. There were thousands, possibly even tens of thousands. Yet still, that was only a drop in the bucket compared to the entire population of the city. Millions more would be listening on their radios. This day had been planned for weeks now. The people were waiting for it, expecting it.

As well they should be.

"Fire Lord Azula, can I speak with you a moment?"

Azula uttered a quiet sigh and turned away from the window. She knew it was Anraq—everyone else was already outside waiting. As her personal bodyguard, though, he remained at her side at all times. "I suppose. Better make it quick, though. I go on in a few minutes."

"Right, of course,” he said, with a single nod. “It's just...I've been thinking, and I can't help but wonder... Is this the right thing to do?"

A smirk curled onto her face. She should have been expecting this. “Oh, Annie, not you too. First Zuzu, then 'Zumi... Honestly, the only one who hasn't tried to change my mind is Yula. At least I know I can count on her." Not that she blamed him, of course. If anything, she was surprised that he hadn't broached his concerns earlier. Ever the soft-hearted one, he was.

"I'm just worried, is all. I know the people have said they want this, but it could still be taken the wrong way.” Anraq then narrowed his eyes, darkening his expression. “ And you know the other world leaders won't be happy."

"You worry too much,” Azula said, giving him a gentle pat on the cheek. “I'll tell you exactly what I told the others. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks. What matters is what the Earth people think. This is what's best for them, and they know it. I haven't done anything wrong. The other world leaders can throw as big a fit as they want, but unless they want to start a war, then they can't do anything about it."

"I guess..."

"Annie, I appreciate your concern, really I do.” She brought her hands to his shoulders now, looking up at him with a softer smile than she normally showed. “And...I'm glad you're here with me to share this moment. But I need you to trust me. You _do_ trust, me, don't you?"

He stared back at her a moment longer, then bowed his head with a defeated sigh. "Yes, of course I do. Forgive me, Fire Lord."

"And what have I told you? You don't need to call me that."

"Right... Azula."

Her smile grew, and then she gave his cheek another pat. "Now, let's go make history, shall we?”

* * *

Standing behind the podium set up in front of the palace, Azula gazed out at the veritable sea of people before her. So many faces, all watching her, waiting for her to speak. Oh, how she enjoyed this. At the very front of the crowd, several mover companies had set up and were recording, at her request. Just because she wasn't in the Fire Nation didn't mean she couldn't have this moment recorded for future viewing.

On either side of her stood a line of soldiers—to her left, Fire Nation soldiers, and to her right, Earth soldiers. Three chairs had been placed next to the podium. In one sat Anraq, and next to him, Yula. In the third seat at the end was Izumi. The only one who couldn't make it was poor Zuzu; she had needed _someone_ to send in her place to that Sato woman's inauguration, after all.

Not that it mattered. The only thing she cared about right now was this moment, right here. This was where her goals finally began to take shape.

“People of Ba Sing Se.” Her voice echoed out from the speakers all around the palace square. Everyone would be able to hear her, even the millions listening at home on their radios. “It's been a long six months, hasn't it? Your city fell into chaos, as did much of the nation. You lost your government, your leadership, your homes, and some of you even lost your lives.

“But now, order has been restored. Thanks to the Fire Nation—thanks to _me_ , your Fire Lord—Ba Sing Se and all the Earth people can live in peace, knowing that they are once again safe.” A thunderous boom of applause followed, so loud that she was forced to wait before speaking again, lest her voice be drowned out. “It seems like you people go through this kind of turmoil quite often. You've had tyrannical rulers, disastrous leadership, citywide upheavals, destruction of your neighborhoods and your quality of life... You've suffered through invasions, and coups, and terrorists, and every other manner of catastrophe you can imagine.

“Well, no more. I'm here to tell you that I will continue to offer my protection and leadership to the Earth people.” They cheered for her now. The excitement, the admiration... They _loved_ her—exactly as she had intended. “The condition, of course, is that Ba Sing Se now becomes an official territory of the Fire Nation. Well, to be more precise, you'll be joining under a new, combined nation: the new Dragon Empire.”

The cheers here were no less enthusiastic. The people had already known this was coming; she had announced the plan weeks ago, and made certain they would accept the idea, that they would _want_ it. By now, they all believed this to be the best thing to do for their nation, and for their lives.

They were all so easy.

“This will include Ba Sing Se and any other Earth states that wish to join me,” Azula explained. “Keep in mind that the guidance I offer is available only to those who come together with the Fire Nation under my new empire. If you refuse, that's your choice. However, you'd better be prepared to put together your own governments, your own economies, your own armies... Anything you might expect for a full nation to have, really. I simply can't afford to protect other independent territories outside of my own.

“Those who _do_ join, you will remain under the banner of the new Earth Kingdom, and retain basic autonomy to do as you please. The only difference is that you'll be under my supervision. My Fire Nation troops will merge with the Earth Kingdom military to become the new Imperial Army, and will offer unparalleled protection and strength to keep you all safe. Under my empire, your lives will improve in ways you've never dreamed of. Together, we will become the mightiest nation in the world, and no one will ever be able to threaten you again.”

This time, she had to wait longer for the crowd to die down. The thousands of voices merged together into a booming cacophony so strong that the ground began to tremble. They screamed, and clapped, and whistled. She even heard her name being shouted above the noise. It all brought a wicked grin to her face.

When the crowd finally silenced again, she leaned into the microphone to offer her parting words. “Now, before I leave you, I'd like to introduce you to the new acting Earth Kingdom representative for the Dragon Empire: Earth Queen Izumi."

More cheers erupted as Izumi arose from her seat to approach the podium. She looked quite different in her regal green and yellow Earth Queen robes, instead of her traditional Fire Nation ensemble. Still, she wore the outfit well, even if her burn scars did almost ruin the entire look. Poor little 'Zumi.

"Thank you, Fire Lord Azula.” Izumi remained stern and rigid as she poke into the microphone. Her eyes were sharp behind her glasses, and her expression stoic. “People of Ba Sing Se, and all those across the new Earth Kingdom. I am honored to have been selected to lead you, under Fire Lord Azula's guidance. I vow to lead you all to the best of my ability, and work with you to maintain your peace and safety. I may be the Earth Queen, but I am also a servant of the people, and it will be my duty to ensure that you all enjoy a new age of prosperity. I hope to live up to your expectations. Thank you."

The speech was brief, but it brought another boom of cheers from the crowd. Azula could only watch with a growing smirk, and a gleam in her eyes.

_Perfect._

* * *

"Very nice speech, 'Zumi,” Azula said. With the announcements now concluded, she had returned into the royal palace along with Izumi, Anraq, and Yula. A line of Imperial soldiers followed them in formation. “Not as good as mine, of course, but passable. I think you'll make an excellent Earth Queen. Just be sure to keep the people in line. I'd like to have to intervene as little as possible."

Izumi gave a simple nod, without altering the calmness on her face. "Of course, Fire Lord."

Azula hummed out a thoughtful breath, bringing a finger to her lips. "Hmm, you know, if I'm going to be leading an empire now, the title of Fire Lord just doesn't seem quite fitting anymore. I need something...grander."

"Well, it's an empire...” Anraq said. “So, Empress would be a proper title, right?"

"Master,” Yula stated, “might I suggest 'Dragon Empress', for the Dragon Empire?"

"Hmm... 'Dragon Empress Azula'...” A satisfied grin slashed its way across Azula's face. “Oh yes, I think that will work quite well."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo much happening here!
> 
> Welcome to six months in the future. And you all thought it was going to be bad. Well, I guess some of it is bad, depending on how you look at it. Things are going well for Kuvira and Korra, though, so no worries on that end.
> 
> But man, where do we start?
> 
> We have:
> 
> Asami forgiving Kuvira  
> Asami being elected President of the United Republic  
> Kuvira receiving a full pardon  
> Azula annexing the Earth Kingdom and declaring herself Empress  
> Izumi acting as Azula's Earth Queen
> 
> That's a lot to take in, in just a single chapter, and there are still some more changes to cover later. For now, though, try to digest all that.
> 
> Oh, and no, I couldn't decide on a chapter title, so this one gets two titles.


	64. Where Do We Go From Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now free from prison, Kuvira finds a temporary home with Korra on Air Temple Island and makes some new friends. Toph arrives with a stunning offer, while Zuko meets with the new President of the United Republic, President Sato. Meanwhile, Azula meets a group of protesters calling themselves the Sun Warriors, and Yula's life is changed forever.

Kuvira squinted her eyes a bit, as she gazed up at the temple atop the hill. She had only ever been to Air Temple Island once before, and she hadn't even been able to leave the ferry then. Now that she made her way along the dock, however, it was even more impressive than she remembered it.

"Welcome to your new home." Korra moved in beside her, and reached down to hold her hand. "Well, at least until we figure out something else. The whole pardon thing was kind of last minute."

Kuvira smiled. "It's lovely, thank you."

As they neared the main path that led up to the temple, they were greeted by a group of individuals all dressed in traditional Air Nation orange and yellow—Tenzin and his family. Kuvira stiffened at the sight of them. Korra had assured her that Tenzin agreed to this arrangement, and yet Kuvira still couldn't help but think she was unwelcome. The last time she had interacted with Tenzin and his family had been during her invasion of Republic City nearly six years ago. The comforting squeeze that Korra gave her hand did little to quell her nerves; they only grew stronger, churning her gut.

Tenzin greeted her with a low bow. "Kuvira, welcome to Air Temple Island.”

Kuvira swallowed the knot in her throat, then returned a bow of her own. "Thank you for having me, Master Tenzin."

“Just Tenzin is fine,” he said. He stared at her a moment, face stern and contemplative. “I have to say, I never imagined I'd be inviting you into my home and around my family, but after everything you've done to help the world, and with how Korra speaks about you... Well, I see now you've really changed. You've finally found peace within yourself, and have started down a new path in your life, a good path." Then, he hummed out a thoughtful breath, and added, “Of course, having the Avatar and both my siblings vouching for you doesn't hurt, either.”

“I promise I'll live up to your expectations,” she said, with a nod. “I won't cause any trouble.”

The woman at Tenzin's side stepped forward next, giving a big smile and a friendly wave. "Hello there. I'm Pema, Tenzin's wife. I suppose we should get introductions out of the way first.” She moved behind her children, stopping first to introduce her eldest. “This is Jinora."

"We've met.” Jinora offered a small smile, and then bowed. “It's a pleasure to see you again, Kuvira."

"And you, as well, Jinora."

Tenzin pushed his eyebrows together, and glanced back and forth between them. "Wait, when was this?"

He never got an answer, as Pema held a hand to her next child's shoulder. "Ikki."

"Hey, so you used to be really bad, but you're like good now, right?” Ikki leaned close and squinted at Kuvira, lips pursed. “Why'd you change your hair, I thought it looked better in the bun, Korra said you could bend platinum, is that true, and are you two really dating now, because that's like really weird. Korra and Asami were dating for like ever, but I guess they broke up now, which is really sad because they were really cute together, are you just as cute?"

"Uh...” Kuvira blinked at the girl, trying to wrap her head around the rapid string of questions. “How about we have a question and answer session later?"

Ikki sighed. "Sure, fine, whatever you want."

Pema then gestured to her next child. "Meelo."

"Just so you know, I'll have my eye on you,” Meelo said, glaring intently at Kuvira. He crossed his arms tight across his chest and broadened his shoulders, as if in some attempt to make himself look more intimidating. It didn't really work, considering that he was still a baby-faced, fourteen-year-old boy. “Any funny business, and you'll face the wrath of Meelo! Got it?"

Kuvira held an equally serious expression and gave a simple nod. "I'll try to stay in line, then."

"And finally,” Pema said, as she arrived next to her youngest kid, “Rohan."

The eight-year-old boy with wild brown hair gazed up at Kuvira and flashed a big grin. "Heya. Like your outfit."

"Oh, uh, thank you,” Kuvira replied, as she glanced down at herself. She supposed this kid probably hadn't seen too many traditional Zaofu robes. When she returned her focus back up to the Air family, she bowed again and said, “It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Thank you for inviting me into your home.”

As she bent low into her bow, however, a sudden thudding bounded across the ground towards her. She blinked, then glanced upward to find the source. All she saw was a massive white blur before being shoved to her backside and pinned to the ground. When she finally regained her sense of awareness, she found herself blinking up at the face of a some kind of animal. It glared at her, unblinking. Kuvira had no idea if the animal was friendly or if it was about to attack her, but she didn't make any sudden movements, just in case.

"Naga!” Korra rushed forward and started pulling at the polar bear dog's neck to get her off of Kuvira. “Naga, _down._ Kuvira is a friend. _Friend."_

Naga didn't budge, no matter how hard Korra pulled at her. Instead, the polar bear dog continued glaring.

“Uh... nice Naga... good Naga,” Kuvira said, giving the animal a gentle pat on the snout.

The polar bear dog looked at her just a moment longer before finally leaning closer an giving Kuvira two firm licks across the face. Then, she moved back and sat next to Korra, tail wagging.

Korra held out a hand to help Kuvira back to her feet. “Sorry about that. Naga gets a little excited around new people sometimes. She's just excited to meet you.”

“....Nice to meet you, too,” Kuvira muttered, as she wiped the dog drool from her face, and fixed her hair.

"Ha, looks like you got a real way with animals, there." The voice belonged to a new arrival, strolling down the path towards them with a dragonfly bunny spirit flying around his shoulders.

Kuvira smiled. "Bumi, Bum-Ju, good to see you both again."

"You too,” Bumi said, with with a wave. Bum-Ju responded with a delighted chirp. “And might I say, welcome to Air Temple Island."

"Thank you.” She returned the wave, and then gave one more bow to the entire family. “All of you, for your hospitality."

Before she could even straighten herself, Ikki ran forward and grabbed Kuvira's hand, then started dragging her up the path towards the temple. "Come on, I'll show you to your room! It's really cool, you'll love it!"

"Hey!” Korra called, running after them. “Wait for the girlfriend!"

* * *

Kuvira huffed as she fell flat against the bed. It hadn't just been her new room that Ikki and the other airbender kids had shown her. No, what had followed was a tour of the entire island, a tour that lasted _two_ hours. During that entire time, Ikki and Meelo never stopped asking her questions. She had done her best to keep up with her answers, but they didn't even give her a chance to get to half of them. How those two could have so much energy, she had no idea. Jinora, at least, had done her part in calming her siblings, which worked for a while... until Rohan showed up to add even more energy to the mix. From that point on, it had been a free for all.

Now, though, she could finally relax.

“Well, they all seem... nice,” she uttered.

Korra chuckled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Believe me I know how much of a handful those kids can be, but you get used to them.”

Kuvira gave a little smirk. “I am happy to be here, you know. With you. Thanks for inviting me.”

“Well I couldn't just leave my girlfriend out in the cold with nowhere to stay.”

“I mean, I probably could have earthbended myself a hut or something.”

Korra laughed again, then fell back on the mattress next to Kuvira. “So, what do you want to do on your first night free from prison?”

“What do I want to do?” Kuvira breathed in deep, and really thought about the question. For so long, she had assumed she would be in prison for the next decade and a half. She hadn't stopped to think yet what she would do if she got out early. Soon, though, she knew, and with a smile she glanced to Korra. “I want to go out. On a real date, out in the city, with my girlfriend.”

“Now that sounds like an idea I can get behind.” Korra leaned in to give a gentle peck on Kuvira's cheek. Then, an idea came to her. “Oh! We could invite Bolin and Opal along. I know they'd love to see you, and double-dates are always fun.”

Kuvira hummed softly, lips pursed together. “Hmm, I suppose that's not a bad idea. I haven't actually been out with any of my friends since before I came to prison. It would be nice.”

“Great, I'll give them a call and set it up.”

“But as for what I want to do right now...” Without warning, Kuvira rolled atop Korra and pinned her arms to the mattress. She leaned in close, kissing along the other woman's neck. Then, she brought her lips next to Korra's ear and said, “It's been a couple of weeks since we've had some proper alone time. And now we don't have a guard on the other side of the door.”

Korra squirmed beneath her. “Mmm, no, but we do still have everyone else in the temple.”

“Then I guess we'll just have to be quiet.” Kuvira traveled a hand along the other woman's abdomen, gently, teasingly. Then, when she reached the waistband of Korra's pants, she slipped her fingers beneath the fabric and continued south. “Think you can do that?”

A soft gasp burst from Korra's lips. Her back arched, toes curled. “I suppose we can... _mmph_...try.”

* * *

Several hours later, Korra and Kuvira arrived in the heart of the Little Water Tribe neighborhood of Republic City. They had received quite a few stares on the way here from passing citizens and even still now. Seeing Kuvira traveling freely around the city would have been shocking and concerning enough for most people, but to see her walking arm-in-arm with the Avatar was cause for several passersby to walk straight into a light pole, or a newspaper stand, or some other obstruction while distracted.

Kuvira didn't care, though. They could stare all they wanted. Right now, she was solely focused on her date, the first that hadn't been inside a prison cell or in the Spirit World since the one at the North Pole. She enjoyed the sights, the sounds, the smells of the city, and the feel of Korra's arm wrapped around her own.

She had missed this, walking around a city after dark without a care in the world. It reminded her of the times she had gone with the other Zaofu guards to Shu's Bar after her shift, so many years ago. The laughter, the drinking, the conversation... Those had been good times. _Great_ times. So much had changed since then... It seemed like a whole different lifetime.

To be free again... It was a wonderful thing.

By the time they arrived outside of Narook's Seaweed Noodlery, Opal and Bolin were already waiting outside for them. Opal spotted them first, and pulled Bolin by the hand to greet them.

“Hey guys!” Opal pulled them both in for a hug, squeezing tight. “It's so good to see you. Thanks for inviting us.”

Kuvira smiled. “It's great to see you too, Opal.

“And thanks for coming,” Korra said. “This is nice, getting together like this.”

"Yeah, look at this!” Bolin exclaimed, throwing his arms around his girlfriend. “Us, out for a nice evening together, with Korra and Kuvira. Almost unbelievable, right?” He paused a second, then shifted a glance over to Kuvira. “I mean, not because I can't believe you're out of prison, because I can, but... Okay wait, I know I was going somewhere with this."

"It's alright, Bolin. I know what you meant."

"Oh, okay good, because I don't even think I know what I meant."

Kuvira held her smile, then glanced up at the noodle shop. "So, this is Narook's?"

"Yeah, best noodles in all of Republic City for the past twenty years!” Bolin said. “Mako and I used to come here all the time, whenever we could afford it."

"Should we find a seat?" Opal asked.

Korra chuckled. "Probably a good idea, huh?"

It didn't take long to get seated. Within five minutes, they had found a quiet booth near the back corner that offered a little more privacy than the usual table. Kuvira and Korra sat together on one side, and Bolin and Opal on the other. A waiter found them shortly after to take their drink orders, then left them alone to look at the menus.

"So, Kuvira,” Opal said, as she flipped open her menu. “What's it feel like? I mean, being free again after so long?"

"Honestly, I'm still having trouble believing it's real,” she said. “I was fully expecting to serve out the rest of my sentence. I never imagined I'd have a second chance like this."

"Have you thought about what you're going to do now?” Bolin asked. “I mean, I know you said you want to help the world, but there are a lot of ways to do that."

Opal nodded. "Yeah, are you going to be sticking around in Republic City, or do you plan on returning to Zaofu sometime?"

"I... I'm not sure.” Kuvira paused a moment, staring down at her menu. She suddenly realized that she didn't have a proper answer to those questions. “I hadn't actually thought that far ahead. I mean, I grew up in Zaofu, but... I do want to stay with Korra.” She lowered her menu, then looked to Korra. “Since you're the Avatar, I thought I could just help you however you need me to."

Kora offered a soft smile, and reached out to take Kuvira's hand in her own. "We'll figure something out together. I promise."

"Well, you are going to be visiting Zaofu next week at least, right?" Opal said.

Kuvira blinked, eyebrows scrunching together. "What's next week?"

"Oh!” Opal's eyes widened at the realization. “That's right, you don't know yet. I only found out this morning from Grandma Toph. It's Mom's funeral. They're finally able to have it, now that Zaofu is back in order."

 _"Oh.”_ Kuvira felt her heart jolt at the news. It had been so long... Finally, Suyin would get the goodbye she deserved. “Yes, of course I'll be going."

"A _lot_ of people are going,” Bolin said. “There's Lin, and Tenzin, and Kya, myself, Mako, Asami, Bumi, Lord Zuko, Katara, Toph, and a bunch more I can't really remember right now. Su really touched a lot of lives."

"Yeah...” Kuvira uttered, with a distant smile. “She did."

"Excuse me.” The voice came from behind the booth. A moment later, a short old woman stepped out from behind the partition and approached the table, hands held behind her back. “Hope you don't mind my interrupting."

"Grandma Toph!” Opal exclaimed, with a smile. “I thought you already returned to Zaofu."

"Oh, I will soon enough,” Toph replied. “Just a little business I need to take care of first. You mind if I borrow Kuvira for a minute? We won't be long, I promise."

"Oh, me?” Kuvira glanced around at the others, then shifted out of her seat to follow the old earthbender. “Uh...sure, of course. I guess I'll be right back."

* * *

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" Kuvira asked. Toph had led her outside the noodle shop, back to the street. The cool breeze rippled a chill down her spine.

"Well, first of all, I just want to congratulate you on your pardon,” Toph said. “After everything I've seen from you, I can say without a doubt that you deserve this second chance."

"Thank you. That means a lot to hear from you."

Toph turned a blank glare at her. "Just don't go screwing it up, you hear?"

"Uh, right...” Kuvira cleared her throat. “Of course not."

"Now, I couldn't help but overhear you earlier about how you weren't sure where to go from here."

Kuvira glared back at the old woman, raising a single eyebrow. "You...were eavesdropping?"

"Hardly,” Toph huffed. “I was just on my way over to you, and nothing escapes these ears. In any case, I might have something that could help you."

"What's that?"

"Well, things are still a bit confusing in Zaofu right now, as far as leadership goes. I'm currently the acting matriarch over there, but that was only ever meant to be temporary. They want to me stay full time, but I don't really have any desire to lead a nation, even a small one like Zaofu.” Toph turned her head and spit onto the sidewalk, much to the displeasure of a passing couple. “Besides, let's be honest, I probably only have a few more years left in me, anyway. They'd just have to replace me again when I croak."

"Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that,” Kuvira said. “ But... what does that have to do with me?"

"I'm _getting_ to that.” Toph spit again, then folded her arms across her chest. “As the interim matriarch, I'm technically allowed to choose a permanent successor anytime I want. Now, I think that such a successor should still be a Beifong, someone Su raised and imparted her ideals upon, someone who could keep her dreams and her memory alive. Problem is, most of Su's family is either busy doing other things, doesn't want the role, or are just plain unfit to be a leader. You see the dilemma?"

"I...suppose.” Kuvira deepened her confusion, eyebrows pushing together. “Toph, I'm still not quite sure where you're going with this."

"My point is that there's really only one logical choice I can come to here, now that you're a free woman.” Toph cleared her throat, then brought a hand up to set on the taller woman's shoulder. “Kuvira, how'd you like lead Zaofu?"

 _"What?”_ Kuvira's heart jolted up into her chest. “Toph, are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. Do I _look_ like I'm joking?"

"But... I just got out of prison,” she insisted. “And I took over Zaofu before... The people would never accept me."

Toph coughed out a laugh. "They will if I tell them to."

"Well that's a little optimistic, don't you think?"

"Please, they practically worship me over there. I'm the great Toph Beifong! They even have a statue of me for crying out loud. If I wanted, I could probably get the entire city to perform the dance of the badger moles.” Toph snickered at the thought. “Trust me, if you have me vouching for you, they'll accept you. Besides, regardless of what you might think, you still have a lot of supporters across the nation, even in Zaofu. I think you'd be surprised at how willing they'd be to give you a chance."

"Toph, I don't know...” Kuvira shook her head, staring down at the sidewalk. Her mind was swimming, in a haze. “This is a huge offer, and it's so sudden..."

"Well at least say you'll think about it,” Toph muttered. “I really don't want to be a world leader much longer. The politics are a total drag! I really just want to head back to my swamp where I can get some peace and quiet."

"Alright...I'll think about it for now."

"Well, good.” Toph gave Kuvira a firm punch on the shoulder, then turned to leave, with a parting wave. “Now I should probably get going. Enjoy your date."

* * *

Asami flipped through the stack of papers on her desk—not her desk at Future Industries, but her new desk at City Hall. With her new position came a new office, and new responsibilities. It would be difficult running both the United Republic and one of the most successful companies in the world, but fortunately she had a great team at Future Industries to help run things over there. She had known this wouldn't be easy when she first started running for president, and it wouldn't stop her now. Sure, she'd likely be busier than ever, but in the end it would be worth it.

When a knock sounded at her door, she set the papers down and looked up. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing an old man in Fire Nation garb, and a distinct burn mark over his left eye. "President Sato, I hope you don't mind the intrusion. I didn't have time to schedule an appointment."

"Oh, Lord Zuko.” Asami sat straighter, and gestured towards the chair in front of her desk. “Not at all. Please, have a seat."

Zuko nodded, and promptly lowered himself into the chair. "Thank you."

"So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, first I'd just like to congratulate you on your election,” he said. “I can't think of a more deserving person to run the United Republic."

"Thank you,” she replied. “That's an honor, coming from you."

"Now down to business.” Zuko leaned closer to the desk, eyes narrowing. “I'm afraid I come bearing some dire news. It's about the Earth Kingdom."

Asami's eyebrows lifted. “Oh, I hadn't heard anything from over there. How are things going in Ba Sing Se? Have Fire Lord Azula's forces managed to restore peace?"

"Well, yes..."

"Wait a minute...” Asami paused, narrowing her own eyes. “You said Earth _Kingdom._ Don't you mean Earth _Republic?"_

"That's the thing...” Zuko huffed out a sigh. “They've reverted to a kingdom, now led by a new Earth Queen."

 _"What?_ But why?"

"Because they were led to believe it was in their best interests,” he said. “It's worse than that, though. The new Earth Kingdom is under Azula's control, as an extension of the Fire Nation. Or rather...her new empire."

Asami blinked at him, trying to absorb the information. As if things weren't bad enough with Azula in charge of just the Fire Nation, now she had taken over the Earth Kingdom and started an empire? "I don't believe this... Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

Zuko bowed his head and sighed. "I would have, but I only just learned about it before leaving for your inauguration. I thought it more appropriate to wait until after you had been sworn in to bother you with it."

"This isn't good...” Asami said, stroking her fingers back through her hair. “So I'm assuming that the new Earth Queen answers to Azula. Do we know who she is?"

"Well, actually, the Earth Queen...is my daughter."

 _"What?”_ Asami pressed her hands to her face and uttered a deep groan of confusion. Everything new she learned about this situation just made her head hurt even more. “So Izumi is in league with Azula? After what Azula _did_ to her?"

"Only on the surface,” he explained. “The only reason Izumi accepted the offer was so Azula didn't appoint anyone who we couldn't control. We're still trying to figure out a proper way to oppose her, and in the meantime we thought it best to have someone ruling the Earth Kingdom who we know won't abuse her power."

Asami hummed out a quiet breath. "I suppose that makes sense... Have you been able to learn any new information about Azula? Anything that might help us stop her?"

Zuko shook his head. "I've tried getting close to her, but she's done a fine job of shutting me out thus far. She doesn't trust me."

"I see...” The gears in her head began to turn. Now that she was past the initial shock of the situation, she could try to work towards a solution. “Do you think there's a chance she could be reasoned with?"

"If I'm being honest, no, I would doubt it,” he said. “But still, we shouldn't exclude it as a possibility."

She nodded. "We should invite her to a meeting with the other world leaders. We have to talk her down, let her know that she can't do this."

Zuko stroked his beard, humming out a thoughtful breath. "Well, it's probably a waste of time... But I'll deliver the message to her myself when I return to the Fire Nation. You'd better let everyone else know what's going on."

"I will,” she said, already reaching for the phone on her desk. “I'll organize the meeting right away. Thank you for your time, Lord Zuko."

Zuko stood from his seat and gave a bow. "Madame President."

* * *

The trip from Ba Sing Se back to the Fire Nation capital took only a couple days, aboard the newly repaired Dragon's Wing airship. The vessel wasn't just an astounding feat of engineering, it was a testament of the Fire Nation's superiority. Anything the rest of the world could do, they could do better. Azula knew that through experience. Other nations paled in comparison to the Fire Nation—or rather now, the Dragon Empire.

"Overall, I'd say our efforts in Ba Sing Se were a resounding success,” Azula stated, as she lounged back atop her seat in the palanquin. The curtains on either side were drawn back, so she could see Anraq on her left, and Yula on her right. They had only just landed, and were now on their way back to the palace. “We've reinstated the Earth Kingdom, created a new empire, and now I have a new title. _Dragon Empress_. Hmm, reminds me of a play that Zuzu and I used to reenact when we were kids. Oh that was so long ago."

"Things _seem_ to be going well, anyway,” Anraq said. “It's only a matter of time before the rest of the world starts creating problems for you."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Again with the worrying. Just relax, Annie. We're back in the Fire Nation now, you don't need to be so stressed. You know what you need? Another trip to the Royal Spa.” She turned her gaze over to her right side. “Yula, you can join us too, if you like. We really should do something about those glasses of yours."

"Of course, Master.” Yula gave her teacher a nod, then looked ahead down the street. “Um... Master, what's that?"

"It looks like a crowd...” Anraq muttered. “An angry crowd."

Azula pulled open the curtain in front of herself and peered outside. Past her line of guards, she could a group of twenty or so people standing in the way. They shouted, and booed, and held signs. Some even firebended their own hands into torches. Filthy commoners. Did they have any idea what they were doing?

"They're blocking the street,” she said. “Get them out of the way at once."

Anraq moved ahead of their guards and approached the crowd, waving his arms. "Everyone, you need to disperse immediately. Please, get out of the street and—"

A series of angry shouts drowned out his voice.

"You can't do this, Fire Lord!"

"You can't turn us into an empire!"

"You'll turn the whole world against us!"

One of the guards near the palanquin turned a worried glance towards Azula. "Should we use force, Empress?"

"No, set me down,” she said. “I want to speak with them.” When her servants set the palanquin down on the ground, Azula stepped out into the open and approached the crowd. “So, you peasants have a problem, do you?"

One of the protesters at the front of the line came forward, holding up a burning flame above his fist. "You're out your mind if you think you can just turn us into an empire and take over other nations! You say you're trying to keep us safe, but then you pull this? It'll be just like the Hundred Year War all over again, when the entire world hated us! We don't want war!"

"No more war!” his followers chanted. “No more war!"

"You may have the rest of the nation fooled,” he said, “but the Sun Warriors know better!"

Azula scoffed. "So, that's what this merry band of idiots is called. You think naming yourselves after a dead civilization somehow gives you credibility?"

"The Sun Warriors were a noble, righteous people,” the man stated. “We follow in their footsteps, and in their name!"

"And what is _your_ name?"

"I am called Katsu."

"Well, Katsu, I'll tell you what. You want to stop me so bad, here's your chance.” Azula took a step back, then pointed at him. A challenging smirk crossed her lips. “I challenge you to an Agni Kai. If you win, I'll dissolve my empire and step down as ruler."

Katsu lifted his eyebrows, blinking. "What?"

"Don't do it,” said one of his followers. “She's just trying to bait you. She's too strong."

A moment past, and then Katsu finally shook himself out of his shock. "You must think I'm a real fool. I may be confident in my abilities, but even I know I can't beat you like that."

"Oh, you won't be facing me.” Azula returned to the palanquin and moved around to the right side of it. She held a hand out, gesturing to Yula. “You'll be facing my student: Yula. The conditions remain, though. If you win, I step down. Furthermore, regardless of who wins, the victor will be declared the new Fire Lord."

Yula widened her eyes, and turned a look of astonishment to her teacher. "M-Master, are you certain?"

"I'm Dragon Empress now,” she said, with a simple shrug. “I don't need to be Fire Lord."

Katsu lowered his gaze, eyes shifting back and forth in thought. Azula could see on his face already what his response would be. It was in his body language—he was practically jumping for the chance. When he looked back up at her, his brow lowered into a glare. "I accept!"

Azula's grin widened, cutting across her face like a knife. "Excellent."

* * *

The Royal Palace's Agni Kai chamber hadn't been used in decades. Now, though, it had been reopened and packed full with a crowd eager to watch the impending match between Azula's apprentice, and Katsu, the man who proclaimed himself the leader of the Sun Warriors. It wasn't that people were particularly looking forward to the violence, but rather that curiosity had overtaken them. After all, who in their right mind would try to defy their Fire Lord—Dragon Empress, rather—in that way?

Azula stood at one end of the chamber, next to her student. "Are you ready, Yula?"

"Yes, Master.” Yula knelt on one knee, back turned, and one fist pressed against the floor. “This is exactly the kind of thing you've been training me for. I'm ready."

"Good. Make it quick, though. I don't want to drag this out. Let these Sun Warriors know exactly what they're up against."

"I understand. This will be brief."

As the crowd began to grow restless in anticipation, the Head Fire Sage, Shao, made his way to the center of the chamber. He raised his arms, and the crowd silenced. "People of the Fire Nation, and of the Dragon Empire, we are gathered here to bear witness to the time honored tradition of Agni Kai. Today's contest is between Yula, student of Dragon Empress Azula, and Katsu, of the self proclaimed Sun Warriors. The conditions state that the victor shall be named Fire Lord. Furthermore, should Katsu win, Dragon Empress Azula has agreed to dissolve her newly established empire. Are both combatants ready?"

Yula stood, and turned to face her opponent. “I am.”

Katsu did the same. "Let's do this."

"Then begin!"

Katsu ran in quick, leading with a pair of fire blasts from his fists. Yula simply leaned out of the way, dodging with little effort. When Katsu closed the distance between them, he began a rapid assault. Each of his strikes unleashed a powerful burst of flames, and he was relentless, never letting up. The precision and crispness of his form indicated clearly that he had been well trained, certainly far above the average firebender.

And yet, he never landed a strike. Yula dodged and blocked his strikes with simple movements, as if swatting away a fly. His flames scorched the air beside her, but never touched her, never burned her. He began to grow frustrated, putting more effort into his attacks. Yula continued her flawless defense, until finally he drew too close. With a firm push of both her hands, she shoved him backwards to create distance between them. Katsu stumbled a moment, losing his balance.

Yula didn't waste the opportunity. She shifted her stance, extending the first two fingers of both her hands. One hand, she pointed forward at her opponent, and the other she held backwards. In an instant, a spark of blue electricity crackled at her fingertips. Katsu realized what this meant, but he never had a chance to defend himself against it. He could only watch as a bolt of lightning leaped from Yula's fingers and exploded against his chest. His screams split the air, as electricity coursed through his body, and then soon he became silent. When the lightning died away, Katsu fell flat against his back with a smoking hole in the front of his chest. He didn't move.

The crowd erupted with frantic chatter. Some of the onlookers were astonished, others were impressed, others horrified. Whatever their reactions, one thing remained true for all of them—Yula had just seized their attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen,” Azula announced, as she made her way towards Yula at the center of the Agni Kai chamber. Immediately, the crowd died down and became silent. “We have our winner. As your empress, I give to you your new Fire Lord: Fire Lord Yula."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have even more changes and surprises in this chapter! I told you there was more to come. So, we have Kuvira making friends with the Air Babies (though they aren't really babies anymore!), and even Naga. We also have Toph offering the position of Zaofu matriarch to her... But the question is, will she accept the offer? It's quite a big decision to make, especially considering she only just got out of prison. Becoming a world leader so soon after that could be an awkward and concerning move for a lot of people.
> 
> In other news, we can see how much Yula has changed in these past six months. Not only is she much more skilled (she can even generate lightning now, instead of just redirecting it), but she's also quite a bit colder (she had absolutely not qualms about killing her opponent in the Agni Kai). Looks like quite a bit of Azula has rubbed off on her... Oh, and she's the new Fire Lord.
> 
> Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, it ended up going quite a bit longer than I meant it to. But I still managed to get it out today!
> 
> On a side note, I have a question to ask any of my readers who would like to answer. What's your favorite moment and/or fight scene in the fic so far? Just a curiosity question, and nobody has to answer it if you don't want to. I'd just find it interesting to hear anyone's thoughts about it.


	65. Fond Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, after so long, Suyin's funeral is here, with thousands in attendance. Also, Kuvira makes a life changing decision.

A gentle chill tingled up along Kuvira's backside, as she leaned against the balcony railing overlooking the city below. Zaofu... It was so familiar to her, and yet at the same time felt somehow foreign. It had been eight years since she had actually lived here, without being a prisoner. Eight years since she set out on her campaign to reunite the Earth Kingdom. Eight years since she had made the biggest mistake of her life by leaving. Now, here she was—returned, and as a free woman, absolved of her crimes. Six months ago, she would have thought it impossible.

The return was bittersweet, however, considering the reason for it. Suyin's funeral was just a day away now, something she had both been looking forward to and dreading for some time. On the one hand, she would finally be able to properly say goodbye. On the other hand... she would finally be saying goodbye. Her insides had already begun twisting around at the thought of it, and the thought of saying something at the ceremony. _Should_ she say something? Would people want to hear what she had to say?

Her thoughts drifted as another chill traveled along her spine. The night was cool, and yet still she remained on the balcony. Since arriving in Zaofu, she and Korra had set themselves up in one of the smaller hotels in the residential district—she didn't want to make too big a deal of her return by being escorted to the Beifong estate, or strolling into one of the more expensive, high profile hotels. For the most part, they had succeeded in laying low.

Still, they hadn't gone completely unnoticed. Several people had already pointed them out today, but at least they had been able to get away before any commotion erupted. That wasn't something she wanted to deal with right now.

As she stood there, watching the city life below, Korra stepped out onto the balcony next to her. “So, how's it feel to be back in Zaofu?”

"You keep asking me similar questions, and you'll keep getting similar answers,” she replied, with a gentle smirk. It seemed like the only kind of question that people had asked her over the past week had been different variations of 'so how does it feel to....now that you're out of prison?' “It's like a dream. The last time I was here was as a prisoner. Before that, a conqueror. It's been so long since I've been here as a normal citizen."

"And maybe next time...as a leader?"

Kuvira bowed her head, and huffed out a deep sigh. "I don't know... I've thought about Toph's offer a lot over the past week, but I still have no idea if I should accept. I've wronged so many people here. Should I really be put in charge now? Would that really be fair? And what would the rest of the world think of me becoming a world leader so soon after I got out of prison?"

"Well, I don't know that it matters too much what the rest of the world thinks about it,” Korra said. “You were pardoned. Any mistakes you made and crimes you committed are in the past. They shouldn't dictate what you're able to do in the future.” A smile came to her face, and she raised a comforting hand to Kuvira's shoulder. “You're still a smart woman who cares a lot about her people, and who has plenty of leadership experience. What wouldn't be fair is putting someone unqualified in charge. But you're more than qualified."

"I suppose..."

"Besides,” Korra added, “if Azula can become a world leader and declare herself Dragon Empress, then I'm pretty sure no one would bat an eye if you stepped up to lead your home city, especially when you were _asked_ to do it."

Kuvira offered a soft laugh. “That's true.” Then, she frowned, leaning lower over the railing. “And spirits know the world is going to need people familiar with Azula when it comes time to oppose her."

"Exactly. You said you wanted to help the world, right? This could be your way of doing it."

"Maybe...” Kuvira stared down at the streets a moment longer, then drew her gaze up to her girlfriend. “But, what would that mean for us? I'd have to move here to Zaofu. You're in Republic City... That's a long way away."

"Kuvira, there's no rule that says I _have_ to live in Republic City,” Korra said, with a raised eyebrow. “That's just where it's always been most convenient."

"Wait, are you saying you'd move to Zaofu?” she asked. “With me?"

"I can't think of a reason why not to, can you?"

Kuvira blinked. "Well... I... I mean..."

Korra took Kuvira's hand in her own and gave it a firm squeeze. "I love you, Kuvira. _So_ much... And I want to do whatever it takes to make this work between us. If that means moving to Zaofu, then I'll move to Zaofu."

"Korra... Thank you.” She returned the squeeze, then leaned herself closer against Korra, shoulder to shoulder. “Still... I'm not sure about it."

"Well, you keep thinking, then. In the meantime, how about you show me around?” Korra glanced down at the city. “I want to see what Zaofu's nightlife is like. You must know some good date spots, right?"

Kuvira grinned. "Yeah, I can think of a few."

* * *

An hour later, Kuvira and Korra found themselves standing outside of Shu's Bar, otherwise known as the Dancing Emerald. There wasn't a single person in Zaofu who didn't know about it. Not only was it the most high profile bar in the entire city, but it was also something else a little more...alternative—a dance club. Not the kind of dancing that Zaofu was far more famous for, though. One wouldn't find any exotic and choreographed dance recitals within these walls. Rather, this was where people came when they wanted to let everything out and forget their troubles.

Korra, however, didn't seem to understand the pulsing, electronic music coming from within the building, or the colors flashing from the windows. She stared up at it with a quizzical gaze, head tilting to the side. “What... is this place exactly?”

"The Dancing Emerald,” Kuvira said, with a growing smirk. Korra's bewilderment was amusing. “I used to come here all the time when I was younger. Best drinks in all of Zaofu."

"You know I'm not much of a drinker, right?"

"What's the matter, Avatar? Afraid of a little fun? Or maybe you just can't dance."

"Oh you did _not_ just insult my dancing ability,” Korra shot back, with a playful frown. “You know I can dance!"

"Not this kind of dancing."

"Is that a challenge?"

Kuvira's smirk widened. "Maybe it is."

Korra glared a moment longer, then grabbed Kuvira's hand and yanked her towards the entrance. "Let's _do_ this."

The interior of the club consisted of two separate main areas. On one side, there was the bar, complete with a wrap-around counter and a lounge area with tables and chairs. Several bartenders worked in hurried fashion to serve the crowd of people at the counter, while dozens more customers sat around laughing and drinking in the lounge.

On the other side of the club, there was the dance floor, an open square packed full of people twisting and gyrating in ways that most the rest of the world probably hadn't even imagined before. Hanging from the ceiling above the floor was a mass of various colored crystals that had been earthbended into a hollow sphere. Within the sphere, a bright light pulsed at a rapid pace, and every so often the crystals would shift their position to release a different pattern of flashing colors. The crystals themselves were being controlled by a pair of earthbenders up atop a catwalk near the ceiling.

The music came from a live band on stage next to the dance floor. They utilized strange metal instruments with tubes and strings to create a rapid pulsing beat. Several of the instruments were even plugged into large speakers on either side of the stage, the volume of which practically shook the entire building. The dancers out on the floor were lost to the rhythm, smiling and shouting as they moved in pace with the music.

Korra stared wide-eyed in awe. "I've never seen anything like this before!” She had to shout to be heard over the music. “There are so many colors! And the music is so loud! And intense!"

"I know! It's great, isn't it!" Kuvira grinned as she looked around the club. It had been so long since she had last been here and been able to let loose. As the Great Uniter, she wouldn't have let herself be caught dead in a place like this. But now... Now, she could actually enjoy herself again. "Come on, follow me!"

Kuvira pulled her girlfriend out onto the dance floor. No one noticed them, not in a place like this. Not with the music and the dancing and shouting and the laughing. Here, they could be like everyone else. Kuvira waited a moment until she felt herself fall in rhythm with the beat, and then raised her arms up into the air. She twisted her body back and forth, legs moving and arms waving. Her eyes closed, mind wandered, and then she, too, was lost to it all.

Korra did her best to mimic everyone else, but remained stiff and rigid in her attempt. "What kind of dancing is this!"

"The kind that doesn't require you to memorize a routine!” she replied, with a wide grin. “Just loosen yourself up, and let yourself go!"

It was such a different kind of dancing than Kuvira usually practiced. Su used to call in mindless, and every time Kuvira returned from one of her outings, Su had always been sure to scold her. It had always been worth the lectures, though. After long, hard days of rigorous practice in Suyin's dance troupe, going through routine after routine, memorizing every last motion down to the letter, she could come here to the Dancing Emerald and just be free—free from worry, free from rules, and free from life.

She had been a much younger woman then.

Korra finally began to get the hang of things after a while. Her body loosened and gyrated in tandem with Kuvira's own. They moved together, close to each other, body pressed against body. In those moments, they lost themselves. There was only the music, only each other. It was exhilarating.

When the music finally ended in preparation for a new song, they were finally able to stop and catch their breath. Korra huffed and leaned forward, sweat beading across her brow. "Wow, okay, that really is intense. And hot."

Kuvira smirked at her. "You really are."

Korra returned her own smile, and lifted an eyebrow. "I meant it's warm because there's so many people in here."

"Well, also true. Now come on, let's get a drink.” Grabbing Korra's hand, Kuvira led her from the dance floor over towards the bar. When they arrived at the counter, she waved down one of the bartenders and said, “Two sapphire ice picks."

"What is a sapphire ice pick?" Korra asked.

"The most amazing thing you'll ever drink."

"Oh really? Well, I'll be the judge of that."

As they waited for their drinks, a shrill voice called out from across the bar. _"Hey!_ Spirits, is that— It _is!_ Kuvira!"

"What...?” Kuvira turned to the call, noticing a thin young woman with a neat bobcut running towards her. “Sin?"

"Oh man, I can't believe it!” The woman called Sin lunged forward and pulled Kuvira into a hug. “What on earth are you doing here? I mean, I heard about your pardon and everything, but I didn't think I'd see you again so soon."

"I... I'm here for Su's funeral,” she replied, still caught in her surprise. She hadn't actually expected to meet anyone here she knew.

"Oh, that's right...” Sin eased out a quiet sigh, head bowing. “That's tomorrow, isn't it? It's been so long..."

"Yeah...” Kuvira uttered. “We'll all finally be able to say a proper goodbye."

Korra looked back and forth between the two women a moment. Then, she cleared her throat and said, "Sooo, Kuvira, who's your friend?"

"Oh, Korra, this is Sin,” Kuvira said. Sin gave an energetic wave in greeting. “We used to be in Su's dance troupe together. Sin, this is—"

"Avatar Korra!” Sin exclaimed, with a grin. “As if I didn't know. But what are you two doing here...together...? Wait a minute!” She stared suspiciously at the two of them for a moment, then lifted her eyebrows high. “Are you...?"

"Well...” Kuvira cleared her throat, shifting awkwardly on her feet. “Yeah, pretty much."

"No way! _Seriously?_ You're dating the _Avatar?"_

Korra gave a simple nod of confirmation. "That's about the gist of it, yeah."

"That is amazing! Wow...” Sin stared at them, then turned a smirk towards Kuvira. “I mean, congratulations, Kuvy. And you too, Avatar. Watch out for this one, she's a handful."

A snicker found its way out of Korra's throat, as she turned a curious glance towards Kuvira. _"Kuvy?"_

"Uh, yeah, just a... Just a nickname," Kuvira muttered.

"I see...” Korra stifled another laugh. “Kuvy. I like it."

Kuvira grumbled to herself, then turned back to her old friend with an immediate desire to change the subject. "So, uh, Sin... Are you here by yourself, or...?"

"Oh, no I'm here with the old gang! They're right over there.” Sin glanced back over her shoulder and pointed out a table near the far corner of the lounge area. A large group of individuals sat around the table chatting with each other and drinking. “There's a few new additions, too. You should come over and say hi!"

"Oh, no, not right now,” Kuvira said, with a quick shake of her head. The last thing she wanted to do right now was get involved in an awkward conversation with a large group of people. “I... I still need some time to, you know... settle."

Sin frowned, but didn't push the subject. "Alright, fine, but I'm telling you, they'd all love to see you."

"I'll remember that, thanks."

"Oh, one more thing!” Sin pulled back the outer layer of her robe and dove one of her hands inside. When her hand returned into the open, she was clutching a newspaper. “Here, look at this."

Kuvira stared down at the paper. "Do you always carry around a newspaper with you?"

"Oh shush, just read the headline."

Kuvira uttered a quiet sigh and followed Sin's finger down to the appropriate headline. "Interim Matriarch Toph Beifong Considering Kuvira Beifong As Her Successor... _What?”_ Her eyes flew open. “Who...how did...?"

"Someone must have leaked the story..." Korra muttered.

"Toph...” Kuvira grumbled, lowering her face into her palm. “I guess she really doesn't want to keep the position."

"Well, is it true?” Sin asked. “Are you going to lead Zaofu?"

Kuvira sighed again. "I don't know, Sin. I was just asked, and I'm thinking about it. Nothing's decided."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think it would be a great idea."

"You...do?"

"Well yeah, of course,” Sin insisted. “You've always been a great leader, and this is your home. You grew up here. Plus, you were _raised_ by Suyin. If there's anyone who can keep the spirit of Zaofu alive, it's you."

"But after everything I did..."

"Look, Kuvira...” Sin's expression sank a little, shifting from her usual carefree tone to a more serious one. “You did some bad things, we all know that. But we also know that wasn't the real you, not the one we grew up with. You took charge of a tough situation and had to make some hard choices. Things just...got out of hand. We didn't know if we'd ever see the real you again, but... Hey, here you are. That's pretty amazing, right?"

Kuvira paused a moment, giving her friend a curious stare. "And when you say 'we'...?"

"Oh, lots of people. You grew up here, Kuvira, and Zaofu isn't that big. You were raised by the Beifongs, you were guard captain, you were the star of our dance recitals, and you were always in the paper... Everyone remembers you, how you used to be. How you really are. _That's_ the kind of person we want leading us. Doesn't matter what mistakes you made in the past. This is the present.” Sin offered a smile, then reached out a hand to Kuvira's shoulder. “And you could be our future."

A soft, almost unnoticeable chuckle brushed past Kuvira's lips. She nodded, breaking out with a smile of her own. "Thank you, Sin. I...needed to hear that."

"It's just the truth,” Sin said, with a simple shrug. “Anyway, I'll let you two get back to your date. Have fun."

Once Sin was gone, Korra turned to her girlfriend with a smile. "Do you really need anymore convincing?"

"It sounds...unbelievable.” Kuvira gazed around at the club, at all the people within, all the Zaofu citizens. “To think that these people would actually want me here to lead them. I just don't know if it's right."

"In the end, it has to come down to what you want,” Korra said. “Is this something you could see yourself doing? Is this something you'd _want_ to do?"

Kuvira watched the people a moment longer, then lowered her gaze towards the floor, eyes closing. Her smile grew. "More than anything..."

"Then don't you think you already have your answer?"

* * *

Thousands of people attended Su's funeral, so many that not everyone could actually fit into the ceremony, even with the chosen location. Before the actual burial, the people had gathered together in the main city square, where a newly erected statue of Suyin loomed above them. Hundreds of chairs spread out in front of the statue, with a small podium and microphone at its base. Next to the podium, a large photograph of Su had been blown up in size and set on an easel, surrounded with a huge memorial of flowers. Every seat was filled, and beyond them even more citizens stood shoulder to shoulder, packing the square tight.

While most of the attendees consisted of much of Zaofu's citizens, the front few rows had been reserved for Su's family and closest friends. At the very front and center were the Beifongs—Baatar, Sr., Huan, Wing, Wei, Opal, Toph, Lin, Kuvira... and even Baatar, Jr., who hadn't even looked in Kuvira's direction since arriving. On one side of the Beifongs sat nearly the entire new Air Nation. Tenzin and his family—which included Pema, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Rohan, Bumi, and Kya—had been seated in the front row, while the other airbenders, which included the likes of Kai and even Daw, sat in the row behind them. Beyond them were Mako, Bolin, Varrick, and Zhu Li.

On the other side of the Beifongs sat most of the world leaders and their associates—Korra, Tonraq, Senna, Eska, Desna, Asami, Zuko, Izumi, Iroh, and Katara. To no one's surprise, the new Dragon Empress Azula had failed to show up. Not even the new Fire Lord Yula had made an appearance. Granted, neither of them had known Su, but it still would have been a courtesy as fellow world leaders.

Many took their time to say a few words about Suyin, and what she meant to them. Others couldn't bring themselves to take the podium, too drowned in grief and tears to say anything. Opal, in particular, had made an attempt. She had made it as far as uttering a quiet sob into the microphone before breaking down. Bolin had helped her, though, and together she was able to get through her thoughts. Baatar, Sr. had been a similar mess when he tried to speak about his wife. He did get through his words, but not without interruptions by his own choked sobbing.

One by one, those closest to Su took the microphone and said their part—those that could manage, anyway. During the entire ordeal, Kuvira sat in somber silence, staring down at the ground with her stomach fluttering. It would be her turn, eventually. She had debated with herself all morning whether or not to get up and say anything, but in the end she knew she had to. That didn't make it any easier to face, though. By the time it was her turn, her gut had twisted into so tight a knot that she felt ready to throw up.

The next few moments passed in a haze, and before she even realized what had happened, she was standing in front of the podium, thousands of eyes upon her. Some looked confused, others curious, but most were still too caught in their grief to make any kind of fuss about seeing her there. It felt like ages before Kuvira mustered the nerves to actually speak into the microphone, and when she did, her voice was hoarse, quiet.

"I know many of you are probably surprised to see me here, but... I wanted to say a few words.” Kuvira cleared her throat, trying to settle her voice. “Su meant many things to many people. She touched a lot of lives, mine especially.”

Kuvira breathed in deep to calm her nerves; it had little effect. Still her stomach churned. “After my parents abandoned me, I had nowhere to go, no one to help me. I was lost. Then, I met Su. I'd only heard about her in passing, listening to other people talk about her. I was a young kid. I didn't know what any of it meant, only that she was supposed to be an important and amazing woman. Well, she was. I never imagined she'd take me in, give me a home, and a family, raise me... I wasn't lost anymore.”

A quivering breath surged past her lips. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. “She did make mistakes. _I_ made mistakes. Everyone does... But she was never less of a person because of them. She had a loving heart. She loved her family, her people, her city...and although I realized it too late, she loved me, too.”

The wetness in her eyes grew stronger, and this time she couldn't be rid of them with a few simple blinks. They started to roll down her cheeks, and she wiped them away. “She always did her best to do what she believed was right, to help those who needed to be helped. She believed in second chances. I know many of you who are here today _because_ of those second chances. That's who she was. She was forgiving...even when she didn't have to be...and maybe sometimes towards people who didn't deserve it.”

Kuvira's voice drifted off quietly, as she found herself caught with a sudden twinge of guilt. She would never forget how Su had forgiven her, long before anyone else, when she didn't have to, and when she probably shouldn't have. In spite of all their past mistakes with each other, and in spite of how screwed up everything had become between them, Su had still loved her. That very thought now twisted Kuvira's heart.

“Suyin Beifong was a remarkable woman, and she will be missed by all of us. But she won't be forgotten.” Kuvira swallowed, and wiped another line of tears from her face. “The ideals, and the values that she believed in, they _will_ live on. _We_ will keep them alive. We owe her that much.”

Another pause followed. All those eyes continued staring at her, expecting her to say something else. Everything in her gut told her to leave the podium and sit back down in her seat, and yet she knew there was still something else she had to do.

“Now, there's just one more thing I'd like to say before I finish. This might not be the most appropriate moment for it, but... I need to get it out before I change my mind. You've all probably heard the rumors and read the papers, about how your interim matriarch, Toph Beifong, has asked me to be her successor. To lead Zaofu. To lead you.” She let the statement hang on the air a moment. Those in attendance shifted in their seats, and stared harder at her. Confusion and intrigue had taken over the grief, if only for a moment. “When she asked me, I wasn't sure that I should. I'm still not sure. I know I certainly haven't been the best example of a leader in the past. But in thinking about it, and in thinking about Su, and what she means... I realized that Zaofu does need a leader who will keep her memory alive, and fulfill her legacy.”

Kuvira turned a glance down at the seats in front of her, down at the old earthbender sitting in the front row. “Toph believes that someone is me. From what I've heard, so do many of you. But beyond that, more than anything, I want to live up to Su's ideals, and finally embrace everything she taught me. I want to help the world, and I want to help my city. That's why...”

Her voice caught in her throat before she could finish her sentence. She quietly scolded herself, and then sucked in a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to slip up. When her nerves finally settled, she looked back out at all the Zaofu citizens and continued, “That is why I've decided to accept the offer, and become the head of the Metal Clan.”

A quiet murmur rippled throughout the crowd. It wasn't at all like the outburst she expected. Rather, the reaction seemed much more reserved, much more... accepting.

“I know I've made mistakes in the past as a leader,,” she said, “but I don't intend to repeat them. Instead, I will learn from them, and do everything I can to faithfully serve Zaofu and its people. I vow to uphold everything that Su taught me, everything she believed in. I promise to be the best leader I can possibly be. For Zaofu, for you...”

A shuddering sob burst suddenly from her throat. Another line of tears rolled down her face as she choked the sob down, but this time she didn't bother wiping them away. Instead, she stood straight and let her tears flow, gazing out at the crowd. “For Su."

* * *

Hours later, Kuvira stood in front of the platinum white monument that marked Suyin's grave. By now, everyone who had attended the burial had long since left; she and Korra were the only ones left. Her throat knotted as she read the inscription on the front of the monument, and her stomach twisted. It seemed so... final, now. So concrete. This was it, Su's final resting place. It was over.

“Well... That's it, I guess,” she uttered. “Su's really gone... and I'll be leading Zaofu in her place."

"I think you made a smart decision,” Korra said. “I know you'll do a great job."

Kuvira stared at the grave a moment longer, then turned her focus to her girlfriend. "Were you serious before? When you said you'd move here with me?"

"Of course I was.” Korra smiled, reaching out to hold her arm around Kuvira's. “As long as you have room for Naga, anyway."

Kuvira smiled. “I'm sure we can figure something out.”

 _"Ahem.”_ The voice brought their attention around behind them. Toph stood there, hunched forward with her hands held behind her back. “So, how's it feel to be the new matriarch of Zaofu?"

"Doesn't really feel like anything yet,” Kuvira said, with a shrug. “I'm guessing that'll change when it actually starts."

"Please, it's already started. I'm heading back to my swamp first chance I get. You have any idea how impossible it is to get a decent nap around here?"

"Oh...” Kuvira blinked. “Well, then I guess it'll hit me soon enough."

"Oh, I'm sure it will.” Toph moved past them and stood in front of the grave. She stared at it a moment, then reached out to press her palm against the monument. A tired, heavy sigh eased past her lips. "You're doing a good thing here, you know. Zaofu will be lucky to have you."

Kuvira moved next to her, and gave a sigh of her own. "Well, I certainly hope so. I'm going to do my best to make you and everyone proud. To make Su proud."

Toph smiled. "Kid, take it from me... You already have."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, Su has finally been put to rest... *heavy sigh* It still saddens me that I actually killed her off and yet it was so important to the story... ugh I am a terrible person.
> 
> But in any case, Kuvira is now the head of the Metal Clan. Talk about your life doing a 180. From prisoner to leader, Kuvira's life has really changed. Plus, Korra is moving to Zaofu with her, because love :)


	66. Knife In The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula treats Anraq to a surprising night out, Yula reveals just how much she's changed over the past six months, and the Sun Warriors prove to be more than just a bunch of rowdy protesters.

Azula held herself with poise, as she strolled along the streets of Harbor City. The night was cool, and offered a soft breeze that billowed the cloak of her new Dragon Empress robes. They were similar to her old Fire Lord robes, but with sleeker shoulders and tighter sleeves. The crimson fabric, too,, was embroidered with far more gold trimmings, including a dragon pattern along the cloak. She looked every bit as regal as she was.

"It is a nice night, isn't it?" she said, with a brief glance to her left. Anraq was there beside her, just as always. Over the past six months, he had proven himself to be an excellent bodyguard, never leaving her side or failing to come to her aid. "I mean, _you_ think so, right?"

"Uh, well yeah, it is." Anraq glanced up at the moon, and crossed his arms. "A little chilly, but nothing I can't handle." No sooner than he said that, Azula raised a hand and ignited a bright blue flame into her palm. Anraq looked at her quizzically, an eyebrow lifted. "Uh...what are you doing?"

"You said you were chilly, so I made a fire to keep you warm," she said, in a simple, matter-of-fact tone.

"I also said it was nothing I couldn't handle. Water Tribe native, remember?"

Azula grumbled quietly, hiding a subtle hint of annoyance just begging to burst out. She kept it in, though, and instead let her hand drop and the flame extinguish. It seemed like every time she made an attempt to accommodate him, he found a way to point out why her efforts were wasted. Had he been anyone else, she probably would have done away with him ages ago, or at least stopped trying. But Anraq was a different sort, and Azula wanted to do things differently with him. She just never imagined it would be so frustrating.

"So, what exactly are we doing out here, anyway?" Anraq asked. "Is there something special happening?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you didn't take the palanquin," he said, as he turned a look towards several passing citizens. They had stopped to stare and point, captivated by the Dragon Empress wandering freely out in the open. "Or any of the Imperial Guards. You're just...walking. With me."

"What, I can't enjoy a nice walk to stretch my legs?" she countered. "And _you're_ here because you're my personal bodyguard. I can't roam about the city _completely_ alone."

"Well... I mean, I suppose so,” he said. "I guess I'm just surprised, is all. Usually, you take a whole procession with you wherever you go."

Azula breathed a quiet sigh, shoulders shrugging. "True, but that gets old after a while. It's nice to have some privacy sometimes."

"Dragon Empress! Over here!" A young woman holding a large camera ran up to them. She beamed an excited smile and pointed the camera at Azula. "For the paper?"

"Well, what little as is possible, anyway," Azula added, with a smirk. She then stepped forward and struck a rigid pose, hands planted firm against her hips. "Yes, yes, take your picture. Be sure to get my good side."

"Oh, but all your sides are perfect, Empress!" The woman squealed out a laugh as she lined up the shot. A second later, a bright flash of light erupted from the bulb.

Azula's grin widened. "Why yes, you're right. Whoever your boss is, tell him to give you a raise, on the Dragon Empress' orders."

"Yes, thank you!” The woman bowed, then hurried off down the street. “Have a wonderful evening, Empress!”

"Well, she was nice,” Azula said. “Now, come. We're almost there."

Anraq lifted an eyebrow. “Uh...almost where?”

She didn't answer him. Instead, she continued farther down the street, leading him along towards a large building on the corner. A pair of dragon statues stared at each other from either side of the entrance. The sign out front read: The Dragon's Maw.

"What is this place?" Anraq asked.

"The finest restaurant in all the Fire Nation,” she replied. “You _are_ hungry, I hope?"

He paused a moment, then lowered his hand down to his stomach. "Come to think of it, I haven't eaten since lunch..."

"Good, then you'll enjoy this."

Azula grabbed his wrist, then promptly pulled him inside the restaurant. An elaborate and expensive décor greeted them within. Tables and chairs were made from rich, dark ebony, set with red silk tablecloths and silver dinnerware. Paper lanterns hung down from the ceiling above each table, offering a soft, flickering glow to light the restaurant, and the walls were lined with all manner of jade-carved statues—everything from dragons and other exotic animals to armored warriors performing battle poses. A gentle, steady tune of tsungi horn music hummed softly in the background to complete the atmosphere.

An astounded breath hissed from Anraq's throat. He looked around the restaurant with wide eyes, mouth falling open. “Whoa...”

Azula smirked. “Yes, it _is_ something, isn't it?”

"Ah, Dragon Empress Azula, welcome.” A man in a red and white uniform met them at the entrance and gave a low bow. “Right this way, please. Your table is waiting."

As the host led them to their table, Anraq's brow pushed together in confusion. There wasn't another person within the restaurant, he realized—every table, every chair, all empty. “There's...no one else here?”

"Of course not,” Azula insisted. “I rented it out for the evening. You couldn't expect me to be seen dining amongst normal folk, could you? It's beneath me."

"Well...fair enough, I suppose."

"Now, you sit there, and I sit here.” Azula pointed at the two chairs across from each other at their table, in the very center of the restaurant. The host, meanwhile, returned to the kitchen. “That way we're facing each other, and can converse without restriction."

"Okay..." Anraq said, with a raised an eyebrow. “Not really sure how else we would have sat.”

Azula blinked at him, then quietly sat down in her own seat. She folded her hands together and raised them up to her lips; they hid her frown. _Stupid, stupid_. Why did she keep _doing_ that?

The host returned a short minute later, carrying with him a large tray with domed cover. "As requested, Empress, your dinner has already been prepared. I present to you the first course." He set the tray down at the center of the table and lifted the dome to reveal a large pot of steaming soup. Then, he gave another bow and left them alone.

"Wait a minute...” Anraq stared at the pot and took a deep breath through his nose. “That smells like... sea prune stew?”

"Yes, it is. Or it should be.” Azula lowered her brow, glaring at the stew. “Did they get it right? I swear, if they screwed it up, they'll suffer the consequences."

Anraq scooped himself a bowl, then popped a spoonful into his mouth. The moment that the stew hit his taste buds, he sank back into his set with a groan. "Oh man... no, it's perfect.” He wasted no time taking a second bite, and then a third. “It's been ages since I've had sea prunes this good."

A wave of relief flooded through Azula. She didn't let it show, though. She remained straight in her seat, expression calm, but pleased. "Excellent. I had the entire meal composed of traditional Water Tribe dishes. Do you like it?"

"Are you kidding?” Anraq gulped another spoonful of stew. “This is _fantastic._ But... I mean, why, exactly?"

"Well, it is your birthday, isn't it?” she said. “I wanted to do something special for you. You seem like the nauseatingly sentimental type to get homesick, so I figured this would please you."

"My...birthday?” He paused, scrunching his eyebrows together. “I only mentioned that once, like four months ago. You remembered?"

Azula folded her arms and scoffed. "Please, of course I remembered. I have an excellent memory."

"So this entire night was about taking me out for my birthday? Why didn't you just tell me?"

"And ruin the surprise? What kind of hostess would that make me? No, when I plan something, I do it to _perfection.”_ Azula sat back and folded one of her legs over the other, chin raised, smirking. She remained like this for only a moment, though, before a concerned jolt shocked through her. It prompted her to shoot a careful, curious look towards him. “...people _do_ like surprises on their birthdays, don't they? Yula _assured_ me..."

"Yes, yes they do,” Anraq said, with a chuckle. “Thank you, Azula. Really... This means a lot."

"Hmph.” Her expression became haughty again, arms tightened across her chest. “Good."

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"Oh, absolutely _not,”_ she said, contorting a look of disgust onto her face. “I already ate before we left. Personally, I find your native food to be _revolting._ But don't let me keep you from enjoying yourself."

Anraq grinned, as he helped himself to a second bowl. "Please, that just means there's more for me."

* * *

Shayu stretched her arms out and breathed a deep sigh of contentment. "Man, I will never get tired of that spa. I feel sooo relaxed right now."

Yula turned a smile to her sister, as they wandered down the darkened palace halls. They had spent the whole day at the spa, relaxing and catching up with each other. It had been so long since they had been able to spend time together and just be sisters. Over the past six months, most of her time had been spent with Azula in the Earth Kingdom, either hunting down Red Lotus bases or working to restore Ba Sing Se. Now that she was Fire Lord, though, she would be spending much more time in the Fire Nation.

"Well, it's a good thing you live at the palace then, isn't it?” she said. “You can spend as much time as you want there."

"I know!” Shayu exclaimed. “I've been there like three times a week since we came here. I still can't believe we're even here at all... And I can't believe my big sis is the _Fire Lord!"_

Yula's smile widened. "I still can't believe it, either. I never imagined Master Azula would actually place that much trust in me. I just hope I live up to her expectations."

"Are you kidding? You'll do great!” Shayu gave her sister a friendly pat on the shoulder, beaming up at her. “You're already an incredible firebender. I mean, you blew that guy away in your Agni Kai! Totally fried him!"

"Well, it was his own fault for being so poorly skilled and thinking he could actually challenge me,” Yula said, with a simple shrug. Her voice took on a sterner, darker tone. “He was pathetic, really."

"Ha, I'll say.” Shayu tilted her head back, sighing. “Man, I wish _I_ could firebend. That would be so awesome."

As they rounded the corner into the next corridor, their mother appeared from a nearby doorway. When Jaya noticed them, she hurried to catch up. "Yula. Can we talk?"

"Oh, Mom.” Yula turned around and straightened out the front of her Fire Lord robes. “Sure, just make it quick. I have to prepare for an important meeting in the United Republic in a few days."

Jaya nodded, then glanced at her younger daughter. "Alone, Shayu."

The younger girl lowered her head and groaned. "Ugh, _fine."_ She then wandered down the hall, disappearing around another corner.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Yula asked.

"I...wanted to talk about what happened,” Jaya said. “When you became Fire Lord."

Yula broke into a grin. "Oh, it's amazing, isn't it? I mean, can you believe I went from some nobody street urchin in Ba Sing Se to being leader of the Fire Nation? Becoming Azula's student is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

"Yes, that's...wonderful, dear.” Jaya's brow twisted with concern. She shrank back a little, lifting her hands up close to her chest. “I just...wanted to talk about _how_ you became Fire Lord. What you did..."

"What?” Yula raised a brow at her mother, uncertain of what she was getting at. “I won an Agni Kai. What about it?"

"Yula, you _killed_ that man!” Jaya shot out. Her concern deepened, but now it mixed with a small, yet noticeable layer of fear. “Without hesitating... Without even _thinking_ about it."

"Oh, is that all you're worried about?” Yula curled her lips into a reassuring smile, and offered a gentle laugh. “It was an Agni Kai. They're dangerous, and sometimes these things happen. He knew the risks when he accepted the duel."

"But honey, I saw you fight him,” she insisted. “You were so much more skilled than him... You could have beaten him without killing him, I _know_ you could have."

Yula shrugged. "Well, yeah, but I didn't want to."

Jaya took a step back, shaken with a jolt of horror. Her mouth fell open. "W-what?"

"That man was a _traitor_ who threatened Empress Azula,” Yula stated plainly. “He _deserved_ what he got."

"Yula, how can you say that?"

"How can I _say_ that? How can you _question_ it?” Yula's voice bit sharply like a knife, in a way that she had never spoken before to her mother. It didn't even give her pause. “We have a good life here, Mom. Master Azula has been nothing but kind to you, and her people. She's going to change the world for the better. We can't just allow people like those Sun Warriors to ruin it for everyone. Anyone who stands against us will meet the same fate, if I have to shoot them all with lightning myself!"

"Yula...” Jaya swallowed, throat quivering. Tears glistened in her eyes, but didn't yet fall; they didn't need to. The horrified look on her face spoke loudly enough. “You've...changed."

"You're right, I _have_ changed.” Yula narrowed a fierce glare at her mother, eyes darkened and stern. They weren't the eyes of a timid, useless woman from Ba Sing Se. They were the eyes of the Fire Lord. “I'm not weak anymore, Mom. I'm not a pushover. I'm the _Fire Lord_ , and from here on, no one will ever question my strength again. Not even you.” Without another look, Yula pushed past her mother and marched down the hall. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to prepare for. Good _night."_

* * *

Azula held her hands tightly behind her back, as she and Anraq made their way through the palace halls. Since leaving the restaurant, they hadn't said anything to each other. Not because they were angry at each other or because the night had gone poorly—just the opposite, in fact. Things had gone well so far, from what she had gathered. Rather, they had elected to simply enjoy the quiet of the night, and each other's company. Of course, neither of them had actually admitted that that's what they were doing...but still, they both knew.

They couldn't remain silent forever, though. As they neared the royal bedchambers, Azula cleared her throat and turned a glance towards her bodyguard. "So, did you enjoy dinner?"

"Do you even have to ask?” Anraq chuckled, and patted his stomach. “I don't think I've ever eaten that much in one sitting."

"Yes, you certainly did _attack_ that arctic hen...” Azula muttered. “It was actually quite disturbing to watch."

"Heh, sorry about that... I guess I did get a little carried away. It's just been years since I've actually had a traditional Water Tribe feast like that."

A single, brief laugh—hardly even a laugh, more of a choked chortle—hissed out of Azula's lips. Her smile, though, was more noticeable. "So... you would say it was a successful birthday, then?"

Anraq flashed a smile of his own, deep and genuine. It was the kind of smile that six months ago he couldn't have imagined giving to Azula. "Best I've had in a long time, actually. I know it was just dinner, but... It meant more than that to me."

“Good.” Azula straightened herself more, with a deep breath of satisfaction. Still, she didn't let it show. _Calm_ , she told herself. She had to remain calm. "In that case you should enjoy your gift, as well."

Anraq blinked. "Wait, what now?"

"Your gift,” she said. “It is customary to give someone a gift on their birthday, isn't it? At least, it was in my day."

"Well, yeah, I mean of course it is... I just never expected anything."

"Didn't I already tell you?” Azula flashed a smug grin and gestured at herself. “When I do something, I do it to perfection, or I don't do it at all. A birthday wouldn't be complete without the gift."

"Well... I certainly argue with that,” he said. “So, where is it?"

Azula glanced towards the large doors at the end of the hallway. "In my bedchambers. I left it there for safe keeping. Follow me.”

When they entered the bedroom, Azula shut the doors behind them and then led the way to a large wooden chest at the foot of her bed. She knelt in front of it and pushed the lid open, then reached inside, rummaging through a collection of blankets, books, combs, jewelry, robes, and other trinkets. She didn't bother trying to be neat about it—most of the things in this chest were old junk that she didn't care about anymore. Anything that got in her way on her journey to the bottom of the chest, she threw over her shoulder onto the floor.

“Ah, here it is.” When she finally found what she was looking for, she grabbed it and returned to her feet. “I wrapped it myself.”

"I...can tell." Anraq stared down at the gift in her hands. He wasn't sure what was inside, but the wrapping job was a mess of crinkled paper and tape. He had once seen Kanna try to wrap a gift for him once that turned out better than this.

Azula frowned. So her gift wrapping skills weren't up to par; he didn't need to point it out. "Just _open_ it."

He did as he was told, taking the gift from her and ripping the paper away. He wasn't sure what he had expected to find once the wrapping paper was gone, but it definitely wasn't the carved polar bear femur, fitted with a heavy ball at the end of it, that he now held. To anyone else, it would have looked strange and foreign, but he recognized it instantly.

"This is...a Southern Water Tribe warrior's club?” He further inspected the club. The blue paint along the side had nearly faded away completely, and the leather wrapping on the grip was torn and weathered. Countless dings and scratches marred the edges, indicating extensive use. “It looks old."

"It's not just any club,” Azula insisted. “Look at the engraving."

Anraq flipped the club over and stared at the rough, worn etching near the base of the handle. "Property of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe... _What?”_ His eyes flew open. “This is... _Chief Sokka's_ club?"

"Yes, the very same one he used during the Hundred Year War, I believe."

"Where on earth did you _get_ this?"

Azula shifted her weight and gave a shrug, arms folded. "Oh, I asked around if anyone had any special Water Tribe artifacts. Some old museum curator got back to me, said he recovered this from a sandbender commune years ago. He wouldn't give it up, though, claimed it was a priceless piece of history. I made him reconsider."

"This is...incredible.” Anraq laughed as he gripped the handle and swung the club. The weight and balance of it felt perfect in his hand. “I knew Chief Sokka. I was still just a kid when he passed away, but... He was a great man."

"I don't see what was so great about him,” Azula muttered, with a roll of her eyes. “Personally, I always found him to be an annoying buffoon. Still, I figured you'd enjoy it."

Anraq gave the club a few more swings and then brought it close to his face again, so he could further examine it. "This...is the most incredible gift anyone has ever given me. I don't even know what to say."

"A 'thank you' would suffice."

Anraq curled his lips into a delighted smile. "Thank you, Azula. Really."

With Anraq's attention distracted by the club, Azula finally allowed a slip of emotion to show. A deep breath eased out of her throat, and her expression sank into a relieved smile. She hadn't screwed up this time.

As Anraq studied the club, a sudden shift flickered through the bedroom. It was subtle, just a slight change in the air, but it was enough to send a jolt of alarm surging through his body. His gaze lifted, focus turning past Azula—she wasn't paying attention, lost in a distant smile. She didn't see the shadow moving behind her. "Look out!"

Anraq lunged forward and dragged her to the floor, seconds before a pair of daggers whistled through the air where she had been standing. As soon as he hit the floor, he jumped back to his feet and bended the water out of his hip flask. The water froze into a spear on its way towards the shadow, but the shadow darted out of the way, coming into the light in the process.

It was a man, dressed all in black with a gold sun-shaped mask over his face and a belt of daggers strapped over his shoulder. He wasn't alone, though, as soon the assassin was joined by several others, all dressed in identical attire. They crept out of the shadows, daggers in their hands, poised to strike. Anraq struck first, sweeping a wave of water at them. They jumped above it, then spread out across the bedroom.

“How _dare_ you!” Azula growled, now back on her feet. Her hands erupted with flames, spilling a soft blue light over the entire bedchamber. “You think you can _assassinate_ me?”

The assailants said nothing. They attacked in unison, leaping across furniture and throwing their daggers. Azula rolled away from the blades and then tossed a pair of fireballs. She struck only air. In the confined space of the bedroom, she was forced to limit the power of her bending, or else she'd set the entire place ablaze. That, combined with the agility and swiftness of her enemies, allowed them an advantage.

Anraq whirled his water around both himself and Azula. Each time one of the assassins threw a dagger, he bended up a protective shield to block the strike. He wasn't just protecting, though; he was watching, waiting. One of the assassins stumbled as he ducked away from an incoming fireball, and that was when Anraq attacked. A water whip latched onto the man's leg and swung him through the air. He smashed into an armoire, breaking it to splinters.

Another of the assassins turned in surprise at the impact. That moment of hesitation cost him his life, as a sizzling bolt of lightning blasted into his chest. He fell like a rock to the floor, motionless. A third assassin attempted an attack from behind, but Anraq met him with a frozen brick to the face. Before the man even hit the ground, a blistering fireball engulfed him, and in seconds he turned to a charred, screaming mass of meat.

The remaining assassins finally seemed to realize the predicament they were in. The glanced at each other, then slowly began to back away from their targets. Anraq and Azula didn't give them a chance to flee. A lightning bolt ripped through one of them, while a spinning, bladed sphere of ice shattered into another's chest. The final man sprinted for the door, but he never made it. Instead, he ran headlong into blast of fire that seared him down to the bone.

When everything was calm again, Anraq took a step back to examine the fallen assailants. He didn't let his guard down, though. Not yet. "Who _are_ these guys? And what's with the masks?"

Azula scowled, turning her gaze from body to body. A pained groan drew her focus—the assassin that Anraq had thrown through her armoire. She immediately marched over to the splintered mess and pulled the bloodied man up to his knees, fingers clutched around his throat. His golden sun mask had already shattered and fallen away. "You. Who are you? Who _sent_ you?"

The man glared at her, fighting down his grunts of pain. "You think you're untouchable. You're _wrong_. The Sun Warriors will liberate the Fire Nation from your corruption before it poisons us and the rest of the world. Your days are numbered, _Dragon Empress."_

When he finished his rant, he spit out a glob of saliva at her, hitting her square on the cheek. Azula's scowl deepened into searing anger, and with a mad shout she ignited the man into a writhing mass of blue flames.

"Those filthy peasants!” she shrieked, heaving in deep breaths in attempts to calm herself. “How _dare_ they defy me!”

Anraq held out a rag to her. "Here."

She snatched the cloth from his grasp and hurriedly wiped away the peasant spit from her face. She would need a bath now, to rid herself the feel of that man's disgusting slime. "It seems these Sun Warriors didn't learn their lesson when Yula fried their leader."

"Unless he wasn't their leader,” Anraq suggested. “Or they just picked a new one."

"They will suffer for this.” Azula clenched the cloth tightly in her fist. It burned to ashes in an instant. “These Sun Warriors... They're _finished."_

* * *

The chamber was dark, lit only with a single, dimming candle. It offered a small bubble of illumination, at the center of which a man sat with his legs folded and hands pressed together, meditating. Ishida approached that small flicker of orange light and knelt before the meditating man. He bowed his head, staring at the floor.

“Sir, I've returned,” he said.

The man at the center of the candlelight remained motionless, eyes closed. “Where is the Empress?”

“We...don't have her,” Ishida replied. “Our attempt tonight was less than successful.”

“Define 'less than successful'.”

“Well...” Ishida huffed out a sigh, then glanced upward. “Azula and her bodyguard killed the team we sent.”

The man finally opened his eyes—Ishida shivered at the sight of them, just as he always did. “So, you failed.”

Ishida nodded, and lowered his head head again. “I'm afraid so.”

“Then I suppose we'll have to reevaluate our methods,” the man replied. His eyes closed again. “The Dragon Empress will fall, Ishida. It is only a matter of time. Sooner, or later, the Fire Nation will be free of her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as much happening in this chapter as the previous ones, but I hope it was still enjoyable. We have Azula continuing to show that there is something more to her. Buried deep, perhaps, but she's still trying to win over Anraq without the use of fear--something she's never done before. The thing is, it's working. Who knows what kinds of problems this is going to create in the future, though, what with Azula's history of trust issues. Especially now with these Sun Warriors making a move against her.
> 
> And then, there's Yula. Oh, how she's changed. She's become downright chilling, actually. Basically, don't screw with the new Fire Lord.
> 
> Oh, and yeah, Sokka's old Water Tribe club that he lost when the sandbenders stole Appa... It's back!


	67. Parting of Ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra says her goodbyes as she prepares to leave for Zaofu, the world leaders have a meeting to determine what to do about Azula's new empire, and Anraq reunites with some old friends.

Ikki gave a curious stare at the two women, and waved her hand in front of their faces. She didn't get a response. "What do you think they're doing in there?"

"I don't know, probably some awesome spirit stuff,” Meelo said. “Like raising a spirit army!"

For the past two hours, Kuvira and Jinora had been meditating into the Spirit World, out on the meditation pavilion behind the air temple. Ikki and Meelo had taken it upon themselves to look after their bodies.

Ikki frowned at her brother. "Meelo, that's stupid. Spirits don't have armies."

"And how do you know that?” Meelo stared back at her with his arms planted across his chest. “Have you ever been to the spirit world?"

"Well... no.”

"And have you ever _not_ seen their armies?"

Ikki furrowed her brow. "Wait, that doesn't make any sense."

"The spirits could be planning an invasion right now, and you'd never know!” Meelo exclaimed. “You have to be prepared for these things, Ikki. Good thing you have me."

"Ugh,” she groaned. “You are _so_ annoying."

"Ikki, Meelo, leave their bodies alone.” Korra approached the pavilion, carrying a stack of large boxes in her arms. Her muscles strained at the weight, but held firm. “Jinora's just giving Kuvira some lessons in spiritual guidance while I load the ferry."

"But someone has to keep an eye on them!"

"Meelo, they're fine.” Korra started walking away again, only to stop a moment and look back at him. “And there are no spirit armies."

Ikki pointed at her brother with a triumphant grin. "See, I told you!"

"There aren't any spirit armies _yet,”_ Meelo said, with a careful glare. “I'll be prepared for when the inevitable happens."

"And what exactly are you going to do when these spirit armies invade?" The voice didn't come from Ikki, Meelo, or Korra. Rather, it came from Kuvira, whose eyes were now open, and spirit returned to her body.

Meelo didn't even seem to notice. He just grinned and pointed his thumb at himself. "I'll give them a taste of Meelo!"

"Oh hey, you guys are back!” Ikki bounded in front of the two women, leaning close with an expectant smile. “What did you do? Where did you go? What did you see!” Before they could answer her, she turned a side-eyed glare towards her brother and added, “...also, Meelo, gross. You probably taste like sour pickles."

"We just went through some spiritual exercises,” Jinora said, as she returned to her feet. “Nothing major."

Korra flashed a smile and made her way next to Kuvira. "Hey, welcome back. How'd it go?"

"I'm learning a lot about the spirit world, and how to better connect with the spirits,” she replied. “Jinora is an excellent teacher."

"Well, as the Air Nation spiritual leader, I would hope so.” Jinora played off the compliment with a simple shrug, in attempts to make it seem like no big deal, but she couldn't hide her smirk of satisfaction. “It's nothing."

Kuvira glanced up at the stack of boxes in Korra's arms. By all accounts, there was no way anyone should have been able to carry that much at one time, but the Avatar made it look easy. There would come a time when Korra's physical strength ceased to astound Kuvira, but that time was not now. "So, how's the packing going?"

"Almost done,” she said. “Just a few more boxes to load onto the ferry, then we'll bring everything to the station. Mako and Bolin said they'd load the train during our meeting, so we should be ready to leave for Zaofu tonight."

A smile curled onto Kuvira's face, and she leaned closer. "Have I told you how much I love you for moving to Zaofu with me?"

"You could stand to mention it more." Korra returned the smile and leaned in the rest of the way, bringing their lips together.

"Aww,” Ikki said, with her hands clasped together. “Aren't they cute?"

Meelo, on the other hand, turned his head and pretended to gag. _"Blech_. If you're gonna start making out, get a room."

Jinora shot them both a glare. "Hush, you two."

A new figure approached at the pavilion, walking with his hands held gently behind his back, and his orange airbender robes billowing in the breeze. When he arrived, he greeted them with a bow. "Korra, Kuvira."

"Tenzin,” Kuvira greeted, with her own bow.

Korra, however, refrained from bowing, considering the stack of boxes in her arms. "Hey, Tenzin, is the ferry ready to leave?"

He nodded. "As soon as you finish loading, you'll be good to go."

"Great, I should probably get to that, then."

"Korra, I just want to say it has been an honor to guide and serve you over the years,” Tenzin said, holding a hand to her shoulder. “You've grown into an incredible woman and Avatar. We're certainly going to miss you in Republic City."

Korra smiled. "Thanks, Tenzin. I'll miss you guys, too.

Ikki lunged forward a second later, wrapping her arms around Korra's waist. "Group hug!" Meelo and Jinora joined her, and then so did Tenzin.

"You'll miss me most of all, right?" Meelo said, with a smug grin.

"Of course, Meelo. Of course."

* * *

Azula glared up at the front of Republic City's city hall, arms crossed over her chest and a frown curled on her face. "I don't like this. We shouldn't be here. We should be back in the Fire Nation weeding out those treacherous Sun Warriors and eliminating them."

"We _have_ to be here,” Zuko stated, giving his sister a careful glance. Azula had been on edge lately, ever since the assassination attempt several days ago, and it worried him. If she obsessed over it, chances were she'd lose herself. “We can't just blow off the other world leaders, not when this meeting has been planned for weeks. That would send the wrong message."

"Of course _you_ would say that, Zuzu,” she muttered. “Such a goody-goody."

“It's alright, Azula.” Anraq brought a hand to her shoulder, in attempts to calm her. He fully expected her to shrug away in annoyance, but to his surprise she accepted the touch with a simple huff. "We greatly increased security throughout the palace while we're away, remember? Imperial Troops are covering every possible entrance, every window, every secret passage... No one's getting in that doesn't belong."

"Yes, I suppose you're right.” Azula eased out a sigh, while her frown lessened into more of a pout. She wasn't even sure why, but Anraq's reassurances had a way of putting her at ease. She was probably just in a good mood—yes, that had to be it. “Besides, it's not as though they can attempt to assassinate me while I'm in Republic City."

Yula kept her gaze on city hall, even as she stepped next to Azula. She knew what was waiting for them in there— _who_ was waiting for them. It had been a long time, but she was ready to face them, this time as a changed woman. "We'll deal with them when we return, Master. Anyone involved with the Sun Warriors will suffer the consequences of their treachery."

Azula breathed inward and then nodded. Without any further hesitation, she continued her march up the steps towards the entrance. "Very well, then. Let's get this meeting over with, shall we? I can't wait to hear the rest of the world politely chastise me."

* * *

The other world leaders were all ready and waiting when Azula's group entered the meeting chamber within city hall. In fact, they had been waiting for nearly an hour now, although not everyone expressed their annoyance openly. Eska and Desna in particular sat with the same look of indifference that they usually carried, while Izumi waited calmly with her hands folded on the table. Tonraq, on the other hand, pointed a disapproving frown at the tardy arrivals. His displeasure was shared with Korra, as well as Kuvira. The Avatar, most of all, was not secretive about her irritation, as she had since sunk back in her seat and held her arms square across her chest. Asami, however, gave only a small pointed glare, while otherwise remaining stolid in her seat.

"Oh look, everyone's here,” Azula stated, as she pulled out a chair from the table. “Thanks for waiting. Not that you could have started without us, of course."

The two sides of the table were very clearly divided. On one side sat the free and separate world leaders, consisting of Chiefs Eska and Desna of the Northern Water Tribe, Chief Tonraq of the Southern Water Tribe, President Sato of the United Republic, Matriarch Kuvira of Zaofu, and Avatar Korra, the world's spiritual leader. The other side of the table contained the Dragon Empire's leaders—Fire Lord Yula, Earth Queen Izumi, and the Dragon Empress herself, Azula. Zuko and Anraq, meanwhile, stood off to the side, near the wall; this was a meeting for world leaders, which meant they had no place at the table. They could watch, but could not speak.

Tonraq inhaled a deep breath, and slowly let it out through his nose. "Now that you're here, let's begin. We all know why we're having this meeting."

"Yes, you all want me to abandon my new empire,” Azula said, with as clear an eye roll as she could muster. “If you ask me, you're just throwing a hissyfit. There's nothing wrong with what I've done."

"Nothing wrong?” Korra shot up straight in her seat. “You took over the Earth Republic! And turned it back into a kingdom!"

"I haven't 'taken over' anything,” she countered. “I liberated the Earth Kingdom after the Red Lotus threw it back into ruin, and offered the people safety and security. They _chose_ to be a part of my empire, in order to continue receiving my protection. I fail to see the problem here."

Asami narrowed her eyes at the empress. "They only chose it because you tricked them into thinking it was best for them. You've manipulated the people into believing you have their best interests in mind, but really you just want control."

"Oh, is that right? Do you have any proof of that?” Azula waited a moment, listening for a response. When the only answer she received was President Sato's averted eyes, she huffed out a smug scoff. “No, I didn't think so. You sit on your pedestal throwing around baseless accusations, simply because you don't like me."

"You've done terrible things already, Azula,” Kuvira insisted. “Things that you haven't answered for."

"And what exactly do you intend to do about that?” she asked, as she leaned back in her chair and raised her legs up onto the table. “There's nothing you _can_ do. I'm a world leader, whether you like it or not, so unless you intend on starting a war, you can't touch me. And I would really advise against that, by the way. The Imperial Army is the most massive and advanced fighting force in the world. We'd crush you."

Tonraq shifted in his seat, and deepened a frown onto his face. "Is that a threat, Empress Azula?"

"Hardly. Just a statement of fact, for your own good."

"Azula, we're going to be frank,” Asami said. “You need to end this power grab. We know it's only a matter of time before you make a move against other nations, to further expand the Dragon Empire. We won't allow that to happen."

Azula rolled her eyes again. "There you go with your accusations again. I have made no hostile actions against any nation, and those who have joined me have done so under their own free will. You have no reason to believe I'll attack any of you, other than that you need a reason to oppose me.” She paused briefly, then gestured to the Earth Queen at her left. “Izumi, if you'd please."

Izumi turned a glance over towards the far wall, towards Zuko. The silent gaze she and her father shared lasted only a second before she looked back across the table at the other world leaders. Their eyes were curious, expectant; they didn't trust Azula, but they did trust her. "All Earth Kingdom states that have joined the Dragon Empire have done so willingly, as voted upon by their people. I've handled each official request myself. Some states have declined the offer and are governing themselves, but I receive more requests each day. No one is being forced to join the empire."

"What about you, Fire Lord Yula?” said Tonraq. “You've been quiet."

Kuvira moved her focus from Izumi to the new Fire Lord. When she met Yula's gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine. That one brief look spoke volumes. The woman sitting across from her was no longer the woman she had known, the woman she had dated in Ba Sing Se, and fought alongside with against the Red Lotus. No, this woman was different—fiercer, sharper, stronger.

"It's just as Earth Queen Izumi says,” Yula replied, with a stern, unyielding tone. “The people have been treated with kindness and respect, and are making the decision themselves. You have no reason to stop us, and quite frankly it's insulting to sit here and argue this when we have more important domestic matters to take care of."

"No reason?” Korra's brow lowered, sending a hot glare across the table. “What about the world's balance? We can't have an empire controlling multiple nations! That _will_ throw the world out of balance, sooner or later. I've worked too hard to maintain that balance to see it broken again."

Kuvira nodded. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with the Avatar on that."

Azula spread a grin across her face, and met the matriarch's gaze. "Of course you do. You're sleeping with her. Don't you think you might be a little biased there?"

Asami immediately bolted up to her feet and smacked her palm down on the table. "Empress Azula, that is _inappropriate_ for a world meeting!"

"Oh yes, my apologies,” she said, with yet another blatant eye roll. She did nothing to hide her lack of respect towards the meeting and the other world leaders. “My point is that the idea of requiring the world to be run a certain way to 'maintain balance' is an antiquated one that has no place in an ever growing and advancing society. Even the Avatar itself has become an obsolete ideal.

“You claim that all I want to do is control, and yet you ignore the fact that all the Avatar _does_ is try to control how the world functions, keeping it on the path that _she_ sees fit. Anything that challenges her view of what's right must be quelled in the name of 'balance'. That method of governing is outdated and corrupt.

“As far as I'm concerned, the biggest insult here is the Avatar sitting at this table. This is a meeting for world leaders, and she doesn't belong here.” Azula locked her gaze onto the Avatar—not with mockery, or smugness, but with true contempt. “The world doesn't _need_ her anymore."

"You're wrong!” It was Kuvira's turn to spring up from her seat. Unlike Asami, though, she slammed her entire fist down on the table. “The world will _always_ need an Avatar, because of people like you who think they can get away with anything they want!"

"That's enough, both of you!” Tonraq exclaimed. He, too, was on his feet now, shooting a stern glare back and forth between Azula and Kuvira. “We're not here to discuss the Avatar, we're here to discuss the Dragon Empire and how to deal with it."

"Yes, and exactly how _do_ you plan to 'deal' with me?” Azula asked. “Are you going to declare war on a nation that has done nothing to you, and shown no hostility? Or perhaps you'd all like to attack me right here. Who would the controlling ones be then?"

"She does have a point." The response came from Desna, who, along with his sister, had up until now remained quiet, watching the proceedings. Now, however, the twin chiefs appeared ready to engage.

Eska nodded in agreement with her brother. "Indeed. If we openly oppose her when she's done nothing to warrant such an attack, then we would be seen as the aggressors."

"Furthermore, our people would not appreciate any kind of escalation in conflict,” Desna said. “We shouldn't be considering anything involving force when we don't have to."

"As already indicated, the Dragon Empire has shown no hostile activity towards any nation,” Eska continued, “nor has it used force to conquer any of its territory. We see no reason to oppose them."

Korra watched her cousins with raised eyebrows, nearly rendered silent by her shock. Her voice squeaked out in a quiet breath, until she was finally able to reply, "So... what, we just leave them alone and let them continue growing their empire across the rest of the Earth Kingdom?"

Desna nodded. "Unless you have some other cause for the world to intervene."

"What about keeping balance?” Kuvira asked. “Isn't _that_ important?"

"To be honest, Dragon Empress Azula makes a compelling argument in that regard, as well," Eska stated.

"We are sorry, Avatar Korra, Matriarch Kuvira,” Desna said, “but that is how we stand."

Kuvira swallowed back the knot in her throat, then flicked her attention towards Asami. The Northern Cheifs might not be willing to help, but surely the United Republic would. "President Sato?"

Asami didn't answer for a long time. She held her hands together, fingers pressed against her lips. Her gaze moved back and forth between both sides of the table, giving each world leader a careful look, studying them. When at last she spoke, though, she let her eyes close, and then heaved out a deep sigh. "Republic City only just recovered from everything the Red Lotus did to it. We need to focus on moving forward and advancing ourselves, not getting involved in foreign conflict when we don't need to."

"But Asami—"

 _"Avatar Korra.”_ The response was quick, and biting. The sternness in her tone, and the use of Korra's full title, made it evidently clear—in this meeting, they weren't friends. They were fellow leaders. “Look, I know you don't like Empress Azula. I don't like her, either. Actually, to be honest, I rather detest her for everything she's done.” Asami shot a sidelong glance towards the empress, who met her with a mocking smirk. She sighed, and then looked back to Korra again. “But we can't let our personal feelings get in the way of making good decisions. Chiefs Eska and Desna are right. The Dragon Empire has given no cause for us to intervene...so we won't.” And then her glare returned again to Azula, fiercer this time. “But that doesn't mean we won't be watching you closely."

"By all means,” Azula said, “watch away."

Korra sank back against her seat, defeat already drawing down across her face like a dark veil. Still, she chanced a hopeful glance towards her father. "Dad?"

"I'm sorry, honey,” Tonraq said, with a shake of his head. “In light of everything I've heard here, I have to agree with the others.”

Azula immediately pulled her legs back off the table and stood upright. "Good, now that everything is taken care of, we'll be going. As we've already mentioned, we have important domestic affairs to attend to.” She gave them all a wave, then turned around with a flip of her golden cloak and marched towards the door. “Take care, everyone.”

* * *

“Well, I guess that went okay,” Anraq said, as he made his way down the steps of city hall. He kept in stride next to Azula, with Zuko and Yula just behind them. “I don't think any of them are too happy with us...but at least they won't be giving us problems.”

“Yes, it went exactly as I knew it would,” Azula said, with a fleeting sigh. “Really just a waste of time, as I expected. In any case, Annie, we'll be returning home soon. Be at the Dragon's Wing in one hour for departure "

Anraq raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't want me coming with you now?"

"Well, I figured you might want to catch up with old acquaintances while you're here.” Azula stopped a moment, and turned a narrow look towards her bodyguard. “They might try to persuade you against me, but stay strong. Try to make them see things our way. We don't want anyone trying anything stupid.”

"Uh...right, yeah,” he said, stopping at the bottom of the steps. He stood there and waited, watching the others leave. “Thanks."

Not a second later, a calm yet eerily affectionate voice spoke from behind him. "Hello, my fearsome turtle duck."

"Whoa!” Anraq spun around, nearly jumping out of his shoes. Eska and Desna stood behind him, both staring at him with the same half-smile. “Hey...Eska, Desna. Didn't hear you sneak up on me there. So...how's things?"

"We must say, we are disappointed you left the North Pole without any parting words,” Desna said. “But we understand why you did."

"You...do?"

"Yes, of course.” Eska looked past him, towards the now distant group of Dragon Empire leaders. “Empress Azula is a very powerful and domineering woman. It is no surprise you decided to chase after her, instead."

"Although, she does seem quite a bit young,” Desna muttered, with a critical glare. “I suppose she _is_ of marrying age...but still."

"Okay, hey, no.” Anraq waved his arms in front of himself in firm denial. “Azula is older than she looks, trust me.” It took a moment for him to realize what he had chosen to counter first. When he did, he smacked his forehead with a groan and quickly added, “And wait, I'm not... _chasing_ after her. Or doing anything with her. I'm her bodyguard!"

Desna lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, is that what you've chosen to refer to it as?"

"So it is your job to... 'guard' her body?" Eska said, as both she and her brother then broke out into the most awkward, spine-chilling laugh Anraq had ever heard.

He watched them with wide eyes, and took a careful step backwards. "Forget it..."

When their laughter ceased, Eska offered an endearing smile. "We must depart now, Anraq."

Desna leaned in closer to him, staring into his eyes. "However, should you ever desire to join us for another night together, do come for a visit."

"So long, my fearsome turtle duck." Eska leaned in to give him a light peck on the cheek, and then shuffled away alongside her brother. Moments later, they were gone.

"That was the weirdest breakup I've ever seen."

Anraq turned towards the voice, noticing another pair watching him from halfway up the steps. An excited laugh burst from his lips, and he ran up to greet them. "Hey! Kuvira, Korra, man it's great to see you guys again!” When he reached them, they both pulled him in for brief, but welcoming hug. It's been ages."

"Only six months,” Korra chuckled. “I hardy recognize you.”

"Heh, yeah I got a total Fire Nation makeover my first day down there,” he said, glancing down at his outfit. He had grown so used to it over the past six months that he had forgotten just how different he looked. “So how are things going with you? Kuvira, I hear you're leading Zaofu now."

Kuvira nodded. “I am. Honestly, I still can't believe it, after everything that's happened... But it's true.”

"I'm actually moving there with her,” Korra said. “We head out on the train tonight."

"So, things between you two are going well, then?” Anraq shifted his gaze back and forth between the two of them, curiously. He only knew what he had seen in the papers and heard from other people, but he did know that these two had been dating now for quite some time.

Kuvira grinned, and reached down to take Korra's hand in her own. "Yeah, things really are."

Anraq returned the smile. "That's great. I'm happy for you both, really."

"And what about you?” Korra asked. Her tone became firmer somewhat, and her gaze harder. “How are things going with Azula?"

He caught her shift in demeanor, but reassured her with another smile. "Actually not as bad as you'd expect."

"Do you have any information on her?"

This question, however, brought him pause. He blinked, turning her focus between the two women with scrunched eyebrows. "Any...information?"

"Yeah, that is why you left with her, right? To gather information?” Kuvira said. A similar expression of confusion twisted upon her brow, as if not understanding why he was questioning them. “Anything we could use against her, to stop her."

"Well...I mean, that _was_ part of the reason at first, but...” Anraq rubbed his forehead a moment, trying to think of how to explain things. So much had changed in the past six months, he didn't even know where to begin. The way they were staring at him, so confused... This could get awkward. “Okay, this is going to sound surprising, but I actually enjoy being around her."

Kuvira blinked. "Come again?"

"I know her first impressions weren't exactly...endearing,” he said. Boy, that was putting it lightly. “Heck, I have the lightning scar to prove it. But there's more to her than that. She really _is_ doing her best to help her people, and improve their lives. Sure, her methods are a little...unorthodox..."

"A _little_ unorthodox?” Korra shot back. “She's started an empire and now controls almost half the world!"

"Yeah, I get that, believe me.” Anraq softened his eyes, giving them both a pleading look—pleading for them to understand, and to give his explanation a chance. To trust him. “But Azula isn't the heartless monster you make her out to be. She's a _person_. Sure, she's made some mistakes along the way, and she can come across as pretty abrasive most of the time, but I believe in what she's doing. I _like_ being her bodyguard, and I like living in the Fire Nation."

Kuvira stared at him, mouth hanging open and breathless, as though she had just been punched in the gut. "You're not serious..."

"I am.” Now Anraq hardened himself. Azula's words echoed in his head. _Stay strong_. He knew that these two would have difficulty accepting what he told them, but he couldn't let his resolve be shaken. He had to make them understand. “I know, six months ago, I never would have imagined myself feeling this way. I _hated_ her. I hated everything she stood for, and everything she had done. But now... She's a friend."

"So...you're not going to help us?" Korra questioned. She didn't appear quite as taken aback by him as Kuvira did, but her shock came across in the tone of her voice—hesitant, defeated.

"You mean help you undermine everything Azula is doing? No, I'm not. If you know anything about me it's that I'm loyal to my friends. You _both_ are my friends, two of the best I have. But Azula is my friend, too. You can't ask me to betray her."

"Anraq..."

"I'm sorry, but that's that.” He remained adamant, and shook his head. If he listened to them any longer, he feared they would only make him angry, and didn't want that, not with them. “Look, it was good seeing you both again, but I should get going. We'll have to catch up later, under different circumstances. For now, I'll see you around."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This just in, I hate writing political stuff. I mean, I get that it can be interesting to see/read if done well, but writing it is really boring. I mean, I'll admit, having Azula play everyone like puppets on strings is fun, but that only makes up for it so much. Otherwise... bleh. Still, it's a necessary evil to get through. I liked writing the scene with the Air Kids, though (and seeing how they've become good friends with Kuvira).
> 
> We finally have Anraq reuniting with Korra and Kuvira again, though once again the past six months have changed things. As close as he is to them, he's not going to allow them to use their friendship to have him betray Azula, who we come to find out he really has come to like. Of course, he hasn't changed like Yula has, but he is loyal to her and the empire. That will certainly create some conflict in the future, I think.
> 
> Oh, and a brief little scene between Anraq and creepy twins was a must, that was fun to write.


	68. Broken Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira settles into her new roll as Matriarch of Zaofu with a little friendly competition, and receives a surprising request from the Earth Queen. Meanwhile, Zuko attempts to mend things between himself and his sister.

Wei flipped the metal disc around in his hands and widened his stance, feet planted firmly against the ground. "It's all tied up. You ready, Sis?"

Kuvira glanced past him across the power disc arena, where Wing stood guard in front of their net. Somewhere behind her, she knew Korra was ready and waiting in front of their own goal. This particular variation of power disc was a new creation, involving two teams of two—two goalies, and two strikers, one of each for both teams. An additional two pillars had been set up near the sides of the arena as well, to go along with the normal four at the center. The current game was four to four, either team needing just one more point to win.

“Bring it on,” she said, shooting a challenging smirk his way. “We can take it."

“Alright then, here we go!”

Wei fired the disc across the field, bouncing it along the leftmost pillar. The disc pinged against the wall and then careened towards the opposing net. Korra was ready for it. She guided the disc around her body and returned it across the arena. Kuvira gave it some extra zip as it past her, ricocheting it between two of the pillars for added momentum. Wei greeted the metal projectile with a spinning kick that sent it screaming back the way it came.

Korra bended the disc just to the left of the net, allowing it to bounce away off the wall. Kuvira chased it down and leaped into the air with a spin. The disc whirled around her body and then shot off towards the opposite end of the arena. Wei made a desperate dive to intercept it, but fell flat just out of reach. Lucky for him, Wing stood ready in goal to kick it away when it drew near.

Back and forth the two teams went, bouncing and ricocheting the discus in rapid succession. Within minutes, the small metal projectile shot across the arena so fast that the players could barely follow it with their eyes. They relied on instinct to defend and attack, and in the end it came down to whose reflexes were sharper.

Korra kicked the disc back towards the right side of the field, but just as it hit the farthest pillar, Kuvira jumped up to send it all the way to the left side. It rocketed past Wei's outstretched hands, pinged against the wall, and then fired towards the far right side of their goal. Wing dove to block it, but was too slow as it slammed into the back of the net. A buzzer sounded, and the light above their net flashed red.

"Oh yeah!” Korra exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. “The Avatar and the Matriarch win again!"

Kuvira struck a confident pose, with her arms folded and lips curled into a grin. "I believe that's three games to none."

"Ugggh, man come on!" Wei groaned. "We _invented_ this game!"

Korra flexed her arms. "And it looks like we perfected it."

Wing grumbled as he picked himself back up to his feet and brushed himself off. "You two really need to come up with a better team name than 'the Avatar and the Matriarch'."

"Seriously,” Wei added. “It sounds like a bad mover title."

"Tell you what,” Kuvira said, “you start winning against us and _you_ can pick our team name."

Wei narrowed a glare at her. "We'll get you eventually."

"Keep telling yourself that, boys."

 _"Bah_ , come on, Wei.” Wing waved his brother along and started heading back towards the Beifong Mansion. “I need a drink."

When the twins were gone, Korra made her way over to her girlfriend with a suggestive smile. "You know, I _really_ love watching you chase that disc around. The way your muscles flex... It has a way of making a girl all excited." She glanced downward, noting the way the matriarch's pants and tank top clung tightly to her body. Every movement that Kuvira made clearly outlined every contour and crevice of her hard, defined muscles, even through the fabric of her clothes.

"Oh really?” Kuvira pursed her lips together, then looked towards their net. “Well, maybe you should concentrate more on defending the goal than on my back muscles. We did almost lose that one."

"Hey, we still won. Besides, it's not your back that I enjoy watching." Korra took a step forward and reached around Kuvira's lower body. Her hands found the woman's toned rear and gave a tight squeeze.

Kuvira jumped at the touch, and a chuckle surged from her throat. "Well, I suppose I can't fault you for that." She leaned closer, bringing their lips together.

 _"Ahem,”_ said a voice, from behind them. “Excuse me, Kuvira."

"Oh.” Kuvira tore away from Korra's grasp and stiffened straight. When she turned around, she found Baatar, Sr. standing there, holding a roll of documents in his arms. “Baatar, sir. Sorry about that."

"It's fine,” he said, with a subtle sigh. “You're still young. Enjoy it while it lasts. And you can call me Dad now, remember. The adoption papers went through weeks ago.”

“Right. Dad,” she said, with a clear of her throat. “Sorry, just...old habits.”

“In any case, I have a report that requires your attention," Baatar said, holding out the documents to her. “I know it's your day off, but it won't take long.”

"Oh, what is it?" Kuvira took the papers and began flipping through them.

"It's about Zaofu's domes,” he replied. “They were removed again when the Red Lotus attacked, and the sections are still collapsed outside the city. We have to figure out what we're going to do with them."

Korra raised an eyebrow. "You mean you aren't just going to reattach them?"

"Well, that is the most logical plan,” Baatar said, with a small frown. “However, Kuvira has already expressed her...disagreement with that."

Kuvira sighed. "You know as well as I do that those domes have been a source of scrutiny and problems for Zaofu in the past. If we continue to cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, we'll remain isolated, and never grow. Those domes are a symbol of our fear about opening ourselves to change. We shouldn't have that fear."

"Yes, but many of the city's people feel more secure knowing that the domes are in place,” Baatar insisted. “Without them, we feel exposed and vulnerable. We _need_ that protection, that security."

"Maybe...some kind of compromise?" Korra suggested.

"I suppose... I don't know.” Kuvira groaned quietly, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “I don't want to continue cutting ourselves off and caging our people like prisoners. It _could_ be possible to reassemble the domes, but only close them when we need to... There's no reason to close them every night."

Baatar thought a moment, raising a hand to his chin. "You'd need to rearrange guard patrols, to make sure that the city remains protected at night, in that case."

"I can talk to Captain Hong Li about it later,” she said. “Shouldn't be much different than things are now without the domes."

"In that case, should I inform construction crews to begin reattaching them?"

She nodded. "Yeah, go ahead. I'll stop by some time tomorrow to oversee the process."

Baatar gave a simple nod, and then left the two alone. When he was gone, Korra leaned closer to Kuvira and held an arm around her waist. "So, what's left on the agenda today?"

"Well, I promised Sin I'd head down to the old dance studio and take a look at their new routine,” Kuvira said. She frowned, easing a gentle sigh past past her lips. “Although, I feel like it's just a setup to get me to run the place, now that Su's gone."

Korra tilted her head slightly, giving her girlfriend and curious look. "You make that sound like a bad thing. I think it sounds like a great idea. I mean, you love dancing, right? And from what I've heard, you were always Su's best student."

"While true,” Kuvira said, with a slow nod, “I just don't know if I'll have the time, once my work starts piling up."

Korra gave an accusatory smirk. "You have plenty of time to play power disc in the middle of the afternoon."

"On my _one_ day off in the week."

"Hmm, and what else are you planning to do on your one day off?"

Kuvira leaned in closer, bringing her lips up against Korra's neck. "I think the better question is, _who?"_

"Uh, hey, Sis?” Another voice interrupted them, once again prompting Kuvira to pull away from Korra. “You got a visitor."

She looked back up near the top of the arena, where Wing and Wei were standing, watching them. "Who is it? It's my day off, tell them to schedule an appointment for tomorrow."

"Uh...” Wei glanced to his brother. “The Earth Queen?"

 _"Oh.”_ Kuvira took a moment to let the announcement sink in. She certainly hadn't been expecting a visit from the Earth Queen today, or at any time in the near future. Ordinarily, some kind of official message or request would have been sent ahead, to schedule the meeting. This was...sudden. “Um...send her to my office and tell her I'll be there as soon as I can."

Korra turned a puzzled glance towards her. "What on earth is Izumi doing here?"

"I'm not sure... I'd better not keep her waiting, though. I still need to take a quick shower before meeting with her."

Korra nodded. “You go ahead. I should take Naga out for a run, anyway."

"I'll see you later tonight." Kuvira gave her girlfriend another kiss, and then hurried off towards the mansion.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Kuvira marched into her office, still straightening out her robes. She had hurried to shower and change as quickly as possible, and in her haste hadn't entirely fixed her outfit into place by the time she reached the office. "Earth Queen Izumi, sorry to keep you waiting. I wasn't expecting you."

"That's quite alright, Matriarch Kuvira.” Izumi remained calm in her seat, watching as Kuvira made her way around the other side of the desk. “I know my arrival is sudden, but I was ordered to come immediately. I couldn't wait to send a message and schedule a meeting."

Kuvira frowned, as she lowered herself into her chair. "So, you mean Azula sent you?"

"Yes, precisely."

"You'll excuse me if I don't sound thrilled about that,” she muttered. She then set her hands on the desk and stared curiously at the woman across from her. Her gaze studied the burn scars along Izumi's right eye and hand. “Are you _really_ on her side? After what she did to you?"

"I'm on no one's 'side',” Izumi stated. “I'm merely doing everything I can to make sure that things don't get more out of hand than they already are."

"What do you mean?"

Izumi folded her hands, setting them gently atop the desk. "I don't trust Azula anymore than you do. My father, however, still has a soft spot for his sister, no matter how vile she may be. He insists that we try to placate and guide her, rather than simply oppose her. So, that's what I've been doing. I accepted her offer to become Earth Queen because I didn't want her appointing anyone else who would abuse their power. I know how to run a nation, and how to do it respectfully.” She sat straighter, and her eyes sharpened. “I won't let Azula run the Earth Kingdom into the ground on my watch."

"I see...” Kuvira held a hand to her chin, thinking. “That does make a lot more sense than believing you decided to serve her."

"Technically, I do still serve her,” Izumi said. “I do have to maintain appearances, after all. Fortunately, the only orders she's given me so far have been to run the Earth Kingdom and handle requests to join the empire."

"So...then, what are you doing here?"

"As I just said, I handle requests to join the empire.” Izumi huffed out a sigh. “Azula wanted me to come here to issue a invitation for Zaofu to do just that. Although Zaofu is a sovereign city-state, it _was_ still founded on Earth Kingdom territory."

Kuvira stiffened in her seat, eyes flying open. "Is she out of her _mind?_ What makes her think I'd even _consider_ that?"

Izumi shrugged. "I know, that's what I told her you'd say. Still, she insisted. If I had to make a guess, I'd say that, regardless of your response, she wanted you to know that she wants Zaofu."

"That _would_ be something she'd do...” Kuvira relaxed herself back against her chair, and turned a distant, thoughtful gaze down at the clock on her desk. There was no reason why she was looking at the clock, but it gave her something to focus on. “But would she really attempt to take over another nation so soon after denying so adamantly she would?"

"I don't know. All I can do is deliver the request, as instructed. And advise you to be cautious.” Izumi's gaze narrowed with warning. “If Azula is anything, she is cunning and unpredictable."

"You don't need to tell me that,” Kuvira muttered, with a shake of her head. “In any case, thank you for time. You can tell Azula that Zaofu politely declines her offer."

"I shall.” Izumi stood from her seat, and then gave a low, respectful bow. “Good day, Matriarch Kuvira."

* * *

Azula glared down at the golden sun-shaped mask in her hands. Why the masks? What purpose did they serve? Those assassins could have hidden their identities any number of ways, so why had they felt the need to be so extravagant? Perhaps these Sun Warriors weren't just a group of disgruntled citizens... Yes, they _had_ to be more. A cult, perhaps, or some kind of underground society. Had they always been around, and were just now exposing themselves? Or had some mastermind pulled these people together and turned them into something more organized?

“Who _are_ you people?” she muttered, digging her fingers into the mask. A wave of heat erupted from her hands, and the gold began to melt. “Why must you  defy me?”

A knock pulled her attention away from the half-melted mask; she dropped it onto her dresser and left it there. Who could that be at this hour? She had specifically told Anraq to stand guard outside and not allow anyone to disturb her. With a scowl, she marched towards the door and eased it open, cutting a thin sliver of light from the hallway beyond into her darkened bedchamber.

When she saw who was standing there, her scowl lessened into a simple frown. "Oh, Zuko, what do you want? I'm very busy."

"Yes...you've been quite busy this past week,” Zuko replied. “Busy enough to continue avoiding me, at least. I thought if I came this late, you might actually have a chance to speak.”

"Did Annie let you through?”

“Uhhh, yeah, sorry, Azula.” Anraq poked into view behind Zuko, with an apologetic smile. “I know you said for no one to disturb you, but since he's your brother...”

Azula glared at him, then huffed out a sigh and pushed the door open wider. “Very well, if you must.” Turning from the doorway, she pointed her fingers around the room and fired out several small flames, each one igniting a hanging lantern for more illumination. The candles burned with a soft blue light, casting hard, dancing shadows across the chamber. “What is so important you had to visit me in the middle of the night?”

Zuko followed her inside, closing the door behind himself. "I wanted to talk about the world meeting last week, and about your empire."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Is this the part where you tell me the other world leaders were right, and that I should give up my empire and play nice with everyone? Because if it is, you might as well turn around and leave now, for all the good it'll do you."

"I just think you should consider—"

"There's _nothing_ to consider,” she shot back, turning a cold glare towards him. “I'm _not_ backing down, and I'm _not_ giving up power."

"Azula, please, just listen to me,” Zuko said. He didn't look away, didn't even flinch; it unnerved Azula, just how resilient he was in front of her. Did he not fear her anymore? “I know you have this need for control, but you don't need to take it this far. You already have the Fire Nation, isn't that enough?"

"Please, where's the ambition in that?” Azula said, as she sauntered back over to her dresser. She stood there, staring down at the sun mask. “A true ruler doesn't settle for what she has, she continues to grow."

"The whole rest of the world will turn against you,” Zuko said. “They may be leaving you alone now, but at the first sign of you stepping out of line, they _will_ oppose you. And we both know you'll step out of line eventually. With your 'ambition', it's only a matter of time."

Azula heaved out a quiet sigh, head shaking. "Oh, Zuzu, you worry too much. It doesn't matter who stands against me. The Dragon Empire is already superior to the other nations in every way. We have nothing to fear from them."

Zuko's gaze found the mask on the dresser. He glared at it a moment, then turned his focus back to his sister. "And what about threats from within? These Sun Warriors have already attempted to assassinate you once. You think they'll stop there?"

"That matter is being _dealt_ with.” Her voice bit with a harsh insistence. She didn't need her pathetic brother lecturing her on how to handle something as simple as weeding out treacherous worms. “They're nothing but a small band of filthy traitors, and they'll be punished as such. Besides, I'm far more powerful than any of them. What do I have to fear?"

"All the power in the world won't protect you from a knife in the back, or an arrow to the throat,” Zuko countered. “Or an explosion. Or poison. The weakest peasant can take down the mightiest of rulers with a little planning, Azula. That's all it takes."

Anger ignited on her face. She turned from her dresser and approached her brother, shoving her finger against his chest. Had she been able to firebend with her eyes, the savage glare she pointed at him would have set him alight with white-hot flames. "No peasant will take me down! I won't allow that!”

Azula heaved in several deep breaths and stepped away from him. No, no she couldn't lose herself to another outburst like that. She had to compose herself. Swallowing, she turned away from him and returned to her dresser. She glared at the mirror now, eyeing her brother's reflection behind her. “What does it even matter to you anyway?"

Zuko's eyes softened, and he took a step towards her. "I just don't want to see you hurt."

"Oh don't pretend to care,” she spat. “We both know what you really think of me."

"Azula, I _do_ care."

"You care, do you?” She glanced back over her shoulder at him, brow lowered and eyes sharp. “Is that why you locked me away in a mental institution at the end of the war? And then didn't visit me for a whole year?” Her gaze returned to the mirror, but tilted downward, no longer looking at anything in particular. “And only because you needed my help, not because you actually _wanted_ to see me."

"Azula, I'm...sorry for that.” Zuko bowed his head, breathing out a heavy sigh. “I wish I had handled that situation differently, but at the time you seemed so...broken, and hurt. I thought you needed help, and I didn't know the best way to give it to you."

"It's easy to say that after the fact,” she scoffed. “You never liked me, though. You know that, I know that. It must have made you so happy to see me like that... broken, and weak. Well, I'm _not_ weak. I was _never_ weak. _You_ were the weak one. You'd say anything now to make me doubt myself, but I won't fall for it. I won't believe your lies."

"They're _not_ lies.” Zuko approached her now, setting a hand on her shoulder. “Azula, you're my _sister._ Our relationship has always been so messed up... After you disappeared, we never got a chance to fix things, but I _wanted_ to try. I may never know how you're here now, or how you're still so young... But maybe it doesn't matter. You _are_ here now, that's what matters. Please... I want to fix things between us, now that we have that chance. I don't want our family to be broken anymore."

Azula flinched at his touch, but she didn't pull away. Not yet. His tone seemed...tender, sincere. That couldn't be right, though. He didn't care. How _could_ he? No, no these were just more of his lies. Yes, that was it. _That's_ what this was. That's what it _had_ to be.

"What makes you think _I_ want to fix things?” she snapped, glaring up at his reflection in the mirror. “Maybe I'm fine with how things are. Maybe I _like_ the way I am. Maybe I don't _need_ fixing."

"Azula—"

 _"No!”_ Azula finally pushed his hand away. “I don't want to listen to anymore. Just...just get out. Get _out!"_

Zuko stared into the mirror. Their reflected gazes met each other for a brief moment, but Azula soon tore hers away. In that moment, he saw so much pain. So much anger. So much...grief. He wanted so badly to help her, and yet deep down he knew she would never let him. With a defeated sigh, he bowed his head and then made his way towards the door.

“Goodnight, Azula.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really wanted to have a scene with Azula and Zuko. There's so much history there and so many complicated and conflicting emotions, and as we can see it's really eating away and hurting Azula. She just can't bring herself to believe that her brother would actually want to help her, after everything that's happened between them. So of course, he must be lying. Also, him locking her up in a mental institution probably didn't help endear her to him. She's been carrying around a lot of anger and pain over the years, which we get a good glimpse of in this chapter.
> 
> And Kuvira finally gets a chance to play power disc with Wing and Wei! That seems like....I don't know how many, but a lot of chapters ago that she made that promise. Now she gets to keep it. We also get a chance to see that Izumi is not, in fact, on Azula's side, at least not in the strictest sense. She's merely playing along to gain some kind of control over the situation.


	69. Dragon Whistle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and her crew investigate the Sun Warrior situation, but they find more than they bargained for.

Azula stepped out of her palanquin and stared up at the shop in front of her. It was a simple establishment in one of the poorer areas of Harbor City. Its wooden walls were weathered and worn, even rotting in some places. The door had fallen loose from its hinges, giving way to a simple curtain that now hung in front of the entrance. The sign out front had faded to a point where it could no longer be read. By all accounts, it looked a disaster.

"So, this is the place?" she muttered, with a clear tone of contempt. She hated traveling through such a rundown part of the city. The Dragon Empress should not be subjected to such common filth, and yet if she wanted to see this through herself, she had no choice. For now, she would simply have to endure it.

"According to our reports, yes,” Anraq said.

Yula folded her arms. “It doesn't look like much, if you ask me.”

“Perhaps not, but looks can be deceiving,” Azula muttered. She glanced over her shoulder, shifting her gaze between Anraq, Yula, and Zuko, just behind her. Beyond them, a procession of Imperial Guards waited at the ready. “Let's pay a visit, shall we?”

Azula led the way through the curtain. The moment that her fingers brushed against the dusty fabric, she pulled her hand away and cringed. _Such filth._ Anraq, Yula, and Zuko followed her inside, while her guards remained out on the street. The interior of the shop did not appear to be in much better condition than the exterior. The small space was cluttered with various trinkets, from pottery and paintings, to theater masks and worn tapestries. A thick line of dust caked the shelves and much of the merchandise; just the sight of it churned Azula's gut with disgust.

A brief look around the shop revealed a single man sitting behind the counter, his back to them. The man stroked a paintbrush across a white canvas, leaving behind careful and precise black lines that would create the base for a future painting. He didn't slow his brushstrokes as the group entered, and remained concentrated fully on his work.

“I need to speak with the owner of this establishment immediately,” Azula stated, as she marched up to the counter. From what she could determine, this man was no doubt the owner himself.

The man finally paused his brush. He sat straighter in his seat, but didn't turn around. "Ah, Dragon Empress Azula, Fire Lord Yula, Lord Zuko...” Even without looking, he somehow knew who stood behind him. He waited just a moment, and then added, “And Anraq of the Southern Water Tribe."

Anraq lifted a brow. "You...know who I am?"

"I am very well informed about the goings-on in this nation,” the man replied. “It didn't take much digging to discover the identity of the empress' waterbending bodyguard."

Azula stepped closer to the counter, and narrowed a glare. "I don't appreciate people spying on my associates, Shopkeeper."

"I did no spying,” he said, with a simple shake of his head. His brush began to move again, tracing another series of black lines across the canvas. “I simply have many connections to many people. Now, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"First, you will tell me your name,” she ordered. “And you will _face_ your empress when speaking to her."

Again, the man's brush ceased; this time, he set it down. As he did, he turned in his seat to face them. He was an older man, with graying hair and the faintest signs of wrinkles beginning to set across his face. His expression remained calm, and at balance. What drew the most attention, however, were his eyes—seared as if by fire, with no color to them.

"My apologies,” he stated, with a simple bow of his head. “My name is Shin Tsang. A pleasure to formally meet you, Dragon Empress. How can I be of service?"

Azula stared at him, studying his burned eyes. Was he blind? No, he couldn't be. How else would be be able to see them, let alone create a painting? But if he weren't blind, then how did his eyes function? From the look of it, they had been destroyed. Yet still, his gaze followed them as though he could see them perfectly fine.

She pushed the thought from her mind. That's not why she was here. Instead, she reached into her Dragon Empress robes and pulled out one of the golden sun-shaped masks they had recovered from the assassins. "According to my sources, this is the only shop in the city that sells these masks. Is that true?"

"Ah, my Solar Festival masks.” Shin Tsang reached out to take the mask, and held it up to his face, examining it—again, as though he could see. “Yes, I make these myself. They're quite popular during the summer solstice."

"Well, now a group calling themselves the Sun Warriors are using these masks,” she countered. “They made an attempt on my life a couple weeks ago."

"Truly?” His brow lifted, and a frown came to his lips. “I must admit, that is disturbing."

"Is it?” Azula drew closer to him, glaring into those burned eyes of his. “How do we know you're not one them? Perhaps you're personally providing those masks to them. Or maybe you're their leader. We should take you in right now for questioning."

Shin Tsang breathed a quiet sigh and shook his head. "There's no need for that, Empress. I merely make and sell the masks. What happens to them after they leave this shop, I have no control over. I will, however, cooperate in whatever way you wish of me."

Anraq stepped forward and took the mask back from the man. "A list of everyone who's ordered a mask like this in the past couple months will be enough, thank you.”

The Sun Warriors claimed that they were trying to liberate the Fire Nation from Azula's empire. That meant that they couldn't have been formed until _after_ the empire was created, almost two months ago; that narrowed their search.

“Oh, you won't be needing a list,” Shin Tsang said, with another shake of his head.

“What are you talking about?” Azula reached forward and grabbed the man's collar, yanking him off his chair. “That's what we requested! You'll give us what we want or I'll throw you in the palace dungeon!”

“There's no need for threats, Empress.” Shin Tsang's expression remained stolid in the face of Azula's demands. “As I said, my masks are popular during the summer solstice. However, beyond that, there isn't much desire for them. This time of year, when we're closing in on winter, I don't receive any orders at all. Except one.”

Zuko hummed a contemplative breath, stroking a hand along his beard. “Are you saying there's only been a single order for one of your masks in the past couple months?”

“That's correct, and I think you might find it interesting.”

Azula released the man's collar, but retained a critical look. “And why is that?

“Because it was a particularly large order,” he explained. “Six weeks ago, a man named Ishida requested several dozen masks to be delivered to a warehouse on the other side of the city. I worked night and day to complete the order, but still only finished it a couple weeks ago...right around the time these Sun Warriors would have attacked you, as you said.”

“A warehouse?” Yula turned a glance to her master. “The Sun Warriors could be using it as some sort of base.”

“That's _it!”_ Azula paced across the dusty floor of the shop, raising a hand to her chin. Her eyes flicked back and forth, churning with thought. “This Ishida must have ordered them for the Sun Warriors... Who _is_ he?” She moved back in front of the shopkeeper, grabbing at his collar once more. “Tell us where to find him!”

Shin Tsang exhaled, and shook his head. “I'm afraid I only know his name, nothing more. However, I can give you the location of the warehouse I delivered the masks to.”

“That will do fine, thank you,” Anraq said. He stepped next to Azula and made a gentle grab at her wrist—to his surprise, she didn't resist as he pulled her hand away from the man. “Azula...can I talk to you?”

She shot a glance to him. When their eyes met, she frowned and tore her hand from his grasp. Then, she turned around and marched towards the exit. “Very well. Zuzu, Yula, get the location of this warehouse from him, won't you? We'll be waiting outside.”

* * *

When they returned outside, Azula made her way around to the side of the shop. The Imperial Guards watched her nearby, but didn't make a move towards her; they knew better than to leave formation unless they were told to. When she was sure they were out of earshot, she turned to her bodyguard and folded her arms at him. “What is it, Annie? We're in the middle of an important investigation here, we don't have the time to be chitchatting.”

He lowered his brow, but the glare he gave was one of concern. “I just wanted to ask if you're alright.”

“What?” Azula shot her own glare back at him, but hers teemed with annoyance. “I'm _fine._ Why _wouldn't_ I be?”

“Well, it just seems like...you're getting a little obsessed over this.”

“ _Obsessed?_ I'm trying to put a stop to traitors who stand against my empire, and who have already attempted to assassinate me once! Until they are no longer a threat, _nothing_ is more important!”

“I understand, Azula. But...”

“But _what?”_

Anraq softened his look. He took a step closer and reached out to her, holding a hand against her arm. “I think you're letting your anger control you. You're snapping at the smallest things, you're getting paranoid... I don't like seeing you like this.”

Azula didn't pull away from his touch, but her glare grew sharper. “Careful how you speak to me, Annie. I may like you, but that doesn't mean I'll stand for insults.”

“I wasn't...” Anraq paused, and took his hand away. A sigh brushed past his lips. “You're right, I'm sorry. I was just trying to help... forgive me.”

She stared at him a moment longer, arms tightening across her chest. Eventually, she rolled her eyes and gave a sigh of her own. “Oh it's fine, relax. Perhaps you're right.” She calmed herself and stood straighter, inhaling a deep breath. “I need to be more composed in these matters. An empress can't afford to be paranoid or deluded. Which I am most certainly _not.”_

Anraq hesitated, then gave a simple nod. “Of course not.”

“Thank you, Annie. For your concern.” Her own gaze softened now, and for a split second, a flash of genuine appreciation flickered in her eyes. “Sometimes, I feel as though you're the only one I can actually count on.”

Yula appeared from beyond the shop curtain a moment later, followed closely by Zuko. “We have the location.”

“It's a secluded warehouse in the industrial district across Harbor City,” Zuko said. “Shouldn't take long to get there.

“Very good.” Azula inhaled another deep breath to compose herself, and then returned to her palanquin at the center of her Imperial Guards. “Let's see if we can't flush out these Sun Warriors.”

* * *

A thick coat of rust marred the metal walls of the old warehouse, and most of the windows had either been boarded up or were broken. Near the entrance sat a forklift that had seen better days—no wheels or lifting blades, and the steering wheel too had been completely removed. The chain-link fence surrounding the property was nothing more than a mangled mess, cut open and ripped apart, or fallen to the ground. If anyone owned this warehouse, they hadn't used it in a long time.

“This is the place,” Anraq muttered. “Looks abandoned.”

“Which makes it the perfect location for a hideout,” Azula said, as she marched towards the entrance.

No sooner than she began walking, one of the Imperial Guards hurried to her side. She knew him has Captain Han, the head of her personal escort. “Empress, wait. Please, we insist that you remain outside while we investigate, for your own protection.”

“No, _I'll_ be leading,” she said. She didn't even look at him, instead continuing her way to the chained doors at the front of the warehouse. “If we find any Sun Warriors inside, I want to be there. I'll show them exactly what happens when they try to defy their empress.” With a single blast of fire, she exploded the doors clean off their hinges. “Now, let's get on with this.”

Darkness engulfed them when they entered the interior of the warehouse, a darkness that was soon quelled with open flames from each of the firebenders; that of course included everyone except for Anraq, the sole person of the group who bended a different element. The wide open space of the warehouse floor was separated into two parts, with a long partition running down the center. Each of the sides were further divided with several rows of metal shelving that rose up to the ceiling high above. For the most part, these shelves were empty, though a few were filled with long forgotten storage crates and barrels.

“Looks like a pretty big place,” Zuko said, with a careful glance towards both sides of the central partition. “Plenty of places to hide.”

“Captain Han, take your Imperial Guards and investigate the east side of the warehouse,” Azula ordered, as she set off towards the left side of the building. “Annie, Zuzu, Yula, we'll take the west.”

Captain Han raised an uncertain brow. “Empress, are you sure? I don't think we should be separating, in case—”

“You _heard_ me, Captain.” She shot a sharp glance towards him. “Are you trying to disobey an order?”

“Uh, no, of course not. My apologies.” He stiffened straight at attention, and gave a salute. Then, he turned around and marched off towards the right side of the warehouse, leading the other guards along. “Men, on me!”

Azula led her own group along towards the left, keeping her hand outstretched with a bright blue flame burning in her palm. Combined with the light from Yula and Zuko's flames, they lit up the dark corners of the warehouse. Anraq watched their backs, his hand poised over the cork on his hip flask. There was no telling what they might find here, so it was best to remain on guard.

“Keep an eye out for anything that looks out of place,” Zuko said. “If I had to make a guess, I'd say they wouldn't be hiding out in the open. Chances are they have a hidden room, or an underground chamber.”

“Man, why is it that secret organizations always have to hide out in the dark?” Anraq muttered. “For once, couldn't their base be a nice, well-lit office building?”

Azula glared back at them over her shoulder. “Would you two be quiet? You're going to give away our— _ow!”_ A sharp prick stabbed against the side of her neck. She immediately snatched the small object from her flesh and examined it—a blow dart. “What is this? Who's there?”

Yula glanced upwards, eyes widening at the sight of several figures descending from the metal shelving. “Look out!”

Several men wearing sun masks landed between the group, crouched low and poised. Anraq and Yula made a move to attack, but before they had a chance to bend, the assailants popped several quick strikes to pressure points along their arms and legs. They both stumbled as feeling left their limbs, replaced by a dull tingling.

Anraq fought against the numbness and managed to wave his arms through the air. As he did, however, the cork remained firmly pressed in place atop his hip flask; the water inside didn't budge. “What? I can't... I can't bend!”

“They're chi-blockers!” Zuko shot a blast of fire at the nearest assailant, but the masked man ducked and flipped out of the way. “Don't let them hit— _aaghh!”_ Another chi-blocker lunged in from behind and delivered a series of paralyzing strikes to his ribs.

Without their bending, and with partial paralysis already setting in, Zuko, Anraq, and Yula didn't stand much of a chance. The chi-blockers further incapacitated them with several more strikes, dropping them to the floor.

Azula, on the other hand, fared much better than her companions. She jumped backwards and unleashed a pair of massive fireballs. The chi-blockers dove out of the way, but the resulting impact of her flames ripped through the metal shelving and blasted a hole through the wall behind it. “How _dare_ you! I'll destroy every last one of you!”

She slung fireball after fireball, keeping the chi-blockers at bay. Seeing the others crippled on the floor without their bending sent flashes of distant memories flooding through her mind, memories of Ty Lee using the same skill on her. She hated that feeling, rendered helpless without her bending—she would not allow these masked freaks to touch her!

The more she attacked, however, the weaker her flames became. A sudden ripple of exhaustion washed over her. She stumbled, and her arms dropped. Her vision blurred, legs quivered. What was happening? Why... why was she so weak? She made another attempt to move her arms and attack, but her knees buckled. Seconds later, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor, motionless.

“What... what is this?” she uttered. No matter how hard she tried, not a single one of her muscles budged. All she could do was flick her eyes back and forth, watching as the Sun Warrior chi-blockers approached her. “Why... can't I move?”

“That would be the shirshu toxin coursing through your veins, Empress.” A new Sun Warrior appeared, this one wearing white and gold robes. He leaped down from one of the twisted, melted shelves that Azula had destroyed, and stood calmly with his hands held behind his back. Like the others, a golden sun-shaped mask hid his identity. “I must say, though, you are quite resilient for it to have taken that long to neutralize you.”

“You... _fools_. You think...you can _kill_ me?”

The man shook his head. “No, Azula, we're not here to kill you. That was never the plan. You're needed for something far more...important.”

Azula continued to struggle, but it was futile; the toxin had completely paralyzed her. Moments later, her vision shifted out of focus and turned to darkness. As soon as she was unconscious, the Sun Warriors converged on her and placed a dark bag over her head, tying it tight around her neck.

“Don't you _touch_ her!” Anraq heaved himself up into a sitting position, as feeling began returning to his body. He still couldn't bend, but he'd be damned if he didn't do everything he could to save Azula.

“I'm afraid you can't stop us, Anraq.” The white-robed Sun Warrior glared at him—the eyes behind that mask, if Anraq could have seen them in the dark, were devoid of color, and burned as if by fire. “You have no power right now. Soon, the empire will be finished, and the Fire Nation will be free of this corruption.”

Zuko crawled next to Anraq, still shaken by the attack; his old body just wasn't what it used to be. Still, he managed to slip a hand inside his robe and pulled out a small metal whistle. He watched, as the Sun Warriors lifted Azula's unconscious body off the floor, and then brought the whistle to his lips. When he blew it, no sound came out—at least, not audible to human ears. He only hoped there was enough time.

“Hands off the Empress!” A wave of fire burst through one of the holes in the central warehouse partition, followed soon after by Captain Han. The other Imperial Guards followed closely behind him. “Men, attack!”

The white-robed Sun Warrior glanced upward and gave a simple nod, then quickly backed away. Another half dozen Sun Warriors leaped in from above. These ones weren't chi-blockers, though; they were firebenders. The team of both chi-blocker and firebender Sun Warriors clashed with the squad of Imperial Guards in a flurry of flames and precision strikes.

Captain Han was the first to go down, hit along the arms with by a pair of chi-blockers. A blast of fire then caught him in the chest, flipping him off his feet. Two more Imperial Guards fell victim to the same combination, but several others managed to push the Sun Warriors back. For a brief moment, the battle appeared evenly matched. It didn't last. Another wave of Sun Warriors appeared from the shadows and struck from behind. Within moments, the entire squad of Imperial Guards had fallen.

The lead Sun Warrior stepped around the fallen guards and made his way back towards the unconscious Azula. “Now, where were we?”

“No!” Yula rolled over onto her front, pushing herself up onto her elbows. She made a desperate attempt to firebend at him, but not even a dim ember emerged from her fist. “Put Master Azula down at once!”

“Rest assured, Fire Lord, she will be well taken care of,” he said, turning his gaze towards her. “Then, we'll be back for you.”

Anraq staggered up to his feet, arms held tight across his ribs. When he steadied himself, he waved his arms forward, but just as before the water in his flask remained stationary. “Azula!”

The Sun Warriors gave them one last look before turning to leave the warehouse. As they did, the ceiling burst apart in a shower of flames and twisted metal. They scattered, ducking for cover, and Azula again fell to the floor out of their grasp. When they looked up towards the now gaping hole in the ceiling, they were greeted with the open maw of large, pissed off dragon. Seconds later, a searing jet of fire burst from the dragon's throat and scorched a handful of the fleeing Sun Warriors. They screamed and fell rolling to the floor.

The dragon slipped through the hole in the ceiling and crashed down to the floor of the warehouse, putting himself between Azula and the Sun Warriors. He breathed out another inferno from his throat, and another group of Sun Warriors went up in flames. Those that escaped the first couple rounds of fire took off in a desperate run. The white-robed Sun Warrior gave the dragon a long glare, and then he too retreated.

Zuko stumbled up to his feet and approached the dragon with a smile. He had Aang to thank for convincing him to get his own version of a bison whistle, specifically for his dragon. “Good boy, Druk.”

“Whoa...” Anraq uttered, staring up at the great beast. He had never seen a dragon before, and standing in one's presence now was...awe-inspiring. “Glad he's on our side.”

“Here, you two take Azula back to the palace, and hurry,” Zuko said. He ambled over to the fallen Imperial Guards, some of whom were now beginning to recover. “We'll clean up here.”

“Are you sure?” Anraq hurried over to Azula and removed the bag from her head, then lifted her into his arms. “Those Sun Warriors could still be hanging around waiting for the dragon to leave.”

“I'm sure. Druk can only carry so many at once, anyway. We'll be fine.”

Anraq looked from Zuko to the dragon. “Well, alright... If you say so.”

Druk pulled himself low against the ground, allowing Anraq and Yula to lift Azula up onto his back, and then join her themselves.

“This is amazing,” Yula said, giving the dragon's crimson scales a gentle pat. “He's beautiful.” A gentle rumble surged from the beast's throat, as if in appreciation for her compliment.

Once Anraq had Azula secured against him, he too gave the dragon a pat, and said, “Let's go, Druk.”

The dragon took off in an instant, rocketing up into the air and out the hole in the warehouse ceiling. In seconds, they were on their way back up to the Caldera, and to the palace.

* * *

Azula groaned as consciousness returned to her. She blinked, but saw only dark splotches in front of her eyes. “Where I am? What happened?”

“Relax, everything's fine.” She knew that voice—Annie. “You're in your bedchamber. We were able to get you out of the warehouse and escape the Sun Warriors, with a little help from your brother's dragon.”

“Those Sun Warriors... They will _suffer.”_ Azula could barely get her voice out of her throat, yet still she managed to spit venom into her tone. She forced herself upright in bed and attempted to swing herself over the edge, to stand. “When I get my hands on them, I swear I'll... I'll... _nnghh.”_ No sooner than she tried, her body went limp and flopped back against the mattress.

Anraq hovered above her—she could see him now, though still he was blurry. He brought a hand down to her forehead, and brushed aside the loose strands of her hair. “Careful, Azula. You're still a little weak from the toxin.”

“I am _not_ weak!” She swatted his hand away and made another move to sit upright. Again, she managed only to collapse.

“I know, I just meant...” Anraq sat back on his chair next to the bed. He sighed. “I'm sorry. Just, please try to take it easy until you fully recover.”

Azula swallowed, and set her head squarely on her pillow, so she could stare at the ceiling. _“Fine.”_ As much as she didn't want to admit it, she could barely move. She felt...exhausted, and dizzy. “What happened to the Sun Warriors from the warehouse? Did we eliminate them?”

“Druk toasted a good deal of them, but the others got away,” Anraq explained. “Zuko and Captain Han were able to capture a few of them alive, though.”

“And we're interrogating them?”

“As we speak.”

“Excellent. I want you to get every last bit of information out of them as you can, and when you're done, I want them disposed of.”

Anraq lifted an eyebrow. “You mean...”

“I mean _executed!”_ She snapped her gaze towards him, and forced herself up onto her elbows. “They are traitors to the empire! Treason is punishable by death, it always _has_ been. These people have to know that we will not give them leniency for their actions.”

“Of course...” Anraq watched her a moment, then rose to his feet to leave. “Now, just get your rest. Please.”

“You're not staying?” Azula's tone shifted, dropping its biting anger in favor of a desperate insistence—it sounded almost pleading. She wasn't even consciously aware of it herself. “You can't just leave me alone like this, when they could attack again at any moment.”

Anraq, however, did catch that change in tone. He looked back at her, meeting her gaze. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then, he eased out a gentle sigh and lowered himself back into his chair. “Of course, Azula. I'll stay here as long as you need me.”

She continued staring, until finally she gave a nod and then let herself fall again to the mattress. This time, she let her eyes close. “Good...”

* * *

Shin Tsang opened his eyes—his dead, burned eyes. Even though he couldn't see the same as normal people could, he knew where he was: the Spirit World. He could, after all, see in a much different way, a better way. The world around him was dark, and thick with choking fog. A single spire of stone stood before him, and around that spire the ground fell away into emptiness—nothing but a black void.

He gave his surroundings only a brief glance before standing out of his meditative pose; he had been here enough times before to know what it looked like. Instead, he marched straight towards the base of the spire, where a sealed door marked with glowing glyphs awaited him. He could feel the presence beyond that door, watching him. The first time he felt it, it had terrified him. Now, it enthralled him.

“You come empty handed again, Shin Tsang.” The cryptic voice echoed all around him, as if coming from every direction at once. It was haunting and yet exhilarating at the same time.

“Indeed I have.” Shin Tsang removed his sun-shaped mask, and smoothed the front of his white robes. Then, he knelt in front of the sealed door, head bowed. “It appears our efforts so far in capturing Azula have proven fruitless. We have been close, but in the end she is powerful, both in body and because of her allies.”

“That is to be expected,” came the reply. The voice was smooth like silk, yet also chilling like ice. “The essence she carries empowers her. If you cannot get to her physically...then you must attack her mind.”

Shin Tsang lifted his head. “How do you mean?”

“Azula's body has always been strong,” the voice explained. “She was a prodigy. Now, she is more powerful than ever. Her spirit, however... Her spirit is _weak._ Strike not at her physically, but mentally. Use her fear and obsession against her. Break her down. You must have seen it already.”

“She did express clear signs of paranoia when I spoke to her today...” he muttered. He raised a hand to his chin, thinking. “It should only require a small push to break her. The question is, what is the best way to do that? What does she fear most?”

“That answer...is simple.” The voice paused, and then without warning came racing back to him in an instant. _“Betrayal.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so just a word of warning, we're going to be changing gears a little here in the coming chapters. By that, I mean we're going to be focused in the Fire Nation for a bit. There's some things concerning Azula and the whole Shun Warrior/Shin Tsang situation that needs to be covered before we get to the real next leg of the major conflict. So, expect a small reprieve from the rest of the world and characters. Just wanted to give you all a heads up.
> 
> In any case, I hope this chapter raised some intriguing questions. We have a new mysterious antagonist in Shin Tsang, the leader of the Sun Warriors. Just when you think they aren't going to be a threat, though, they prove that they are capable of quite a bit with some planning. And then of course there's the whole spirit thing that Shin Tsang has going on. I can't wait to cover that whole bit of information, but we'll get there eventually.
> 
> I'm curious what people think about what's happening with Azula and Anraq, though. Things are going differently there than I intended, but hopefully it's making sense. At least, it made sense when I wrote it, and I tend to not know what the heck I'm even writing sometimes.
> 
> Also, three cheers for Druk the angry dragon. Zuko and his dragon whistle to the rescue!


	70. Trust No One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continued efforts by the Sun Warriors to torment Azula leave her obsessed and paranoid. As she descends into delusions and begins losing trust in those around her, Yula receives a shocking wake up call from an unlikely source.

The weeks following the Sun Warriors latest assassination attempt—or rather, _abduction_ attempt—were troubling for Azula. Try as she might to retain her normal, domineering nature, she found herself slipping, and paranoid. Who _were_ these Sun Warriors, really? What did they _want_ with her, if not to kill her? The members they had captured yielded little results, even with Yula leading the interrogations. The only significant piece of information they had learned was that Shin Tsang, the simple shopkeeper who made the sun masks, was in fact the man who had organized the Sun Warriors together, shortly after the creation of the Dragon Empire.

Other than that, they received only information that they already knew—the Sun Warriors wanted to remove Azula and her allies from power and dissolve the empire, to restore the Fire Nation from its supposed corruption. As for what they needed Azula for, or who their other members were, or where they were hiding, that all remained a secret. Whether it was because the prisoners didn't know or they were simply that resilient to interrogation, they didn't reveal anything else.

Even raiding Shin Tsang's shop had proven fruitless; the Imperial Guard had found it empty and abandoned upon their return. Now, they could only wait and plan against further Sun Warrior attacks. It put Azula on edge. That fact wasn't helped by the Sun Warrior masks that continued to pop up around the city. They appeared seemingly at random, sometimes hanging from a building or a lamppost, or left in a puddle in the middle of the street, yet they were always in a place where Azula could see them. As the days carried on, the mask appearances became more frequent, to the point where Azula refused to enter the city altogether. Instead, she shut herself up in the palace and increased security, where she could be safe.

Rumors began to circulate amongst the people about the Dragon Empress' well-being. Some believed she was ill, others that she had gone mad. If only they knew how close to the truth they were. Everywhere Azula looked, she saw Sun Warrior masks, even when they weren't there, even when she closed her eyes. She had never been one to run scared or back down from a challenge, and yet something about these people panicked her, and deluded her mind like poison. Only Anraq, Yula, and dear Zuzu could put her at ease, and even then not for long. She remained guarded and suspicious, even of the people closest to her. No, the only one she could rely on was herself.

And Annie. She could rely on _him_ , couldn't she? He'd always been so faithful and loyal, always done his best to protect her. She _liked_ him, too. He was...different than the others. She had been able to sway him, to change him. Such a soft-hearted, pathetic man, and yet at the same time fierce and strong. Perhaps that was why she had been so personable to him. She _wanted_ him to like her—not fear her, like everyone else did. But... _did_ he? No, of course he didn't. No matter the methods she tried, she only put him off. She knew it, deep down. Before Anraq had come with her to the Fire Nation, he had hated her. Surely that hatred still lingered, regardless of appearances or claims to the contrary.

How badly she wished to be wrong.

Azula wandered down the palace halls, stumbling along tired legs. It had been so long since she'd last slept. She couldn't afford to, not with those Sun Warriors out there. She had to remain vigilant, on alert. As she turned the corner into the next corridor, she realized she didn't know where she was going. There had been a reason she started this journey through the palace, and yet for some reason now she couldn't remember. She stopped there, standing motionless and staring at the floor.

_What was I doing? Where... Where am I going?_

"Master?"

Azula jumped at the voice. With a startled cry, she spun around and kicked out a line of blue fire, nearly tripping off balance in the process. The woman behind her ducked beneath the flames and pushed a hand upward, bending them safely away from herself.

"Yula?" Azula held a hand against the wall to steady herself. Exhausted tears stung at her eyes, and her vision blurred. "Don't sneak up on me like that! I could have... I could have _hurt_ you."

Yula stared at her, eyebrows pressing together with concern. She had never seen her master like this, so obsessed and paranoid, so imbalanced. "Apologies, Master Azula. I didn't mean to startle you."

"What is it? What do you want?"

"Well, I...just wanted to tell you that we received a report from Earth Queen Izumi earlier today," Yula said. "All Earth Kingdom states have now given in to demand and have joined the empire, even the ones who resisted at first."

"Oh." Azula shifted her gaze away, towards the floor. "That's good...good. What about Zaofu?"

Yula shook her head. "I'm afraid Matriarch Kuvira remains adamantly opposed."

"I see... No matter. We'll deal with Zaofu eventually." Under normal circumstances, Azula would have made plans to deal with Kuvira immediately. Right now, though, she couldn't bring herself to care. There were more important things to take care of. "You're dismissed, Yula."

Yula bowed, but paused herself before leaving. Again, she gave her master a worried look. "Are you alright, Empress? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, turning herself away. Still, she held a hand against the wall to keep steady on her feet. "If you want to do something, just go be a good little Fire Lord and rule the people. And find the Sun Warriors!"

"Of course..." Yula heaved out a deep sigh, then finally turned to leave. "Good day, Master."

Azula waited until Yula was gone to restart her march though the halls. She needed to remember what she had set out to do. The more she tried to recall, however, the more clouded her mind became, as if blocked with a heavy fog. When she reached the end of the hall, she stopped and pressed her hands to her eyes. The hot sting of tears brought upon by sleep deprivation burned hotter beneath her palms. What _was_ it? Why couldn't she remember?

_What was it?_

Annie. _That_ was it. She was looking for Annie. She had sent him to check on the palace security, but he hadn't returned yet. She needed him back to guard her room now. The longer he left her bedchamber unguarded, the more opportunity the Sun Warriors had to attack her again. How long did it take to make simple rounds about the palace, anyway? Surely not all day. So then where was he? She _needed_ him.

Or... wait, how long _had_ he been gone?  Had it been all day, or had she _just_ sent him? Why couldn't she remember?

Pulling her hands away at last, Azula turned down the next corridor. Her legs quivered as she walked, threatening to give out at any moment. She didn't pay any attention to it. There was no time to waste worrying about exhaustion; she could sleep when this nightmare was over.

A glint of gold light caught her eyes. She blinked, then glanced upwards to find the source. The lamplight flickered, and then again reflected off a shiny golden surface hanging from the archway above her. When she realized exactly what she was looking at, her heart lurched inside her chest. _No_. _No, no, no, no!_ There _couldn't_ be a Sun Warrior mask here, not in her own palace! She had had all the ones they recovered destroyed! How did _this_ one get here?

"You look a little flustered, Empress."

Azula spun herself around towards the voice. She blinked at the figure behind her, trying to make it go away—surely she must be seeing things. But the man didn't go away. He remained standing there, staring at her with his burned white eyes: Shin Tsang.

 _"You,"_ she snapped, stumbling backwards on her feet. "How are you here?"

"You place too much faith in those you trust," Shin Tsang said.

Azula narrowed her sunken, tired eyes, glaring daggers at the man. "What are you saying? Someone let you in here, is that it? You hung that mask up to mock me?"

Shin Tsang held his hands behind himself, back straight and stiff. His expression remained unnervingly calm. "Perhaps. Or maybe you're jumping to conclusions. What does your spirit tell you?"

"No, don't you speak in riddles to me!" Azula steadied her stance, but still her knees buckled. "What do you _want_ with me? Why are you here?"

"I'm here because you stole something very important. Something you need to give back."

A scowl descended upon her face."I've never stolen anything from you."

"I didn't say you stole it from me."

"Then from who? You mean the people?" Azula wiped at her eyes again to dry her burning tears. "I didn't steal anything from them. I give them guidance, and protection. They still have their freedom, and their lives. All I require is that I be their ruler. It's such a simple request, isn't it?"

Shin Tsang merely shook his head. "I don't mean the people, either. That _is_ why the Sun Warriors want you deposed, true. I, however, need you for something else."

Azula released a howling groan of frustration. Her exhausted tears surged with renewed strength, and again she wiped them away. "What do you mean! You're their leader, aren't you? What else do you want from me?"

"What you stole belongs to someone very old, and very wise," he explained. "Someone you're very familiar with. Someone you _betrayed."_

Azula's eyes squinted with uncertainty. What in spirits name was he talking about? What was... Wait.

_Spirits._

"No..." she muttered, taking a step backwards. "You don't know about that. You _couldn't_ know about that. _Nobody_ knows about that!"

"I know many things, Azula,” he stated. A hard sternness set upon his face, brow lowering over his eyes. “The Spirit of a Thousand Faces has called to me. You stole something very precious to him, and now he wants it back."

Panic jolted through Azula's heart like lightning, eyes snapping open wide. She let loose an incoherent shout and thrust her fingers forward. Great blue flames burst into the air. They engulfed Shin Tsang, engulfed the corridor, even billowed out the windows. When at last the flames ceased, she pulled her hands back and staggered atop her feet. The fire dissipated, leaving the hall clear again—Shin Tsang was nowhere to be found.

"Where _are_ you?" she shrieked, eyes still wide and burning with tears that she didn't bother to wipe away. _"Where did you go?!"_

"Azula?"

She spun around again, this time with her fingers charging lightning at their tips. Just before she fired the bolt, she realized who it was that was now ducking for cover, and let the lightning vanish from her fingers. "Annie... You snuck up on me."

Anraq straightened himself, relaxing out of his defensive pose. "Yeah, sorry about that... What _was_ that just now? Who were you talking to?"

Azula blinked. "You mean you didn't see him?"

"See who?"

"Shin Tsang," she insisted, turning back around to point where the Sun Warrior leader had been standing. "He was right there!"

Anraq's brow lifted, and his eyes flickered with a growing concern. "Azula... There was no one there. You blasted your fire down an empty corridor."

She blinked at the empty space where Shin Tsang had been—where she was _sure_ he had been. "No, no he was...right there." A tired grumbled surged from her throat, as she pressed a palm over her face. Annie was wrong, he had to be. A sudden thought came to her and she removed her hand. "Wait, the mask!" Again she turned, this time pointing up at the arch where the mask had been hanging. "There! You see it, don't you? It's right—" Her jaw dropped open, eyebrows lifting; there was no mask. "...there."

"Azula..." Anraq stepped close to her, reaching a hand against her arm. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped, wrenching her arm away from his touch. "It was right there! I saw it!"

"Okay, I believe you," he said, pulling his arms back.

She turned a hopeful look in his direction, eyebrows raised high. "Really?"

"Yes, I believe you _saw_ something."

Her expression sank. "But you don't believe anything was actually there, do you? I know what I saw!"

Anraq eased out a quiet sigh. "I think we really need to get you back to your room. Come on, you need some sleep."

"I can make it there myself!" Azula stumbled away from him, catching herself against the wall. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to _trick_ me... You're on their side, aren't you? You _all_ are. You'd all love to see me fall, wouldn't you? _Wouldn't you?"_

"No, Azula, I just—"

"Stay away!" she yelled, as she continued her exhausted staggering down the hallway. Her vision blurred, and the tears stung hotter, but still she did not fall. She would _never_ fall. "Just...just leave me alone, Annie. I need to be alone. I _have_ to be..."

* * *

Yula yawned, sinking back against her chair with her arms outstretched. She had been going over various financial documents for the past two hours now, and she still was no closer to finishing than she started. Or at least, that's what it felt like. She glanced at one side of her desk, where she had set the completed forms, and then at the other side, where the stack of incomplete forms waited to be handled; the incomplete pile was nearly double the size of the complete pile. She sighed, grabbing another one of the documents. No one had told her that running a nation could be so boring.

As she signed her name along the bottom of the document, a sudden presence tingled the hairs on the back of her neck. She stiffened straight in her seat and dropped her pen, eyes darting around the room. The door to her office remained closed, and yet she was certain that she had felt...something. She waited just another moment, then reached for her pen again; she must have been imagining things.

“Greetings, Fire Lord Yula.”

She jumped with a startled gasp, then whirled her seat around, fingers pointed and charging lightning. Her gaze found a familiar pair of dead white eyes, and in an instant she knew; she let her lightning fly. The bolt ripped through the man and exploded against the wall behind him, searing the paint with a charred, blackened mark. The man, however, didn't even flinch. He continued standing there, untouched by the lightning.

“That won't do you any good,” Shin Tsang said, with a simple shake of his head. “I'm not really here. Not physically, at least.”

Yula rose out of her chair and stepped back around her desk, lowering into a defensive stance. “What are you, then? Some kind of...hallucination?”

“In a sense,” he said. “This is but a projection of my spirit, so that I can speak with you even though I am unable to physically reach you.”

“You want to speak with me?” Her eyes hardened. “What makes you think I want to listen to what you have to say? You lead the Sun Warriors. You've been tormenting Master Azula!”

“I have merely been revealing your master's true nature, exposing her for what she really is.”

“What are you talking about?”

Shin Tsang inhaled a calm, even breath, and closed his dead eyes shut. “Azula is a deluded mess of a woman who controls those around her through fear and power. Someone like that is unfit to be a leader. Look at how she cracks when something doesn't go her way, when a group stands against her who she can't control. Her confidence and strength have given way to obsession and paranoia. You must have seen it yourself by now, how broken she has become.”

Yula narrowed a critical glare at the man, but didn't stop him, not yet. Something else sparked in her eyes, something she almost didn't want to admit was there—curiosity. “She _has_ been more...distracted lately, than usual.”

“And you think that's a coincidence?” Shin Tsang opened his eyes again, staring directly at Yula. “Azula _needs_ control in order to function. When she meets someone or something she can't control, she breaks down, as you've already seen. How can someone like that be tasked with leading a nation, let alone an empire? What she has done is doomed the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom into oblivion, if she continues leading them down her dark path of fear and corruption. Her empire cannot be allowed to continue, or the world _will_ fall into chaos.”

“No, you're wrong,” Yula stated, with a shake of her head. “Azula is a _great_ leader, and a great teacher. She's taught me so much... I wouldn't be where I am today without her.”

“Yes, she has taught you quite a bit, hasn't she?” Shin Tsang nodded slowly, then paced across the floor around her desk; he more glided than anything, as his body was not truly there. “You've become strong, haven't you?”

“Of _course_ I have,” she shot back. “I'm not just some nobody from Ba Sing Se anymore. I'm the Fire Lord.”

“Yes, you are, and I think you could be a great one. You have everything it takes to be a good ruler—intelligence, power, sincerity, resilience... And yet, no one else will ever see that.”

Yula flinched at the words, her brow twisting with confusion. “What are you talking about? Of course they see it. _Everyone_ sees it, how far I've come. I rule the Fire Nation!”

“But you still answer to Azula,” he retorted, with a simple shrug. “No matter how great, or how strong you think you are, you will only ever be remembered as one of the puppets in a madwoman's pocket.”

No, that's...that's not true.” She took another step backwards, but her stance finally shifted. She rose out of her bending pose, posture straightening. “It's because of Azula that I was able to become Fire Lord, yes, but... I still rule the Fire Nation.” Her gaze shifted downward, brow pushing together. “Don't I?”

“What kind of ruler answers to another?” Shin Tsang asked. “Especially one as imbalanced as Azula is proving herself to be. The Fire Lord should answer to no one but the Fire Lord, just as the Earth Queen should answer to no one but the Earth Queen. There is no place in this world for an empire, or a self proclaimed empress. There is no room in this world for _Azula_. She has to go, for the world to survive... and for you to truly to show the world your strength.”

“But... but that can't be right, can it? Master Azula is good for this world. She's _helping_ people.”

“No, Yula. She may think she is, but with as fragile a mind as hers, with as unstable as she is, she will only drive her people to ruin.” Shin Tsang huffed a sigh, again closing his eyes. “And again, you prove my point about you, as well, when you refer to Azula as _Master._ As long as you are stuck under her boot, that's all you will ever be—her servant.”

Yula leaned against her desk and lifted a hand to her head, brushing her fingers through her hair. She didn't want to believe what this man was telling her, and yet...it made so much sense. Was Azula actually scared of losing control of Yula? Did she fear what would happen if Yula decided she didn't want to be a servant anymore? Was Azula _afraid_ of her?

Her mind swam with so many thoughts, it hurt. She forced herself to sit down in her chair again, hands held against her head. Her stomach churned; she felt sick. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I'm telling you because I want you to become the Fire Lord you should be, one who is in charge of herself, and her nation. Not one who answers to a higher power.”

“And how...would I do that?” she asked, with a nervous tremble in her voice. Her stomach twisted tighter, and she was sure she would vomit.

Shin Tsang leaned close to her, so they were eye-to-eye. His voice came out nothing but a whisper, calm and sincere. “I just need your help with one simple thing.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so yeah, not a super long chapter, or a lot going on here, but there are some important things happening. Most notably is that Azula is starting to slip again. We've seen that up until now she's been stable, domineering, vicious, and nigh unshakable. However, continuing the glimpses we've seen of her growing paranoia over the past few chapters, we find her now nearing another breakdown, as the Sun Warriors mess with her mind. Shin Tsang, in particular, is doing his part to ensure that she cracks entirely.
> 
> Speaking of Shin Tsang... Now he's going after Yula, but not in a way I bet most people might have thought. Any guesses on what's going to happen with them? Because chances are it won't be good...


	71. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula nears a complete breakdown, and Anraq attempts to help her through it.

Anraq huffed out a sigh as he made his way down the palace corridors, on his way to Azula's bedchamber. In spite of her insistence that he leave her alone, he had to check up on her. Something was off about her, with how this whole Sun Warrior thing had been going. She wasn't herself, and it concerned him. He had never seen her like this, so paranoid and afraid. He knew Azula would never admit to that, of course, but he could see it on her face plain as day. The thought of her spiraling downward with no one there to help her made him flinch with guilt. She needed help; what kind of friend would he be if he wasn't there to give it to her?

There was no way to know if she would even accept that help, but he had to try. At the very least, he had to make sure that she was actually getting some sleep. Whether she wanted anyone there for her or not, if she continued carrying on how she was, her health would suffer even more than it already had.

As he approached the doors to Azula's bedroom, the sound of voices grabbed his attention. He paused, and concentrated harder. It was only one voice, he realized—Azula's voice. When he came closer to the doors, he noticed that they were ajar, offering a small gap between them. He quirked a brow at the gap, then drew closer. Had Azula been _that_ out of it that she hadn't even closed her doors all the way?

Azula's voice snapped from within the bedchamber. Anraq pressed himself close to the doors, peering through the open space between them. Was she in trouble? Was someone in there with her? He prepared himself, hand already pressed against his water flask, ready to spring into action if need be. At first, he saw nothing in the darkened room beyond, but as his eyes adjusted he noticed Azula standing in front of the large mirror opposite her bed. She appeared to be alone... but then who was she talking to? Still on guard, he pressed his face closer against the gap, and watched.

Azula paced in front of the mirror, a scowl deep on her face. Her eyes burned with more tears, but she ignored them; there was no point in wiping them dry when they would just reappear moments later. If she got some sleep, then perhaps her eyes would clear up on their own, but she didn't care. She _couldn't_ sleep, couldn't rest. She had to be prepared for anything.

“Like _you...”_

Azula ceased her pacing and looked back to the mirror again. The sight of herself deepened her frown. Her hair was wild and disheveled, hanging loose around her shoulders with stray strands sticking out in all directions. Dark, heavy circles had set in beneath her eyes, painting her with a look of exhaustion and death. Even her skin, normally pristine and perfect, now seemed pale and faded. The simple red silk robe she wore hung loose on her shoulders, barely held together with its sash; she hadn't cared enough to properly tie it into place. What did it even matter?

Her gaze remained on her own reflection for only a moment, however. Soon, she looked past herself to the other figure in the mirror. That face... that sweet, mocking face that had haunted her for so long, now finally showing itself again. The woman didn't say anything, though. Instead, she just stared at Azula, with her brow pushed together in some sort of pretend sorrow. Oh, how Azula _hated_ that look.

"Don't you look at me like that,” she said, stepping closer to the mirror. “I can see it in your eyes, what you think of me.” Still no answer. Azula closed her own eyes and made a grab at her hair, fingers tightening in her locks. “It doesn't _matter_ what you think! Look at what I've accomplished! I'm stronger than I've ever been, the people love me, I am an _empress..._ ”

When she opened her eyes again, that face was still there, still mocking her. “Are you proud of me now? Well, Mother?” Again, no response. Azula twisted an angry frown upon her face. “Say something! Are you proud of me?” Nothing. With a groan, she turned from the mirror and moved towards her dresser, holding herself against it with a shaky arm. “No...no of course you're not. How could someone like you ever be proud of someone like me? Or _love_ me...”

She swallowed back the tight knot in her throat, then pushed away from the dresser. She turned again to the mirror, only this time Ursa's reflection was gone, instead replaced by another. This face, she also knew well, and she despised it nearly as much. “And what about you, Father, hmm? Look at what I've done! The Earth Kingdom is mine, and I did it all without your help! Just like I did it without your help the _first_ time.”

Ozai remained silent in that mirror. He only stared at her, burning a hole through her with those critical, condescending eyes of his. Azula turned away from him and returned to her dresser, head bowed. Her hair fell down over her face like a veil. “But does that matter to you? No, of course not. I _never_ mattered to you. Just as long as I was your good little prodigy, your weapon... Well guess what? I'm my _own_ weapon now! I don't need you. I don't need _anyone!”_

When she again received no reply, Azula glanced back over her shoulder at the mirror, at her father. A sudden hot wave of anger boiled through her. “Stop staring at me and say something! What's _wrong_ with you?"

She made a grab at a pair of scissors on her dresser. When she had it, she whirled around with a furious shout and threw the scissors with all her might. The mirror shattered upon impact, spraying countless shards of glass outward onto the floor, and the dresser. For a long while, she just stood there heaving in deep breaths, glaring at broken bits of mirror. Several lingering shards fell free, until finally all was quiet again.

"I'll show you both,” she muttered. “I'll show you _all._ This is my destiny... and I'm going to seize it, no matter who gets in my way."

The doors to her bedchamber opened, causing her to stumble back against her dresser. She immediately snapped her gaze towards the open doorway, but the disparity in light between her room and the hallway beyond forced her eyes to squint nearly shut. She saw only a dark silhouette standing there, entering the room.

"Who's there?” she spat, biting her question with venom. A blue flame sparked to life in her palms, while she shielded her eyes with her other arm. “Show yourself!”

The doors closed a moment later, returning the room to near darkness. "Easy, it's just me."

"Annie...?” Azula lowered her arm and blinked. She could see him clearly now, at least when her vision didn't blur. “What are you doing here? I thought I told you leave me alone."

"I know, I'm sorry,” he said, with his arms raised. He waited to continue until she dissipated her flame, leaving the bedchamber lit by only a pair of candles on her desk. “I just came to check up on you. Then, I heard you speaking with someone and...I thought you might be in trouble, or something. So, here I am."

"Heard me speaking with...” Azula blinked again, and then her eyes shot wide open. “How much did you hear?!"

"Uh... I mean, not much..."

"That wasn't for you to hear!” she snapped, pointing a finger at him. “How _dare_ you eavesdrop on me! How dare you—!” She stopped, her expression shifting from anger to abject shock. “Wait, did _they_ send you?"

Anraq lifted an eyebrow. "Did...who?"

"They did! They _turned_ you on me. They wanted you to _stop_ me!"

"Azula, I'm not sure what—"

"You were going to assassinate me, weren't you? Or... or try to abduct me.” Azula moved away from him, tripping past her dresser towards her bed. She only kept from falling by catching herself against the bedpost before her legs gave out. The entire room was starting to spin, and a throbbing pounded between her ears. “You thought you could sneak up on me, but you were wrong!"

"What? No. Azula, I'm here because I'm worried,” he insisted. “You're slipping. This whole Sun Warrior thing has you going crazy."

Those words sent a furious jolt through her. She spun around at him, with a scowl that could have melted steel. "I am _not_ crazy!"

"Okay, I'm sorry.” Anraq held his hands up again and took a step backwards, leaving distance between them. “That was a poor choice of words. I just... Is everything alright with you?"

"Everything is _fine._ Why wouldn't I be fine?"

"Maybe because you can barely stand? Or because you're talking to yourself in the mirror? Or because you're seeing things? Or because you haven't been sleeping? Or eating? Or taking care of yourself at all?"

"You don't know what you're _talking_ about.” Her voice bit with a harshness that she hadn't expressed towards him since that day eight months ago when he had called her a monster.” There's nothing wrong with me!"

Anraq took a cautious step towards her, gauging her reaction. When she didn't become defensive, he continued until they were within just a few paces of each other. "I never said there was. I'm just worried about you. If you're having trouble working through some things, you can tell me. I'll listen."

She turned away from him again, glaring down at the floor. Her vision shifted out of focus, and for a brief moment everything went blurry. "I don't need help with anything. I don't need anyone. I'm fine on my own."

"Azula, please.” Anraq closed the distance between them now, and brought his hands to her shoulders. She flinched at his touch, but he gave a reassuring squeeze—to his surprise, she relaxed. “If you keep this up, you're going to end up hurting yourself. Let me help you."

"I said I don't _need_ help."

"I think you do. You just don't want to admit it.” He moved around in front of her now, so he could look her in the eye. “It doesn't make you weak, asking for help when you need it. It makes you a normal human being."

Azula glared, twisting her lips back into a frown. "And what would _you_ know about it? What do you even know about me? _Nothing_ , that's what. So stop pretending like you do."

A heavy sigh breathed out past his lips, a mix of shame and acknowledgment. Still, he never took his eyes off her. "No, you're right, I don't know anything about you, only what I've read in history books and learned during the past year. That's because you've never _told_ me anything about you, though.” He leaned closer, softening his expression. “But I _want_ to know. Tell me, please. Let me understand what you're going through so I can help."

She swallowed another lump back in her throat as she stared at him. His tone seemed...sincere, even compassionate. Was he telling the truth? Did he really want to learn more about her? Did he really want to help her?

"No...” she muttered, taking a staggering step backwards. Her voice shot again with renewed distrust. “No this is a _trick_. You just want the information so you can use it against me. You just want to end me, just like all the others!"

"I want to _help_ you!” he retorted, taking another step towards her. “Why won't you open up to anyone, Azula? Are you _afraid_ , is that it?"

"I'm not scared of _anything!"_

"You say that, but I don't believe you. What is it, Azula? What are you so afraid of?"

Azula wandered back over towards the mirror, clutching her hands against her hair. She squinted her eyes shut, fighting back those stinging tears. "You don't care!” she yelled. “Not _really._ Not about _me."_

Anraq flinched at the accusation. He stood stiff, eyebrows pushed together with concern. "Why would you think that? Why wouldn't I care?

"Because _nobody_ cares! Nobody _ever_ cared!” A shuddering breath quivered out of her throat. She pulled at her hair, raking her fingers through the long dark locks. Her rage subsided, soon replaced by a calmer, more somber demeanor. When she spoke, her voice was soft, almost a whisper. “My mother didn't care. She hated me, thought I was a monster... And then she replaced me with a new daughter, because I wasn't good enough. My father never cared, either.”

She puffed a scoffing laugh out her nose, and then shook her head. “Oh, I thought he did. I was his perfect child, his prodigy. But that's _all_ I was to him. When it came down to it, he pushed me away too, just like he did Zuko. I was _nothing_ to him.” A quiet sigh eased past her lips, and she lowered her head. “Mai and Ty Lee never cared. They turned on me, betrayed me, just like everyone else. And Zuzu? Ha! He says he cares, but I know what he really thinks of me deep down. He had me thrown in an institution. Do you know the kinds of things they did to me in there? I didn't deserve that!”

A long moment past, and then she slowly tilted a look towards Anraq. No matter how she tried to hide it, a deep pain quivered in her golden eyes. “And now _you._.. I should have known. I tried to be nice, to be...normal. _Friendly._ I thought maybe just once if I tried something other than fear, I could get someone to actually care. To _like_ me.” She closed her eyes again, then smacked her palms against the sides of her head. “What an _idiot_ I was! I just keep making a fool of myself in front of you. I see it in your eyes, how I put you off, how I _revolt_ you.”

When she took her hands away and opened her eyes again, her gaze found one of the larger shards of broken mirror on her dresser. She grabbed it, and looked down at her reflection. The sight of wetness glistening on her cheeks sent a surprised jolt shooting through her; she hadn't realized she'd been crying. She _couldn't_ be crying. She couldn't be showing weakness!

Her disdain over her tears only strengthened when she focused on her entire face. Years had past, and yet still she looked the same. Still, she was young. Too young for Annie to take seriously, she knew that. That's why he never accepted her, why any attempts at winning him over blew up in her face. Even when things went right, she made no progress. “It's not my fault I look this way, you know. I don't _have_ any other face!”

She threw the shard across the room, where it further shattered into smaller pieces. “And now it's too late... You don't care about me. You don't even _fear_ me. How could I be so _stupid?"_

"Azula..." It was all Anraq could think to say at the moment. He just watched her as she sank over her dresser, shoulders slouched and head hanging. He could see the pain in her, the way her eyes clenched shut, lips turned into a pout. She held her arms close around herself, in desperate need for any kind of embrace. She was trying so hard not to cry, not to show weakness... No matter her resistance, though, she could not stop a steady line of tears from seeping out behind her closed lids and draining down her cheeks. This wasn't the Azula he knew. This wasn't the confident, domineering woman that has restored the Earth Kingdom and begun an empire. This was a broken, scared girl that had been hurt far too many times in her life. This was a girl who needed help.

Anraq moved next to her, but kept a small distance between them, to give her space. With his own head bowed, he too grabbed one of the broken shards of mirror and stared into it. "You're right, in that I don't fear you. Probably not for the reasons you think, but nonetheless. Your whole life you've relied on fear to control people, haven't you? So when there's someone or something you can't control with fear, it scares you..."

That didn't apply just to himself, of course. He meant the Sun Warriors most of all, who had thus far broken Azula down into a paranoid mess. She couldn't control them, either through fear or any other means, and that terrified her. At least, that's how he saw it. Azula made no denial of the statement, only turning her head so he couldn't see her tears.

"But if I'm not afraid of you, then why else would I still be here?" He turned to her now, inching forward a step. She didn't pull away, so he reached out to her, and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ever so slowly, she looked back at him, until their eyes met and locked onto each other. "I'm here because I believe in you, because I can see that there's more to you than just the cold, cruel wall you live behind. I'm here because in the past eight months you've managed to do what I thought was impossible—you _changed my mind_ about you. You made me see that there _is_ good in you, no matter how far down it might be buried. I'm here because I _do_ care about you. I'm here because I can see you're in pain, and that trying to face it yourself is tearing you up inside."

He brought both hands to her shoulders now, and looked deep into her eyes; they were sticky and bloodshot, and sank in a way that told him she didn't believe what he was saying, but still she didn't look away. "You don't have to face it alone, Azula. You don't have to _be_ alone, not if you don't want to. You just...have to let yourself open up."

Azula stared a moment longer, and then tore away from his grasp. She walked back towards the mirror, holding one hand up against the side of her face. She didn't look at him. "No, you're wrong... I've _always_ been alone. No matter how many people are around me, I'm _still_ alone. I always _will_ be."

"Azula, you're only as alone as you choose to be," he insisted. He stood behind her, waiting, watching. He knew he couldn't force her to accept her help, but if she needed him, he was there. "If you want something more in your life, you have to stop being afraid of it. I just don't want to see you hurting anymore. I want to see you heal. _Please."_

Azula remained quiet a long moment, holding a stare on the mess of shattered glass at her feet. Annie sounded so sincere, so eager to help her...but she couldn't let him. She couldn't accept it, couldn't _imagine_ it. There was no way he _actually_ cared, was there? No... No, she'd always be alone, no matter how much she might want otherwise.

With a deep breath, she steadied her nerves, and calmed the churning in her gut. Then, she wiped her face dry, clean. She had shown enough weakness for one day. When at last she composed herself, she turned back to Anraq with a simple frown.

"Just go, Annie..." she said, her voice soft, nearly a whisper. "I know you don't really want to be here. You never did."

Anraq remained firm, and shook his head. "No, Azula... I don't think you understand. There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now than at your side. That's not going to change, regardless of what you think. You're my _friend_... I'm not going to abandon you."

"Friends..." Azula puffed out a small scoff. "I don't... _have_ friends."

"You do," he said, with a single shrug. "And they care about your well-being. Please, if you won't let me help you, then at least get some sleep. It's been days."

Azula shifted her gaze towards her bed. The thought of lying beneath the soft silken sheets, curled against her pillow, drifting off into that calming abyss... It _did_ sound enticing. Her eyes then lowered to the glass again, and a frustrated sigh surged out her lips. "I've made a mess... I need to clean it."

"I'll clean it." Anraq was already on his knees, carefully picking up the larger fragments and setting them aside. For the smaller shards, he removed them from the carpet with his water, and bended them into the waste basket next to the dresser. "You just get some rest."

She watched him a moment, and her eyes softened. He didn't need to do that... And yet, he did so anyway. _Why_ , though? Was he really that eager to help her? _Did_ he care about her, like he said? It seemed so...impossible, and yet...maybe she _could_ trust him.

As Anraq continued to clean the mess, Azula wandered over to her bed and sat at the edge of the mattress. Now that their conversation was finished, and now that she had calmed herself, the exhaustion had returned stronger than ever. She realized that, more than anything, she just wanted to sleep. With tired eyes, she blinked towards her bodyguard one more time.

"After you finish with that...will you stay, again?" she asked. "To guard me, I mean..."

He glanced back at her, but didn't say anything at first. Instead, they shared a quiet look, locked together in a moment of mutual understanding. A calmness set in over the bedchamber, and soon Azula felt at ease. When the moment past, Anraq gave a stern nod.

"I will," he said. "All night."

She returned a nod to him, hers slower but appreciative. Saying nothing else, Azula slipped beneath her sheets and curled against her pillow. In moments, her mind at last drifted away into the comforting embrace of sleep.

* * *

When Azula opened her eyes, she found herself engulfed in darkness—not the darkness of her bedchamber, but of a different sort. A thick, choking fog swirled around her, curling across her limbs as if alive. She swatted the fog away and began walking, stumbling through the void. Why wasn't she in bed? Where _was_ she?

The answer came soon enough. She tripped out of the fog and fell to her knees. As she did, a shimmering light flickered through the darkness. She focused on it, squinting her eyes. That was when the darkness began to fade and reveal a towering stone spire that stretched up to the inky sky above. That spire was familiar, she realized, but...that couldn't be right. She _couldn't_ be back here.

_"Azula..."_

The cold, silky voice echoed as if from all around her, but she knew where it came from. She focused on the light—glowing glyphs emblazoned upon a sealed door on the wall of the spire. Her gut sank, nauseous; she _was_ back here.

"Welcome back, Azula," the voice called. "It has been...so long."

"No...this isn't real," she muttered, as she scrambled back to her feet. "I'm not here. This a dream."

"But Azula, what separates a dream from reality? How is it any different to your mind?"

"You stay away from me, spirit!" Azula turned from the spire and ran back into the fog. "You won't take me!"

A sinister cackle echoed through the air, following her no matter how fast she ran. "It is only a matter of time before we meet again, face to face. When we do, you will give back what you stole from me. Then, you will be punished for ever believing you could betray one of the most ancient spirits in all creation."

"No! You _can't_ have it! You can't have _me!"_ Azula kept running, never slowing, never looking back. It made no difference. The voice still found her.

"Poor, fragile Azula," the spirit chortled. "No matter where you run, no matter where you hide, The Spirit of a Thousand Faces will find you."

* * *

"No..." Azula moaned, clutching her pillow close against herself in a death grip. "No...stay away..."

Anraq watched her as she slept, hoping to himself that she would be alright. For the past hour, she had been mumbling and groaning about some spirit to leave her alone—a nightmare, perhaps? He dared not wake her, though. She needed rest, even if it wasn't the most peaceful sort. Eventually, though, the grumbling ceased, and Azula rolled over, quiet. Anraq only hoped that meant her dreams had become sweeter.

With a quiet sigh, he turned himself in the chair and leaned over Azula's desk. He was quite tired himself, he realized, but he couldn't sleep, not while he was on guard. Instead, he reached into the pocket inside his shirt and pulled out a folded piece of paper—well, not paper really, but a photograph. In that photograph, he saw a younger version of himself, just twenty years old. It seemed so long so; he didn't even have his beard. Of course, that wasn't why he kept the photo. Rather, it was because of the young girl in his arms, smiling brightly at the camera.

 _Kanna_.

It was the only picture he had of her, taken shortly before they left Republic City to return to the South Pole. He always carried it with him, yet for a long time he hadn't looked at it. Ever since the Red Lotus incident, though, with Yuruk now taken care of, he had found himself looking at it with far more regularity. Although he had finally made peace with her death and begun to heal, he missed her now more than ever.

"Love you, Sweet Pea," he said, with a gentle sigh. "Always will."

* * *

Azula awoke with a start, bolting straight upright in bed. A cold sweat beaded across her forehead, and her lungs heaved with heavy breaths. As her nerves began to settle, she flicked her gaze around to room; she was in her bedchamber, safe and sound. No more fog, no more cackling laughter... She felt as though she had been running through that abyss for an eternity. Now, though... now it was over. For the time being, at least.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Azula bellowed a deep yawn and stretched her arms outward. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but she felt more refreshed now than she had in weeks. When she stood up, she turned a glance across the room and noticed a familiar man slumped across her desk, the side of his face pressed flat against the surface. So... Annie _had_ stayed, just like he said he would. Even if he'd fallen asleep in the process...

She made her way towards the desk and watched him; he barely moved as he lied there, chest taking in deep, slow breaths. Normally, she'd be furious that someone assigned to guard her had fallen asleep on the job, and yet with Annie...she found herself amused. He really could be such a dunce sometimes, and spirits help her she found it endearing.

As she watched him, her gaze shifted towards his hand, in which he clutched a half-folded piece of paper. Her brow rose curiously, and she snatched it into her own grasp—not a paper, she realized, but a photograph. A younger Anraq stared back at her, smiling. She smirked, too. This wasn't just a different Anraq in age. There was something brighter about him, happier. It was in the eyes; they sparkled, as much as they could in black and white, rich with joy and excitement. As much as she had seen him smile now, his eyes never quite captured that same spark.

In the next second, she realized why—a young girl, only a few years old at the most, held lovingly in his arms. The girl smiled even wider than her father, holding on to him in a tender embrace and laughing at the camera. A strange cringe of emotion ripped through Azula's chest as she stared at the girl. Her smirk shifted into a frown, and her breath became heavy. Why would a silly picture of a silly child make her feel so...sorrowful? She didn't even know this child, and she never felt like this about anything.

The memory of a brief conversation from months ago shot through her head. She remembered... this child, this girl, was Annie's daughter, wasn't she? The one he'd lost. A knot lumped into her throat, but she fought it down. How wonderful for this child to have had a father who loved her, and who missed her now that she was gone. Azula hadn't been so lucky. She knew how her own parents had felt about her, knew that they wouldn't have cared after she vanished. They had been terrible, loveless parents. But Annie... Annie was everything a good parent should be.

Azula huffed out a lengthy sigh as she slipped the photograph back into Anraq's hand. She paused just a moment, and then gently smacked the man across the cheek. “Wake up, Annie.”

Anraq jumped up in his seat with a startled gasp. He raised his hands in a defensive posture, eyes wide and on alert. “Who- where- what... what's going on?”

“You fell asleep, Dumdum,” she said, with a gentle sigh.

He blinked, then rubbed his eyes. “Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

“It's fine,” she said, sitting herself against the edge of the desk. “I got plenty of sleep, myself.”

“Oh, well that's good.” Anraq held a hand over his mouth and yawned. “Glad you're feeling better.”

Azula watched him a second longer, and then turned her gaze towards the photo still clutched in his fingers. “So, was that her? Your daughter, I mean.”

Anraq gave a slight flinch as he lowered his hand to look at the photo. When his gaze met it, he sighed. “Yeah... yeah, she was.”

“What was her name?”

“Oh, uh... Kanna,” he replied, lifting an eyebrow in her direction. No doubt, he hadn't actually expected her to ask about his daughter.

Azula pursed her lips. “I see... not a bad name, I suppose. What was she like?”

“She... was great,” he said, still caught in apparent surprise over Azula's questioning. “I mean... she was such a curious kid, adventurous... she loved the outdoors, especially when it snowed. We used to make snowmen together, though she always said I was cheating when I used waterbending to help. She loved listening to stories, too... I used to act out the scenes for her, she always got a kick out of that. And her laugh... Man, if her laugh couldn't melt your heart, then you didn't have one.”

Anraq's expression grew brighter as he spoke more about Kanna. His lips gradually curled wider and a gleam came to his eyes—the same gleam as in the photo. Azula wasn't even sure why, but it made her smile.

“She sounds...like a nice girl,” Azula said, with a simple nod.

“She was,” he said, with quiet laugh. “She really was.”

“What...happened to her?”

Anraq's wistful smile vanished at the question, and shifted into an empty, forlorn frown. “It was Yuruk... He bloodbended her trying to get at me, and... he went too far. It took just an instant, and... and then she was gone.”

Azula looked away—the sight Anraq's broken expression caused harsh regret to root in her chest. Now she wished she hadn't asked. “I'm...sorry.”

“S'alright,” he said, with a simple shrug. “Was a long time ago.”

Azula folded her arms. For a long moment, she debated with herself where to go from here. Could she really trust this man? Could she really risk opening herself to him? Trust was for fools, that had always been her belief. And yet, Annie wasn't like the others. This absolutely sweet and pathetic man... She wanted to be wrong, she _wanted_ to trust him.

Did that make her a fool, then?

Perhaps it did, but she knew it didn't matter at this point. After her dream, after her visit from Shin Tsang, after these Sun Warriors... she needed to confide in someone. She couldn't let herself fall to pieces, not again; she had worked too hard to build herself up. If she had to swallow her pride in order to survive...then so be it.

“Annie... there's something I need to tell you.”

He raised a brow at her, and sat straighter in his seat. “Oh... alright. What is it?”

“These Sun Warriors, this Shin Tsang... I think there's more to them than what they say.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I think Shin Tsang is working for someone—some _thing—_ else.”

Anraq cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowed curiously. “Okay...and what would that be?”

Azula frowned, and held her arms around herself. She stared at the floor. “The answer to that is complicated. There are...things you need to know.”

“I'm listening,” he said, with a nod. “You can tell me anything.”

“I'll have to start from the beginning.” She lifted her gaze towards his. When their eyes met, she breathed deep, steeled her nerves, straightened her posture. Even though she had brought herself low enough to ask for help, that didn't mean she had to look weak while doing it. She could still be composed, and poised. “It's...quite a story.”

He nodded, and pulled his chair closer. “What kind of story?”

“The story of what happened to me...” she said, forcing herself to swallow the knot in her throat. “...after I died.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope people enjoy this chapter, because honestly it was one of my favorites that I've written so far. I really liked going through Azula's pain and distrust, and just playing with her broken psyche. It's similar to how she broke down at the end of ATLA, but the difference here is that this time around she has someone to help her through it, even if she might be reluctant to let him. That will be the key difference in how she works through this, though, in that she will actually be able to work through it, rather than completely break into a maniacal lunatic.
> 
> And... dun dun dun. It's time to learn Azula's secrets. We've already kind of learned a huge one at the end of this chapter, and that will be elaborated upon in the next one. Get ready folks, this is gonna be a ride!
> 
> Also, because I just reached 200 kudos (yay!), I want to do something special. Anyone who feels like it can suggest a small scene/scenario with any characters of their choosing. The one I like the most, I'll write as a bonus scene at the end of one of the next few chapters. You can pick any characters (try to limit it to like two or three), and any scene, as long as it makes sense and fits with what has happened so far in my fic. There's no limit to how many you can suggest, either. Go ahead and come up with ten if you want! I'll only be picking one, though, so make them count.


	72. The Story of How I Died, Pt. 1: The Spirit of a Thousand Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Azula ran off into the Forgetful Valley 80 years ago, no one ever heard from her again. This is the story of what happened to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read The Search, then you'll probably be confused by the opening scene here, as it takes place at the end of that comic.

_80 Years Ago..._

“Azula! Come back!”

Zuko's pleas fell on deaf ears, as Azula raced out of the small Hira'a home, the home of Noren and Noriko—or rather, Ikem and Ursa. Ursa... their mother. A mother who had changed her face and chosen to forget Azula, and replace her with a new daughter, that insufferably pleasant girl, Kiyi. All because Azula wasn't good enough for her... To Ursa, Azula was still just a monster, and always would be.

So then why hadn't Azula been able to end her mother when confronted with the opportunity? She had had the chance, the means... and yet Ursa still had the gall to claim that she loved Azula, even under the guise of a different identity, and when she couldn't even remember anything about her past life. _Lies_. That's what they were, all lies! Ursa would say anything to save herself. And yet still, her words were...confusing to Azula. Confusing, and infuriating.

Now, as she ran out of the small village, she didn't even know what she wanted anymore. What did she do now? Where did she go? Who would accept her? Certainly not her mother, or Zuzu. They wanted only to mock her. Well, she wouldn't give them the chance. They couldn't mock her if she didn't come back. They wouldn't even _care_ if she didn't come back. So that's what she'd do. She'd leave.

_But where?_

Shortly after reaching the edge of town, she noticed the one thing that made sense to her in that moment, out in the distance: Forgetful Valley. If there was ever a place she could lose herself, where she could escape, that was it. So, that's where she ran. She sprinted across an open field towards a narrow pass between two cliff faces, the entrance to the valley. Once she was there, they would never find her, not if she didn't want to be found.

“Come back! Please!” Zuko's voice again. Still he chased her, still he mocked her. “I can help you! I _want_ to help you!”

Azula slowed to a stop in front of the cliff pass, and finally turned to face her brother. Noriko— _Ursa_ —was with him. She glared at them, a mix of pain and hate and grief. Tears streamed out the corners of her eyes, but she did nothing to wipe them away. “Same as always, Zuzu. Even when you're strong... you're weak.” And then, she ran again, darting through the pass and into the dense forest growth of the valley beyond.

Zuko's desperate call echoed through the night air, the last time she would ever hear his voice. “Azula!”

* * *

Azula wasn't sure how long she ran, only that she never stopped. The farther she went, the denser the forest grew, and the darker it became. She ignited flames in her hands to light her way, but that did little to help when the trees and vines were so thick that she couldn't see more than a few feet in front of herself regardless. Even so, she didn't slow her pace. She struggled through the brush, jumping over fallen logs and tripping over tree roots like a clumsy fool. Whenever the forest became too thick, she sliced arcing lines of fire to cut away a clear path. Then, she continued running.

No matter how much of the forest she cut and burned away, though, it always found a way to grow back and thicken. The undergrowth converged on her, strangled her as if alive. She didn't give them the chance to take her. She burned away as much of the forest as she could to free herself, and she pressed on. She didn't know where she was going, of course, but it didn't matter—as long as it was far, far away from Zuko and her mother.

The more she burned, however, the angrier the forest became. Strange faces began appearing on leaves and bark, even on the backs of passing moth wasps and squirrel toads. They were angry, twisted faces, scowls of contempt and hate. The forest didn't like the destruction that Azula was causing, and she paid no heed to the warnings. She merely continued to battle the attacking undergrowth, while fleeing farther into the valley.

The game of cat and mouse drew on for what felt like hours. The longer it went, the more frantic and panicked Azula became. To anyone else, the reason for the forest's assault on her would have been obvious. To Azula herself, though, she couldn't understand why the valley wanted to hurt her. She started screaming at it, daring it to attack. Whenever it tried, she burned it with another wave of fire. Soon, though, even her firebending couldn't help her. The forest became too angry, too persistent. All Azula could do then was run as fast as she could, desperate to get away.

She never saw the drop off. Her stride broke as she stepped out onto empty air, and the next thing she knew she was rolling down the side of a steep hill. She tried to stop herself, to control her fall, but a sudden wave of panic set over her and her mind went blank. She could only yell and grunt with pain, as her body barreled violently down the hillside, colliding with rocks and logs and trees along the way. The whole world spin wildly around her. She saw the sky, and the forest, and the ground, all swirling together as one. Faster and faster she went, harder and harder, without an end in sight.

Then, she hit the water. The sudden shock of cold liquid engulfing her body jolted her panic to new extremes. She thrashed beneath the water, clawing and reaching to find the surface. She couldn't tell which way was up and which was down. One thing she could feel for certain, though: she was sinking. The harder she struggled, the heavier she became, and the more the water dragged her down. Her eyes opened wide, darting around beneath the surface, but all she saw was darkness.

The air in her lungs began to fade; there hadn't been much to begin with, as she hadn't had a chance to take a breath before submerging. Her lungs burned, threatening to burst. She grabbed at her chest. This was all so wrong. This shouldn't be happening! What had she done to deserve this torment?

Just as the last of the air in her lungs expelled into nothing, she saw it. A tiny light in the distance, rapidly growing, coming closer. Within seconds, it was upon her, and that's when she realized what it was—some kind of massive spirit creature, jaws opened wide to consume her. She screamed beneath the water as the spirit's maw crashed upon her, and the last of her air burned free in her chest. Darkness took hold of her. She coughed, sputtered, choked on mouthfuls of water.

It was gone. Everything was gone. _She_ was gone.

There was only the abyss.

* * *

Azula groaned as she opened her eyes, consciousness slowly returning to her. She lifted her head and blinked. The forest of Forgetful Valley loomed around her, thick and dense. Even in the sunlight, it seemed dark. At least it wasn't attacking her anymore. Pushing herself up to her knees, Azula took a careful look around. From what she could see, she had washed up along the shore of one of the four water pools in the valley.

How had she escaped that spirit monster? The last thing she remembered, she had been trapped within its jaws, drowning beneath the water's surface. Now... It seemed she was safe. That was good, in any case. Perhaps now she could actually figure out what she was going to do. She could stay here in the valley as long as she needed, until she came up with a plan. She could leave eventually, start a new life somewhere else, or maybe return to the capital and take back what Zuzu had stolen from her. One day, she would fulfill her destiny.

But _was_ it her destiny? _Did_ she belong on the throne? Yes, of course she did... She _knew_ she did.

Didn't she?

As Azula returned to her feet, she noticed another body lying next to her, face down in the mud—a woman, by the look of it, dressed in simple Fire Nation travel attire. Had someone else fallen into the water with her? That seemed like a strange coincidence. Perhaps this one had already been here for quite some time, and Azula was the first to find her? With a curious hum, Azula knelt at the woman's side and turned her over.

A horrified gasp burst from her lips when she saw the face—not a woman, a _girl_ , a teenager. It was a face she had seen countless times before in the mirror, one she was all too familiar with. She had grown up with this face. It was... _her_ face. This body, this girl... This was _herself?_

Azula recoiled backwards with wide eyes. What kind of trick was this?! This wasn't right, it couldn't be right! Slowly, hesitantly, she looked from the body and focused down at herself. What she saw jolted a stiff dread through her: she was transparent, faded blue. All of her, from her skin to her clothes...she wasn't really there. She was...

 _"Dead,"_ she uttered, voice hoarse with the revelation. "I'm... I can't be... I _can't_ be dead! _No!"_ She lunged forward at the body, _her_ body. She beat her fist against it, screaming, crying. "Wake up! Wake up, you idiot! You stupid, stupid... _Wake_ _up!"_

Nothing happened. Nothing changed. Her body simply lied there, unmoving and eyes shut tight, skin ashen like snow. She stopped her screaming eventually; now, she could only cry. She knelt there next to her body, head hanging, and she sobbed. It was over. Everything was over. Any hope she had for life was gone now. What remained? An eternity trapped between worlds, wandering this valley as a forgotten shade of who she once was? What kind of low, pathetic existence was that? She didn't deserve that.

A low growl pulled her out of her forlorn thoughts. She looked up at the line of trees near the shore, and there she saw it—the great spirit wolf, the one who served the Mother of Faces. It growled again, and locked its eyes onto hers. It _saw_ her. Azula stared back at it, tingling at an unfamiliar sensation rippling down her spine—no, not her spine. She didn't have one anymore, she supposed. She didn't have a _body_ anymore... Just a spirit.

The sensation was fear—pure, unabated. She didn't know why, but she knew she couldn't allow that wolf to catch her. When it began to approach her, she stood up and pointed her fingers at it; a good blast of lightning should be enough to scare it off. It was a reflex, built up over years of training and fighting. The thought that she might not be able to bend, now that she was a spirit, didn't even cross her mind. She only realized it when nothing released from her fingers—no lightning, no fire, not even a puff of smoke. Her eyes snapped towards her fingers as alarm ripped through her chest.

No, no, no, not this, too! She _had_ to be able to bend! She had to—

A howl forced her gaze back upwards. The wolf was already upon her, lunging and snarling. There was nothing she could do, nowhere to go; she could only shield herself with her arms, eyes squinted shut. She could only wait for the spirit to take her.

* * *

Azula opened her eyes again, but this time she was in an unfamiliar location. The valley was gone, the forest was gone... Instead, she stood in the middle of an open field of grass, with tall lilypad-shaped trees dotted about the space. The sky above was a mix of pink and orange, and in the distance she saw strange animal figures floating along the horizon—no kind of animals she was familiar with, though. Some were large, others small, and others looked like oversized rabbits, flying with their ears. They were all a multitude of abnormal colors, as well. So strange...

She looked down at herself again and realized that her body appeared solid, no longer faded and translucent. Tentatively, she touched herself—she felt solid, too. A breath of relief hissed out her lips, and she smirked. So, she was still alive, then. That incident in the forest had just been...a bad dream. Yes, that had to be it. But if that were the case, then where was she now?

"Hey you, human."

Azula blinked, turning her gaze down at the voice. Her gaze found a small hole in the ground, out of which an animal had poked its head—some kind of meerkat... A _talking_ meerkat.

"Yeah, you. What are you doing here?"

Azula's lips twisted into a disgusted frown. "Don't you talk to me, you filthy rodent. Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, you're a no good lousy human, and you're standing on our turf. Get moving!"

"How _dare_ you speak to me like that," she shot back, glaring harder at the animal. She shifted into a bending pose and then thrust her fingers at it, with every intent on roasting the pathetic little creature. "I'll teach you respect!"

Nothing happened. Again, not even a spark emerged from her fingers. Her eyes widened, and she stared at her hand. _What?_ What was _wrong_ with her?

"Did you just try to _bend_ at me?" the meerkat questioned, lowering his brow into a glare.

"What's going on? Why can't I bend?"

"You idiot, you can't bend in the Spirit World."

Azula furrowed her brow. "Spirit World?"

She had heard about this place before from her uncle, years ago. Of course, she couldn't remember any of the details; she had never bothered listening to his boring stories. The only thing she knew about it was that it was a different world than their own, a world for spirits; humans couldn't physically enter. If that were the case, then for her to be here meant...

"I _am_ dead," she uttered, staring forward with blank eyes. "I'm...a _spirit_. _"_

"Yup, and so am I. Couldn't be here any other way." The meerkat spirit folded his arms, then hardened another glare. "But you're still a _human_ spirit, _and_ you tried to bend at me. We don't take too kindly to that."

Azula blinked, still caught in a haze. "...'we'?"

Dozens more holes opened up in the ground, and from each one popped out another meerkat spirit. They shouted at her in unison, their squeaky voices echoing with disdain. Then, they leaped at her. Azula ducked and dodged the spirits, but there were far too many to remain untouched, especially without any bending. Her shock and horror from the grand revelation of her death swiftly disappeared, instead replaced by anger and disgust as the spirits latched themselves to her.

"Don't you _touch_ me, you filthy animals!" She yanked one of the meerkats from her body and threw it, but that was all she managed before their weight became too much to bear. They dragged her down to the ground. The grass churned like water, swirling around her and pulling her into an empty abyss. She screamed again, and then the ground closed above her. Everything went dark.

* * *

Azula awoke in the middle of a forest. It wasn't anything like the forest of Forgetful Valley. No, this was a Spirit World forest, complete with oddly colored trees and flowers, fluttering little wisps of light, and the occasional spirit animal crawling on trees or flying through the air. Some of them stopped to watch her, as she sat upright and pressed a hand to her face. They didn't say anything, but she could feel their wretched eyes upon her.

Why did this have to happen to her? How could she have died, and in such a shameful way—drowned and gobbled by a spirit monster? It was humiliating, and infuriating. And heartbreaking. What was she supposed to do now? Wander about the Spirit World for eternity like some kind of ghostly vagabond, alone and constantly under attack by hateful spirits? What kind of afterlife was that? No, she wouldn't accept this... She wouldn't accept being _dead._ There had to be _something_ she could do to fix this

Azula finally forced herself up to her feet. She didn't know where she was supposed to go now, but she couldn't just sit there. So, she started walking. And walking. And walking. The forest never seemed to change, no matter how far she went. The trees, the vines, the flowers, the spirits—they all looked the same. She hated it already.

“Huuumaaann....” a voice hissed through the trees.

“What is it now?” Azula muttered, turning a glare behind herself. The only thing out of the ordinary she saw was a pair of glowing mushrooms at the base of a nearby tree, but she was certain the voice had come from that direction. “What's the matter, spirit, afraid to show yourself?”

“You don't belong here, human.” The voice was louder now, and harsher. “Humans in the Spirit World belong in one place, and one place only!”

The attack came from above, but Azula never saw it coming. She was too focused on the forest behind her, too lost in her own distress. A sticky glob of some foul smelling substance splattered against her. She struggled against it, tried to escape, but in seconds it became hard like iron. A firm yank on the line attached to her pulled her to the ground. She landed with a grunt on her backside, leaving her to stare up at the forest canopy above. There she saw a truly ugly creature skittering along one of the trees—a massive spider scorpion with a glowing lure hanging atop its head.

“What _is_ this?” she shrieked. “Let me go! Do you have any idea who I am?”

“You are a _human,”_ the spirit replied, with a biting contempt. “This isn't your world, and you will be punished for trespassing.”

The spider scorpion leaped to the ground and skittered off through the forest, dragging Azula along behind it. She struggled harder in the cement-like cocoon, but it was futile; she couldn't budge a single muscle.

“No, no, no... Unhand me!” she yelled. “Where are you taking me?”

“Where all humans go,” was the simple reply. “Where you will spend _eternity.”_

* * *

The fog... There was so much fog. Everywhere Azula looked, she saw only a dense white cloud. It choked her, suffocated her. What kind of prison was this supposed to be? The spirit had said that she was to spend eternity here, and yet it was nothing but a simple valley filled with fog. All she had to do was keep walking until she reached the edge, and then she'd be free. It didn't even matter what direction she went. This was stupid, just a waste of time. When she got out of here, she'd find that spirit and make it pay.

She walked for hours. How large could this place be, where it took that long to reach the end? It hadn't looked that big when she saw it from the outside. Surely, she would make it there soon. Surely...

Hours turned to days. At least, it felt like days. She was a spirit now, so she didn't need to eat, or sleep, or do much of anything. Time had no meaning anymore. The only thing that mattered was finding a way out of here. It was only a matter of time...

* * *

Weeks, now, and her thoughts had become a jumbled mess at this point. There was... something she was supposed to be doing, and yet she couldn't remember what it was. Where was she? What was this place? _Who_ was she? How did she get here? _Azula._ That was her name, wasn't it? Yes... Azula. She repeated it to herself in her head, again and again. She couldn't forget it. She wouldn't _let_ herself forget it.

* * *

How much time now? She didn't know anymore. She didn't know much of anything anymore. Her gaze pointed straight at the ground as she shuffled through fog. Why was there so much fog? Why did there have to be so much? She hated it, _hated_ it! Who was she? What was this place?

_Who was she?_

“I am Princess Azula, of the Fire Nation,” she muttered, quietly. “I will take the throne one day. It is my destiny. I am Princess Azula, of the Fire Nation. I will take the throne one day...”

Over and over she repeated the phrase. That mantra was the only thing left keeping her sane, the only thing that gave her a grip on her ever slipping reality. Whenever she felt herself forgetting who she was, she said it harder, louder. She couldn't forget. She wouldn't forget.

“I am Princess Azula—”

“You're a monster.”

The voice made her flinch. She shifted a tired look through the fog, and there she saw a face staring back at her. “You... I know you, don't I?”

“Oh, Azula, don't you recognize your own mother?”

“That's right... my mother. You're my mother.” Azula squinted her eyes, curious. “What are you doing here?”

“I never loved you,” Ursa said, with a frown. “You were always a terror of a child. So hateful and cruel... How could a mother ever love a child such as that?”

“Shut up!” Azula pressed her palms over her eyes. Perhaps if she couldn't see, her mother would disappear. “I _know_ you never loved me. You always made it so clear, how much you preferred Zuko! I was never good enough for you! That's why you forgot about me! That's why you _replaced_ me! That's why you—” She removed her hands, only to find that the image of Ursa was gone. “...left me.”

Even with Ursa gone, though, she couldn't escape. A new voice spoke to her, this time from behind her. “What a disappointment you were.”

Azula spun around, eyes twitching. This one she definitely knew... she couldn't forget. “Father... what are you... Why are you here?”

“I thought you were to become my legacy,” Ozai stated, with that critical, disappointed glare of his, the glare he so often gave to Zuko. “But look at what happened to you. I leave you in charge of the Fire Nation and you lose it to your failure of a brother. You're not the perfect child I thought I raised. You're _nothing_. _You're_ the failure now.”

“No, no, no! _Quiet!”_ Azula fell to her knees and shrank inward, arms held around herself and eyes shut tight. “I am Princess Azula, of the Fire Nation! I will take the throne one day! It is my destiny!”

She coughed out the final words, and broke into a fit of sobbing. It _was_ her destiny... wasn't it?

* * *

Years. Maybe. She thought... was it? How long? Did it matter? Who was... she... Didn't know anymore. Too much fog. Too much... Keep walking. Had to walk. Had to... What? What was... Didn't know. Didn't know. Didn't...

“I am... I am...” Her voice stopped short each time she attempted the phrase. She had said it so many times, thousands of times, but she still couldn't remember. Not now, not anymore. “I am... I... am...”

“ _Princess Azula.”_

“Princess Azula... of the... of...”

“ _The Fire Nation.”_

“Of the Fire Nation... I am Princess Azula of the... of the Fire Nation. I will... I will...”

“ _Take the throne one day.”_

“I will take the throne one day. It is my... my...”

“ _Destiny.”_

“I am Princess Azula, of the Fire Nation. I will take the throne one day. It is my destiny.” _That's_ who she was. Now she remembered... Now she knew. But _how_ had she remembered? That other voice... who was it?

“ _I've been watching you for some time, Azula. You are lost right now... but not forgotten. Not alone.”_

Azula whirled around, shooting her gaze back and forth through the fog. Where was that voice coming from?

“ _The Fog of Lost Souls is a cruel, unfitting punishment for someone like you,”_ the voice stated. Inside her head, she realized—the voice was inside her head. _“I will set you free.”_

“How?” she uttered. Memories began returning to her. Resolve began returning to her. She wanted out of here, out of this prison. She wanted to be free. She _needed_ to be free. “How can you get me out of here?”

“ _Follow the light...”_

Azula blinked, unsure of what the voice meant. _What_ light? There was no light. Only fog.

Then, she saw it. The faintest flicker of tiny lights in the distance, burning through the fog. She concentrated on them, made sure that they wouldn't disappear from view. At first, she just stared, unable to force her legs to move. Soon, though, her growing resolve shattered any hesitations she had, and she marched towards those lights. They were her beacon, her hope.

The fog faded, as she neared those lights, thinning into nothing but faint white wisps that swirled around her body like tangling vines. Her prison vanished, replaced only by a dark void on all sides—below her, around her, above her, all black like ink. Still, she followed those lights. Her pace quickened, and soon she was running at them. They drew nearer, grew larger, burned brighter, until...

A spire—a great stone spire that stretched into the infinite abyss above appeared before her. The lights, she realized, came from glowing glyphs emblazoned upon a large round door on the side of the spire. The door itself stood three times as tall as Azula, and five times as wide. She stared at it, eyes wide with wonder, and in that moment she knew that _this_ was where the voice had come from—behind that door.

“Welcome, Azula, to my domain.” The voice was no longer in her head, but echoed all around her as if coming from every direction at once. It was smooth, yet cold, like slipping bare into satin bedsheets on a cool winter's night.

Azula cleared her throat and shook out of her awe-struck stupor. “Who are you? And why did you bring me here?”

“I am known as the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, but you may call me... Sen. I brought you here because I sensed something special about you when you came to the Spirit World. I watched you closely, waiting... And now I believe the time is right.”

She lifted an eyebrow at the sealed door. “Right for what?”

“For you to help me.”

“Look, I appreciate you freeing me from my prison, but what makes you think I'll help you now?”

The spirit's voice shook with an amused sort of laugh. “Because... I can give you something you want.”

Azula frowned. “What could you possibly offer me?”

“What you want more than anything,” Sen replied. _“Life_. I can give you life.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So looks like I'll be breaking this flashback down into two chapters. It would just be way too long to keep as a single chapter otherwise. Now, I realize that this will most definitely conflict with the upcoming comic Smoke and Shadow, but... well, when I originally conceived this story, it was before the summaries for that comic had been released, so... oh well. This will just have to be an alternate take on what happened to Azula.
> 
> Also, I'm still accepting suggestions for a bonus scene to write, as detailed in the last chapter notes. Haven't received any yet.


	73. The Story of How I Died, Pt. 2: The Spirit Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After striking a deal with Sen, The Spirit of a Thousand Faces, Azula travels to the great Spirit Library, where she confronts Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things.

Azula narrowed a curious glare at the stone doorway. “What are you saying? That you can...restore my life? As in, bring me back from the dead?”

“In a sense, yes,” replied the echoing voice of Sen, the Spirit of a Thousand Faces. “I am one of the oldest spirits in existence. I can do _many_ things.”

“And you have the power to raise the dead? You'll forgive me if I'm skeptical.”

“Oh, you have every reason to be suspicious, I assure you,” he said. “Perhaps I should explain. You see, my mother creates faces, identities. My brother does the opposite—he takes faces away. I do a little of both, but my power extends beyond that. I can manipulate a being's essence—their spirit, their _soul._ Once I have it, I can do many things with it. I can alter it, I can remove it, I can even absorb it and then become that being. For you, though... I can do something else.”

Azula held a hand to her chin. What this spirit said did intrigue her, and the thought of being alive again certainly had her full attention. The problem was, it sounded far too good to be true, and far too convenient—best to be cautious. “Explain.”

“My power is limited while I am trapped here, behind this door, but there is still something I can do. I can create empty vessels, blank shells with a clean slate in need of an essence. Like so.” A small burst of light erupted in front of the sealed door. The light took form, shaping itself into a humanoid figure. When the light faded, it revealed a simple, nude female human body standing there. The body's face, though, was blank—no eyes, or mouth, or nose. Its head, too, was bald of any hair. “And then... I can give it a face.” The body's entire head engulfed with another ring of light, giving it defining features. A nose appeared, followed by hair, and then a mouth, and eyes. This time, when the light faded, Azula's eyes widened with recognition.

“That's _me!”_ she said, coming closer to the body. She stared at its face, at those familiar gold eyes, framed by long dark hair atop its head. “That's... it's me.”

“Yes, a simple task for one of my power.”

“But... it's still an empty shell, isn't it?” Azula frowned, realizing that the eyes were devoid of any life. They stared straight forward, unblinking, empty. “It's not... actually me. _I'm_ me.”

“You are your spirit, the essence of who you are, or rather who you used to be when you were alive,” Sen explained. “But as I said, I can manipulate that. I could put you _inside_ this vessel, merge you with it. You would have a physical body again, and you would look just as you did before. You would be _alive_ again.”

Azula stared closer at the face, but her eyes softened. “I'd be... alive.”

“Not only that, but this vessel, that face, would never age. You would retain your youth, and your beauty, for all time. Consider that an extra...perk.”

“You mean I'd never grow old?” She took a step back and looked down at the entire body again. “Well yes, I do like the sound of that... Would I still be able to bend?”

“Your ability to bend is tied to your essence, not your physical shell. So yes, you would have your firebending, the same as it was before you died.”

“This sounds...far too good to be true.” Azula looked past the body now, at the glowing glyphs upon the door. “What's the catch? What do you need from me to make this happen?”

Sen's voice emitted a tired, lengthy sigh. “As I said, I am trapped behind this door. I was sealed away many thousands of lifetimes ago by my mother. She thought I was a monster—something you can relate to, I'm sure. When she sealed me, she tore my own essence away from me and hid it somewhere. If you were to return my essence to me, though... I would have the power I need to break free of here.”

“So if I find you your essence... You'll restore my life?”

“Oh no, you misunderstand,” the spirit stated. “I'll restore your life _before_ you go after my essence. You'll need all your skill to find it, including your bending.”

Azula quirked a brow. “You do realize that if you give me what I want before I help you, then I have no reason to actually help you, right?”

“Under normal circumstances that would of course be true, but in this case, even with a physical body you'd still be trapped here in the Spirit World. If I were free from this prison, however, and I had my full power, I could open a rift between worlds. I could allow you to return to the physical world.”

“So that's the deal, then? You give me my life back, I bring you your essence and free you, and then you send me off on my merry way to the physical world?”

“That is correct.” The spirit paused, as Azula thought over the offer. Before she answered, he added, “If you like, you may inspect your new body first, to make sure it is to your liking.”

Azula hesitated a moment, then stepped towards the empty shell of a body that had her face. It was disturbing, to be looking at herself like this. Yet... not even herself—just a vessel that looked like her. Her true body was long gone, back in the physical world, lying dead in the mud. No, not her true body. Her _old_ body. This.... This was her new body, and it would be even better than her last.

It looked strong, and well shaped, nearly identical to how her old body was structured. There was more muscle, though, particularly along the abdomen. She had always kept herself as fit as possible through rigorous training, but she'd never been _this_ toned. The thighs were bigger, but more defined, and the arms harder. She poked at it, studied it; this was her old body taken to new levels. Even the breasts were perkier, and more shapely.

With pursed lips, she made her way behind the body—lean, chiseled back and shoulder muscles, and a firm rear toned to perfection. Returning around front, she gazed at the face. She felt as though she was staring into a mirror; this _was_ her face. The only thing off about it was the blank, empty expression. This still was just a hollow shell, until she merged with it.

"Do you find it suitable?" Sen asked.

"Oh yes," she said, with a pleased grin. "It's perfect. You said I'll always look like this?"

"Indeed. This body will not age. Your face will never change. You shall be the young and beautiful Princess Azula for lifetimes to come."

Her grin grew wider. "Excellent. In that case, you have a deal."

"Very well," the spirit stated. "Lay your hands on your new body, then. I will do the rest."

She did as instructed, and set her hands upon either cheek of her new body's face. A great warmth surged through her. Her vision went blank, blinded by a flash of light, followed by a high pitched ringing in her ears. The warmth grew, almost burning now. Finally, it vanished in a single instant. The light faded, as well, returning clear vision to her eyes. Moments later, everything was calm.

"So," said the spirit. "How do you feel?"

Azula blinked, and then looked down at herself. She didn't _feel_ any different, other than that now she wasn't wearing any clothes, a fact that she ignored for the time being. Still, it must have worked; _something_ had happened. Of course, there was a way to test it. With a deep, controlled breath, she sunk into her bending stance and thrust her fingers forward through the air. A bright crackle of lightning charged in her grasp, and seconds later burst forth in a hot, sizzling bolt. A smirk curled onto her face. She spun her body, whirling a kick that blasted a wave of blue flames into the sky. _Yes!_

"I feel...strong. Better than I ever have," she stated, looking down at herself. She frowned. "But I'd like some clothes now, if you please."

A bright flash lit the air, and when it vanished, a familiar outfit adorned Azula's body—traditional Fire Nation garb, the likes of which she once wore in her previous life. Even her hair was done up in the style she liked, complete with her old hairpin. Again, she smirked. _Now_ she felt like herself.

"Now that you have returned to the living, it is time you uphold your end of our deal," Sen said, his voice stern and commanding.

"Yes, yes," she said, with a wave of her hand. "Where is this essence of yours?"

"I'm afraid I don't have that information. It was hidden away after I was sealed in here."

Azula raised an eyebrow at the stone door. "So then how do you expect me to find it?"

The spirit's voice eased calmer. "There is one place that should have the location of my essence—Wan Shi Tong's Library."

"Oh, so I have to do research," Azula muttered. "How wonderful."

"Indeed," he replied. "It may take a long time to uncover the information, but then you have all the time in the world, don't you?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "I suppose. Where is this library?"

"Far from here, but I will show you the way." Sen's tone shifted again, becoming cautious. "But first, there are things you must keep in mind. Wan Shi Tong is a very powerful, very wise, and very old spirit, nearly as ancient as myself. To gain access to his library, you must offer him some sort of knowledge that he doesn't already possess. Even then, that might not work. In that case, you may have to manipulate yourself inside with your silver tongue."

"Sounds simple enough," Azula said, with a shrug. "I'm quite knowledgeable myself, and an even better liar."

The Spirit of a Thousand Faces hummed softly, as if digesting Azula's boast. Soon, he continued, "Furthermore, we were never what you would call friends. You mustn't let him or any of his knowledge seekers know that you are looking for information about me, or he will expel you from the library, or worse."

"I'll be fine, don't worry," she assured. "Just show me the way already."

* * *

Azula strolled through the entrance of the massive, palace-like structure. For a library, it certainly was built in grandiose fashion. At one time, she imagined, it must have been quite the awe-inspiring building. Now, however, it was old and dusty and dark and damp... It sent a tickle down the back of her throat that made her want to cough. She nearly did, but she managed to keep herself composed.

"So, this is the great Spirit Library?” she said aloud, as she crossed over one of the bridges in the central hall. Her gaze tilted upward at the ceiling high above her. “Doesn't seem all that great. Just a dusty old building full of moldy books."

"You insult my library?" A dark figure swooped down from the shadows in the ceiling, massive wings spread wide.

"And I'm guessing you're Wan Shi Tong?” Azula took a step backwards as the black-feathered owl landed on the bridge in front of her, staring at her with its beady eyes and pure white face.

"Yes, I am Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things,” the owl replied. He stepped closer, lowering his head to stare at Azula. “And you are clearly a human. Humans are no longer allowed in my library."

Azula paused a moment, glancing beyond the owl. In one of the nearby aisles, she saw a man in desert travel attire pulling down a tome from one of the bookcases. Lifting a brow, she turned back to the spirit owl and pointed at the man. "What about him?"

As she spoke, the man looked over at them and beamed a smile. Then, he ran over to greet them. "Oh, hello there! Another human, stupendous. It's been years. Please, allow me to introduce myself. Professor Zei, of Ba Sing Se University. Or at least, I used to be. Now I suppose I'm just Zei. In any case, welcome to the Spirit Library!"

Wan Shi Tong set a glare upon the man. "Zei, go back to your corner and keep reading. We're trying to have a conversation."

"Of course, great Wan Shi Tong." Zei gave the owl a respectful bow, and then ran off.

When Wan Shi Tong turned his focus back to Azula again, he cleared his throat. "Yes, well... Just the one human. He at least appreciates the knowledge in my library, and is too much of a fool to abuse it like so many others have in the past."

"Well, I can't say I plan to abuse anything here,” Azula said, with a simple shrug. “Honestly, I'm just bored and need something to do. Not a lot of ways to entertain myself in the Spirit World."

"Then leave,” he insisted, leaning his face closer. “No one is keeping you here. Return to your body in the physical world and be gone."

"I'm afraid I can't do that.” Raising one of her hands, she ignited a bright blue flame in her palm. “See, I'm not here in spirit form."

"You are here physically?” Wan Shi Tong tilted his head at her, twisting it nearly all the way upside down. “That shouldn't be possible now that I have removed my library from the physical world. The spirit portals are the only way for humans to physically enter the Spirit World, and they've been closed for ten thousand years. How did you come to be here?"

She shrugged again, bringing her attention down at her fingers, as if more interested in her nails than the great spirit owl standing in front of her. "I'm not even sure myself. I was chased by some spirit wolf in the Forgetful Valley, and the next thing I know, _poof_. Here I am, in the Spirit World. I'd love to return to the physical world, but since there's no way to do that, I'm stuck here.” She paused a moment, then glanced up at the owl again. “Unless, of course, you can bring your library back just long enough to drop me off?"

Wan Shi Tong seemed to consider the proposal, until he finally twisted his head around straight again and then stood upright. "Very clever, human, but you will not trick me into raising my library into the physical world again. It will remain here."

"Then, like I said, I'm stuck."

"And you merely wish to utilize my library to pass the time?"

"Precisely,” she said. “It's not like I can abuse your knowledge if I can't even leave the Spirit World, right?"

"Hmm...” The owl clicked his beak together a couple times, thinking. At last, he uttered a reluctant sigh and said, “Very well, I will allow you to peruse my halls... _If_ you can add new information to my collection."

"New information?” Azula folded her arms and glared up at the owl. She had already considered what information she would offer; she only hoped his historical records weren't completely up to date yet. “Did you know that Princess Azula of the Fire Nation is dead?"

The owl glared back at her, raising one of his wings to his beak in thought. "No... I did not know this. How did she die?"

"She drowned, after fleeing from her home in the year 102 AG."

"I see...” Wan Shi Tong turned his head to look back through the library. “I don't have much knowledge left about the Fire Nation, after that wing of the library was destroyed. Very well, I will accept this information. The library is yours to browse...hrm...I never got your name."

"My name?” She thought a moment, pressing her finger to her chin. “Oh, you can call me... Aoi."

"Aoi, then. If you require any assistance, my knowledge seekers will help.” He motioned one of his wings towards the side of the hall, where a pair of fox spirits sat, watching them. Then, he took off into the air. “Enjoy the great Spirit Library."

* * *

Azula began from the very beginning, with the oldest books and scrolls that the library had to offer. If Sen was such an ancient spirit, and had been sealed away for thousands of lifetimes, as he claimed, then any information regarding him would have been collected far in the past. The problem with this was that there were thousands upon thousands of books from that time, perhaps even millions, and since she couldn't reveal exactly what she was looking for, there was only so far she could narrow down her options. She had the knowledge seekers bring her information about ancient spirits in general, and worked from there. Still, there were so many to look through.

Years went by, as she studied scroll after scroll, story after story. At least, she thought it felt like years. Time still had no meaning in this place. Hours, days, weeks—they all blurred together. It didn't matter, of course. Her new body didn't age; she really _did_ have all the time in the world. She still needed to eat and sleep now that she was alive again, but the knowledge seekers kept her accommodated with spirit food and fresh bedrolls. It made having to spend so much time alone trapped in an old library just a little easier to bear, even if the accommodations were otherwise pitiful for someone of her status.

Two hundred thousand, five hundred and twenty two. That was how many scrolls she read before finally discovering mention of the Spirit of a Thousand Faces. _Son of the Mother of Faces, and brother of Koh the Face Stealer,_ the scroll detailed, _Sen is a powerful spirit born unto this world near the beginning of time. It is said that he is as sinister as his mother is generous, and more ambitious than his brother. He is able to both give and take not only faces, but the true essence of a being's spirit—their soul. Many thousands of lifetimes ago, near the beginning of the age of humans, the Mother of Faces felt that her son could no longer be trusted, and locked him away. He now remains sealed in a prison in the deepest pits of the Spirit World._ That was where the writing stopped.

"That's it?" she muttered, glaring down at the open scroll. She lifted it up and looked at the other side, but there was nothing. "Where's the rest of it? There _must_ be more."

A soft whine drew her attention away from the scroll. One of the library's knowledge seekers sat there, watching her. She frowned at it, then looked back to the scroll. It had taken this long just to find a brief snippet of information regarding Sen. There had to be _some_ way to speed things up.

"You," she said, turning a glance towards the fox spirit. "Bring me everything you have about the Mother of Faces."

The knowledge seeker bowed, then scurried off to find what she needed. If Azula couldn't ask about Sen directly, then perhaps she could find more about him by studying his mother. After all, it _was_ his mother who had imprisoned him and stolen his essence to begin with.

Even with her new method of searching, more years past. She went through thousands more books and endless scrolls, yet still nothing. She did learn more about the Mother of Faces, Koh the Face Stealer, and the spirits in general than she would ever have use for, but the library seemed sorely lacking in anything regarding Sen, The Spirit of a Thousand Faces. This was a waste of time, and her patience was wearing thin.

"Knowledge seeker, I need everything you have on this spirit." She pointed at one of the scrolls, to Sen's name. The fox tilted its head a moment, and then scampered off. So what if she angered an overgrown owl? She could _fry_ him, now that she had her bending back.

The knowledge seeker returned with a single, half-torn piece of parchment, the edges of which were charred, as if once set with fire. Evidently, someone had attempted to erase any information about Sen in this library. She took the page and scanned the few paragraphs she could read. Her eyes stopped at one of the last sentences. _There._ That was it!

Azula then immediately bolted up to her feet and sprinted through the library, towards the exit. As she rounded one of the many aisles of books, her foot struck something solid and she flew airborne. The stumble was only brief, though, as she recovered in midair and landed in a controlled roll, popping back up to her feet. When she looked back to see what she had tripped over, her brow lifted, curiously. It was an old man, slumped against one of the bookshelves with an open tome set on his lap. His eyes were closed, and he didn't move.

"Who is that?" she muttered. The only other human here was Zei, who she had only interacted with a few times.

"That is Zei," a voice bellowed. Moments later, Wan Shi Tong flew down from the ceiling above and landed in front of her with a thud, blocking her path through the aisle. "He passed away a few weeks ago."

 _"That's_ Zei?" She squinted her eyes at the old man—he had to be nearly eighty years old, far older than the last time she had seen Zei. "But he's..."

"Old, yes," the spirit owl said, leaning his face close to Azula in a stern glare. "You've spent forty of your human years here in my library, so it should be no surprise that he aged. Curious, though, that you have not."

Azula lowered her brow and frowned. Forty years? _That_ much time had passed? Then back in the physical world... How had the world changed, since she'd been gone?

She allowed her surprise to show for only a moment before retaining her smug demeanor. With a shrug, she stated, "A girl never reveals her beauty secrets."

Wan Shi Tong's eyes narrowed. "Why did you ask for information about the Spirit of a Thousand Faces?"

"Because I was curious, why else?" Azula said, with another shrug. "I read so many fascinating things about the Mother of Faces and Koh the Face Stealer, I simply _had_ to  find out more about the other member of their family."

"Really?" The spirit owl scoffed, and stared closer. "Is that why, then, that you tried to flee after you gained the information you sought? _With_ the page? Not only are you a liar, human, but you are a thief."

“Oh come now, there's no need for insults.”

The great spirit owl raised himself upright, wings spread and neck elongating. He glared down at her with ire. “I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave with that information, human. Sen cannot be allowed free from his prison. Whatever he has promised you, it is not enough.”

“That's one owl's opinion,” Azula said, with a teasing smirk. “But I'm afraid I can't let you stop me.”

“Do you truly believe you can outwit Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things?”

“Well, I have to try,” she sighed. Then, without warning she shifted herself into a stance with her fingers pointed forward. Lightning erupted through the air and struck the great owl in the chest, eliciting a pained shriek as it fell against a bookcase. Azula sprinted past the struggling spirit, but paused halfway to kick a blast of fire onto the bookcase. The tomes erupted in flames and fell down upon the owl, burying him in burning debris. “And now you know one more thing—what _lightning_ feels like! So long, you stupid owl.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I lied. The flashback will be more than two chapters. I'm sorry, I can't help it! These are just so fun to write, especially when adding interesting characters like Wan Shi Tong (the Professor Zei cameos were fun too!). Hopefully the next chapter will be the last one for this flashback. At least, it should be.


	74. The Story of How I Died, Pt. 3: The Face Stealer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula meets with Koh The Face Stealer in order to retrieve Sen's essence, but in doing so she learns an infuriating truth.

Azula huffed out a groan. What a dreary, creepy domain she now found herself in. The sky was darkened with clouds, only a small halo of light glowing near the top of an old, gnarled tree. Unlike a normal tree, this one appeared to be upside down, with its roots twisting up towards the sky, instead of into the ground. All around small patch of land on which the tree resided, the ground fell away into an endless pit filled with fog. Great stone pillars rose up from the fog, stretching towards the sky like knives. Dismal, was the only proper way to describe this place. For once, couldn't one of these old spirits live in a grand palace?

She made her way towards the tree, while keeping herself on guard. As confident as she was, something about this place sent a chill down her spine. That chill only enhanced when she noticed a giant wolf walking through the fog in the distance. She frowned at the beast, and then continued on towards the base of the tree, where the entrance into the temple below awaited her. Everything about the Spirit World perturbed her; once she was free of it, she would never return.

The steps that led beneath the tree spiraled downward through a darkened tunnel of earth and roots. Azula hesitated only a moment before descending, igniting a flame in her palm to light the way. On and on the staircase led, until finally it emptied into an underground cave far below ground. Everywhere she looked, she saw only rock, or earth, or weeds—certainly no spirit.

"Knock, knock," she said, as she made her way farther into the cave. "I don't suppose anyone is home. No?" She received only silence in response. "What a shame. I guess I'll just have to take a look around myself."

A dark figure moved somewhere above her. She didn't look at it, though. Instead, she watched its shadow in her firelight, and waited. The shadow crawled along the cave wall with a chittering of its many insectoid legs, slowly at first, and then with a swiftness that brought itself face to face with Azula in an instant. She immediately let her expression fall blank and empty. The white face bore red lips and grey markings around its eyes, and was attached to a long, centipede-like body that coiled up towards the ceiling. It stared at her.

"Ah, a human comes to visit my domain," the spirit spoke. "It's been quite some time since anyone other then the Avatar has come to see me." Its face then abruptly sank back into its body and replaced with a new face—a wolf's face, snarling and snapping at her. When Azula's expression didn't change, the original face returned. "And you know my tricks, it seems."

"Of course," she replied, retaining her empty demeanor. "I wouldn't have come if I didn't." She blinked at the insectoid spirit, moving her eyes lazily across it. "So, you are Koh... You certainly are an ugly spirit, aren't you? No wonder your mother disowned you."

"Ugly, you say? Hmm, perhaps a different face for your liking?" The pale face changed into that of a young woman with long dark hair. Koh stared at her a moment longer, watching closely. "No? Then maybe..." The woman's face vanished, replaced with a hissing serpent. "This one!" Again, no change in emotion. Koh changed faces again, this time to an old man. "Very diligent, human."

"I am perfect, didn't you know?"

"So boastful, I see." The spirit turned from her and began crawling back along the cave wall. "But that confidence will only help you so much. Now, tell me, why have you come?"

"I read so much about you in the great Spirit Library, I simply had to come see you for myself." Azula knew it was a weak excuse; she didn't actually expect him to believe it. No, she had to test him first, get to know how he reacted. Only then could she get what she wanted.

"Oh, surely now, you can lie better than that," Koh said, hanging the upper half of his body away from the wall to stare at her. This time, his face became that of a young boy. "No one visits me only for the pleasure of it. In most cases, it's because they want something. Tell me, what is it you want?"

"I want something you possess. Something very valuable."

Koh eased a small sigh, and began crawling farther along the cavern wall. "Ah, I am afraid you are mistaken, poor human. I have nothing of value to give, and even if I did, why would I give it to you, hmm?"

"Oh, you do," she replied. "There is something here that I want, and I think you know what it is."

Koh flitted down from the wall in an instant and brought his face directly in front of hers. They stared at each other for a long moment, each with a blank expression and no emotion. This was the right moment, she felt. She let the stare draw out another few seconds, and then... She smirked.

"Yes, there, now your face is mine!” the spirit declared, with a cackling laugh. He moved in close and brought several of his chitinous legs up to the corners of her face. “What a lovely one this will be to add to my collection. So young, and beautiful, and...” He gave a firm tug at Azula's flesh, but nothing happened. He frowned, and then tugged again. Still, nothing. His own face switched to that of a blue-nosed baboon, twisted with a scowl. “What is this? Your face... Why can't I take your— _Aaaahhghh!"_

The Face Stealer reeled backwards with a horrid shout as lightning coursed through his body. His faces began switching rapidly, from one to another, until finally he fell backwards to the ground, legs twitching.

"I learned quite a lot in that Spirit Library. This isn't a face you can steal, Koh,” Azula said, pulling her fingers back. She curled her smirk wider, and lowered herself into a proper stance. “The one type of face beyond your reach."

The blast didn't keep Koh down for long. He hobbled along the ground a moment and then righted himself, skittering up along the wall. "Ah... I see now.” He breathed a raspy groan and turned his default face towards her. “Yes, that is why you've come to my domain. My brother gave you this body, that face. Now you come to retrieve his essence."

"My, you _are_ the observant one, aren't you?"

"And what else did he offer you?” Koh asked, crawling swiftly up to the ceiling. He remained there briefly before dropping back to the floor. “He must have offered you more, for you to be helping him now. Ah, let me guess...” A second later, he was staring Azula in the face again. “He's offered you a way out of the Spirit World."

"Yes, and I'm not going to allow some overgrown sow bug to stop me,” Azula shot back. Bright blue flames ignited in her palms. “Tell me where his essence is and I won't roast you."

A throaty chuckle grumbled out of Koh's throat as he skittered away into the shadows. "Oh child, not even the Avatar could kill me. What makes you believe _you're_ capable?"

Her gaze narrowed. "I'm far more lethal than any Avatar."

"Hmm, perhaps.” The Face Stealer paused, then crawled back into the light. “Still, there is no need for violence here. I'm certain we can...discuss this. How do you say, like civilized people?"

"Right, because you're _so_ civilized.” The flames in her hands burned larger. “Just tell me where this essence is so I can leave already."

"Oh, foolish human. You have been tricked."

Azula hesitated, softening her flames. "What are you talking about?"

Koh's face switched again to the young woman with dark hair. He came closer, glaring. "Do you not wonder why Sen needs _you_ , a human, to help him?"

"Because he's trapped in a prison, obviously."

"If that were the only reason, he would have convinced another spirit to set him free long ago. No, it's _because_ you are a human.” Koh crawled around the cave floor, circling Azula. “He has had many other humans attempt to break him free in the past, but all have failed. You are merely the latest attempt.”

Azula turned herself to follow the spirit as he circled her. "What does my being human have to do with it?"

"When our mother stole Sen's essence, she altered it, to make it more difficult for him to enter the physical world,” Koh explained. “That way, even if he did escape his prison, he would still be trapped within the Spirit World. The only way for him to enter your world is for him to obtain a physical body himself."

"What do you mean? Couldn't he just make his own body?"

"No, he cannot inhabit one of his empty shells. Rather, in order for Sen to leave the Spirit World, he must merge with a human essence, within a physical body.” Koh eased his circling and crawled up in front of her again. “You, for example."

"Wait...” Azula narrowed her eyes, taking a moment to process the information. “So you mean to tell me that once I free him, he'd...possess me, in order to enter the physical world?"

"Not just possess. _Become._ You two would be one, and you, as an individual, would cease to be. You would not simply die... Your existence would be erased.” Koh offered a quiet chuckle as he skittered away again, face changing back to the default pale, grey-eyed version. “So tell me, human. Are you still so eager to free my brother?"

"That lying, slimy little...” Azula's face twisted into a scowl. The flames in her hands erupted, towering above her palms. “Of course I'm not going to free him now! Which means... I suppose I won't be needing his essence anymore."

"Ah, but I _will_ give you his essence."

Azula quirked her brow. "Wait, why? What use for it would I have now?"

"The essence of an ancient spirit is pure, concentrated spiritual energy. Chi, as you humans call it. If you were to take it for yourself and absorb it, for example...” Koh coiled around her, twisting like a snake. “You would become far more powerful than you ever dreamed."

Azula extinguished the flames in one of her hands, then lifted it up to her chin, thinking. She didn't bother looking at Koh."I'll admit, that does sound...fitting, but what's the catch? I hardly believe you'd give it away for free."

Koh sighed, and uncoiled himself. "I have no attachment to keeping Sen's essence here. As long as it isn't used to free him, it doesn't matter where it is. All I ask is that, when you absorb it, you do so in his presence. I want you to...mock him. Let him know that he shall never overcome his transgressions, and will never be free."

"Well, that's simple enough...” she muttered. It _would_ be fun to piss off an ancient spirit. “But even still, that doesn't help my other problem. I'm still trapped here in the Spirit World. I _need_ to return to the physical world.”

"You require only a little patience,” Koh stated. “Events are in motion for great changes to both worlds."

Azula scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "Would you stop with the cryptic riddle speak and just explain what you mean?"

"I mean the spirit portals."

Her brow furrowed. "I read about those in the library... They've been closed for ten thousand years. What about them?"

"There is a man of your world's Northern Water Tribe. He has mediated many times into the Spirit World, and has shown himself to be a true friend of the spirits.” Koh crawled his way back up to the ceiling, slowly, methodically. “He intends to open the portals, and rejoin both worlds together."

"I thought only the Avatar could open the portals?"

"There is a new Avatar in your world,” he said. “She is but a girl right now, but someday she will grow up, and the Water Tribe man will use her to open the portals. When that happens, you will be able to travel freely into the physical world again."

Azula paced along the cave floor. A new Avatar? How long had she been here in the Spirit World? Forty years in Wan Shi Tong's Library, but how long in the Fog of Lost Souls? If the old Avatar was dead, was _anyone_ she had known still alive? A grumble left her throat—by the time she returned to the physical world, so much would have changed. "That will take more time..."

"What other choice do you have? Unless you'd prefer giving yourself to my brother..."

She hesitated a moment longer, then huffed a sigh. Koh was right; she had no other choice. "I've been in this world this long, I can wait a little longer."

Koh returned in front of Azula, bringing his gaze close once again. "So, we are in...agreement?"

"Yes,” she replied, hardening her gaze. “Now show me to this essence."

* * *

Azula emerged from the fog in front of the tall stone spire. She stood there, staring at the sealed door with glowing glyphs. A grin cut across her face; oh, this was going to be entertaining.

"At last, you have returned.” Sen's voice echoed in from all around her, booming with anticipation. “I nearly feared you had failed."

"Please, I never fail.”

"Do you have it, then?”

Azula reached inside her armor and pulled out a small vial, in which floated a feathery wisp of light—Sen's essence. It glowed so brightly that she had to squint her eyes, and even then she couldn't look directly at it. “Right here.”

“Excellent! Bring it here, press it to the doorway and I will be free."

"Hmm...” She turned her gaze towards the vial for as long as she could bare, then glanced up at the doorway again. “Such a remarkable thing, this essence of yours. There's so much...power in it."

"Yes...it is very ancient,” he said, with a subtle caution buried in his tone. Azula still hadn't made a move towards the door. “Now give it to me. What are you waiting for?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." Azula reached towards the top of the vial and tugged the cork off the opening.

"What are you...?” Panic surged in Sen's voice as Azula grasped the glowing wisp between two fingers and raised it up to her face. “No, _stop_. What are you doing?"

"Koh sends his regards, and wants to let you know you're never getting free from your prison. As for me, well..." She gave one more smirk, and then let the essence fall on her forehead. In an instant, a bright explosion of light engulfed her, burning away the surrounding fog.

_"No! Stop!"_

When the light died away, Azula staggered on her feet. Her legs wobbled, and her clothes smoked with billows of steam, but she felt not weakened. No, she felt empowered, stronger than she had ever been. With a wicked grin, she shifted into a bending pose and thrust a fist up into the air. A towering inferno of blue flames erupted into the sky, far larger than anyone should be able to bend. Her lips curled wider, and then she went through a basic firebending form. Each shot of fire she expelled exploded from her body with the kind of destructive force that she had seen only in one other instance—under the glow of Sozin's Comet.

"Now this...feels... _incredible!"_ she exclaimed. A pleasant cackle erupted from her throat as she continued bending. She couldn't get enough of it, how amazing it felt!

Sen's voice boomed around her, so loud that the prison spire began to shake. "This betrayal of yours will not go unpunished, Azula! You will answer for this!"

She turned back to the door, lips twisting into a mocking grin. "No, I won't. You're stuck in there, and soon... I'll be back in the physical world where I belong." Without wasting anymore time, she jumped up into the air with her arms and legs pointed straight at the ground. Four streams of flames jetted down beneath her and rocketed her into the air, as though flying. “So long, spirit. We won't meet again.”

_"Azula!"_

* * *

_9 Years Ago..._

Korra stared at the spirit portal before her. Her body ached and she could barely stand, but she didn't let it show. She remained firm on her feet, strong. She was the Avatar, after all, and she had just overcome the greatest challenge of her life. Defeating Vaatu and her uncle, Unalaq, had been no easy task, but she had done it. Now came the moment to end this entire ordeal, to close the portals and separate the two worlds once again.

Tenzin turned from the portal to look at her. His gaze was stern, but caring, and contemplative. "Now that you're bonded with Raava once again, are you also reconnected with your past lives?"

Korra glanced back at him a moment, before letting her own gaze drop sadly towards the ground. "No. I think that link is gone, forever."

"I see.” Tenzin eased a brief sigh, and then looked to the portal again. “Why don't you close the portals, and we'll go home."

With a small nod, Korra walked up to the portal and stretched out her hand. As her grasp neared the glowing orb of light, however, she paused, relaxing her palm. "Maybe I shouldn't."

Tenzin pushed his eyebrows together, giving her a curious stare. "What do you mean?"

Korra brought her hand back and looked down at it. "What if Unalaq was right when he said the Avatar shouldn't be a bridge between the two worlds?” A moment longer and she clenched her hand into a fist. “What if Avatar Wan made a mistake when he closed the portals? What if humans and spirits weren't meant to live apart?”

Korra turned away from the portal and looked behind them. In the distance, Bum-Ju fluttered towards Bumi, carrying a stick in his mouth. When the dragonfly bunny spirit reached his new friend, Bumi gave him a gentle pat on the head. She watched the two a moment longer, and then returned her focus to Tenzin. “Well, what do you think I should do?"

Tenzin came forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I think you should trust your instincts. There is nothing else I can teach you. You are the Avatar. Whatever your decision, I support you."

* * *

Azula poked her head above one of the rocky crags surrounding the two spirit portals. She had been watching for some time now, waiting until the entire fiasco ended. It had taken her ages to find this location without any sort of map, and by the time she had arrived, an army of dark spirits had been attacking a small group of humans at the central tree. What had followed had been... quite strange, but then she had seen many strange things during her time in the Spirit World. Nothing much surprised her anymore.

Now, though, she prepared herself. Her eyes focused on the girl wearing a Water Tribe jacket. This new Avatar didn't look like much. Then again, the previous Avatar had looked like even less, being just a young kid. Azula knew better than to underestimate such an opponent. If Korra—that was her name, or at least it was what she thought she heard the Avatar being called—made a move to close the portals, Azula would have to strike.

In the moments that followed, however, Azula relaxed. Korra _didn't_ close the portals. Rather, she and her team left the Spirit World through the southern portal and then were gone. Azula waited just a moment and then leaped up over the surrounding rocks and sprinted towards the northern portal. Finally, after so damn long, she would be free again. As the light of the portal engulfed her, she grinned—it was time to see how the world had changed.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Anraq sat straight in his seat, staring wide-eyed at the girl across from him. "That's... I don't even know what to say, Azula. I had no idea you'd been through so much."

"Yes, it really was a whole ordeal...” she sighed. Azula had since moved from the desk and now leaned against one of the posts on her bed. She looked away from him, her gaze empty and distant. “If I never go back to the Spirit World, it'll be too soon."

"So then, that's why you're still so young...” Anraq muttered. “Or, _look_ so young, rather. And why your bending is so powerful?"

Azula nodded. "Only now I think Sen wants revenge on me for betraying him, and that he's using Shin Tsang as a means to do that. Normally I wouldn't worry, but this is...a special circumstance. He wants his essence back, but I don't think he'd stop there.” She swallowed, then turned a glance down at herself. She raised a hand, clutching it against her chest. “He gave me this new body of mine... I think he could take it back. I don't _want_ to give it back. I don't want to be trapped in the Spirit World again, or erased from existence. I just want to _live."_

Anraq stood from his seat and made his way towards her. He stood behind her, hands resting against her shoulders. "We won't let him get to you, Azula. Whatever it takes. I promise."

"Thank you, Annie...” she said, with a slow nod. A moment later, she felt a firm pair of arms wrap around her, holding her tight. She stiffened in his grasp and blinked. “What...are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a hug."

She turned a glance over her shoulder to look at him, brow furrowed in puzzlement. _"Why?"_

"Because it looked like you needed one,” he said, meeting her gaze. “Is that...alright?"

"I don't need—” Azula started to pull away, but she quickly stopped herself, and let her words fade. She had spent so much of her life being cold and distant that her first instinct was to push him away, just like she did to everyone. But this was Annie. She didn't need to remain guarded around him... She trusted him. This lowly, sweet, pathetic man... She actually _trusted_ him. Deep down, she knew that she was only setting herself up for more pain, and yet... in that moment, she didn't care. Easing a heavy sigh, she sank back against the hug; his arms tightened. “Yes. Yes, this is...alright."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, finally... The flashback is done and we can get on with the plot. I really didn't mean for it to go that long, but it just sort of happened. Oh well. At least I got to write a scene with Koh! He was always one of my favorite spirits, and I was disappointed we never got to see him again in Korra, especially with a whole season about spirits.
> 
> In any case, we've now learned all of Azula's secrets. Actually, each of the flashback chapters revealed a different secret, so that actually worked out well (part 1: how Azula died and met Sen, part 2: how Azula returned to life and still looks so young, part 3: why Azula's bending is so powerful now and what she stole from Sen).
> 
> I hope that was all worth the wait!


	75. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula suffers a stinging betrayal that could spell her end.

Azula ran her fingers back through her hair and eased out a deep sigh. The past several days had been somewhat easier to bear than the previous few weeks, though she still suffered from the occasional bout of anxiety as the Sun Warriors remained at large. Even with her continued dread, though, Anraq had served as a sort of rock for her. She found herself forgetting her worry and paranoia when in his presence, and was actually able to relax. A part of her knew that placing that much reliance and trust in someone was a mistake and would only end up hurting her, and yet the other part of her didn't care.

As she rounded the corner of the palace hall, Azula was too far lost in her thoughts to notice the woman coming around the opposite side. The two collided, and she fell back a step with a frustrated groan. She was more upset at herself for being too preoccupied to avoid such a clumsy maneuver than she was at the person she had collided with, but that didn't mean she'd let it show. No sooner than she recovered she shot a scowl at the woman across from her.

“Why don't you watch where you're—!” Upon noticing who it was, though, she relaxed with a simple frown. “Oh, Yula... I didn't see you there. Actually, I haven't seen you in a few days. It's everything alright?"

"Oh yes, everything is fine,” Yula assured. “I've just been busy ruling the Fire Nation. You know how it is."

"Ah, yes, of course,” Azula muttered. “And how are things going there?"

Yula shrugged. "As well as you could hope. The people are happy, the economy is up, crime is down... You'd almost never even know there's a rebellious group of traitors running around."

Azula flinched at the mention of the Sun Warriors. "And have you located them yet?"

The Fire Lord uttered a gentle sigh and shook her head. "I'm afraid not... They're quite elusive."

Azula's eye twitched. It had been weeks now and still they were no closer to catching the Sun Warriors than when they had started. "Any information about them at all?"

"No, Empress."

"I see..." She drifted her gaze away from Yula towards the floor. How was it that these people, these _traitors_ , could continue hiding from the city's entire military force? At this point, she would have hoped they made some progress, and yet each day ended the same—in failure.

"Azula, I was wondering...” Yula said, taking a step closer. “Perhaps you'd like to go out for lunch? It's been a while since we've really sat down together, just the two of us."

Azula's eyes flicked up at her with a not-so-subtle panic. _"Out?_ You mean into the city?” She relaxed her gaze a second later, but too late—she was sure Yula had seen it. “No... I, uh, was on my way to meet Annie at the spa soon, so I don't have a lot of time. I suppose we could... get something in the palace dining hall, if that suits you.”

"Oh that would be fine!” Yula turned down the corridor and ushered Azula along to follow her. “I'm sure the cooks would love to whip something up for us."

* * *

Azula poked at her slices of roast duck with her chopsticks, but didn't bother taking a bite. Although the thought of food had actually interested her on the way to the dining hall, now that she was here she couldn't bring herself to eat. Again, her thoughts slipped away. They needed to find Shin Tsang soon and stop him. Every day that he went free was another opportunity for Sen to take his essence back from her.

Memories flashed through her head, memories of the Spirit World. She saw Wan Shi Tong and the Spirit Library, she saw Koh The Face Stealer, she even saw the Fog of Lost Souls. Then, she saw the sealed door that contained Sen, The Spirit of a Thousand Faces. An anxious twinge shot through her, and she dropped her chopsticks. She couldn't go back to the Spirit World... she _wouldn't._

"So, Azula... I've been meaning to ask,” Yula said, staring at her from across the table. Her gaze was curious, concerned. “Now that the entire Earth Kingdom is under your empire, do you plan on progressing any further? Perhaps leaning harder on Zaofu? Or...maybe even flexing your power to the United Republic?"

"What?” Aula blinked up from her plate, settling down out of her thoughts. “Oh, yes... I have plans. Eventually. There are just more important things to take care of here first. Like those Sun Warriors...” She tilted her focus back down at her plate and tapped her chopsticks lightly against the table. Finally, she snatched one of her roast duck slices and took a bite. “Besides, you can't just invade another nation. That's how you meet resistance and start a hundred year long war. No... You have to be smart about it."

"But Azula, the Dragon Empire is greater than any nation in history,” Yula insisted. “Taking over the other nations would be easy. All we'd need to do is—"

"Didn't you _hear_ me?” Azula's voice snapped with a much harsher tone than she meant. “I said that's not how we're going to do things!"

Yula blinked, then shrank back against her seat, gaze lowering to her own plate. "Yes, of course... _Master."_ She spoke the title with a tone of bitterness, but Azula didn't notice.

"I do admire your ambition, don't get me wrong,” Azula said, as she reached for her cup of wine. “You've learned a lot from me over this past year, and I daresay I'm even proud of you as my student. But you just worry about the Fire Nation, alright? Let _me_ worry about the empire."

"Of course."

Azula polished off the last of her drink, then reached for the small pitcher nearby. When she found that it was empty, however, she scoffed. "Uck, are we out of wine already?” She immediately looked around for the servant that had been flitting about the hall a moment ago, but found no one. “Where did that servant go?"

"Oh, allow me, Master. It would be a pleasure.” Yula made her way around the table and took Azula's cup from her, then scurried off towards the kitchen. She returned a moment later with the cup filled to the top with fresh sweet wine. "Here you are."

"Well, thank you, Yula.” Azula took the glass and gulped down a mouthful. Oh, how she did enjoy the taste. “I should probably be going in a minute, though. I don't want to keep Annie waiting too long. I do pride myself in my punctuality, after— _ack!”_ A harsh cough surged from her throat, spraying out a mist of lingering wine droplets into the air. She tried to stand, but her body went limp and collapsed against the table. “What... What is... this?"

"Oh, that.” Yula's eyes narrowed at the Dragon Empress, and a frown set upon her face. “That's the shirshu toxin you just drank. Quite a lot of it, too... Should keep you out for quite a while."

"What are you... Yula...?” Azula gazed up at the woman, eyes twitching with panic. The harsh stare she received in return sent a jolt through her chest; she knew that look. It was one of hate, and disappointment... of betrayal. _“Why?"_

Yula took a step closer, leaning forward so they were eye-to-eye. "Because you're _weak_ , Azula. You think you're so powerful, so untouchable, but really you're just a paranoid mess who's afraid to leave the palace. You have the strongest nation, the strongest military, under your control but you don't even want to use it. You're too busy running scared and jumping at shadows.” She straightened herself again, arms crossing over her chest. “Well, I'm _tired_ of it, and I'm tired of living under your boot. It's time people see just how strong I really am, when I no longer answer to you."

Azula swallowed the knot in her throat. A sudden flash of anger burned through her. Just moments ago, she had been looking at this woman with a sense of pride. Now... the sight of her brought only rage. "You... _traitor!_ Yula...you'll pay...for this."

"No, I won't,” she said. “Once I deliver you to Shin Tsang, it's all over for you."

Azula's eyes shot open wide; the anger turned to fear. "No... _no!"_

"You were right, Azula. I _did_ learn a lot from you. Perhaps you shouldn't have taught me so much."

* * *

 

Anraq stood by the entrance to the royal spa, tapping his foot impatiently. Azula was supposed to have met him there twenty minutes ago, which worried him. It wasn't like her to be late to an appointment, or at least to an appointment that she was actually looking forward to. She had seemed so excited about it when they spoke yesterday, going on and on about how they could spend the whole day there together.

So then where was she?

Another minute past, and then Anraq marched down the hall, away from the spa. Something had to be wrong, for Azula to be this late. It could be that she'd had another episode; they had been more frequent lately. She always claimed that she was fine and there was nothing wrong, but he knew that her anxiety was getting worse. He had done his best to help her through those attacks, and at least she actually let him help her. Still, in spite of his efforts, he feared what might happen if they didn't end this Shin Tsang and Sun Warrior threat soon. If she was struggling with another bout of panic, then he needed to find her so he could help her; he didn't want her to have to face it alone.

As Anraq turned into the western wing of the palace, he paused with caution. Something about this particular corridor put him off, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He watched the empty hall, eyes flicking back and forth. What was it? Why did something seem so wrong here?

 _Empty_.

That was it; the corridor was empty. There should have been three guard patrols in this wing, two covering the windows and another stationed near the doors at the far end. Why, then, was there no one here?

Seconds later, he had his answer. Several figures darted out from behind the pillars that ran the length of the hall, all of them wearing sun masks. Anraq shifted into a defensive stance as they ran at him, and bended out the water in the flask at his hip. The initial stream blasted one of the assailants into a pillar so hard that the marble cracked; the man then slumped to the ground unmoving.

Anraq pulled the water back around himself, swirling it in a spinning ring. The remaining Sun Warriors attempted to surround him, to attack from all sides, but it didn't do them any good; the fight was over in seconds. With three quick flicks of his wrist, Anraq shot out a blast of water at each of the attackers. The water hardened to ice, pinning each of them firmly against the wall.

“What on earth _is_ this?” he muttered, as he took a few careful steps forward. How had Sun Warriors made it inside the palace? And where were the guards?

The sound of footsteps running along the marble floor turned his gaze towards the end of the corridor. He caught just a brief glimpse of the fleeing Sun Warriors as they made their way into the next hall, but he did see the figure that one of them carried atop his shoulders.

“ _Azula!”_ he called, racing down the corridor. He pulled his water along both his arms, in the form of two long whips.

Anraq was so focused on chasing after the men taking Azula that he didn't notice the figure lunging out behind another one of the pillars, not until he felt several quick jabs along his ribs. He recoiled with a pained shout, and the water around his arms fell away. Another series of swift strikes popped along his arms. His body went limp, like jelly, and then he collapsed to the floor.

 _Chi-blocker_.

“No! Damn it!” He struggled to force himself upright, but managed only to collapse again. With a frustrated shout, he looked up at the masked man, the chi-blocker. “How did you get in here?”

"I let them in."

Anraq blinked, then tilted his head towards the new voice. When he saw who it was, his insides twisted with confusion and panic. "Yula? You...why?"

"Because it's _my_ turn to be on top,” Yula stated, glaring down at him with scorn. “Azula is no longer fit to rule anymore."

"You...” Anraq swallowed, and then twisted his own expression into one of rage. “She _trusted_ you!”

"I know... That's what made it so easy.” Yula glanced at the chi-blocker, giving him a commanding gesture. “Take this one to prison."

* * *

Consciousness returned slowly to Azula. She blinked away the blur in her eyes and rolled over onto her side. Her body was still limp and weak, the after effects as the shirshu toxin wore off. Just getting herself up to her elbows took every ounce of effort she could muster, and even then she managed to hold herself in that position for only a second before falling flat onto her stomach. The whole room spun around her, forcing her to squint her eyes shut tight to keep from growing nauseous.

"Welcome back, Azula. How are you feeling?"

She snapped her eyes open again at the sound of the voice. This time, she forced herself upright and held firm, even with her shoulders hunched and head bowed, with her hair falling free around her face. "You..."

"Yes, me.” Shin Tsang sat across from her, legs crossed on the floor and his hands folded in his lap. “I assume you know why you're here now?"

"You're taking me back to the Spirit World,” she muttered. “To Sen."

"Yes and no,” he said. “You are right in that Sen wants his essence back, but I'm not exactly taking you to the Spirit World. At least, not physically. The three spirit portals in the world are all within another nation's territory. Trying to fly over Water Tribe airspace, or get through the heart of Republic City while having a world leader as a captive would be...a hassle.

“Rather, we'll be going about this in a different way. The winter solstice is just a few days away, a time when the Spirit World and the physical world are closest together, even without the portals. During that time, I'll be able to tap into much of the spiritual energy from the Spirit World, which I can use to extract Sen's essence from your body. Once I have it, I'll enter the Spirit World myself and free the Spirit of a Thousand Faces."

"You're an idiot...” Shin Tsang's seared white eyes focused intently on Azula, and she stared straight back at them. “Sen will merge with your body on order to leave the Spirit World. You'll be destroyed."

"Yes, I know this.” Shin Tsang didn't react to Azula's puzzled response. He merely continued, “You see, I've always been closely attuned with the spirits. Some time ago, I received a vision from one spirit in particular, a vision that burned my eyes. It was from the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, and it told me that I would be the one to help usher in a new age. It was then that I knew what my destiny truly was: to free Sen and become his physical avatar.

“I met with him, and he told me all about your betrayal. I knew I'd need to get to you eventually, but I couldn't do it alone. So, I waited. Once you declared yourself Dragon Empress, I knew I had an opportunity. I played on the fears of those who despised you, and through them I created the Sun Warriors. They've done a fine job at unraveling you, wouldn't you say? Of course, even then I needed something else... Some _one_ else."

Azula lowered her gaze to the floor. A mix of rage and pain swirled in her chest. "Yula..."

Shin Tsang nodded. "Yes. She was easy to motivate into action, once she saw you for the sham you truly are. Now, here we are, just a few days away from fulfilling my destiny, and delivering upon you the justice you so rightly deserve, not just for betraying the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, but for everything you've done."

She lifted her gaze again to glare at the man's dead white eyes. Even with her body weak like jelly, she retained a steely resolve. "When I get free..."

"Oh, you won't. By now I'm sure you've noticed you can't bend. I've been keeping you chi blocked, every hour on the hour. I'm not taking any chances with you."

Azula curled her hands into fists, but she knew he was right. She had made several attempts during this conversation to ignite a fireball so she could roast him, but each time she produced not even a puff of smoke, let alone a flame. "You won't get away with this... You'll see. Annie will find me.” Yes, she could count on Annie, she knew she could. He would find her, and he would make Shin Tsang suffer. They both would.

Shin Tsang raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, you mean that bodyguard of yours? No, I'm afraid he won't be following us. By now, Yula has already taken care of him."

An unfamiliar feeling gripped Azula's chest. It was an odd mix of emotions, somewhere between panic and worry, with a dash of fear, as though her entire world were crashing around her at the thought of Anraq being harmed. It... angered her, she realized. No, not just angered... _infuriated_.

"Don't you _dare_ touch him!” she spat. If a voice had physical properties, the venom in her tone would have killed Shin Tsang then and there. “I swear, if anything happens to him, I will _fry_ the skin from your bones!"

"It's too late for that, Azula. You've lost. Your brother, too, will have been neutralized by now. No one is coming for you. You're all alone."

* * *

Anraq squinted at a sudden influx of light as the cell door opened. Several figures stood in the doorway, one being pushed along by two others. Zuko fell forward into the cell a moment later, landing atop his aging knees with a grunt. The metal bars slammed shut behind him, and then so too did the door to the room. Once again, near darkness set in throughout the cell.

"So, they got you, too?" Anraq asked.

Zuko nodded, and then stumbled up to his feet. His legs wobbled, and his arms flopped helplessly at his sides. No doubt, he too had been chi-blocked. "Yes, but this doesn't make any sense. I was ambushed by Sun Warriors, but thrown in prison by the palace guards. What in spirits name is going on?"

"It's Yula...” Anraq held a hand to his forehead and sighed. Yula had changed so much over the past year... She was nothing like the sweet and naive girl he used to know. “She's formed some sort of alliance with the Sun Warriors to remove Azula from power, and keep rule for herself."

Zuko's eyes expanded wide. _"What?_ Then, Azula...?"

"She's still alive...for now. But it's worse than you think."

"How does this get worse?"

Anraq hesitated a moment, unsure whether or not he should actually say anything. He knew that Azula wouldn't want him to tell anyone, even Zuko—she'd be furious, in fact—but under these circumstances, her secrets had just become need-to-know information. "Azula told me something a few days ago, about what happened to her after she ran away eighty years ago... It's kind of big."

"I see...” Zuko fidgeted his fingers as feeling returned to his arms. He shook them a moment, until he could finally bend his elbows and reach into the neckline of his outfit. “Well, you can explain on the way."

"Uh, on the way to what?”

“On the way to Azula.”

Anraq rubbed the bridge of his nose between two fingers, sighing. “If only that were possible. Problem is, we're trapped in here. I've tried everything I can think of, even pulling water out of the air, but it's too damn dry."

“Just stand back,” Zuko said, as he pulled out a small golden whistle.

Anraq stared quizzically at the whistle, then took a step away. "Uh...okay."

Zuko blew the whistle, but no sound came out. Well, not entirely true—a hushed, shrill hiss of air did expel from the instrument, but so soft that Anraq could barely hear it even standing right next to it. The only response it received from him was a frown. Still, he decided to humor the former Fire Lord; he waited.

Several minutes past and nothing happened. There was only silence. Just as Anraq was about to say something, however, a loud, steady thumping filled the air. He realized soon enough what the sound was—large, flapping wings. The prison wall burst apart seconds later, showering the cell with dust and stone debris. A large red beast poked its head into the cell and uttered a mighty bellow in greeting—Druk, Zuko's dragon.

Anraq coughed out a mouthful of dust, staring wide-eyed at the majestic creature. "Have I mentioned how sweet it is you have a dragon?"

"Get on,” Zuko said, as he mounted himself atop Druk's back.

He needed no second invitation. Anraq jumped atop the dragon's back and seated himself behind Zuko. “Let's get your sister back."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get out (somehow managed to still get it out today, with an hour to spare). I had a lot to do today though, so not a lot of time to write. It's why the chapter is on the shorter side and might feel a little disjointed or rushed. In any case, we're finally moving into the next leg of this Fire Nation arc, and as we see, Yula has betrayed Azula. She really did learn a little too well from her former master. This means only bad things for Azula to come, unless Zuko and Anraq can get their tails in gear.


	76. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula struggles with an internal conflict between her old self and what she could be. Meanwhile, Yula completes the shift in power in the Dragon Empire through excruciating methods.

Azula tugged at her chains in a futile effort to break free. Just as the last several times she tried, the chains didn't budge. With a tired sigh, she fell back against the wall and closed her eyes. She didn't know where Shin Tsang was taking her, but she supposed it didn't matter. The only thing she did know was that they were on an airship. They kept her tied up in the cargo hold like some kind of animal—or monster—and true to Shin Tsang's word, he had had a chi-blocker come down every hour to keep her from bending. Regardless of their destination, though, she knew the end result would be the same; she would have Sen's essence ripped from her body, and after that... Well, she could guess. One way or another, the Spirit of a Thousand Faces would want revenge on her.

How had it come to this? After all her planning, and all her power, after becoming an empress, how had she ended up a prisoner to Shin Tsang, helpless and alone? Her thoughts drifted back to Yula. Azula had given that woman everything—power, authority, skill, a good life for her and her family... So then _why_ had Yula betrayed her? Was it really because she thought Azula to be weak and unfit to rule? Or was there...something else? Had she _ever_ been loyal?

Fear. Manipulation. Those two aspects had always been such a key part of Azula's repertoire, but it seemed like every time she relied on them, her life blew up in her face. It had started so long ago with Mai and Ty Lee. Those two... they had been her friends. Or at least, as close to friends as someone like her could have. She had always used fear and manipulation to keep them in line, though, to keep them loyal. But in the end, they had betrayed her.

But why? Because they had felt more powerful emotions than fear. For Mai, it had been her love for Zuko, and for Ty Lee, her loyalty to Mai. In a short few seconds, Azula had lost both of them, because the fear she thought she had instilled in them hadn't been strong enough. She hadn't been able to handle it then, hadn't been able to _accept_ it. How could anything be stronger than fear? How could she lose control? How could anyone have the courage to turn against her?

Ever since she was a girl, Ozai had taught her that power would be enough to triumph, that making people afraid of her would keep them in line. For so long, she had believed it, had never even questioned it, because for so long it had been true. For so long, it had been the only thing she ever needed. Now, though... She was beginning to see that, ultimately, all fear and manipulation brought was failure.

_Yula._

Azula had caused her pain, instilled fear in her, manipulated her into serving the Fire Nation. Things had been going so well, too. Yula had taken so much after Azula, learned all her lessons, hardened into a fierce, merciless woman capable of inflicting fear of her own into others. She had become the perfect student. Just like with Mai and Tai Lee, though, her fear of Azula hadn't been enough to keep her in line. This time, it had been ambition that reigned stronger than fear—Yula's ambition to rule, to show her strength. Once again, fear hadn't been enough. Once again, things had blown up in Azula's face.

Love. Compassion. Kindness. Were those really the pieces she had been missing this whole time, all throughout her life? It was the approach she had taken with Annie. At first, it had just been a test, to see if such a thing were truly possible, to create loyalty without fear, without cruelty, and without manipulation. She had expected her efforts to fail, of course, and yet... She had succeeded. Annie remained loyal to her. He actually _liked_ her, and not because she forced him into it. He liked her because he saw something good in her.

Azula scoffed at the thought. _Good._ She had never been 'good'. So then why did Annie think she was? Did he really see something in her, something that she herself couldn't see? He must. Otherwise, why would he have stuck by her all this time? If that were the case, though... What did that mean for her methods? For her entire way of thinking? She had never used fear on him, never tried to manipulate him—at least, not after he returned with her to the Fire Nation—and yet of any associate, companion, 'friend', or...anyone she had ever had, he cared for her the most. She, too, cared for him. She _trusted_ him, more than she trusted herself sometimes, and that wasn't an easy fact to admit. In fact, it rather frightened her. She  shouldn't feel this way about someone. She _couldn't._ She'd just end up getting hurt again.

Or would she? As of now, the only times she got hurt was when she utilized crueler methods. Fear, manipulation... Those led to failure and betrayal. Compassion, kindness... Those led to...loyalty, caring? But that... couldn't be right. Could it? Could she have been going about things all wrong this whole time? Was that what had led her to this predicament now, chained up and on her way to suffer at the hands of an ancient spirit?

Azula smacked her head back against the wall and held her hands in her hair. Just thinking about it made her head hurt. She didn't _know._ She didn't know what the best choices were, or would have been. She didn't know how she should have done things. She didn't know if she should change. She didn't know if she even _could_ change. She had done so much over her life to hurt people; it was the only thing she really knew how to do well, hurting people. And then, what if she did try to change, and it only made things worse?

But then, really, how could things get any worse? More than likely, she would never even get that chance. In just a few short days, her life, her _existence_ , would be over. No one was coming for her. No one was going to save her. Who would _want_ to?

She really was alone.

* * *

“So, that's what happened...” Zuko said, stroking a hand along his beard. Anraq had just finished explaining to him everything that had happened to Azula after that fateful day eighty years ago. To think that all this time she had been trapped in the Spirit World, and that she had actually died... He was more concerned now than ever for his sister

“Yeah... I know, it's a lot to take in.” Anraq held himself closer against Druk's backside as the dragon continued its flight through the air. As amazing as flying atop a dragon could be, it could also be equally terrifying at top speed.

“I never imagined she had been through so much.” Zuko eased a sigh, and bowed his head. “If only she had let me help her back then, perhaps none of this would have happened. She has suffered so much through her life, first at the abuse of our father, then at my own inability to give her the care and aid she needed, and now this whole spirit mess... We have to find her. We have to help her.”

Anraq nodded. “I know. I couldn't agree more. Question is, _how_ are we going to find her?”

Zuko gave his dragon a gentle pat on the neck. “Druk is an excellent tracker. We should be able to find Azula eventually, no matter where they've taken her. We'll need to stop soon for rest, though. Even dragons get tired.”

They had been flying for most of the day, ever since breaking out of prison. Even if they weren't searching for Azula, the Capital City was far too dangerous for either of them to stay in right now. Yula would have the entire Imperial Guard out looking for them, not to mention any Sun Warriors she had in her command now. Once they found Azula, too, they still wouldn't be able to return. With this betrayal and shift in power, Azula was no longer Dragon Empress. There might not even _be_ an empire anymore.

Druk landed just outside a small mountain village and set himself low against the ground so his passengers could disembark. Zuko jumped down and then gave his dragon another friendly pat. “Good boy, Druk. Go on and find some food; we'll meet you back here in the morning.”

Anraq followed close behind, watching as the dragon took off again to the skies to go hunt. When the great crimson beast disappeared into the clouds, he turned his focus towards the village in the distance. “Where are we now?”

“Hira'a,” Zuko replied, leading the way down a small dirt road. “It's where my mother grew up. Not a large town, but it's quaint, and homely.”

“With all due respect, Lord Zuko, do you really think it wise to waste time here?” Anraq questioned. “I mean, I get the need for rest, of course, but... the longer we take, the more at risk Azula is. If Shin Tsang gets her to the Spirit World...”

“I understand the worry,” Zuko said. “I'm worried too. But the three Spirit Portals in this world are a good distance away, and from what I saw when we past the royal airfield, they didn't take the Dragon's Wing. That means they're likely transporting her with a normal airship. Even the closest portal, the one in Republic City, is a few days away in that case. Druk, though, is faster than any airship. We'll catch up before they can reach any of the spirit portals.”

Anraq thought a moment, holding a hand to his chin. “I guess that makes sense... But what if they aren't planning on using a spirit portal?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, the winter solstice is just a couple days away,” Anraq explained. “I'm not sure how much about the solstices you know, but during that time the line between the Spirit World and physical world becomes blurred. It could be possible for Shin Tsang to do something to Azula then, without needing to enter a spirit portal.”

“Hmm...” Zuko stroked his beard, eyes narrowing. “I suppose that is a possibility. Even so, we should still be able to catch up in time. I promise you, Anraq, we will find her.”

“I hope you're right.” Anraq rubbed his fingers against his forehead, and breathed out a lengthy sigh. “If anything happens to her, I...”

Zuko didn't respond at first. He merely glanced at the other man out the corner of his eyes. When they finally made their way through the entrance of Hira'a, he hummed quietly and said, “You and my sister have become very close, haven't you?”

Anraq blinked, turning an apprehensive stare towards the old man. “Wha- uh, I mean... not _close_ close. Just... well, we're friends, and I care about her. And I mean, I'm her bodyguard, so I'm supposed to be protecting her. And... yeah.”

“Hmm...” Zuko gave him a long look, then turned onto the next street. “You know, I'm glad she has someone like you.”

“You...are?”

He nodded. “Azula has always been...troubled, to put it mildly. For a long time, whenever I used to think about her throughout the years, I always felt like she could have turned out differently if she had a positive influence in her life, someone she could depend on. I had my uncle, and he's a large reason why I turned out the way I did. But Azula... She never had anyone like that. Ever since she came back, I've tried to be that person for her, but there's too much history between us. She doesn't trust me, and I don't think she ever will. But you...”

Zuko stopped walking and looked to Anraq. His expression was stern, and yet at the same time caring. “I've seen how she is around you. She's...different. Azula has always been so cold and cruel, but whenever I see her with you, I see something else. I see her calm, and at peace. I see her genuinely happy, though I don't think she even realizes it herself—or at least, I don't think she'd admit it. She cares about you, she trusts you, and I know you feel the same.”

Anraq swallowed, and gave a slow nod. “Well... yeah, I do. To be honest, I never would have imagined feeling that way about her when I first came here, but... She's not at all like I expected her to be. There's a good side to her, I know there is. I've seen it.”

“I know, I've seen it, too,” Zuko said. “I just don't think Azula sees it. I think she's become conflicted, much like I used to be. With a little help, though, I think we can guide her onto a new path. A better path. I think we can finally give her the peace she deserves.”

“I'll help her however I can, sir,” Anraq insisted. “Azula... She means a lot to me. As a friend, and... Well, I care about her.”

Zuko offered a subtle smile, and then led the way again, this time towards a small inn at the end of the street. “I know, Anraq. So do I.”

* * *

Yula folded her arms as she looked down at the crowd of people wearing sun-shaped masks below her. She herself stood on a raised platform, while the others had gathered together in front of her in the audience chamber. From what she could see, she estimated there were about eighty individuals altogether, quite the sizable group. She could see how they might have become a threat for Azula, but fortunately, for her, they were nothing.

“Is this everyone?” she asked, turning a glance to the man next to her on the platform.

“Yes, Fire Lord.” The man named Ishida gave her a respectful bow. He was the second in command of the Sun Warriors, next to Shin Tsang. “This is the entire might of the Sun Warriors. After helping rid us of Azula and her empire, we are yours to serve.”

“Good... This announcement will only take a minute.” Yula returned her focus to the crowd below. They all looked up at her, waiting to learn why they had been called here. “Welcome, Sun Warriors. As you may have already heard, Dragon Empress Azula has been deposed, her empire is no more, and I will continue leading the Fire Nation as your Fire Lord.”

The Sun Warriors broke out into cheers and applause. They seemed so please now that their goal of separating the Fire Nation from the Dragon Empire had reached fruition. It was almost a shame, knowing that their victory would be short-lived.

“This is only partially true,” she continued. The Sun Warriors paused their celebration, now stricken by confusion and concern. They whispered amongst themselves, wondering what she could possibly mean. They wouldn't have to wait long. “While Azula is now out of the picture, I plan to continue what she started, not as your Fire Lord, but as your _new_ Dragon Empress.”

“ _What?”_ Ishida turned a shocked glance towards her, eyebrows lifted high. The crowd below her, too, broke out into shouts and jeers. “Fire Lord Yula... you can't do this!”

“Oh, I most certainly can,” she stated, narrowing her eyes into a cold glare. She met the angry, hateful looks emanating from the crowd; not once did she flinch at them. “It's time for the Dragon Empire to expand. Before long, the entire world will know just how strong I am. The Dragon Empire is the greatest nation in history, and there is no one who can stop me.”

“You're wrong!” called one of the Sun Warriors.

Yeah!” another answered. “We can stop you! Right now!”

The crowd began to turn hostile, advancing towards her platform. The firebenders of the group ignited flames in their hands, or shifted into fighting stances, ready to put a stop to Yula if she didn't back down from her desire to continue the empire. Again, she didn't flinch.

“Yes, you Sun Warriors _would_ pose a problem if left unchecked,” she said, with a disdainful sigh. “In order for my plans to progress, you must all be...removed from the equation. That's why I've invited you here now. If you notice, the floor you're standing on isn't made of tile. Rather, it's made of copper.”

The crowd paused a moment to look down at their feet. As they discovered, the floor indeed wasn't set with the same tile as throughout the rest of the palace. Yula had hired a local construction team a couple days ago to replace it with copper—it really was amazing how quickly a small group of metalbenders could accomplish such a task.

Yula paced across her platform, safely raised up and out of reach of the copper floor below. “For those of you less educated folk, you should know that copper is one of the strongest conductors of electricity in the world.” She then turned herself towards the crowd, bringing two fingers forward. Lightning sparked at her fingertips. The response was immediate, and terror-stricken.

“Wait... _no!”_

“Fire Lord Yula, have mercy!”

“Please, don't!”

“Somebody stop her!”

When her lightning finished charging, Yula pointed her fingers at the floor. “Goodbye, Sun Warriors.”

The bolt blasted straight into the copper floor, instantly surging a wave of electricity throughout the chamber. Screams of agony erupted from the crowd. Their clothing singed and their skin fried as lightning coursed through their entire bodies. Yula didn't fire just a single bolt; she held a constant stream from her fingertips, for as long as her chi could manage. Soon, the screams subsided into silence, though it wasn't until she dissipated the charge that the bodies finally dropped lifeless to the floor.

“You... you _killed_ them...” Ishida took a step back on the platform, staring at her in horror. “You killed them _all!”_

“Yes, I did,” Yula stated, turning her attention towards the cowering man. “It's amazing how simple it was, too. And after Azula spent so much time afraid of you...”

“Please... please don't kill me. I have a family. A wife, and a son...”

Yula took a few steps forward, clasping her arms behind her back. Her expression never changed—cold, stern, unyielding. “Don't worry, Ishida. Vow to serve me, and you can live.”

Ishida dropped to his knees and bowed, placing his forehead against the ground. “Y-yes, Fire Lord Yula. I promise.”

“Ah, ah, ah...” Yula wagged her finger at him. “Try again.”

“ _Dragon Empress,”_ he corrected, with a quiver in his voice. “I vow to serve you, Dragon Empress Yula.”

She smirked. “Much better.”

* * *

Yula marched through the palace, her new golden cloak billowing behind her. With her new title of Dragon Empress, no longer were her simple Fire Lord robes appropriate. Now, she wore Azula's imperial armor—much more fitting for someone of her authority. Of course, this was but a small step in advancing her goals. There was still so much more to do.

As she rounded to corner, she came face to face with Han, the captain of the Imperial Guard. He greeted her with a firm bow. “Captain Han, is everything prepared?”

“Yes, Empress,” he said. “The Dragon's Wing is prepped and ready for departure.”

“Good. I want a squad of Imperial guards ready to leave within the hour.”

“Yula!” The call came from farther down the hall, and was frantic. When Yula looked past Captain Han, she noticed her mother, Jaya, running towards them. “Yula, we need to talk!”

Yula sighed, rolling her eyes. “We really don't. I'm a little busy right now.”

Jaya didn't stop. She approached her daughter with a panicked stare, eyes mixed with anger and horror. “What is this I hear about killing an entire _roomful_ of people?”

She flinched. “Who told you that?”

“Does it _matter?”_ her mother shot back. She took a step closer, and her eyes went wider. “What did you _do?”_

“I executed traitors, Mother. _That's_ what I did.” Yula met her mother's glare with one of her own. “Treason is punishable by death, in accordance to Fire Nation and Dragon Empire law. All I did was carry out the sentence myself.”

“Honey, this has to stop!” Jaya pleaded. “You can't just go around killing people who disagree with you!”

Yula twisted a scowl onto her face, insides burning with defiance. “I don't need to do _anything_ you tell me! I am _Empress_ now. _I'm_ in charge. I'll do whatever I have to to make sure things stay that way, and if that means getting rid of people who would threaten that, then so be it.”

“Yula...” Jaya took a step back now, shaking her head. Her eyes shifted with disbelief, and began to wet with a steady onset of tears. “What is _wrong_ with you? What happened to that sweet, nice girl I raised?”

“She's dead. I'm not sweet, or nice, or weak. I'm Dragon Empress now, and no one is going to stop me.”

“Honey, _please...”_ Jaya uttered, wiping at her eyes. “You can't do this. I can't... I can't let you do this.”

“Oh, really? And what are you going to do about it?” Yula hardened her glare and moved closer to her mother. When she received no response, she scoffed. “That's what I thought. Captain Han, escort my mother back to her room. I want her confined there and under guard at all times. When you're done, meet me on the Dragon's Wing. I want to catch up with Shin Tsang by tomorrow.”

Captain Han sent a nervous glance between the two women, then moved forward to take Jaya by the arm. “Yes, Empress. This way, ma'am.”

“Yula, please!” Jaya called. She struggled against the captain's hold, but his grip was unyielding. “Stop this!”

Yula simply turned from her and continued down the hall. “Goodbye, Mother.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you've noticed, I've been managing to keep my chapters a little shorter than usual, which I think is better for my sanity... Still, there are some important things happening here. The biggest thing, I think, is Azula's war with herself over how she has always been in the past with using fear to control people, and realizing that the more she does that the more things go wrong for her. As seen with how she gained Anraq's loyalty, through caring and compassion, she's starting to think that maybe, just maybe, fear really isn't the best option anymore, and perhaps never was. This is a key moment for her, as it sparks something that we'll see progress as the chapters go on.
> 
> Then there's Yula... Yeah, she has officially gone full Azula, or at least she's taking what she learned from Azula and pushing it to extremes to get what she wants. She isn't that nice, shy woman we met in Ba Sing Se anymore (and really I never imagined this development for her when the story started. Funny how things can change). She's even more dangerous at the helm of the empire than Azula was now, because she isn't hesitant to use her military might to start invading other nations. Things are about to get messy, folks...


	77. The Winter Solstice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The winter solstice has arrived. Shin Tsang attempts to remove Sen's essence from Azula, while Zuko and Anraq make a desperate attempt to save her. Yula, however, has her own goals in mind.

"Move," Shin Tsang commanded, as he pushed his captive down the gangplank.

Azula held her tongue, but shot a cold look back over her shoulder at him. If she could only bend right now, she'd fry him and be done with this. She had continued to hold out hope that maybe the chi-blockers would forget one of the hourly sessions and the effects would wear off, but so far such hope had been pointless. Shin Tsang was diligent in keeping her down—every hour, on the hour, she had her chi flow blocked, and spent the following twenty minutes barely able to move, let alone bend. She had only just now regained the ability to stand after the latest session.

Turning her attention back in front of herself, Azula marched down the gangplank, her hands bound in chains. It was night, and from what she could see they had landed on a small island—so small, in fact, that she could see along the shoreline in either direction where it curved around to meet on the other side. A single mountain peaked up at the center of the island, surrounded by tropical trees and grass. On one side of the mountain, perched atop a rocky precipice, stood a five-tiered pagoda temple, the only path to which was a winding road that snaked its way along the entirely of the mountainside.

"Where are we?" she asked, glaring up at the temple in the distance.

"Spirit Island," Shin Tsang said. He pushed her forward again to keep her moving, flanked by the four chi-blockers he had brought with him. "This was once a very hallowed place, highly attuned with the spirits. Ancient mystics used that temple as a powerful medium to meditate into the Spirit World. Over time, however, it has become abandoned, and forgotten about by all but a few."

Azula frowned as she continued walking, making her way towards the opening of an overgrown roadway through the trees. "So this is where you mean to take Sen's essence from me."

"Indeed," he replied. "And once I have it, I will travel to one of the spirit portals myself to return it to him. When he is free, well... Then I will cease to be. I will have fulfilled my destiny, though, and that is enough."

"And then let me guess, he'll come for me himself."

Shin Tsang turned a subtle smirk towards her. "Oh yes, he his very much looking forward to meeting you again."

Azula swallowed, keeping her gaze pointed at the ground. "And what will he do with me? Steal _my_ essence? Destroy my body? Trap my spirit in the Spirit World?"

"That's a question I can't answer; he hasn't decided yet. Just know that your punishment will fit your crime."

Azula said nothing else as they continued through the jungle road. She wasn't entirely sure which fate she would prefer. While having her essence stolen by an ancient spirit seemed infinitely worse, she knew she'd lose her sanity if he imprisoned her in the Spirit World. The thought of the Fog of Lost Souls churned her gut. She couldn't go back there. She _wouldn't._

She tugged at her chains. As she suspected, they wouldn't budge; her hands remained tied behind her back. The mistake that Shin Tsang had made, though, was leaving her feet unbound. Perhaps he had meant for her to have an easier time walking up the mountain, but regardless, he had underestimated her. This wasn't the first time she had been without her bending, as she recalled the solar eclipse so many years ago. While her firebending was a large part of her identity, she wasn't helpless without it.

With a deep breath, Azula shifted her stance and struck. She spun to the side and delivered a thunderous kick to the back of Shin Tsang's head, knocking him clean off his feet. Before the chi-blockers even realized what was going on, she kicked one of them square in the gut and knocked him into another. The other two lunged at her, but she flipped herself up and over their shoulders. With a firm kick to both their backs, she propelled herself forward and knocked them both to their knees. Still in midair, she tucked her legs up to her chest and pulled her arms down and forward. In that single motion, she brought her chained hands in front of herself, rather than behind her back. When she landed back on the ground, she took off in a dead spirit through the jungle. All she needed to do now was evade them long enough for the chi-blocking to wear off and her bending to return. Then, she would destroy them all.

Shin Tsang staggered back to his feet with a grumble, clutching the back of his head. "Don't just stand there!" he said to the recovering chi-blockers. "Go after her!"

Azula almost regretted taking off into the jungle at night. On the one hand, it gave her excellent cover to get away. On the other, see could barely see where she was going. To make matters worse, she noticed a bright flickering glow emanating through the trees behind her. Wonderful, so they weren't just chi-blockers, they were firebenders too—as of she wasn't already at enough of a disadvantage. Ducking beneath a low hanging branch, she raced though a grouping of ferns. She found a small stream beyond, and turned left to follow it. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that the orange glow had faded. Good, she just needed to flee long enough for her bending to return.

A blast of fire ripped through the jungle, cutting off her escape. Azula slid to a stop just in front of a burning line of brush and immediately switched directions. Another wave of fire cut her off, forcing her to double back across the stream. The moment she did, one of the chi-blockers lunged out of the bushes and delivered three sharp strikes to her arm. She felt the limb go limp, but it didn't matter; she didn't need her arms. The chi-blocker kicked at her this time with a shot of fire, but Azula crouched low beneath the strike. With the man's leg still lifted in mid-attack, she delivered a kick of her own to the bottom of his chin. He lifted several inches off the ground before collapsing in a motionless heap, unconscious.

No sooner than she dropped the first, two more attackers sprang out of the shadows, punching blasts of fire at her. She expertly danced away from their attacks and weaved herself between the pair. They attempted to get in precision chi-block strikes to her legs, but she never game them the opportunity. She moved too fast, spinning her legs like whips. Her boots crashed against their jaws, and they fell. Three down, just one more to go. But where was he?

The sound of weighted rope spinning through the air answered her question. She turned towards the sound, but she didn't see the bolas until they wrapped around her arms and torso, and took her to the ground. The bolas seemed like only a minor setback at first, as she attempted to flip herself back up to her feet. Within seconds, though, she realized otherwise. The bolas sparked with electricity, sending a stunning wave through her that left her limp and motionless. A weary breath escaped her lips, and her vision blurred. When she turned her head, she noticed the fourth chi-blocker and Shin Tsang emerging from the jungle against the glowing backdrop of burning trees. Moments later, her head fell back against the ground and everything went dark.

* * *

Azula drifted in and out of consciousness over the following few hours. She remembered being carried up the mountainside, and eventually into the temple near the peak. She remembered the spacious atrium with a pool of water at the center, and she remembered the statues of nameless figures from ages past. She remembered being thrown into a cell. She remembered...darkness. After that, nothing.

When she finally did awaken again, she pushed herself upright with a groan, ears ringing. Her entire body tingled and ached. As she attempted to stand, she felt a tug on both her wrists and ankles; chains, she realized. This time, they had made sure to restrain her completely. She didn't bother struggling; she was too tired for that. Her entire mind felt fuzzy, and she just wanted to lie there.

“That was very foolish,” she heard a voice say.

Looking up at the bars on the cell, she noticed a figure standing there. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, and soon realized it was Shin Tsang. “I have _nothing_ to say to you.”

“That's good, then, because I have very little I want to say to you,” he replied, narrowing his burned white eyes. “I want you to try and enjoy your last moments in this world, Azula. Take time to reflect on the things you've done, on the people you've stepped on and betrayed. Tomorrow is the winter solstice, and soon after that... You will be no more.”

Azula tried to think of a response. She tried to think of an insult, or a biting quip, or some smug display of arrogance like she usually showcased... but nothing came to her. She could only tilt her gaze towards the cold stone floor beneath her, where her attention remained until Shin Tsang was gone. When she was alone, she pressed her hands to her face, palms over her eyes. Even with no one around to see, she couldn't show weakness. She couldn't allow any tears. If she kept her eyes blocked, then maybe she wouldn't sob at all.

It didn't work. The tears came, in spite of her best efforts to hold them back. Here she was, broken, defeated, and alone. She had failed. She _always_ failed. No matter how far she climbed, no matter how firmly she thought she was on top, how sure she was of her success, it always ended in failure. Failure and betrayal. Perhaps _that_ was her destiny—to fail, time and time again, no matter how close she got.

What a shameful, pathetic existence.

* * *

Shin Tsang sat cross-legged in front of the central pool of the temple's main atrium. The water appeared to glow as it sat calm and motionless, its surface pristine and glossy, like a mirror. It was spirit water, left over from the ancient mystics who once inhabited this island. The amount of spiritual energy that charged this temple came close to overwhelming him as he meditated there, but in a good way, an uplifting way. This temple was the perfect location to extract Sen's essence from Azula's body, even more so than he had hoped. Tomorrow, he would take new leaps towards fulfilling his destiny.

“Sir, excuse me.”

He eased open his eyes to see one of his chi-blockers standing there. “What is it?”

“The Dragon's Wing just landed on shore,” the man said. “Fire Lord Yula is on her way here.”

“I see.” He closed his eyes again. “Make sure she finds her way.”

The chi-blocker gave a bow, and then hurried out of the temple. Shin Tsang resumed his meditation, letting his mind drift at peace. He knew that the march up the mountainside path would take close to an hour. That gave him time to focus, without any interruptions. There was much still to do in order to prepare.

That time passed quicker than he would have liked. It felt like no sooner than he closed his eyes that the temple doors opened. His mind returned to reality and he opened his eyes. He saw Yula marching across the open floor of the atrium, with two dozen guards trailing behind her in formation. She certainly wasn't wasting any opportunity to showcase her newfound power, it seemed. With a quiet sigh, he moved his hands out of his lap and set them on his knees.

“Yula, how good of you to come,” he stated, with a calm indifference.

“Dragon Empress,” she corrected. She approached the other side of the pool, arms folded and eyes hardened into a glare.

“Of course.” Shin Tsang briefly swept his gaze across the line of guards behind her. “This seems like an excessive amount of troops to bring on a private visit to an unmarked island. Wouldn't you agree?”

“Normally, yes. However, I figured you could use the muscle.”

He narrowed a glare of his own at her. “And why might that be?”

Yula hesitated a moment, and then breathed a gruff sigh. “Because Zuko and Anraq escaped. If I had to make a bet, I'd say they were on their way here.”

“No one else knows about this island, or that this is where we took Azula,” he asserted. At the very least, he wanted to believe that was true. Even if they were only two people, Anraq and Lord Zuko could pose a threat if they managed to find this place.

“They'll have found some way to track you, I'm sure. It's best not to underestimate those two. They _do_ have a dragon, after all.”

Shin Tsang raised a hand to his forehead and sighed. “Very well. Station your men around the temple and along the road leading up the mountain.”

Yula turned to the man next to her. “Captain Han, take care of it.”

“Right away, Empress.” Captain Han gave a bow, then marched his troops out of the temple.

When the two were alone, Shin Tsang stood from his spot on the floor. “I trust you were at least able to take care of the Sun Warriors like I requested?”

“Of course,” Yula said. “They were easy to get rid of.

“Good.” He gave a simple nod. The Sun Warriors had outlived their purpose, and he couldn't leave behind any loose ends to muddle things back in the Fire Nation. “I suppose that means you're now officially the new empress of the Dragon Empire.”

“Yes, I am. Don't ever forget it.”

“Oh, I don't intend to,” Shin Tsang replied, as he made his way around the water pool. “I never actually cared about separating the Fire Nation from the empire in the first place. I only needed a way to get to Azula, and to that effect they worked splendidly.”

Yula paced the opposite way around the pool, keeping the distance between them constant. “Speaking of Azula, I want to know exactly what you're doing with her here. You only said that you have plans for her on the solstice. I want details.”

Shin Tsang gave a gentle scoff, then lowered himself back to the floor, legs crossed. “Very well, if you must. Have a seat, and I'll explain.”

* * *

Anraq peered through the jungle, straining his eyes to see through the dimness of early morning. He could just make out a winding trail leading up the mountainside to a temple near the peak. “What do you think?”

Zuko leaned farther out of the ferns, squinting. “I think I see imperial troops stationed all along that path. We're not getting in unseen that way.”

Anraq let out a frustrated groan and leaned back into the jungle. “Damn it, how did Yula even get here before us?”

“Well, she took the Dragon's Wing,” Zuko said. “I'm guessing she passed us when we made camp last night. Let's just be glad we got here before the solstice.”

“ _Almost_ before. The solstice is today.” Still, Anraq knew that if Shin Tsang was going to try something, it would be at night, when the spiritual energy was at its strongest. They still had time to get into the temple and find Azula. “Can't we just crash in there with Druk?”

Zuko shook his head. “No, if we go with the frontal approach, they might decide to harm Azula before we can get to her. I know Shin Tsang needs her alive, but there's no telling what else he might inflict upon her. We need to do this stealthily.”

“Well, we'll never get up there in broad daylight,” Anraq said, glancing up at the sky. The orange glow of dawn grew brighter by the minute. “We'll have to wait for night.”

“We won't have a lot of time then.”

“It's fine. As soon as darkness hits, I'll get us up there in no time.”

Zuko narrowed a curious glare at him. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because...” he muttered. “It's a full moon tonight.”

* * *

Shin Tsang gazed out one of the windows of the temple, watching as the sun fell. Night would be upon them in moments, and then it would be time. For now, they could at least prepare. “Bring her.”

His four chi-blockers approached, forcibly pulling Azula along with them. They kept her bound in chains, wrists _and_ ankles this time.

“Let _go_ of me!” she spat, tugging and pulling at their hold. Their grips never faltered. She could struggle all she wanted, but she wasn't going anywhere.

They brought her to the central pool of spirit water and laid her down beneath the surface, so only her head remained in the open air. She attempted to crawl free, but one quick strike to her neck rendered her limp and motionless. With a groan, her head fell back against the edge of the pool. She lied there, eyes flickering, barely conscious.

“How much longer?” Yula made her way towards Shin Tsang, keeping herself straight and poised, hands held behind her back.

“Soon,” he replied, turning his gaze back out the window. The sun now dipped below the horizon, and with it the moon arose. “Very soon.”

* * *

Chin uttered a long yawn, stretching his arms up towards the sky. “Man, why are we out here guarding this path? No one's coming. No one even knows we're here.”

His patrol partner, Jun, gave him a simple shrug. “Don't know. I guess Empress Yula is worried Lord Zuko and that bodyguard might show up or something. Don't ask me how they'd even find us.”

“Well, I hope they finish up whatever they're doing in that temple soon so we can get home,” Chin muttered. “I really don't like being on some remote— _huurgh.”_ His body abruptly jerked violently to the side, limbs twisting and bending in ways they shouldn't.

“What in the— _ack!”_ Jun's body did the same, now hovering several inches off the ground. “What...is going...on?” A second later, they both lurched forward and slammed into each other. The impact immediately left them both unconscious.

When the guards fell to the ground, Anraq ran forward into view, waving Zuko along. “Let's go,” he called, keeping his voice hushed. “There's another pair up ahead.”

Zuko hurried to keep up, pausing only briefly to give the unconscious guards a passing look. _Bloodbending._.. The last time he had seen it, it had been performed by Katara on the man she thought had killed her mother. He had never thought he'd see it again. Wrenching his gaze away, he followed Anraq up the trail, towards the next set of guards.

* * *

Shin Tsang seated himself in front of the spirit pool, legs crossed and hands folded in his lap, posture straight. He closed his eyes, let his mind slip away, and tapped into the growing spiritual energy of the temple. With the solstice upon them, he could feel the line between worlds fading, blurring. The water in the spirit pool glowed brighter, surrounding Azula with a light so fierce that Yula and the nearby chi-blockers were forced to shield their eyes as they watched.

Azula screamed, as a burning filled her veins. Her eyes flew open wide and began to glow the same as did the water, and within moments three bright beams of light burst forth from her body—two from her eyes and one from her gaping mouth. Her screams became drowned by a low humming, a humming that grew louder as the light grew brighter.

The floor at Shin Tang's feet, too, began to glow, as more spiritual energy than he had ever before experienced passed through his body. He felt himself connect to the Spirit World more closely than ever, felt himself connecting with Sen. When that connection reached its peak, he stood up straight and opened his eyes, both of which were now glowing the same as Azula's.

Yula focused on them, squinting her gaze to see through the piercing light. She noticed a bright wisp float free from Azula's mouth into the open air, where it hovered and swirled. “Is that... is that it?”

“Yes,” Shin Tsang said. His voice echoed, empowered by the spirits. “That is the essence of the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, and soon it will be mine.”

* * *

An explosion ripped through the mountainside. Anraq ducked beneath an incoming blast of fire and countered by bloodbending the attacker. The man twisted and jerked sideways, until finally Anraq threw him down to the ledge below them. Another explosion forced him backwards. He nearly fell over the edge of the trail, but Zuko caught him and pulled him to safety. The old man then lunged forward and released two massive jets of fire from his fists. Their attackers fell back on the defensive. One mistake, that was all it had taken to alert every damn guard on the mountain.

So much for the element of surprise.

A bright glow caught Anraq's gaze. He blinked, and turned towards the temple above them. White light burst forth from the windows, lighting up the night as if day. “Zuko! Whatever they're doing, it's started!”

Zuko took one look up at the temple and pulled out the dragon whistle from the neckline of his uniform. He gave the whistle a single puff, then pulled Anraq towards the ledge. “Well, we've already lost the element of surprise anyways. Hold on!”

“Wait, what are you— _aaaahhhhh!”_

The next thing he knew, both he and Zuko were falling out over two hundred feet of open air. Several shots of fire rained down at them, but missed wide. Halfway down towards solid ground, the great red dragon burst forth from the surrounding jungle and flew in beneath them. Moments before becoming flattened pancakes on the earth below, Zuko and Anraq landed atop the dragon's back.

Anraq clutched the dragon's scales in a death grip, eyes still wide with terror from the fall. “Okay, let's agree _never_ to do that again!”

“Come on, Druk! Get to that temple!” Zuko urged, as the dragon raced through the air. More fire blasts erupted from the mountainside, but Druk dodged them all.

* * *

The glowing wisp rose higher into the air, away from Azula. Shin Tsang smirked, lifting his arms and guiding the essence towards himself. “Just a little more...”

The side of the temple exploded inward, knocking him off his feet. When the rubble and dust cleared, a great dragon emerged from the newly created hole, opening his jaws wide and releasing a jet of flames across the temple floor. Shin Tsang's team of chi-blocking firebenders raced forward to guide the flames away from the spirit pool and back from whence they came, but a second burst sent them hurtling towards the back wall.

“Azula!” It was Anraq. He slid down atop the dragon's back and ran across the temple towards Azula, who still lied deep in the spirit water, her eyes and mouth glowing bright. “I'm coming! I'm—” He skidded to a stop at what he saw next, eyes wide. The glowing wisp—Sen's essence—initially caught his attention, but what gave him pause was the person now standing there next to Azula, within the spirit water. “Yula... what are you doing?”

Yula glanced at him at a moment, then plucked the essence out of the air between her fingers. “I'm sorry, Anraq, but I see an opportunity here and I have to take it.”

“Yula, no, don't—!”

He didn't react in time. Yula pressed the essence to her forehead, and then a searing wave of light and energy exploded from her body, followed an instant later by a deafening boom. Anraq lifted off his feet and flew through the air, slamming into a nearby statue. Zuko, too, slid towards the far side of the temple, and even Druk was forced back outside to shield himself from the blast. A second pulse of energy erupted after the first, and then seconds later everything was calm. The light faded, and the temple was silent.

Yula staggered out of the spirit water on quivering legs. She breathed deep to steady herself, then looked down at her hands. For a long while she just stared at them. When at last her knees stopped shaking, she took a firm stance. She breathed deep again, this time controlled and focused. Then, she thrust a fist up into the air. The resulting fire blast that erupted from her knuckles tore half the roof off the temple, bursting forth with the power of a hundred suns.

“This feels...” she uttered, looking back down at her hands. She grinned wide and then twisted her body with a sharp kick. This time, the flames were stronger. The entire back wall of the temple exploded in a shower of burning rubble. _“...incredible!”_ This was true power, the kind that no other firebender possessed. At least, not anymore.

“Yula...?” It was Azula's voice. She crawled her way out of the spirit water, hands and feet still bound together with chains. A soft groan emanated from her lips as her mind began to clear, and she regained her sense of awareness. “What... did you do?”

“I took the essence that you stole,” Yula said, with a disdainful glare towards the fallen girl. “The power you had, it's _mine_ now.”

A scowl twisted upon Azula's face. “You...you're a _traitor._ Do you know what I _do_ to traitors?”

“By all means...” Yula shifted into a defensive pose. “Try.”

Azula hesitated, staring into her former student's eyes. The hesitation lasted just a moment, but in that moment she found herself questioning if she should actually follow through on her threat. This was _Yula_... who had _betrayed_ her. She shook the thought from her mind and then thrust her fingers forward, charging lightning at the tips...

Or at least, she tried to. Even with her hands and fingers extended, however, nothing happened. There was no lightning, no spark, not even a puff of smoke. She blinked, glancing down at her chained hands. Even with her wrists bound together, she still should have been able to channel lightning. She hadn't been chi-blocked for close to two hours now... it should have worn off.

Panic surged through her as she made another attempt, once again thrusting her fingers at Yula. Again, there was nothing. She felt no power in herself, no breath of fire, no connection to her chi... She felt only emptiness. “W-what...? What is this?”

Yula relaxed her pose, raising a quizzical eyebrow. When she realized what was happening, a mocking laugh burst from her throat. “Oh, wow... How the mighty _have_ fallen.”

“No... no, this isn't... _possible,”_ Azula uttered. A knot lumped tight in her throat, and her eyes went wide, stricken with shock. She pulled her hands back and attempted to create fire in her palms. _Nothing._ “I... I can't bend.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a different kind of chapter than I've written before, in that the scenes had to be cut up more than usual in order for it to progress naturally. I couldn't just do all of the Shin Tsang/Azula scenes followed by all the Zuko/Anraq scenes, or nothing would have made sense. So, in the end it plays out more like it would in an actual episode, I suppose. Anyway, lots of things happening here. I hope I was able to make a few surprises.
> 
> We have Azula losing Sen's essence, and Yula actually absorbing it instead of Shin Tsang, which gives her firebending the power that Azula had previously. Furthermore, it seems that Azula hasn't just lost her enhanced bending, but she's lost her bending entirely. Cue dramatic hamster video.
> 
> Also, Anraq fully willing to use bloodbending here to get to Azula. Considering we know how much he hates using bloodbending... well, that should tell you something about how he feels about Azula.


	78. Escape From Spirit Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula, Zuko, and Anraq make a desperate attempt to flee from a newly empowered Yula.

Azula made another attempt at creating fire. Or a spark, or smoke, or...anything. Her bending _couldn't_ be gone; she had only lost Sen's essence, not her own. So then why couldn't she do anything? Why couldn't she bend? She tried to focus her breath, to feel her chi flow...but still, there was nothing. Whatever connection she had had with fire, it was gone. Her frustration increased at the realization, and she soon began frantically casting her hands back and forth.

"Bend!" she pleaded. Again, nothing. She swallowed, unable to quell the growing panic in her heart. _"Bend!"_

Nothing.

 _No, no, no, no!_ This couldn't be happening, not to her! Maybe she _had_ been chi-blocked more recently than she thought... Yes, that had to be it. Her bending would come back eventually, wouldn't it? It _had_ to come back.

An amused laughter drew her attention away from her futile attempts at firebending. Yula watched her with a smug grin, arms crossed over her chest. "This is too much. Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look right now? The great Azula, the prodigy of the Fire Nation, lost her bending... I guess this will be easier than I thought."

"Don't... Don't _laugh,"_ Azula shot back, twisting her lips into a frown. She tried to appear defiant, but the fear and embarrassment in her eyes betrayed her. "Don't you laugh at me!"

"And why not?" Yula questioned. "It's funny."

"It is _not_ funny!" she shrieked.

It was anything but funny. A person's bending was more than just a special power, it was a part of them, a key piece to their lifestyle and who they were as a person. That went doubly for Azula. She _was_ her firebending. She was a prodigy, always had been. Her skill, her power... That was her entire identity. Having her chi blocked was one thing, but losing her bending permanently? That... That was unimaginable. She felt as though she had just lost a part of her own soul. Deep down, in the very pit of her stomach and her heart, the pain burned like fire. It was real, it was strong.

It _hurt_.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to disagree. It doesn't really matter anyway." Yula raised two fingers from either hand and twisted herself into a crisp stance, the same that Azula had taught her so many months ago. Electricity sparked around her hands, crackling and screeching at new levels of power. "It's time you just lay down and die."

Azula's eyes went wide, as she stared at the lightning coiling around Yula's fingers. It was all she could do. She had no bending, and even if she did, she didn't know how to redirect lightning. Her hands and feet, too, were chained together; she couldn't simply run from the attack. No, all she could do was watch Yula thrust her fingers forward and fire a sizzling bolt through the air. The blue glow filled Azula's vision, and in that moment she saw only her own death.

But it never came. An instant before the bolt struck her, a figure lunged in front of her and caught the lightning on his own fingers. He turned himself, guided the lightning through his body, then raised his other hand straight up into the air, where the bolt redirected out the gaping hole in the temple ceiling. When the lightning faded, the figure became clear.

"Zuko...?" Azula's eyebrows lifted, puzzlement flooding over her face. Zuzu...her brother. He...was here?

"And me, too," said another voice. Now Anraq appeared, making his way next to Azula with a subtle limp in his stride. "We're here."

She stared at them, blinking. For a long moment she couldn't even think of what to say. She had never imagined... They actually came for her?

"Oh, wonderful," Yula sighed, giving them both a disdainful glare. "At least now I can get rid of all three of you and save myself some time."

"No, Yula, you can't win this," Zuko insisted. "Please, we don't have to do this. We don't have to fight."

"Well, you're not really leaving me much of a choice, now are you?” she said. _"You're_ the ones standing against _me."_

"Yula, _please."_ Anraq raised his hands into a peculiar pose. It was a different stance than he normally took, this one meant for specifically for bloodbending. "This isn't you. Whatever you think this is, we're not your enemies. We don't have to be. You're a good person. You're kind, and sweet, and... You're a friend. You're _our_ friend. Don't make me do this."

Yula watched him a moment. Her eyes softened, shifting slightly with confliction. The moment was brief. Seconds later, her gaze hardened again. "You don't know me nearly as well as you think."

She gave no further warning, as she thrust a fist at them. The flames that burst forth from her knuckles were massive, greater than any one firebender could have defended against. That fire would have torched the three standing there to the bone, had it not dissipated seconds after it appeared. Anraq didn't hesitate this time. The moment she had made a move to attack, he took control of the blood in her body and bended her down to her knees.

"N-no..." Yula uttered, struggling desperately against the hold. "You can't...do this!"

Anraq huffed a sigh, shaking his head. "You didn't leave me a choice, Yula. I'm sorry."

As he strengthened his bloodbending on the new Dragon Empress, the doors to the temple slammed open. Captain Han ran inside, trailed by another dozen and a half guards. "Back away from the Empress!" the captain shouted, blasting a ball of fire at them. The other guards did the same, filling the air with scorching meteors.

Zuko put himself between the two groups, expertly bending the fire away. "We have company!"

"I can see that!" Anraq turned halfway and reached behind himself with one arm. Five of the attacking guards instantly locked up, bodies twisting and bending. "And that's a lot more than I can bloodbend at once!"

Zuko countered with several of his own fire blasts, then fell back onto the defensive. He stepped forward, whirling his arms to disperse the incoming bombardment. "Anraq, take Azula outside. Find Druk and then get out of here!"

"What?" Anraq felt his grip on Yula slipping, so he tightened his fingers. Yula bent closer to the ground, screaming. "What about _you?"_

"I'm going to hold them off to give you time to escape!" Zuko performed a quick flurry, forcing the attackers back with a wall of flames. The guards had him outnumbered, but he had them outskilled.

"Are you _insane?"_ Anraq shot back. "You can't fight them all!"

"This isn't a negotiation!" Zuko glared back over his shoulder, meeting the other's gaze with a stern urgency—he wasn't playing games here. "Get her _out_ of here!"

Anraq hesitated a moment, then puffed out a defeated sigh. "Alright, fine. Just...be careful." With a quick flick of his wrists, he sent Yula and the other guards under his control spinning away through the air. Then, he cooled the chains around Azula's wrists and ankles until they became brittle enough to break. "Come on, let's go."

Azula didn't move at first. She stared at him, then shifted her focus over to her brother, who was still battling against the other guards tooth and nail. They both were risking everything here... All to save her. It didn't make sense. What reason could they have to go this far for her? Surely, she didn't mean _that_ much to them.

"Azula, what are you waiting for?" Zuko called, bending away a violent explosion of flames. The smoke and fire swirled around him until he dispersed it into flickering embers. "Get out of here!"

"Zuko..." she uttered, her eyes locked wide onto him. "Why...?"

The old man redirected another fire blast back at the guards, then turned a quick glance towards her. The smile he gave only intensified her confusion. "Because you're my sister, and I love you."

"Azula, let's _go!"_ Anraq said, pulling at her arm. "We have to get out of here!"

Azula's legs finally moved. She held her gaze on her brother as long as she could, before turning to run after Annie through the crumbling hole in the temple wall. Outside, Druk uttered a deep bellow and shook himself out of a daze, still stunned by the earlier explosion. The dragon wasn't even aware that two passengers had climbed atop his back until Anraq gave his scales a firm slap.

"Let's go, Druk, get us out of here!" he said.

The dragon groaned, but soon lumbered towards the mountain ledge. When he leaped into the open air, he plummeted a few moments like a rock, until finally his wings sprang into action. He lifted up into the sky, and within seconds they were on their way away from the island.

* * *

Azula twisted around atop the dragon's back to look behind them. She could still see the island in the distance, growing smaller by the second. A deep sinking feeling churned in the pit of her gut. Zuko was still back there... He had risked everything to save her, and they _left_ him. Left him there to be taken captive or...or worse.

But wait, why did she care? She had never cared about Zuzu, not really. Sure, he was her brother and she had some general familial attachment to him, but she had never actually _cared._ She had never _liked_ him. Or trusted him. Or thought of him as anything more than a pathetic failure.

And yet, he had still been there for her. In spite of everything she had done to him, and how she had always treated him, he had still done everything in his power to help her. He still... _loved_ her. No, no that didn't make sense. Zuko had never loved her, and she had never loved him, siblings or not. Maybe once a very long time ago when they had been nothing more than kids, although even then that could have been debated.

So then why had he done this for her? _Why?_

“Hey, are you alright?” Anraq leaned forward, sitting behind her. He held a hand to her shoulder; the touch was tender, comforting.

New thoughts began to shift through her head. Not just Zuko had come for her, but Annie too. She had been so sure that placing trust in someone like she did him would be a mistake, that there was no way he could actually care about her, that he didn't really like her... Yet, here he was, when she needed him most. Her trust _hadn't_ been a mistake. It had been...a blessing. Was that the right word for it? For all the betrayal and failure in her own life, somehow, someway... there were still people who actually cared about her?

“No, I'm _not_ alright,” she muttered, taking a firmer hold onto Druk's neck. “Zuzu is back there... we left him.”

“I know...” Anraq said, with a soft sigh. “He gave us a chance to get away.”

“We're going back.”

“Uh...come again?”

Azula frowned, and then tugged at the dragon's neck as if urging it to turn around. “I said, we're going _back._ Yula will _kill_ him if we leave him there.”

“But, wait, hold on, we just got away,” Anraq insisted. “Zuko stayed behind so _you_ could escape. I didn't want to leave him behind anymore than you did, but we can't just go back now.”

“Yes, we can.” She gave another pull on Druk's neck, then smacked her hand against its scales. “Come _on_ you mangy dragon, go get Zuko!” The dragon lurched backwards in the air and gave a mighty roar, then abruptly switched directions; now, they were flying straight back at the island.

Anraq held on for dear life, almost slipping straight off the beast's backside. “Azula, what are you _doing?”_

She swallowed, hardening her eyes into a glare. “Saving my brother.”

* * *

Seven, ten, fifteen... Zuko lost track of how many guards were throwing attacks at him now. Every time he defended against a fire blast, two more were there to take its place. His opponents surrounded him, forcing him to constantly turn himself to fend them off. One of the fireballs exploded at his feet, lifting him into the air. He twisted himself in midair and regained his balance, able to land in time to spin a sphere of flames around himself. Several successive blasts bombarded his shield, and the resulting explosion again threw him through the air. This time, he couldn't right himself. He hit the ground hard and slid across it into the pool of spirit water.

“Lord Zuko, please,” said Captain Han. “Just surrender. We don't want to have to hurt you.”

Zuko glanced back over his shoulder, towards the hole in the temple wall. Anraq and Azula were gone now, which meant he didn't _need_ to keep fighting. Still, while Captain Han and his men might be willing to show mercy, he wasn't so sure about Yula. That woman had changed so much over the past year. Too much of Azula's negative qualities had rubbed off on her, and all that was left was...madness.

Flipping back to his feet, Zuko took another defensive stance. His eyes scanned across the line of guards; they all held firm and ready to attack if need be. Perhaps if he cleared a path for himself, he could flee into the jungle. He might not be as young as he used to, but he was sure that he could firebend his way down the mountainside and give himself a headstart. Maybe—

“ _Enough!”_

A colossal wave of fire erupted across the floor. Zuko just managed to put up a defense before it struck him, but it did little to lessen the impact. The blast exploded and lifted him from his feet, sending him spinning out of the water pool into one of the temple statues. His old body shook with pain as he collapsed; his back flared, and his head pounded. Try as he might to get up this time, he couldn't even crawl to his knees without a ripple of agony pulsing through him.

Yula marched towards him, flames billowing behind in her wake. “I wanted to show you mercy, Lord Zuko. If you had just stayed in prison like you were supposed to, I wouldn't have to do this now!” Lightning sparked at her fingertips. “But you just had to be a nuisance, didn't you?”

Zuko groaned again, trying to lift his hands up to redirect the lightning. Another jolt of pain racked his body, and he collapsed.

Yula smirked, then thrust her fingers at him. “Goodbye, Lord— _aaggh!”_ Just before the lightning left her fingers, her arm jerked upwards, sending the bolt towards the ceiling. It tore another hole through the temple and scattered charred bits of rubble in all directions. Yula fought against the hold, but once again her body twisted and then flew through the air. She landed at the center of the water pool with a splash.

A split second later, Druk burst through the open side of the temple. Anraq leaped from his backside and instantly locked up as many of the opposing imperial guards as he could with his bloodbending. He twisted them, sent them scattering. Then, he bended the water out of his flask to shield against a countering barrage of fire.

“Hurry up!” he called. “Let's go!”

Druk assisted with a blast of flames from his throat, but several of the opposing firebenders were able to disperse the attack before it did any damage. Anraq did his best to keep up a wall of water between them and the guards, while Azula slid down off the dragon's back and raced towards her brother.

“Let's go, you dummy,” she muttered, lifting Zuko up with his arm around her shoulder.

“Azula...” he uttered, pausing with a wince of pain. “I told you... to escape. Why did you come back?”

“Like I'd let you sacrifice yourself for me.” She scoffed, then dragged him over to Druk. He faltered several times, but soon she managed to get him atop the dragon's back. “How pathetically noble can you get?”

When the two were safely atop the dragon, Anraq hardened his water into a wall of ice, then hurried to join them. “Alright, come on, let's move!”

Druk took off through the hole in the side of the temple, wings spread wide in preparation to take off. Just as he leaped over the mountain ledge, however, a blast of lightning ripped through the air and seared against his flank. A deep bellow rumbled from his throat and for several moments he fluttered there in the sky, losing altitude. Soon, though, he was able to right himself and continue flying. Another lightning bolt sizzled past them, this time missing just wide.

Azula turned her head back at the temple. There, standing at the edge of the mountain, was Yula. Their eyes locked together for as long as they remained within sight of each other. Only when the temple finally became a small dot in the distance did she look away again. Deep down, Azula knew—that wasn't the last time they would see each other.

* * *

“Okay...” Anraq huffed, sinking against the dragon's back. “That is officially the craziest thing I've ever done.”

Azula scoffed. “Please, I live on crazy.”

“Yeah, well, maybe it's good to be a little crazy sometimes.” Anraq looked down at Zuko, who now had lied down against Druk's neck with his eyes closed. “We managed to save him.”

“Yes...we did,” Azula said, holding a hand to her brother's forehead. “Will he be alright?”

Zuko stirred at her touch. “I'm fine, relax. I just need...some rest. Druk, too.”

The dragon's flight had slowed some time ago, no longer close to his top speed. The lightning had left behind a charred patch of scales, and each time the beast flapped his wings he growled a deep grunt of pain. He wouldn't be able to remain airborne much longer.

“ _Hmph_... you really got old,” Azula sighed. Her tone wasn't as mocking as she meant it to be. Endearment slipped into her words—caring that she didn't even know she had.

Anraq looked over the side of the dragon, down at the open sea below. “Well, uh, not sure where you expect us to go. I'm not seeing any land.”

“I think we're actually close to Ember Island,” Zuko said, pushing himself upright. He remained like that only a brief moment before groaning and lying down again. “We could rest there a while.”

Azula lifted her brow at the suggestion. “Ember Island? The last time I was there...”

“I know. That...was a memorable night,” Zuko replied, with a distant sigh.

That had been the night where he finally admitted to himself how conflicted he was, and had been the spark that led to him joining the Avatar. Then, of course, he, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee had sabotaged that jerk Chan's party. That had been fun.

“So... is our old beach house still there?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. Actually, I live there now.”

“You... _live_ there?” Azula blinked in surprise. “I knew you didn't live at the capital, but I didn't think you'd retired to Ember Island. Doesn't that get a little annoying after a while, living at a beach resort?”

Zuko breathed in deep, and closed his eyes again. He really did need to rest. “Maybe a little, but the wife likes it there.”

“Whoa, hold up.” Anraq sat up straighter, raising his eyebrows. “You mean we're going to meet _Mrs_. Zuko?”

“Yes, there's plenty of space at the house for us to stay while we recover,” he said. “And we should be safe from Yula too, for a little while at least.”

Azula flinched at the mention of Zuko's wife. “I don't mean to be the negative one here, but... is that really such a good idea?”

“Oh, it'll be fine,” he assured. “Try not to worry... I'm sure Mai will love to see you again.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These types of scenes really end up going longer than I plan them too... This chapter was originally supposed to be at the end of the last chapter, but there was way too much to get through (and would have made it my longest chapter ever). So, I split it in half, and we're left with this chapter. It's rally important to note the conflict that Azula is going through right now, trying to come to terms with the revelation that there are actually people in her life who care about her, and that maybe she isn't as alone as she thought. She's starting to undergo some changes, although those changes aren't going to be easy to deal with.
> 
> And then there's Yula, who is changing in completely the opposite direction. She's basically becoming exactly what Azula used to be. Cold, vindictive, spiteful, and arrogant to a fault. We'll see how that plays out in the future.
> 
> Oh, and also, I really do believe that about a person losing their bending. I'v seen some people say that, oh losing your bending is no big deal, you're just a non-bender now and they're fine. But the thing is, bending isn't just a meaningless power. A person's bending is a part of who they are. It's something that's been with them their whole lives, something they've built their lifestyle around, something that is deeply rooted in their identity. Taking that away, I believe, would be like taking away a piece of someone's soul.


	79. Ember Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fugitive Fire Nation crew arrives on Ember Island for a brief respite.

Anraq gave a long look up at the beach house atop the small hill. For what had once been used as a mere vacation home, it might as well have been a mansion. Judging from what he'd seen on the way up the path, this was probably the biggest house on the island. The full moon sat low in the sky directly above the the pointed rocky crag that jutted upward behind the home, giving the entire structure a pale white glow.

As they followed Zuko to the front of the beach house, Anraq turned a look to Azula. “Are you okay for this? I know it's been a long... _long_ time since you and Mai met. I mean, I know I wasn't around back then, but with the way you spoke about her and that other friend of yours before...”

“I'll be _fine,”_ she insisted. She glared at the front door, brow low over her eyes. “This has been a long time coming, anyway. I have a few words I want to say to her.”

“Well... alright, then.” He gave Azula one more quick glance, then followed Zuko through the front of the house.

“Mai?” Zuko turned on the light to the main gathering area and made his way farther inside. “Are you still up? I'm home.”

A silent pause followed, before the sound of footsteps reached them. Several seconds later, the door at the far end of the room slid open, and a figure entered. The woman was old, with long gray hair tied up in a pair of buns. The robe she wore billowed around her, hiding a thin, frail frame that hunched forward slightly. Her face was narrow and gaunt, creased with a set of wrinkles. In spite of her posture, though, she moved with a surprising swiftness and grace not usually seen from someone her age. It had been eighty years, but still Azula recognized the shade of a much younger girl in that old figure: Mai.

“Welcome home,” Mai said, with a smile. She walked straight up to Zuko and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “You were gone awful long this time.”

“Yes, well, there were some things that required my...attention,” he said, turning a look over his shoulder.

Mai blinked past her husband to see the other two standing there. “Oh, we have guests? Can I get them some tea, or—” Her words stopped cold in her throat when her gaze fell on Azula. Her eyes hesitated a brief moment before flashing with sudden recognition. Then, they darkened, and turned back to her husband. “Zuko, I thought you said you weren't ever going to bring her here.”

“I know, I'm sorry. But some things have happened... _urgh._..” Zuko staggered atop his feet and fell against the table next to him. He only just managed to catch himself to keep from toppling over completely.

Mai instantly rushed to his side, concern washing over her old face. “Honey, are you alright? What's wrong?”

“Like I said... things happened,” he uttered, sucking in a deep breath. “I need to lie down... I'll explain everything in the morning."

Anraq moved forward and came to their side. “I'll take him, ma'am. I'm a healer, I can help him.” He lifted Zuko's arm around his shoulder, then assisted the old man towards the door at the other end of the room. He paused just a moment to look back at Mai and Azula. “We'll just, uh...leave you two alone for a few minutes.”

When they were gone, Mai turned a slow glare towards the other woman. “Azula.”

“Mai.” Azula folded her arms across her chest, returning a glare of her own. “You got old.”

“And you haven't aged a day. Do I even want to know how that's possible?”

“It's a long story, and quite honestly I don't really feel like explaining it right now.”

Mai hissed out a sigh. “I see you haven't changed much, either.”

Azula turned her head and puffed out a haughty scoff. “Why change what's already perfect?”

Mai's eyes narrowed even further as she stared at Azula. “I didn't believe Zuko when he first told me you were back. I thought he was playing some kind of unamusing joke on me. Then I saw your picture in the paper... And now here you are standing in front of me. After all these years.”

“Yes, here I am.” Azula hardened her own gaze back at the old woman, and twisted a frown on her face. “And here you are.”

“Don't tell me you're still bitter about what happened back then,” Mai muttered, with a biting tone of sarcasm. “Wait, who am I kidding? Of course you are.”

Azula's scowl deepened. She stepped closer to Mai and pointed an accusatory finger at her. “You _betrayed_ me! You and Ty Lee both!”

“I did what I thought was right in that moment, and that meant saving Zuko from _you._ I knew what I did, and I accepted it. But I see you still haven't.”

“You and Ty Lee were _all_ I had,” she shot back. “You were my only friends, and then you _turned_ on me. Do you know what that feels like? Having the only people you thought you could rely on stab you in the back?”

“ _Friends?”_ Mai's glare intensified, and she stepped closer, now just inches away. Even in her old age, she still carried a striking fierceness about her. If anything, she was more intimidating now than she had ever been. “You _never_ treated us like friends. We were your henchmen, always expected to do whatever you said without question. You controlled us by making us afraid of you, by _threatening_ us. And when we finally acted on something even stronger than our fear for you? You couldn't _handle_ it. You were angry because you lost control, not because you ever cared about us.”

Azula swallowed, pushing her eyebrows together. The hesitation that persisted before she brought herself to respond surprised even herself. “That...isn't true.”

“Who are you trying to fool, Azula? Me? Or yourself?”

A long bout of silence followed, and soon Azula found herself looking away again. Her gaze tilted down to the floor, face still twisted with a scowl. Her frustration, she realized, wasn't at Mai; it was at herself.

Mai sighed again. “Look, I'm not still angry about back then, and I don't have a grudge anymore. It's been way too long for that.” She took a step back, arms tightening across her chest. Her glare remained hard, challenging. “But that doesn't mean I like you, especially after what you did to Izumi. And I don't fear you anymore, either. So if you try anything I don't like, if you give me one reason to believe you might hurt Zuko, then I _will_ stop you. I know he has a soft spot for you because you're his sister, and he thinks you're different from the Azula we used to know, but _I_ know what you're still capable of. I won't let you hurt anyone else I care about, do you understand me?”

"Ugh, you've become just as sickeningly noble as Zuzu,” she muttered, with a grating scoff. “You don't need to worry, I'm not going to hurt him. He's my brother."

"That never stopped you before."

"Yes, well that was then, this is now.” Azula finally looked back at Mai. This time, she offered a smirk. “Like you said, it's been a long time."

Mai deadpanned. "Right, I'm sure you're so different now. I'll probably wake up tomorrow with my house burning down around me."

Azula scoffed again, as if offended by the accusation. She crossed her arms and glanced away from the old woman, settling her gaze on the wall—she saw a family portrait there, consisting of a younger Zuko and Mai, and a teenage Izumi. "I'm not going to burn your house down, Mai. I couldn't even if I wanted to."

Mai lifted an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I...” Azula paused, clenching her jaw tightly. When she calmed herself, she continued, “...can't bend. I don't have my firebending anymore."

"You what?” Mai stared a moment, then huffed out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “Right... I _totally_ believe that."

Azula shot a frown at her. "Don't _mock_ me, you old hag. It's true."

"Of course it is.” Mai turned from her and headed back towards the sliding door at the other end of the room. When she reached it, she pointed to her left. “There's a guest room down the hall. You can sleep there. Don't try anything funny, though. I'll know.”

When Mai was gone, Azula muttered an irritated grumble. "Like I'm some kind of child..."

* * *

Azula stood on the beach, watching the waves break in against the shore beneath the glow of the full moon. She breathed in deep, steady, and then closed her eyes. She tried to remember the basics she had learned so long ago. _Firebending comes from your breath, not your muscles. Control your breathing, extend your chi through your body, and create fire._ When she felt ready, she thrust a punch straight forward towards the ocean. Nothing followed—no fire, no smoke, not even a tiny ember. Her form was crisp and perfect, and yet that did nothing to help.

"Bend!” She punched again, but still there was no fire. “Come on... _Bend!”_ She turned her body and then delivered a hard kick to the side. Again, nothing. With a groan, she straightened herself and looked down at her hands. “What is _wrong_ with me? Why can't I bend?”

"Hey, Azula."

The voice sent a sudden jolt down her spine, stiffening her back straight. She turned around to see Anraq standing there. "Oh, Annie. I...didn't notice you there."

"It's fine, I just got here,” he said, as he moved next to her. He stared straight out over the water, a distant look in his eyes.

"It's late...” Azula joined his gaze, watching the moon rise higher over the horizon. “What are you doing out here?"

"Couldn't sleep. What about you?"

"I'm...trying to firebend.” A sigh eased from her lips. “Nothing."

Anraq sighed, too, and hung his head. "For what it's worth... I'm sorry. I'm the one who thought we should wait until night to infiltrate the temple. Then I was careless and alerted the guards... We should have been there sooner."

Azula was quiet a moment. A year ago, perhaps, she would have loved to jump on the opportunity to blame him. But not now. She...knew better, now. "It's not your fault, Annie. It's Shin Tsang's fault. And Yula's. And...my own."

"I know how hard this must be for you, losing your bending.” He looked back at her with gentle eyes. His gaze carried a deep sympathy. “I can't know myself what that feels like, but I can imagine. My waterbending is a part of me. If I lost it... It would be like losing a piece of myself."

"It's more than that...” she uttered, raising her hands up to stare at them. She slowly clenched her fingers into fists, and swallowed a growing knot in her throat. “My firebending was _everything_ to me. I _was_ my firebending. A prodigy, a weapon, a perfect princess and ruler... Now what am I? I'm _nothing."_

Anraq's brow lifted in genuine surprise. He took a step in front of her, and held a hand to her shoulder. "No, you're wrong. You're still you. Azula, it's not your firebending that makes you who you are. It might have been an important part of you, but it wasn't _all_ of you. _You_ are what makes you who you are."

"And what exactly _is_ that?” she countered, glancing up into his eyes. Her tone shook with uncertainty and disbelief. “Why are you even here, Annie? Why are you still with me? I've been a cruel, spiteful person to everyone around me. I've made it a point to step over people and climb to the top no matter the cost. Anyone else would call me a horrible person, a _monster._ What on earth do you see in me?"

"I told you before,” he said, unflinching. “I'm here because I've seen another side of you, under all that cruelty and arrogance. You don't think it's there, but maybe that's because you're just afraid it _can't_ be. You don't need to be afraid of that.” He pointed at her, planting his finger firmly against the top of her chest. “It _is_ there. You just need to reach for it."

She turned her gaze away, lips curled into a distant frown. "You sound so sure..."

"I _am_ sure.” Anraq reached out a hand to Azula's chin and gently lifted her gaze upward again. “Azula, I'm here because I care about you, and I'm not giving up on you."

A knot lodged in her throat again, but this one was different. It was a nervous lump, and it tightened so much she nearly stopped breathing. "You...really do care, don't you?"

"I do. And I promise, I'm not going to leave you. No matter what happens, I _will_ be there for you. I'll help you however you need me to."

Azula swallowed the knot. A shaky breath exhaled from her throat, and soon she felt her stomach churn. There were those nerves again; they only strengthened the longer she stared at him. She started leaning closer to him, unaware of her own actions until she realized that they were only inches away. When the revelation did hit her, a jolt of panic shot through her and she leaned back again.

No, what was she doing? She _couldn't._.. She'd just... ruin the moment.

A quiet huff left her lips, and she mentally scolded herself again. Finally, she settled forward and simply wrapped her arms around him, her head resting against his chest. It wasn't quite... _that_ , but at least she wouldn't make a fool of herself this way. "Thank you, Annie."

Anraq glanced down at her, lifting a brow. "What...are you doing?"

"Hugging you?” Another bout of panic surged through her chest. Oh no, she had still managed to screw it up, hadn't she? She had made herself look stupid, yet again. “Is... Is that still allowed?"

But Anraq's gaze softened, and he smiled. Then, he wrapped his own arms around her and held her tight. "Of course it is."

* * *

Mai puffed out a deep sigh, as she stood at the edge of the beach house courtyard, watching Azula at the center of the open space. The former princess, Fire Lord, and empress had been going through the same series of basic firebending forms for the past hour now, ever since breakfast, and yet still hadn't managed to create a single blast of fire.

So, perhaps Mai _had_ been too quick to disbelieve Azula's claims from last night; the girl really _couldn't_ firebend now. The irony of it, though, did amuse her to a small extent.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?” she said, turning a glance to her husband next to her. “Trusting her? After everything she's done?"

"I know you're hesitant, Mai,” Zuko said. “I was too, at first. But there's something changing in her. I can feel it... She's conflicted, and confused. Right now, more than anything, she needs guidance. Just like I did, a long time ago."

"Alright...” Mai sighed again, wrapping her arm around his. “Just don't let your guard down around her."

"I'll do my best.” Zuko gave his wife's arm a reassuring squeeze, then kissed her. “When we leave later, I want you to go stay with Ty Lee on Kyoshi Island. It's only a matter of time before Yula learns where I live, and when that happens you might become a target."

Mai nodded. "I will. It'll be good to see her again, at least. It's been years."

Zuko kissed his wife again, and then made his way away from her towards the center of the courtyard. "Azula, do you have a moment?"

"Of course I have time,” she muttered, ceasing the firebending set she had been working through. “I have nothing else to do on this island. It's just as dull as I remember it."

Zuko grabbed the leather strap he had slung over his shoulder and removed it. Attached to the strap was a weathered sheath, in which rested a pair of dual broadswords. "Here, take these."

Azula gave the weapons a curious look as she took them. "Your old swords?"

He nodded. "I thought you could use them, at least while you don't have your bending."

"What do you mean, 'at least while' I don't have my bending?” She drew the blades from the sheath and looked them over, testing their weight in her hands. “No matter what I try, I can't bend. This isn't temporary, you dolt."

"Actually, it may be. You see, the Avatar has the ability to restore a person's bending. She did so for many after the Equalist incident in Republic City, when Amon took people's bending away. If we go see her, she can do the same for you."

Azula nearly fumbled the swords out of her grasp. _"What?_ She can?"

He nodded. "Yes, she can."

"Actually, I think I remember hearing about that.” Anraq approached the pair, marching across the courtyard. He carried his club with him, the one that Azula had given him for his birthday. The old weapon looked to be in much better condition than when he had received it, with a restored leather grip and new paint along the side. When he reached them, he pulled a cloth out of his pocket and began to polish the weighted ball at the end of the club. “I wasn't there for the whole Equalist thing, but I'm pretty sure I read an article about Korra restoring bending to those who lost it."

"Well that's...a nice thought and all,” Azula muttered, “but you both are forgetting that the Avatar _hates_ me. Not that I blame her, of course; I did try to kill her. Still, she's not going help me."

"You let us worry about that,” Zuko said. “I know the Avatar very well. I'm sure I can persuade her."

"Yeah, and she still is one of my best friends,” Anraq insisted. “She'll help, I'm sure."

"If you say so.” Azula took a step back and gave the swords a couple of practice swings. They felt foreign in her hands. Although she had received some general weapons training under Master Piando as a child, he had focused her on smaller weapons like knives, while leaving swords for Zuko. “I'm not getting my hopes up, though."

"In any case, I need to check on Druk and make preparations if we're going to leave by tonight,” Zuko said. “In the meantime, you practice with those."

Azula gripped the swords tighter and swung them both harder, hacking at the air. "Hmph, they don't seem difficult."

"Okay, hold on.” Zuko took a step forward and held his hands up, urging her to stop. “First of all, you're holding them wrong."

She turned a glare at him. "I am _not."_

"Here, like this.” Azula reluctantly handed the swords over to Zuko. He took the blades and turned his body, guiding them through an elegant and fluid form. “Remember that these are dual swords, two halves of the same whole. Think of them not as weapons but as extensions of your own body.” He spun around and delivered two successive slashes, one after the other. His motions were sharp, perfect. After a few moments more of demonstration, he relinquished the blades back to his sister. “You try."

Azula grumbled quietly as she took the swords from him again. This was _humiliating_ , having to be instructed by Zuzu, of all people... It left a sour taste in her mouth, and a deep bruise on her pride. Then again... perhaps her pride needed a little bruising. With a brief huff, she held the weapons just as Zuko did and attempted to mimic his actions. This time, her attacks weren't as sloppy.

"This is easy,” she declared, with a smug scoff.

“Well...” Zuko hummed thoughtfully as he watched her, and stroked a hand along his beard. “You're doing better, at least."

She flinched at his words, and shot a scowl at him. "I'm doing fine!"

He chuckled, and broke out into a smile. "Just keep practicing. I'll check on you later."

* * *

Two hours later, Azula was still in the center of the courtyard, practicing with her new swords. _Zuko's_ swords. The irony didn't escape her, but still, if she couldn't bend she might as well have _something_. "This isn't so hard,” she muttered. She leaped up into the air and spun her body. In the same motion, she swung the blades outward. When she landed, she turned her stance again and made another pair of cuts at the air. “Hmph. Simple."

Azula spun a second time, but when she swung her blades she lost the grip on one of the handles. The sword whirled through the air across the courtyard, nearly taking off the top of Anraq's head as he made his way towards her. Fortunately, he managed to duck in time to avoid the spinning projectile.

"Whoa!” he proclaimed, holding his hands atop his head. He blinked back over his shoulder to see the sword clatter on the ground, then looked to Azula. “Hey, easy. I don't need a haircut _that_ bad."

"Ugh, these things are so _stupid!”_ Azula threw the other sword to the ground and huffed a frustrated groan. “Just when I think I have them right, I do something like _that."_

"You just need to keep practicing,” he said. “No one learns a new skill right away."

 _"I_ do.” She folded her arms and sighed to herself, then turned her gaze towards him. When she saw him standing there wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks and carrying a towel of his shoulder, her brow pushed together, puzzled. “What are you doing?"

Anraq looked down at himself with a shrug. "Well, this is a beach, isn't it? Your brother had a spare pair of trunks, so I figured I might as well make use of it while we're here. I haven't had a good swim in ages."

"Oh, of course,” she muttered. She had been so busy training, she hadn't even stopped to think about actually using the beach. It wasn't like they were on vacation, after all. “That makes sense. I guess."

He gave her a wave, then continued on through the courtyard. "Have fun practicing."

Azula watched him until he left, then glanced back down at the scattered swords. She frowned. That was enough practice for now. After retrieving the weapons and returning them to their scabbard, she hurried back into the house. She made her way to the attic a few minutes later, where she found several stacks of old trunks.

She started with the ones she recognized, the ones that had been used by her parents so many years ago to store old clothes. She found robes, pants, shirts, nightgowns, blankets, a whole assortment of various garments—not what she was looking for. She groaned, moving on to the next stack, but still her search yielded no results.

“Looking for something?”

Azula flinched at the voice, and slowly turned her head back towards the stairs. _Mai_. “I... ugh, fine.” She'd been caught, and at this point there was no reason to lie. It wasn't like she had been up to anything nefarious. “I'm looking for a swimsuit, alright? I just wanted to try out the beach before we left. Is that a crime now?”

Mai paced across the attic towards the window and gazed outside, where she could see the beach at the bottom of the hill. Anraq was there, diving through the waves. With a lifted eyebrow, she looked back towards Azula. “I see...” She sighed, then knelt in front of a chest near the back wall. “I suppose you can use one of mine.”

“Um, no offense, Mai, but... I don't think any of yours are going to fit me. You're all...saggy.”

Mai glared back over her shoulder. “One of my _old_ ones, from when I was...well, the same age as the last time we met. The same age as you still _are._ Or look.” She turned back to the chest and dug through it a moment, then pulled out a simple two piece swimsuit, red with gold trimming. “It _should_ fit you.”

Azula held her arms across her chest, tapping her fingers against her elbows as Mai approached her with the swimsuit. She stared at it a moment, then finally snatched it out of the old woman's hands. “Yes, I suppose this will do.” Once she had it, she hurried towards the stairs. Before she descended, however, she looked back and frowned, meeting Mai's gaze. “Thanks.”

* * *

Anraq surfed atop a wave, bending the water at his feet. He held a wide grin on his face as the wave broke, then propelled himself up into the air until finally splashing beneath the surface. When he reemerged, he floated on his backside with his eyes closed and his arms hanging lazily out at his sides. It had been ages since he had enjoyed a swim like this.

"Hope you don't mind some company.” Azula's voice. “I could use a swim too."

"Hmm?” Anraq eased his eyes open and glanced over at the nearby dock. Azula stood there in a red two piece swimsuit, hips cocked to the side with one of her hands pressed against her waist. “Oh, uh, no of course not. Come on— _waah!”_

Before he could finish his words, Azula jumped into the water directly next to him, splashing him with a wave that lurched him back below the water. He coughed as he broke the surface again, spitting out a mouthful.

“Hey, watch it,” he said, wiping his bangs out of his face. “What are you trying to...” He suddenly forgot what he was going to say as he looked to the dock again. Azula climbed the ladder back onto the dock, with the sunlight hitting her in just the right way to make her entire body appear to glisten. She threw her head back, flipping her wet hair over her shoulders; the spray of water that flew from her locks circled around her like a glowing halo. He blinked at her, completely unaware that he had turned to gawking.

When she reached the top of the dock again, Azula glanced at him and lifted an eyebrow. "What's wrong? You're staring."

"Uh, nothing...” he said, shaking himself out of his stupor. “Nothing's wrong. I'm just... Uh, nothing."

"Right...” She stared at him a second longer, then looked away and walked farther along the dock, towards the deeper water. “Well, as soon as you pick your jaw up off the ground, I'm jumping in again. So try to prepare yourself this—” Her words cut off as a stream of water lifted from the ocean and splashed across her backside. She jumped, uttering an uncharacteristically surprised squeal. When she recovered, she immediately turned a glower down at Anraq. “What was... Did you just... _splash_ me?”

"Who, me?” Anraq lowered his arms, and the small pillar of water behind him dropped back into the ocean. “Nooo... Definitely not."

"Oh, you will pay for that..." Azula backed up along the dock to the opposite edge, then lowered herself with her knees bent, as if ready to break into a run.

Anraq lifted his eyebrows. "Hey, wait a minute now... Don't do anything crazy."

Azula sprinted across the dock and lunged into the water next to him. She curled herself into a ball as she struck the surface, blasting a wave up and over Anraq. When she broke the surface again, she swam at him and lashed her arms through the water to splash him. "Smack _me_ with water, will you? I'll show you!"

"Heh, I admire your effort, but are you forgetting who you're dealing with?" Anraq whirled his arms in the air, and the water that Azula sent at him only coiled around his body and then redirected straight back at her.

"Hey!” Azula shielded herself as repeated blasts of water pelted her. “Cut it— _pheh!”_ She coughed out a mouthful and then scowled at him. “Cut it out!"

"You started this,” he insisted, with a playful smirk. “Now you deal with the consequences."

"Oh no you don't,” she muttered, taking a deep breath. She ducked below a water blast, then disappeared beneath the surface.

"Huh?” Anraq blinked, looking around at the gleaming ocean water. With as bright as the sun was, there was too much of a glare on the surface to see where Azula had gone. “What is she... _Whoa!"_

A sharp tug on his ankle pulled him into the depths below. Before she dragged him too far under, he whirled his body and bended the water around himself. In seconds, he lifted up into the air atop a spiraling cyclone of water. Azula came with him, and he promptly picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

“Come on, trying to outmaneuver a waterbender in the ocean?” he said, with a laugh. “Not very bright.”

"Hey!” she exclaimed, smacking her hands across his back. “Put me down at once!"

Anraq simply shifted the water cyclone forward and lifted her higher. "That's it, time to finish this!"

"I. Don't. Think so!"

Before he could throw her back into the water, Azula flipped herself forward and wrapped her arms around Anraq's waist. Her momentum dragged them both backwards, spiraling over one another into the ocean below. The water cyclone collapsed atop them, and the resulting impact created a miniature tidal wave that violently washed them back to shore. Anraq slid in across the wet sand on his stomach, while Azula rolled head over heels and landed on her backside, arms and legs spread out in the sand.

"Ugh...” Anraq picked himself up and waved one of his arms forward, bending a glob of seawater out of his mouth. When his throat was clear, he coughed and held a hand to his gut. “I think I just drank half the ocean."

"Hmph.” Azula sat upright and crossed her arms over her chest. Her lips curled into a smug grin. “I win." No sooner than she said it, another torrent of water splashed across her face.

Anraq returned the smirk. "You were saying?" The only response he received was a clump of wet sand smacking against his cheek.

They both blinked at each other a moment, staring. When the awkward moment past, they looked away and broke out into laughter—real, genuine laughter, even from Azula. It was a side of joy that Anraq had never seen her express before. It made him smile.

“I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that before,” he said, wiping the wet sand from his face.

She immediately silenced herself and turned away, looking suddenly embarrassed. “Well you don't need to make fun...”

“Oh, no, I wasn't—” Anraq smacked himself on the forehead. Maybe that hadn't been the best way to put it. “I just mean, it's nice. Seeing you smile... And, you know, happy.”

“Oh... Well. Okay then.” She brought her focus back to him, offering another small smile. Pathetic, sweet Annie... Her gaze drifted downward, stopping when it reached his chest—more specifically, the scar seared into his flesh just above his heart. She had seen it before, of course, but she had never actually given it much thought. It was the scar he'd received when she shot him with lightning. That seemed like such a long time ago now. “Does that hurt?”

“Huh?” Anraq glanced down at himself and traced his fingers along the mark. “Oh, this? No... it's just a scar. I barely even know it's there half the time.”

Azula leaned forward and grazed her own fingers against the scar. It certainly _looked_ painful... It had to have been. With a sigh, she pulled her hand away and then bowed her head. “I'm sorry...” The apology came surprisingly easy for her. She was never one to apologize for much of anything, but in this case she had no hesitation in doing so. _She_ had given him that scar...and she regretted it. “I tried to kill you back then, but now you're the closest friend I have. Well, the _only_ one I have, really... Except Zuzu, I guess, but he's my brother. That doesn't count.”

Anraq just shook his head. “Don't worry about it, really. That was in the past... and hey, I lived, didn't I? Takes more than a little lightning to keep me down.”

She eyed him a moment, then gave a gentle smirk. “Yes, you are quite...virile.”

He paused, lifting an eyebrow at the odd choice in compliment. Not that he was complaining. Finally, he picked himself back up to his feet and started brushing the sand off himself. “Anyway... come on, we should probably get changed. We'll be leaving soon.”

"I suppose you're right.” Azula sighed, then flipped herself up from the ground. “I do hope they have something fitting for me to wear."

* * *

Zuko watched the two from the top of the hill, as they began to leave the beach. Once they reached the start of the path that led up to the beach house, he turned to his wife and asked, "Does that seem like the Azula you used to know?"

"Well she's certainly just as competitive as she used to be.” Mai glanced at her husband, uttering a deep sigh when she noticed that knowing look in his eyes. “Okay. I suppose there... _might_ be something different about her. But that doesn't mean I trust her. She's still done horrible things."

"I know,” he replied. “I'm trying to help her with that. Just give her a chance. Please?"

Mai sighed again. "Fine..."

* * *

Azula stood in the courtyard, looking over her new outfit. It was a rather simple travel outfit of red and black, with loose pants and baggy sleeves. It fit well enough, but she wasn't used to having so much extra fabric hanging around her arms. Perhaps she would just cut the sleeves off later and save herself the trouble.

"Hmm, I suppose this will do,” she said, as she strapped the belt of her sword sheath around her shoulders. “Even if it is rather plain."

Mai, standing next to her, gave a glare. "It used to be mine."

"Oh.” Azula lifted an eyebrow, then pursed her lips and gave a simple shrug. “Well, as I said."

"Hey, check this out!" Anraq ran out of one of the side doors across the courtyard, waving his arm at them. He wore a blue and white sleeveless shirt, tied off at the waist with a sash. His pants were a darker blue, and included a pair of shinguards and brown boots. Even his hair was different, no longer in a Fire Nation topknot, but instead a warrior's wolf tail. “I've always said, I look best in blue.”

Azula squinted at him. "Is that...Water Tribe clothing?"

"Yeah, apparently Chief Sokka used to visit here years ago. There were some of his old clothes stuffed in the back closet.” A grin spread across his face. “Can you believe it? I'm wearing an official Chief Sokka uniform!” He then turned around, showing off the holster for his club strapped over his shoulder. “Doesn't it go great with the club?”

"Yes, that's fascinating,” Azula said, with an eye roll. “Can we just—” She paused a second, narrowing her look at him when she noticed something else different about him. “Wait, did you shave?"

"Oh, uh, yeah,” he replied, rubbing a hand across his bare chin. The goatee he had been wearing previously was now gone.

She stared at him closely, lifting another eyebrow. "I thought you hated going clean shaven?"

"Well...I mean, I do, usually. But you said you liked it, so...” He paused, then started feeling across his face both hands. “Wait, what's wrong? Did I miss a spot?"

"No, no you didn't miss anything...” she said, with an ever so subtle smile. “You look good."

"Oh. Well... Heh, thanks."

Mai looked back and forth between them both and then uttered a sharp breath, eyes rolling. “Oh geez...”

Azula glared at her. “What are you scoffing at?”

“Nothing,” she said, her expression returning to its usual deadpan. “Just...you two.”

A shadow fell over the courtyard as a figure flew in front of the sun, and soon after Druk descended down into the open space, landing next to the group. The dragon then lowered his body, allowing Zuko to jump off. “Alright, everyone ready?”

“Been ready,” Anraq said, making his way over to the dragon.

Azula was right behind him. “Yes, I think I've already had enough of this place to last me another eighty years.”

Zuko turned to his wife, reaching out to hold her hand. “I'll see you again soon, honey.”

“Be safe,” Mai said, leaning up to kiss him.

“I always am. Say hello to Ty Lee for me.” He gave her another kiss, then hurried over to join the others atop Druk. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Once he was atop the dragon, Zuko gave him a firm pat and they took to the skies. “Alright, everyone... Next stop, Zaofu.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this ended up being my second longest chapter to day (only about 200 words behind the longest chapter, which is actually chapter 8), but it was really fun to write. I loved finally introducing Mai as Zuko's wife, and playing out her confrontation with Azula after so long. Obviously there is still some tension there, even after all those years. Still, we're seeing that Azula is changing, and opening up in new ways. Even Mai starts to see that. It was also really nice to write a sort of vacation type chapter, and seeing a few moments where Azula is actually genuinely happy, because after so much suffering she deserves some happiness damn it.


	80. A Prodigy No More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Zaofu, Kuvira and Korra receive a surprise visit from Lord Zuko, who hopes to convince Korra to restore Azula's bending.

Kuvira clapped her hands. "Alright, let's go through the routine one more time.” A collective groan rang out through the dance studio. The group of dancers hung their heads and reluctantly stood up from the floor. “I know, practice has already run late, but we have a recital next week and we're still a little behind where we should be. One more time and we'll call it a day, alright?”

The dancers lined up in position around the giant metal lotus flower at the center of the studio. When they were ready, Kuvira turned on the radio and a steady, uptempo beat filled the air. The dancers began the routine, spinning around the flower in synchronization with the music. Partway through the routine, half the dancers reached towards the ceiling and shot out a metal cable from their wrist guards. The cables latched onto a rotating wheel above and then lifted the dancers into the air. As they continued spinning around above the flower, the remaining dancers stepped back and began to bend the large metal petals.

“Okay, good,” Kuvira said, watching them closely. It had taken three months of work, but they had the routine down almost perfect. Coaching Zaofu's dance troupe had taken up a lot of her free time, but in the end she thought it was worth it. It gave her something else to do aside from her matriarchal duties, something a little more...personable. It had been awkward at first, taking up yet another one of Suyin's old jobs, but she had grown into it. She liked to think that, maybe, Su would be proud of her.

“Flyers, extend your legs more for added momentum.” At her command, the dancers spinning around on the cables held their legs out farther. “Just like that, good. Pullers, try to be a bit more fluid with your arms. You have the dance motions down, but your bending has to be just as graceful. Like Korra's doing.”

Kuvira turned her gaze over to one of the pullers on the far side of the flower. Korra looked back at her with a smile. It had taken some convincing to get the Avatar to join the dance troupe, but now she was one of Kuvira's best students. Her bending motions were elegant and graceful, in perfect rhythm with the music. “Better, good. And jumpers...now!”

Two of the flyers released their cables and descended through the air at the open flower. The petals caught them and rippled down close to the ground. When the petals sprang upward again, the jumpers joined hands and flew through the air, performing a choreographed set of spins and flips. When they finished the routine, they fell back into the center of the flower and the petals closed up. A moment later, the petals peeled open again, revealing the two jumpers—one of them, Sin—now in a solid pose, with one dipping the other low to the ground.

“Excellent!” Kuvira clapped her hands again, then turned off the radio. “That was great, everyone. I'll see you next week. Remember to meet back here the day before the recital so we can run a full rehearsal."

The dancers huffed out relieved sighs in unison; they had been practicing for well over three hours now. Sin gave Kuvira a parting wave as she and the rest of the team departed for the locker room. When they were gone, only Korra remained behind.

"I think we're coming along great,” Korra said, making her way towards her girlfriend.

Kuvira smirked, then leaned forward to give her a gentle kiss. "Especially you, my most improved student."

"Hey, so I started out a little slow. I got better."

Kuvira raised an accusatory eyebrow. "Well considering you tore apart the entire flower on your first attempt, the only way to go from there was up."

Korra's face twisted with embarrassment. "I already told you, I didn't know it was that fragile!"

"Yeah, yeah. Now hit the showers,” she said, giving Korra's rear end a playful slap. “I'll be waiting for you when you get home. And I might just be wearing that thing you like..."

"Oh, is that right?” Korra moved in for another kiss. “Well, you sure won't be waiting long in that case."

Kuvira grinned. "I'll see you at home. Love you."

"Love you, too."

* * *

A soft giggle eased from Korra's throat, as Kuvira trailed kisses down her bare abdomen. She fidgeted atop the bed, back arching and toes curling, and soon her giggles turned to pleasant moans. It had been nearly a week since they had had this kind of alone time, and they hadn't wasted a second getting right into things. Dinner could wait until they were done. Right now, the only thing Korra's mind could focus on was Kuvira's face buried between her legs. She squealed out a pleasant gasp, tightened her fingers in Kuvira's hair, and then...

The phone rang.

“Don't answer it...” she moaned. Kuvira attempted to lift her head up, but Korra pushed her back down. “Don't answer.... Just keep... keep going.”

But Kuvira forced herself upward, huffing out a disappointed sigh. “I _have_ to answer it.”

Korra groaned, flopping her head back against the pillow. She knew Kuvira was right; from the distinct type of ring, she could tell it wasn't the house phone. It was the separate work line, meant specifically for the matriarch; it usually only rang for emergencies, or other urgent matters.

Kuvira wiped her lips and then scooted towards the edge of the bed to grab the phone off the end table. "Hello? Yes, this is she. What? Uh, okay... Send him over to the estate. I'll be waiting for him in my office."

"What was that about?" Korra asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well, according to the airfield, Lord Zuko just landed in Zaofu on his dragon." Kuvira slid off the bed and started grabbing her robes to change. “And he asked to meet with both of us.”

"Zuko?” Korra, too, rolled herself off the mattress and began searching for her discarded clothes. “What's he doing here?"

"I don't know. I wasn't expecting any visits from other nations until my meeting with Asami next month. Must be urgent."

Korra sighed, squirming slightly as she pulled her pants on. "Well, looks like _this_ will have to wait..."

"Not for long, I'm sure.” Kuvira fixed her green robes in place, then gave Korra a kiss on her way out the bedroom. “Now hurry up. He'll be here soon."

* * *

Kuvira sat up straight in her seat, as the door to her office opened and Zuko entered. When he reached the desk, she stood up to greet him with a bow. "Lord Zuko, welcome. It's a pleasure to meet you again."

"And you as well, Matriarch Kuvira.” Zuko returned the bow, then gave a second one to the other woman standing next to the desk. “Avatar Korra."

Korra, too, bowed. "It's great to see you, Lord Zuko. What brings you to Zaofu?"

Zuko straightened himself, breathing out a heavy sigh. "There have been some...developments in the Fire Nation, and the Dragon Empire. Urgent matters that need to be discussed."

"Oh, I see.” Kuvira seated herself at the desk again, and folded her hands in front of herself. “It _must_ be urgent if you didn't send a message ahead of your arrival."

"Yes, I'm afraid that would have been impossible,” he replied.

"What do you mean?"

"He means, we're fugitives." A second man entered the doorway, this one wearing Water Tribe clothing and carrying a warrior club on his back.

Kuvira and Korra both lit up with with a smile when they recognized him, though it was the former who audibly shouted his name. "Anraq!"

The waterbender flashed a smile of his own and gave an over dramatic bow. "Hello, ladies."

"It's so good to see you again,” Korra said, taking a moment to look him over. “You look...more like your normal self."

"Yeah, I like it, too."

Kuvira held her smile a moment longer, then calmed herself back into a more serious demeanor. This was still a meeting, after all. "So, what was that about you being fugitives?"

"Oh, yeah,” he muttered, shifting his gaze off to the side. “Some crazy stuff happened recently... It wasn't pretty."

"Crazy how?"

On that cue, a third figure entered the office, this one dressed in a simple travel outfit of red and black, with baggy sleeves and a pair of swords strapped across her back. "Crazy in that my empire is now in the control of a madwoman bent on destroying me and conquering other nations."

Kuvira stiffened at the sight of the girl. "Azula..."

Korra, too, hardened a glare at her. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"What, I can't stop by and say hello to my dear friends?” When her words were met with unamused stares, she scoffed out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “That was a _joke._ Honestly, try to have a sense of humor."

"Okay, enough,” Kuvira muttered, holding her fingers against the bridge of her nose. There was no point in trying sling barbs at each other right now. If Azula was here along with both Zuko and Anraq, then something significant had happened, and they needed to focus on that. “What were you saying about your empire?"

"I'm saying it's not _my_ empire,” Azula replied. “Not at the moment, at least."

"Guys...” Anraq took a step forward. His eyes sank with concern, and regret, as if he didn't want to have to tell them what he was about to. “It's Yula... She's changed a lot more than you can imagine. She took over control of the Dragon Empire, nearly killed us in the process, and now plans on expanding her rule to other nations."

 _"What?”_ Kuvira stiffened in her seat, eyes springing open wide. “Are you... _Our_ Yula?"

Zuko nodded. "I'm afraid it's true. She's become obsessed with power, and proving to the world how strong she is. Doesn't matter to her how she has to do it, either. Threats, torture, executions... as long as it's in the name of the empire. _Her_ empire, now.”

"Yes,” Azula sighed, “apparently I taught her a little _too_ well."

"But... It's _Yula,”_ Korra said. “Can't she be reasoned with?"

Anraq shook his head. “We tried that. Almost got incinerated."

"I don't believe this..." Kuvira sank back against her chair and held a hand to her forehead. This didn't make any sense. The Yula she had known never would have done anything like this. Granted, she had only known Yula for a few weeks, and it had been nearly an entire year since then, but still... How could such a sweet, innocent woman transform into something so horrible?

"There's more,” Zuko said. “It's a complicated matter that we can explain in more detail later, but the gist is that Yula is far more powerful now. Her firebending is at the same levels as Azula's was before this whole mess happened—far beyond any other firebender. Furthermore..."

Azula grumbled a quiet groan, pulling her arms up across her chest. Her gaze shifted away from the two behind the desk. "I've lost my bending. I can't...firebend anymore."

"You're...serious?" Kuvira uttered, twisting her eyebrow at the girl. The claim seemed far-fetched—it wasn't exactly a common occurrence for a bender to just lose her bending—and yet the look in Azula's eyes seemed genuine, flickering with a deep, lingering hurt.

"It's why we came here first.” Zuko took a step closer, and pointed a pleading look at the Avatar. “Korra... I know you can restore people's bending. I'm asking you, as a favor, please do the same for my sister."

Korra flinched at the request. _"What?"_

"You heard him,” Azula said, waving a flippant hand at her. “If we could hurry this up, too, that would be great. We don't have all day."

Korra's demeanor shifted, firing a searing glare at the former empress. "You have to be _kidding_ me. After everything you've done, and all the people you've hurt... Now you say you've lost your bending and you want me to give it back to you? Just like that? You must think I'm _stupid!"_

"Well, if the shoe fits..."

"Azula,” Zuko said, grabbing a hand at his sister's shoulder. The act elicited a sigh from the girl's lips. He then turned his gaze back to Korra. “Avatar Korra, please..."

"Lord Zuko, I know she's your sister, but I have to agree with the Avatar on this,” Kuvira said. “Azula has caused way too much harm and she's far too dangerous to be trusted with having her bending restored. If anything, this is a only a good thing."

 _"Excuse_ you,” Azula snapped. “I'm standing right here."

Kuvira shot a brief look towards the girl, then focused on Zuko again. "Furthermore, you're also telling us that Azula is no longer a world leader. In fact, she's a fugitive. What we _should_ be doing is finally arresting her so she can answer for her crimes."

"Hey, _no.”_ Anraq moved forward, putting himself directly in front of the desk. “That's not why we came here."

"No, but it's what needs to be, and should be, done," Kuvira insisted.

His lips twisted into a frown. "Yeah, well we're _all_ fugitives, remember? You arrest her, you arrest all of us."

"Anraq..."

"No, I'm talking still. Please, just listen to me."

Zuko watched the standoff between Anraq and Kuvira a moment, then pulled at his sister's shoulder again. "Perhaps it's best if we wait outside right now?"

Azula rolled her eyes, then followed him out of the office. "Fine. These two were starting to annoy me anyway."

When the door closed behind them, Anraq placed his hands atop the desk and leaned forward, staring straight at Kuvira. "Look, I know you don't like Azula. I get it. But you don't know anything _about_ her. You take one look at her and you think she's some heartless monster who enjoys hurting people. Well she's not!"

"She hasn't really done much to show otherwise,” Kuvira retorted.

"You have no idea what she's been through in her life, what _made_ her the way she is. She's suffered...more than anyone should have to, and she's had to do it alone.” A sigh brushed past Anraq's lips, and he bowed his head. “I know that doesn't excuse her actions, by any means, but...she's changing. I've seen it. There's another person in there, a good person. She's already come so far... She's getting  better. She's _trying.”_

He sighed again, then lifted his gaze back up at the matriarch. “Please, Kuvira. You should know better than anyone that a person can change, that their past doesn't have to define them. Just give her a chance."

Kuvira didn't ease her posture, but she couldn't stop her eyes from softening. She seldom ever heard Anraq speak with this kind of passion about something—only things he really cared about. That this was _Azula_ he was defending only made it more surprising.

"Kuvira's case was different,” Korra said. “She actually showed remorse for the things she did, and wanted to become better. Can you honestly say the same for Azula?"

Anraq straightened himself and nodded, meeting Korra's gaze with an unflinching stare. "Yes, I can. I wouldn't be standing in front of you now if I didn't believe it. I've seen the good in her.” His focus drifted away and grew distant, and his lips curled into a small smile. “ I've seen her happy, and smiling, and laughing... I've seen her be _genuine.”_

He breathed in deep and then refocused his attention. “I wouldn't have stuck by her side for so long, or be defending her so strongly if I didn't think she'd ever change, that she'd always be the same cruel, malicious person. I know you don't like her. You don't have to like her, or be her friend, or anything... You just have to give her a chance. Please... Let her try to set things right. Let her heal."

Kuvira remained quiet for a moment. She leaned forward, watching Anraq; the look in his eyes was stern, impassioned. She knew him well enough to know that this wasn't something he was going to back down from, no matter what she said. "You really feel that strongly about her?"

He nodded. "I do. I care about her...so much.” His eyes closed, and a gentle, almost silent laugh burst from his throat. He smiled. “More than I ever thought I would. Or _could.”_ He opened his eyes again, and the sternness reappeared on his face. “I'll do whatever I can to help her."

Korra shifted a cursory glance towards her. When their eyes met, Kuvira knew; Korra had noticed the same thing in Anraq during this conversation. His passion, and caring, and his confidence... All for Azula. It was genuine.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked.

"I think it's still a bad idea...” Kuvira said, with a shake of her head. “But you're the Avatar. It's your call. I'll trust whatever decision you make."

Korra turned away and sighed. Her eyes closed, thinking. When she finally looked to Anraq again, she met him the same sternness as his. "Alright... I'll do it."

Anraq's face lit up, and he immediately ran around the desk to hug her. "Thank you, Korra! Really.” He let her go, then took a step back, a deep smile spread across his face. “Oh she'll be so happy."

“Just keep in mind,” Korra said, “it's _your_ job to make sure I don't regret this."

Anraq stiffened at attention and brought his hand to his forehead in a salute. "Yes ma'am, Avatar."

* * *

Azula stood outside the office near the door, her head hanging and gaze pointed at the floor. She had overheard the entire conversation—the walls weren't exactly that thick, and Annie had raised his voice through most of it. Hearing him speak about her like that... It only reaffirmed what she had learned over the past few months. He had such hope for her, even when she didn't see it herself. Was he really right? _Was_ there a better side to her, one that didn't always have to be so cruel?

She turned a glance towards Zuko, who stood just a few steps away. He, too, had overheard the others speaking. They stared at each other a moment, and Azula could feel his thoughts as he watched her. She knew he felt the same way, that there was something good in her. She still couldn't figure out why they thought that, of course, but... when they both felt that strongly about it, when she had people in her life who actually, truly cared about her, in ways she had never actually imagined before, didn't she owe it to them to try?

What was it that Anraq had said? _You don't have to be afraid of that. It_ is _there. You just have to reach for it._ The only question was, if she did reach for it, would she be able to hold on?

When the door opened, Azula straightened herself and crossed her arms. A smug expression returned to her face, mixed with distinct annoyance. Just because there might be a better side to her, that didn't mean she had to be all mushy and passive. "So, what's the final verdict? Is the almighty Avatar going to help me, or not?" Of course, she knew the answer to that question already, but she still had to act like she hadn't just heard everything they said.

Anraq beamed. "She sure is! See, I told you to leave things to me."

“Hmph, well, good,” she said. “As it should be."

Korra moved beyond them both and led the way down the hall. "Just follow me. We'll do it outside."

* * *

Azula gave the courtyard a brief look. It seemed that these Beifongs at least knew how to live with style. The mansion itself had been grand enough, but the fountains and gardens here were elegant, and fitting for someone of her tastes. Of course, she still much preferred Fire Nation design, but she supposed this metal city wasn't so bad—certainly better than the frozen Water Tribe cities. If she never set foot on the North or South poles again, it would be too soon.

"Alright, so what do I do?" she asked, as Korra led her up to the front of a gazebo. Kuvira, Zuko, and Anraq followed close behind.

"You don't do anything.” The Avatar pointed to the ground. “Just kneel down. I'll take care of the rest."

Azula rolled her eyes, then dropped down to her knees. "As the Avatar commands."

Korra took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, then reached forward to place one of her thumbs on Azula's forehead. With her other hand, she held Azula's shoulder. When her eyes opened again, they glowed bright, empowered by the Avatar State. Her points of contact on Azula soon glowed as well, so bright that the others were forced to shield her eyes. Within a few brief seconds, the light faded, both from Korra's hands and her eyes. Then, she took a step back and allowed Azula to stand.

Azula looked down at her hands, her eyes in a narrow glare. "Did it work?"

"It should have,” Korra said. “I definitely felt _something_ happen. Give it a try."

With a deep, steady breath, she shifted herself into her signature firebending pose. She let the breath out, then took another. When she felt her breathing become controlled and focused, she thrust her hands forward with her fingers extended. She fully expected to see a pair of blue flame jets burst from her fingertips and light up the night sky. Instead...

Smoke—two small, tiny puffs of smoke. That was all that emerged from her fingers.

"What was _that?”_ she said, with a biting disdain in her tone. “That was _pathetic!”_ She snapped her gaze back towards the Avatar, scowling. “I thought you fixed me!"

"I did!” Korra shot back. “I did the same thing to you that I did to everyone else who lost their bending."

"Then why didn't it work?” Azula took a step closer, clenching her hands into fists. “Why can't I bend still?"

Korra didn't back down; she too came closer. "Don't ask me! I don't even know _how_ you lost your bending in the first place! Maybe it's something I can't fix."

"Okay, both of you, calm down!” Anraq ran between them, holding his arms out to ease them back away from each other. “Azula, you did bend. Sort of. You made smoke. Before that, you couldn't create anything, remember?"

Azula paced back a few steps and looked at her hands again. Then, she immediately went through a basic firebending set. Now matter how she punched, or kicked, or breathed, though, the only thing she produced were small puffs of white smoke. Her frustration only grew, and by the time she finished the set, she was seething.

"Well that's _all_ I can do!” she yelled. “That doesn't help me. That's not bending, it's a joke!” She looked to the Avatar again, but her expression wasn't just angry—it was pleading, desperate. “You have to do something else. Fix this!"

"I've done all I can do!” Korra insisted. “Whatever happened to you, it's beyond my ability to reverse. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

Azula stared at her a moment longer, then hissed out an angry groan and marched away from the gazebo. She didn't even know where she was going, but she just wanted away from people right now.

"Azula!" Anraq called, as he started running after her. A firm grasp on his shoulder, however, held him back.

"Let her go,” Zuko said. “She needs her space right now."

Anraq watched her storm away through the courtyard, disappearing into the darkened line of hedges in the garden. When she was gone, he hung his head with a sigh.

"So...” Kuvira said, taking a step towards them. “Anyone care to explain to us now how this actually happen?"

"Yes, I suppose we'd better,” Zuko replied. “Perhaps we could discuss it over tea?"

Kuvira nodded, then gestured for them to follow her back into the mansion. "Alright, I'll put on a pot. Follow me."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're finally back to Kuvira and Korra. Of course, given everything that's happened, there's still a decent focus on Azula, but now other characters will be joining them. This chapter is out so late because I'm so tired and am only just now getting the chapter up. I was hoping to see what people thought about the last chapter too, but alas. Hopefully this chapter is more responsive. I'm also almost falling asleep right now, so if what I'm writing sounds rambly or makes no sense, that's why.


	81. Dai Li

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula continues trying to cope with the seemingly permanent loss of her firebending. Meanwhile, Dragon Empress Yula recruits a surprising person to help her take control of the Earth Kingdom out of Earth Queen Izumi's hands.

Yula glared at the floating structure, far out in the middle of the ocean. The entire flat vessel was made of wood, and contained four guard towers, one at each corner. In each of those towers stood a pair of Dragon Imperial guards, with another pair patrolling along each side the deck. At the very center of the open space sat a simple wooden cage, inside of which she could see a shadowed figure.

"So, this is the place?" she asked, leaning against the railing of the ferry. Just a few minutes longer and they would arrive at the wooden prison.

Captain Han nodded. "Yes, Empress, as requested."

"Good. Have there been anymore reports from Spirit Island?"

"One this morning...” The captain shifted on his feet and hung his head. “They still haven't found Shin Tsang."

Yula frowned at the information. During the mayhem that Zuko and Anraq caused when rescuing Azula at the temple, Shin Tsang had slipped away and most likely disappeared into the jungle. Since then, she had had a team searching the entire island for him. Now that she had Sen's essence within her, she couldn't have that ancient spirit's servant running free. She would _not_ end up like Azula. "Keep looking, then. He had no other way off the island, and it's not that big. He's hiding somewhere."

"Of course."

"And have you located Azula and the others yet?"

"Some of our scouts in the Earth Kingdom said they saw a dragon flying east,” Captain Han replied, looking off towards the right side of the ferry. “We have troops scouring the land for them."

"East...” Yula's eyes narrowed. There were only two major cities east of where they were now, but she knew the one that those three would have fled to. “Zaofu."

"Empress?"

"I believe they've gone to Zaofu,” she clarified. “That's where Kuvira and the Avatar are. That must be who they've gone to see."

"Do you want us to send a team?"

"Not yet. We'll get there. For now, I want to take care of this." Yula made her way towards the ferry's gangplank as the vessel came to a stop next to the prison's dock. An entire line of imperial guards followed behind her in formation. The guards already on the prison stood at attention and saluted her; even out here, they had already received the news about the new empress. “How is the prisoner?”

The warden of the single-cell prison approached her with another salute. “No problems to report, Empress. He's ready for you.”

“Good,” she stated. “Everyone else wait here. I want to talk to him alone.”

As she made her way over towards the wooden cell at the center of the floating prison, the man inside grunted at the sight of her. He remained sitting on the floor, leaning up against the far side. His hair had grown out and become disheveled, and his mustache had turned into a full beard, long and unkempt. His most striking feature, however, was the missing hand on one of his arms; the wrist ended in a rounded stump.

"Hmph,” he muttered. “This is a surprise. Haven't had a single visitor since they threw me in here."

Yula stepped up to the wooden bars and leaned close against them, staring at the man within. "Hello... Avan."

The former Dai Li commander and Red Lotus agent glanced up at her with a puzzled brow. He was silent a moment, but soon his eyes squinted with recognition. "You're that mousey little firebender who was with the Avatar... What are _you_ doing here?"

Yula glowered at his words. She pushed a fist through the bars, and instantly a long blade of fire sprang from her knuckles. The tip of the flames burned just inches from his lips. "Call me that again, and you lose your mouth. I'm the Dragon Empress, is that understood?"

"Of course...” he said, remaining undeterred by the threat. He held his glare on her, brow low. “Dragon Empress."

"Good.” She withdrew the fiery blade, then held her hands gently against the wooden bars of the cage, staring at him. “Now, I'm here because I have a request. I may rule the Dragon Empire, but the current Earth Queen will remain loyal to her father, who is now a fugitive of the empire. That doesn't work for me. I need someone running the Earth Kingdom I can control."

Avan raised an eyebrow. "So, what's your point? Where do I fit in?"

“I want you to be that person,” she stated. “Serve me, and I'll let you out of here. You wouldn't be Earth King or anything, of course, but you would keep Ba Sing Se and the rest of the Earth Kingdom in line for me.”

The prisoner paused a moment, narrowing his glare. He was studying her, trying to discern her motives. He wouldn't get anything just by looking, though. “Of all the people you could have for this job, why me?”

"Because, I understand you're very good at control.” Yula leaned closer, sticking her face up against the bars. “Avan... How would you like to reinstate the Dai Li?"

At this question, Avan sat up straighter. He didn't say anything at first, but soon his lips twitched into a wide, eager grin.

* * *

Azula thrust a fist forward, huffing out an even breath at the same time. She thought she might have seen a dim ember emerge from her knuckles this time, but a second later she realized it had just been a reflection of the lamplight from the gardens. The only thing that she managed to produce was, again, a puff of smoke. No matter how hard she tried, no matter what style she utilized, she could not produce fire.

It didn't make any sense. The smoke clearly indicated that she was creating something, which meant it had to be her bending. But then why was it so pitiful? Why couldn't she make fire? Or lightning? Or...anything? Her frustration reached new heights when she spun a kick through the air too hard, and toppled off balance. She landed on her behind, prompting an annoyed groan to grumble out of her throat.

"Hey...” The voice belonged to Anraq. She had heard him approach, but didn't bother looking at him. Maybe if she ignored him, he'd go away. She didn't want anyone seeing her like this, so pathetic. “Uh, do you want any company?"

"I don't care.”

He stood there a moment, then lowered himself down to the ground to sit next to her. "I'm sorry about earlier. I really thought Korra would be able to help you."

"Oh, you're _sorry?_ Gee, I feel _so_ much better now. Why I've completely forgotten I can't bend anymore!” Azula turned her head and scoffed. “It's easy for you to be sorry, you still _have_ your bending."

"I know, I didn't mean...” He sighed, bowing his head. “Sorry."

"I got my hopes up,” she muttered. “I thought that the Avatar would be the answer, too. But she wasn't. Just another disappointment. Another _failure_. I still can't bend.” She squinted her eyes shut, and reached up with both hands to pull at her hair. “I'm _hopeless."_

"Hey, you're not hopeless. I mean, you were looking good with those swords."

She turned a glare towards him, frowning. "Don't _patronize_ me."

"I'm not,” he insisted. “I mean it. Azula, you're incredibly talented, even without your bending. If there's anyone that can overcome this, it's you."

She watched him a moment. He certainly _sounded_ earnest, and the look in his eyes seemed genuine. More than that, though, he was right; she _was_ incredibly talented, always had been. Still, she didn't _want_ to not be able to bend. Losing her bending had significantly reduced her lethality, and put her at a massive disadvantage compared to how she used to be. The only question was...how much?

Her gaze lowered briefly to her shoulder, just noticing the handles of the swords strapped to her back. Then, she flipped herself up to her feet. “Fight me.”

Anraq blinked. "Uh, what?"

"Right now, fight me,” she said, drawing the dual blades from their scabbard. “I want to spar, and I don't want you holding back."

He returned to his feet, though he moved tentatively. "Are you...sure that's a good idea?" The only response he received was a swing of Azula's swords at his chest. He reacted quickly enough, ducking out of the way and taking a step backwards. _"Whoa!”_

“What's the matter, Annie? Scared?”

Without missing a beat, he shifted himself into a bending pose and pulled the water out of his hip flask. “Okay, so that's how it's going to be, huh? Fine, let's go."

Azula darted in at him, swords spread out to the side. Anraq slid a foot backwards and pushed an arm forward. The water coiled around the arm and spiraled at her like a drill. Azula eased her body ever so slightly to the side as she, causing the water to miss so closely that it skimmed the top of her sleeve. Still, it didn't strike her.

When she closed the distance, she lunged at him with her blades. Anraq spun to the side and swatted her arms away with a whip of water. The motion pushed her off balance, giving him an opportunity to wrap the water around her ankle and yank her off her feet. She yelled in frustration as she flew through the air, but managed to twist herself and regain control before crashing into the ground. Instead, she landed on her feet. In the same motion, she ran at him again.

Anraq swirled the water around himself in the form of a sphere, then began rapidly striking his arms back and forth. A storm of icy projectiles burst from the water, forcing Azula to switch directions. The projectiles followed her, though. She ducked beneath a few, then twisted her body away from another. The barrage only intensified. This time, she stood her ground and hacked at the ice chunks, cutting them out of the air with her swords.

Soon, Anraq ran out of water. He ceased his icy bombardment and called the water back to himself. As he did, however, Azula took the momentary lapse in attack to close the distance again. Before he could get his water back in time to defend, she took a swing at him with one of the blades. He stepped to the side to avoid it, but in doing so he took his eyes off her entire body to focus on her weapons; he never saw her leg whipping up from the side. Her boot caromed off his jaw and sent him tumbling backwards.

As soon as Anraq was on the ground, Azula leaped over him with her swords raised high. Before she could strike, he pulled his water over his arms and hardened it into a pair of ice blades. With a few deft parries, he pushed her away and rolled backwards up to his feet. She never relented. Once her feet planted firmly against the ground again, she spun with another series of strikes. She forced Anraq to back up on the defensive, deflecting her attacks with his ice blades.

Again, with his attention focused on her blades, Azula landed a kick to his jaw. He stumbled to the ground again, and this time she was on him in an instant, certain that victory was hers. Just as she mounted him with her swords raised, however, a swirling torrent of water lifted out of the fountain next to them and blasted her into the air. She hit the ground hard and rolled across the garden, swords scattering out of her grasp.

“Damn it!” Azula coughed out a mouthful of water as she lifted up to her knees. “I should have _had_ that!” Another cough, and then she wiped her lips dry. That did nothing about the rest of her body, though, which was now soaked through to the bone. “I'm just not as good as I was. I never _will_ be."

"Hey, considering this is only like your third day with those swords, I'd say you did pretty well,” Anraq said, holding an arm down to her. “Besides, your reflexes are top notch. I could barely touch you."

"But you _did_. That's the problem.” Azula grabbed his arm and pulled herself up to her feet. She started wringing the water out of her hair, but Anraq simply bended every drop away from her body; in an instant, she was bone dry. “I might be skilled in non-bending combat, but it doesn't matter. Put me up against a master bender like you, and I'll lose. Just like that."

Anraq frowned, giving her a stern glare. "Now that does not sound like the Azula I know.” She huffed and looked away from him, but he remained firm. “The Azula I know is confident in herself. She'd say I just got lucky and then demand a rematch. The Azula _I_ know wouldn't stop until she had me flat on my back and at her mercy."

Azula shot her gaze towards him with a lifted eyebrow. "Was that...supposed to be an innuendo?"

"Uhh...” He paused, as he realized exactly what he had said. “I mean... Did you _want_ it to be?"

She just blinked at him, then went to retrieve her swords. Once she had them, she flipped them around in her hands and took a combat stance, smirking. "Let's go again."

* * *

Kuvira leaned over the balcony railing, watching the two sparring down below. Korra was at her side, holding an arm around her shoulder. "It's...strange, don't you think?"

Korra glanced at her. "What's strange?"

"How close those two are,” she said. “Or at least how Anraq feels about her. I mean...it's _Azula.”_ She watched a moment longer, then looked to her girlfriend. “You think he's right about her? That she really is trying to change?"

"I don't know... He certainly seems to think so.” Korra turned her focus back to the gardens. “But judging from what we know about her, it would be pretty hard to believe.”

“I'm sure that's what a lot of people said about me, too,” Kuvira muttered. “Plus, he's right. We really _don't_ know anything about her. On the other hand, he's spent the last year with her. He would know her a lot better than we ever could."

Korra nodded, then lowered her head with a deep sigh. “And after what he and Zuko told us... I know the Spirit World can be a nice place to visit, but to be trapped there for so long? And to have actually _died?_ I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"I guess the only thing we can do now is trust what Anraq says and hope for the best."

Korra turned her head at the sound of laughter. Anraq had tripped into the fountain, where he now crawled out of, soaking wet. Azula was the one laughing, and not the mocking way she usually did; the laugh was genuine, happy. "And give her a chance?"

"I suppose...” Kuvira, too, watched the pair down below. Azula pointed at Anraq with an arm held over her stomach as she laughed; a wave of water lifted from the fountain and promptly silenced her. “I just hope this doesn't come back to haunt us."

"I'm sure it won't."

"Anyway, we have other things to concentrate on right now.” Kuvira pushed herself away from the balcony and turned towards the sliding door that led back inside. “We need to get a message out to the United Republic and both Water Tribes to let them know what's going on in the Dragon Empire. If Lord Zuko's concerns are correct, then Yula could be planning to attack other nations soon. We have to be prepared."

Korra bowed her head and let out a heavy sigh. "I still can't believe it's the same Yula we knew..."

"I know... But people can change; we both know that. Sometimes, though, it's not for the better. "

A silence dragged between them, as they let the thought sink in. One year, that's all it had taken for things to change so dramatically. When the moment past, Korra reached out and held her girlfriend's hand. "You want to head in? It's getting late."

Kuvira raised an eyebrow at her, then reached around with her other hand to give Korra's rear a playful squeeze. "Not too late I hope."

Korra grinned. "It's never too late for that."

* * *

Izumi finished signing her name off on the last of what had seemed like an endless stack of documents. Then, she flexed her fingers and cracked her wrist. With how much her hand had been cramping lately, perhaps her age was catching up with her. She was nearing sixty now, after all. Then again, it could be because of the scars burned along her arm now. They were just scars, yet it had only been after Azula burned her that her hand began cramping this badly after paperwork. The scar on the right side of her face, too, would tingle with a dull, lingering pain every so often—nothing serious, but enough to annoy her.

As she set her pen down, the door to her office opened and a young woman poked her head into the room. "Earth Queen, do you have a moment?"

"You know you can call me Izumi,” she said, with a sigh. “We're still friends, Yira, same as when I was Fire Lord."

Yira was a good, if somewhat shy person, and had served as her secretary for years back in the Fire Nation. Ever since Izumi had been made Earth Queen, though, Yira had made the trip to Ba Sing Se to continue working for her. She was a dedicated worker, and an even better friend.

"Oh, right, Izumi,” Yira said, as she slipped into the office. “Anyway, I just got some reports from Captain Xhu. She said that there have been more protests down in the lower ring."

"I see...” Izumi pinched the bridge of her nose and eased out a steady sigh. While the large majority of Ba Sing Se had been perfectly content with the Dragon Empire running the nation, several small groups had been cropping up lately to protest. It was nothing that couldn't be handled, but the growing frequency had become unsettling. It could only be a matter of time before they began mimicking those Sun Warriors from the Fire Nation that had attacked Azula a few months ago. “Tell Captain Xhu that as long as the protests remain peaceful, they may continue uninterrupted. But have guards on standby in case any rioting breaks out. I don't want unrest in the streets."

"Of course, Izumi.” Yira gave a bow, but then paused, her expression growing more serious. “There is one more thing... We've just received word that the head of the Dragon Empire, the Dragon Empress...is no longer Azula."

"What?” Izumi sat up straighter, blinking at the young woman. Azula wasn't the empress anymore? Questions immediately surged through her head. Something dire must have happened; a ruler didn't just fall out of power overnight on accident. It had taken herself losing an Agni Kai for that to happen. She asked first the most basic question that came to mind. “Well who is then?"

"It's that Yula woman,” Yira replied. “The previous Fire Lord."

"Azula's student? What on earth happened?"

Yira shifted on her feet, and gave a small shrug. “We don't know... The only information we received stated that Azula had been removed from power and Yula had taken over. Well, that and...”

Izumi lifted an eyebrow at the woman's hesitation. Whatever she was about to say couldn't be good. “Spit it out, Yira.”

“It's your father. He's... been branded a traitor of the empire, along with Azula and her bodyguard. They're wanted fugitives now, on the run somewhere in Earth Kingdom territory, it's believed.” Yira bowed her head. “I'm sorry.”

“I don't believe this,” she uttered, sinking back against her chair.

Izumi knew that her father would never do something so outrageous as treason without there being no other choice. That meant that this Yula must have taken over power by force. In doing so, that would have made Azula an enemy by default, as well as her bodyguard if he was loyal, and Zuko would have stood by his sister. Then they would have fled, most likely on Druk, which would explain how they were already in the Earth Kingdom.

“This isn't good.” Izumi stood up from her seat and marched towards the door. She tugged it open, then stepped out into the large hall beyond. Yira scurried after her, close behind. “If Yula staged some kind of coup, then she may be even more tyrannical than Azula. In that event, we need to start making plans to counter her. I've been working as the Earth Queen to maintain peace and order in the Earth Kingdom, but I am not going to help a madwoman invade other nations.”

“Do you want me to send orders to the general?” Yira asked. “I could— _mmmpph!”_

Her words never finished, as an earthen projectile flew through the air and clamped around her mouth. The projectile was a glove, Izumi realized, when she saw it. Another pair of gloves sprang out from behind a pillar and grabbed at the secretary's wrists. Then, with a quick jerk, they pulled her into the shadows.

“Yira!” Izumi called, igniting a flaming dagger in her hand.

The glow from her fire lit up the darkened corners of the hall, and when it did she uttered a gasp. She saw several figures moving behind the pillars, gliding like shades across the floor. A dozen more figures appeared near the ceiling, clinging to the walls atop earthen boots on their feet. It was their uniform that gave her pause, though—flowing green and brown robes with baggy sleeves, and wide-brimmed hats that hung low over their faces. She knew those uniforms.

_Dai Li._

But that didn't make any sense. The Dai Li had been disbanded six years ago after the election of the prime ministers, when the Earth Kingdom had become the Earth Republic, for as short as that had lasted. Still, the Dai Li had never been reinstated. At least, Izumi had certainly never made such an order. So then what were they doing here?

She couldn't think on it for long. A mere moment after she revealed them with the glow from her fire, they attacked. Each Dai Li agent thrust their hands forward and shot their earthen gloves at her. Izumi spun her body and kicked out a scorching wave of fire that blasted most of the projectiles out of the air. The ones that she missed, she was able to dodge by twisting her body. She followed up her attack with several hard punches, blasting flames towards the agents near the ceiling. The Dai Li merely skated across the walls, out of the way.

The agents at ground level slid out from behind the pillars and launched their gloves at her. Izumi flipped backwards and kicked two solid fire blasts to knock them out of the air. As she came back down on her feet, though, another projectile emerged from the shadows behind her and wrapped around her neck. She coughed out a wheezing breath as the the earth tightened around her throat. She grabbed at it, tugging as hard as she could, but it didn't budge. She realized soon after that it wasn't an earth glove at all—it was metal, in the shape of a hand.

“Earth Queen Izumi,” a voice said, belonging to a new figure that emerged from the shadows. This man wore his hair tied back in a long braid, and a thin mustache curled down past his lips. He reached one of his arms forward—an arm with no hand—and cause thed metal hand around Izumi's neck to lift her into the air. “I'm afraid you are no longer needed. By decree of Dragon Empress Yula, you are hereby stripped of your power and under arrest as a threat to the the empire.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dun! I bet you thought you'd seen the last of Avan, right? I actually didn't expect to be writing him again until this morning, when I realized that Yula was going to need someone she could control running the Earth Kingdom (because Izumi sure wasn't going to bend to her). So yeah, things aren't looking good for the former Earth Queen.
> 
> On the other end, at least Azula is trying to cope with being a non-bender now. It doesn't look like she's going to be getting her bending back soon, but fortunately she has other skills to make up for it. She may not be a firebending prodigy anymore but she can still kick some ass.


	82. Out On The Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira's dance troupe puts on their dance performance for thousands of guests, Azula goes out to dinner with Kuvira and the Avatar, and Azula comes to realize just how much Anraq means to her.

Azula huffed as she entered the theater. Just getting through the doorway proved difficult, with how many people had arrived. She estimated there were nearly a hundred standing around in the main atrium right now. There were probably thousands more inside the grand hall, already seated, and who knew how many more still to come. As far as she was concerned it was a complete mess, and she would have preferred being anywhere else but here. But no, they had all insisted—Zuzu, Annie, Kuvira, even the Avatar. Apparently, she needed to get out and do something other than training while they were in Zaofu.

"I still don't see why we have to come here,” she muttered. “This is just a waste of time."

Zuko ushered her forward with a hand on her shoulder, making their way towards the ticket booth. "Kuvira and Korra were kind enough to give us tickets. The least we can do is show up and support them." When they made it to the booth, he pulled out three tickets and slid them towards the teller, who then let them pass through the next set of doors.

"Besides, it'll be fun.” Anraq came between the two siblings, throwing an arm around both their shoulders. “I've heard really good things about this dance group."

Azula rolled her eyes. "If by 'fun' you mean 'so boring I'll want to gouge my eyes out of my face', then yes, I'm sure it will be.” She then glanced down at herself and grumbled with disgust. “And I cannot believe that this city doesn't have any other style of clothing available. These robes are ridiculous.”

Since arriving in the city a week ago, they had all been given standard Zaofu style robes to wear. Anraq and Zuko had taken the change of clothes in stride, but Azula had been much more reluctant. If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't keep wearing the same outfit everyday without washing it, she wouldn't have bothered with these robes. There was just so much fabric; it hindered her movements in a way she didn't much care for. The sooner she could get back to the estate and change into something less restricting, the better.

"Try to lighten up a little, Azula,” Zuko said, leading the way down one of the aisles between the sections of seats in the grand hall. “I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think."

"Hmph. We'll see."

Anraq turned his focus towards their seats, at the very center of the front row, just in front of the stage. He plopped himself down in the one next to Zuko and leaned back, smiling. "Best seats in the house, too. I like this."

"Well I would certainly hope so,” Azula stated, as she sat next to him. “If we're being forced to attend, the least they could do is give us good seats. I swear, if they had tried to put us up in the balcony..."

"Yes, but they didn't,” he said, gesturing at the stage with his arms. “We're front row and center."

The theater began to fill up quick, as crowds of people poured in through the open doors. Including the three balconies above, and the four sections of seats in front of the stage, the entirety of the grand hall could hold quite the impressive capacity. Azula estimated there to be just under ten thousand audience members once all the seats were filled—not that she cared, but she needed _something_ to do while waiting for this thing to start.

Twenty minutes later, the lights dimmed and a spotlight appeared on stage. The green curtain parted at the center and Kuvira appeared, making her way into the light. She wore a much more form-fitting outfit than her typical robes, lined with silver trimming. Two long silver ribbons cascaded off the back of her shoulders, rippling as she moved.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen.” She spoke into the microphone she carried with her, and her voice echoed out over the speakers along the walls. “I want to thank you all for joining us tonight for this performance that our team of talented dancers has put together for you. Tonight you will witness a free expression of movement and music, coming together to create harmony. We've worked very hard to bring you the best that Zaofu has to offer, and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you.” She gave a simple bow, and then returned behind the curtain.

“Coming together to create harmony?” Azula muttered, rolling her eyes. “Does she realize how pretentious she sounds?”

When the curtain opened, the dancers were waiting, set in their starting poses. The music hit, and then they began to move. They started slow at first, swaying back and forth to the gentle rhythm. As the music quickened, so too did their routine. They spun around each other, each dancer matched up with a partner. The partners mirrored each other, synchronizing their movements to match in perfect unison.

Soon, the partners broke away from each other and the music picked up in tempo. The routine's style switched into a more combative nature, with two sides opposing each other. They flipped, and kicked, and attacked, or ducked, and dodged, and twirled. Still, their movements remained in perfect rhythm. At one point, one of the dancers shot out a metal cable from her wrist. The intended target spun out of the other way and grabbed onto the cable on her way by. She tugged it, pulling the attacker in towards herself, both spinning until they met together and danced a circle around each other.

The group ended in a final pose and then the music faded. As the curtain closed to mark the end of the first routine, the audience broke out into applause. Several individuals even whistled, splitting the air with shrill screeches of approval. Anraq was one of these individuals, who went so far as to jam his fingers into his mouth to make the whistling louder.

Azula cringed at the whistle right next to her ear. _“Must_ you do that?”

“What? It was good,” he said, bringing his hands back down to applause normally. “Come on, tell me you weren't impressed.”

“Please,” she countered, “It wasn't that impressive. _I_ could do that. Didn't look so hard.”

“Oh, so you're a dancer now, are you?”

“I _could_ be.”

He narrowed a curious look at her, smirking. “Do you even know _how_ to dance?”

“Of course I know how to dance!” she shot back, a little louder than she should have. By now, the applause had faded, which meant that the entire audience had just heard her. Those closest to them were even staring. She immediately shrank back against her seat and planted her arms tight across her chest. “Mostly. I mean, in theory. Can't be that hard.”

“Hmm, well if you're so confident, then you'll have to show me sometime,” Anraq said.

She lifted an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I'll have to take you out dancing. There's plenty of clubs around Zaofu.”

“ _What?”_ Azula flinched at the suggestion. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Because you just claimed to be an excellent dancer,” he said, with a teasing grin. “I want to see it for myself.”

Azula huffed, turning her head back to the stage. The curtain was starting to open again. “I am not going out to some stupid club. I have more important things I could be doing.”

“Well, suit yourself. Let me know if you change your mind.”

Azula sank further into her seat again, tilting her head down. She didn't even bother paying much attention to the next routine. In truth, she had no real idea how to dance. At least, no kind of normal dancing. She supposed that if really wanted to fake it, she could play off some of her firebending forms as dancing, but regardless, she was not going to make a fool of herself by going out with Annie to a club. Besides, she had no desire to mingle amongst stuffy crowds.

She remained in that same position for the rest of the recital, glaring up at the stage with her arms crossed. The routines that followed did little to interest her—one included a metal flower of some kind, and another was performed by only Kuvira and Korra, a routine called 'dancbending', according to the program. The dancebending routine closed out the show and received the loudest ovation yet from the crowd. Azula, of course, remained silent, and when the curtains closed for the last time, she was the first out of her seat to leave.

Anraq hurried after her. “Azula, wait up.”

“I'm not waiting another second,” she said, as she made her way out of the theater entrance. A slight shiver ran down her spine when she met the cool night air, causing a lingering bitterness over not having the ability to warm herself with firebending. “I needed out of that place. That whole thing was a complete waste of time.”

“Come on, it wasn't that bad, was it?”

“Yes, it was.”

Anraq frowned, turning his focus away from her. “Oh, well... I'm sorry, then. I thought it was nice.” The two stood in awkward silence a moment. “So... I don't know if you're still in the mood for anything, but Kora and Kuvira did invite us to go out to dinner with them after the show. I mean, if you want. Supposed to be a pretty fancy restaurant or something, I don't know.”

“I'm not really hungry,” she said, planting her arms across her chest. “You and Zuzu go have a blast.”

“Oh, uh... Your brother isn't going.”

Azula scrunched her brow together and looked back at him. “So you mean it would just be the two of us?”

“Well, I mean along with Korra and Kuvira, yeah,” he replied, with a shrug. “But if you're not hungry, then I guess I'll just go myself.”

She stared at him a moment longer, thinking. He wanted her to go with him, out to dinner, with another couple. Did he...mean something by that, or was this just supposed to be a friendly outing? No, what was she thinking, of course it wouldn't mean anything. They had gone out to dinner before without it meaning anything, so why would this be any different?

And yet...he did genuinely seem to want her to come. Plus, spending time with Annie was never as dull as sitting in some stuffy theater watching a boring dance recital, even if they would be joined by two people she didn't get along with—well, not so much 'didn't get along with' as 'actively hated'. She had nothing against them other than their being insufferably annoying, but on the other side she knew \ they would lock her up and throw away the key if given the chance. They had made that much clear during their first encounter.

But then why would they have invited her out to dinner? She supposed that over the past week they hadn't been as combative towards her as she would have expected, but she doubted that meant anything. She was sure they didn't feel any differently about her now than they did before... Or did they? She had been keeping to herself mostly, not causing any problems with anyone, and she hadn't even been as insulting as she normally was. What if they were trying to give her a chance?

 _Uck_ , why did normal people have to be so damn confusing?

With a quiet sigh, she rolled her eyes and said, “Alright, fine. I suppose I am a little hungry.”

“Oh, great!” Anraq said, beaming a smile at her. “In that case, let's head to the tram. They said they'd meet us at the restaurant after they change.”

* * *

Anraq certainly hadn't been lying when he sad that the restaurant was high class. Aside from the obviously different style in décor, being in Zaofu, it bore the same type of atmosphere as the restaurant Azula had taken him to for his birthday. Well, that and they didn't have the place to themselves, but rather had to share it with normal customers. At least the other patrons were quiet, retaining the peaceful mood of the restaurant. The sweet, gentle music, too, was especially calming, although it was no tsungi horn.

Azula and Anraq had taken the liberty of reserving a table while they waited for the other two to join them. So far, they had gone completely unnoticed by anyone around them—almost as if they didn't realize who Azula was. Then again, she supposed they wouldn't, not while she was dressed in these ugly green robes. She no longer wore the Dragon Empress hairpiece, either. No, Yula had taken that from her. Now, she kept her topknot held up with a normal, drab hairpin. She hated it, but it was either that or wearing her hair fully down, which she never did when she could avoid it. If she couldn't wear Fire Nation clothes, she would at least keep her Fire Nation hairstyle.

Korra and Kuvira arrived twenty minutes later, walking through the entrance hand-in-hand. The hostess met them at the door with a bow and immediately brought them over to the table. It was Kuvira who the other customers turned to now—she was the matriarch, after all. It wasn't everyday that your nation's leader sat down for dinner amongst the common folk. At least, it wasn't for Azula. Perhaps Kuvira did things differently.

“Hey!” Anraq greeted, rising out of his seat to give both women a welcoming hug. “Congratulations on the successful performance. It was fantastic.”

“Thanks,” Kuvira replied. “There were a few hiccups in a couple of the routines, but we'll work on those for next time. Overall I think it went pretty well. Aside from _someone's_ near mishap before she went on.”

“Hey, I've never performed in front of so many people before!” Korra said, with a subtle squirm. “I was just feeling a little nauseous... it's not like I actually threw up.”

“No, but you almost did.” Kuvira leaned in to give her girlfriend a kiss, then sat down in her chair at the table. “You did great, though.”

Korra uttered a brief chuckle as she too sat at the table. “Well, thanks. I imagine it'll be easier in the future. Its funny, I can take on terrorists, dictators, and giant forces of pure evil without even blinking, but put me on a stage and I get flustered.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Yes, hilarious.” All eyes turned to her now, followed by an almost purposeful awkward pause.

“Azula,” Kuvira said, with a soft clear of her throat. “How are you?”

“Hungry,” she replied. She shifted back in her seat, crossing one of her legs over the other with her arms folded. “So if we could order soon, that would be great.”

Korra glanced at her girlfriend a moment, then cleared her throat and looked back to Azula. “Well... alright, the waiter should be here in a second. We just thought maybe we could talk a little first. Maybe... get to know each other?”

Azula lifted a confused brow at the Avatar. She stared in silence, shifting her gaze between Korra and the matriarch with questioning eyes. They weren't being serious. They couldn't be. They were trying to be friendly? Towards her? No, this had to be some kind joke, or a trick...or something. Her focus ended up on Kuvira, and her brow lowered.

“What are you trying to pull, Matriarch?” she asked. “The last time we had a personal conversation, you couldn't stop pointing out just how much you hated me. Now you want to get to know me? What makes you think I'm going to fall for that?”

Kuvira eased a deep sigh, lowering her gaze. “I was angry when I said that. I saw a lot of myself in you at that time, and that was difficult to look past. I hate what I used to be, so seeing so many of those qualities in you made it easy to hate you too. I still am angry, about a lot of the things you've done, and if circumstances were different I probably still would hate you, and not bother trying to feel otherwise.” Then, she turned a glance to Anraq. “But you have someone I think very highly of vouching for you, someone who reminded me that people can change, no matter how depraved they might have seemed.”

“She talking about me?” Anraq said, with a smirk. “She's talking about me.”

“Kuvira and I discussed it,” Korra said. “We know you've done terrible things. We know we don't really get along with you. And we know we might never be close friends... But we're going to give you a chance. Since you're that important to Anraq, and since he's that confident in you, it's the least we can do.”

Azula blinked at them, then slowly moved her attention to Anraq. Annie... That sweet, pathetic man, surprising her again. “So, I'm...important to you?”

He shrugged, and gave her a smile. “Well, yeah, of course you are. I'd have thought that was obvious by now.”

She had known he cared, and she had known he would stick by her, but she hadn't actually heard him put it that way before. Knowing that she was important to someone, not just because she was their ruler, or because she scared them into it... It was different. Strange.

“Yes, well, I see...” Azula shifted in her seat, uncrossing her legs. She looked away, trying to hide the softening expression on her face; she couldn't look too gentle, after all. “You're, uh...important to me, too. I mean, I guess. Maybe.”

Anraq held his smile, then glanced over at the other two. “Let's order, shall we?”

Korra and Kuvira claimed that they were going to give her a chance, and had said they wanted to get to know her. So...that's exactly what they got. Much of the dinner, from the moment they ordered their drinks all the way to dessert, consisted of Azula telling them about herself—about her past, about her general thoughts, about what she wanted out of life.

She started with her strict, merciless childhood, how Ozai had molded her into his perfect prodigy. Those times spent doing everything she could to please him and perfect herself had been both the hardest and easiest times of her life. She had reveled in it. Looking back on it now, though, she hated it. Her father had never cared about her, only that she did what he told her to. She had learned that much from how things ended with them.

Then, of course, there was her mother, Ursa. If ever there was a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship, it had been theirs. She had seen it coming, of course, with how much of a problem child she was, and how sickeningly sweet Ursa had been. Once her mother had disappeared, that hindering influence had vanished. There had been only Ozai after that, and he had turned her into the perfect princess.

All her perfection had spiraled into failure soon after, though, near the end of the Hundred Year War. That had been when she had lost the Fire Nation crown to Zuko, and ended up in a mental institution for the next year. Then came Zuko asking for her help to find their mother, which led to them learning that Ursa had left to start a new life with another man, and had had a replacement daughter. That had prompted Azula to run away to the Forgetful Valley, where she accidentally died, and then ended up trapped in the Spirit World for the next seventy-plus years. Once she had finally returned, she worked towards picking up where she left off, in getting onto the Fire Nation throne, which had been rightfully hers.

Of course, just as before, that had all ended in failure. Now, she was here, in Zaofu, eating dinner with her only real friend in the world, plus the Avatar and the former Great Uniter. Her life had taken a most bizarre turn, and she still wasn't sure if she liked it or not. Well, that wasn't entirely true—considering how she couldn't bend anymore, she was quite certain she hated it. Still, she supposed there were still some good parts to her life now, Annie being one of them.

Azula surprised herself with just how much she had told them. How much she had...opened up. Once she had started, though, she found that she couldn't stop. Everything just came pouring out, as if she had _needed_ to tell someone all this. She wasn't entirely sure how that made her feel—vulnerable, probably, and she definitely didn't like that. She never let it show, of course, going through the whole thing with her usual smugness and sarcasm. At the very least, they wouldn't suspect she was feeling anything other than the vanity of talking about herself.

She hoped.

“Alright, I need to hit the restroom,” Anraq said, as he pushed his empty dessert plate away from himself. “I'll leave you ladies alone for a few minutes.”

Azula watched him go, then dug another spoonful out of her coconut custard pie. She sat straight, her gaze focused down on her dessert, as if oblivious to everything going on around her. Maybe if she pretended to be completely absorbed by her food, she wouldn't have to enter into a conversation with the other two women alone, without Annie there. She was quite certain she wasn't ready for that.

No such luck.

“So...” Korra said, leaning an elbow against the table. “You and Anraq are pretty close, huh?”

She swallowed the bite of pie, then shrugged her shoulders. “Yes, he's a good friend and I enjoy his company. That's all there is to it, really.”

“Ah, I see.” Kuvira nodded, and then looked to her girlfriend. “I think you're right.”

“Yeah, I told you,” Korra said. “They do make a cute couple.”

Azula nearly choked on her next bite. The pie lodged briefly in her throat before she washed it down with a gulp of water. Once it was down, she entered a fit of coughing, smacking her hand against her chest to settle herself. “We're _what?”_

The Avatar shot a confused look in her direction, but Azula could tell it was fake, mocking. “Oh, did I say something wrong?”

“We're _not_ a couple,” she insisted. “We're just...close friends. That's all. That's it. We are not...doing anything.”

“Ah, I see,” Kuvira replied, with an understanding nod. Then, to Korra, she added, “Classic denial.”

“I am not denying anything! There's nothing _to_ deny! We're just—” Azula's words ceased when the other two women broke out into laughter. She frowned, twisting her gaze with an unamused stare. “You're teasing me, aren't you?”

“Bingo,” Korra said, giving her girlfriend a high five.

“That's not funny,” Azula muttered. _“You're_ not funny.”

Kuvira smiled. “It's a little funny.”

Azula was about to make another comment, when she saw Anraq reappear out of the restroom. She immediately huffed out a relieved breath and stood to greet him. “Annie, I think I'm ready to go. I've stuffed myself, I'm tired, and I need to change out of these ridiculous robes.”

“Oh, uh... alright then,” he said, as he glanced to the other two women. “Everything okay?” The only response he received was a fit of muffled chuckling.

“Everything's just dandy, but it's time to go,” Azula insisted. She grabbed hold of Anraq's arm and then pulled him out out of the restaurant.

* * *

“Annie... I want to thank you for tonight,” Azula said, as she walked down the now mostly empty Zaofu streets, alongside Anraq. “Or at least for dinner. It was...nicer than I expected.”

Anraq smiled at her. “I'm glad. I had a good time, too.”

Azula breathed in deep, turning a careful glance towards him. “I know I don't show it much, but... I'm happy I know you. That... I have you in my life.”

“Hey, you show it enough.” He gave her shoulder a nudge, and held his smile. The simple act brought out her own smile, although she quickly looked away to hide it. “I'm happy, too, though. A year ago, I didn't know you as anything other than some crazy lightningbending girl who wanted to kill me. Now... I can't imagine my life not knowing you.”

“You mean that?” She already knew the answer, yet she still needed to ask it. She needed the confirmation.

“Of course I do,” he insisted. “This...may sound strange of me to say, but you're the most important person in my life right now.”

“That...doesn't sound strange at all.” The same was true for her, too. She never could have imagined caring this much about anyone, let alone Annie, of all people. He had started as some weird sort of test for herself, but had become so much more than that. What he meant to her...was something she almost couldn't even admit to herself. She didn't _want_ to admit it, because if she did, then she could be rejected. She could screw it up, make a fool of herself, be a failure yet again.

Or...she could be afraid.

That's what it was, she realized. That's what was holding her back—fear of rejection, fear of falling flat, of embarrassing herself, of everything that someone like her should never be afraid of. She was Princess Azula; she didn't _get_ afraid. And yet, this...this was different. _She_ was different. Whether on purpose or by accident, she wasn't quite the same person she had been a year ago. She wanted more out of her life now...she just had to stop being afraid of it.

“Annie...”

She stopped walking, prompting Anraq to do the same. The look she turned to him was stern, but at the same time caring. He didn't say anything; he just stared back at her, meeting her eyes. For a long while that's how they remained—sanding there, staring at each other. The tension between them seemed to grow each second, to the point where Azula couldn't stand it anymore. Her heart thumped to hard against her chest, and her blood pulsed too hot. She had to do this now, or she'd never do it.

Time to take a chance.

With no further warning, no further hesitation, she reached her hands up to his shoulders and pulled him forward. She leaned in the rest of the way and brought their lips together. It was only the second time she had ever kissed anyone. The first time had been Chan, so many years ago. That kiss had been hollow and empty.

This, though... She didn't know how to describe it. She wasn't sure she even _wanted_ to describe it; she just wanted it to last. A tingling warmth flooded her body as the kiss deepened, as Annie brushed his hand against her cheek and pulled her closer... She pressed herself close against him, and soon her arms found their way around his shoulders. They could last like this for the rest of the night and she wouldn't have cared. This was so unlike anything she had ever felt before. She wanted more; she wanted _him._

Azula wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted, but when their lips finally parted, she was breathless, her chest heaving, exasperated. She lifted a hand up to her mouth, touching her lips; they tingled, and so did her tongue.

“What... was that?” Anraq asked, with an equally breathless puff of air.

“That...was me not being afraid anymore,” she insisted. She straightened her posture, still staring at him. “To get more out of my life.”

He blinked at her, and swallowed a knot in his throat. “I see...”

A disappointed jolt shot through her; she knew that tone. “Of course, it doesn't matter. I'm not even sure what I was thinking. Must be all this mountain air going to my head. It won't happen again. I wouldn't want to waste our— _mmph.”_

He silenced her with another kiss. When their lips met again this time, she returned it with extra fervor. She hadn't failed, she hadn't embarrassed herself, she hadn't been a fool.... She had been right. All that fear, all that worry... all for nothing. This wasn't rejection. This wasn't failure. This... was perfect.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to keep this short because it's so late and I'm falling asleep. Didn't mean for that kiss to happen, really. I wasn't planning on that for a while, if at all. But in writing this chapter, and that scene in particular, that's...just how the characters guided me. it's what made sense to me while writing it. So, it happened here... And we'll see how that plays out in future chapters.


	83. War Is Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yula commences her plans to expand the Dragon Empire.

A knock sounded on Yula's office door, prompting her to look up from the Earth Kingdom map she had been examining. When the door opened to reveal her sister's face poking inside, she sat up and smiled. “Ah, Shayu, there you are. Come in, please.”

“Hey, Sis.” Shayu entered the office and closed the door behind her. “Uh, how are things going?”

“They're going wonderfully, thank you,” Yula replied. She pushed herself away from the desk and made her way around to greet her sister with a hug. Then, she looked behind herself to the map. “As it stands, all aspects of the Dragon Empire are under my control, and we're prepared to begin expansion soon.”

“Oh, that's...great.” Shayu's gaze lowered to the map. She fidgeted on her feet a little, and grabbed nervously at her elbow. “Um... and you're sure that's the best thing to do? I mean, it seems a little... I don't know, bad?”

Yula looked back to her sister with a smile. Being nearly ten years younger, Shayu had always been the baby of the family, and yet she had so much potential. She only needed someone to help bring that out. “Don't worry so much. Look at everything that we've accomplished so far. The Dragon Empire is the most advanced, and most powerful nation in the world. That was accomplished by joining the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom together.

“There won't be any wars or conflict between those two nations anymore, because they're under the same leadership,” she added, holding her hands to Shayu's shoulders. “Imagine if all nations were joined that way. There would never be anymore conflict. We'd have _peace._ Isn't that worth cracking a few turtle duck eggs over?”

“Well... I mean, yeah, I guess so,” Shayu said, with an uncertain shrug. “I guess it would be nice if what happened to us in Ba Sing Se never happened again.”

“Exactly,” Yula said. “Once the Dragon Empire expands across the entire world, no one will ever have to worry about something like that happening again. Everyone will be safe, and we'll have true peace.”

“But what about Mom?” Shayu gave a concerned look, eyebrows pushing together. “You've had her locked in her room now for two weeks...”

Yula eased out a sigh and frowned. “Mother wanted to stand against us. I can't have her running around trying to undermine what I'm doing. If she proves her loyalty and is sincere about making amends, then I can give her some more freedom. But until then.... I'm afraid that's the way it has to be. I don't like it, but I can't change it, either.”

“Oh...okay.” Shayu bowed her head in reluctant acceptance, although she didn't seem entirely convinced at the explanation.

“I need you, Shayu. You're my sister, my family. And unlike Mother, you actually understand what I'm trying to do.” Yula lowered her hands, and took hold of her sister's. Her touch was gentle, and comforting. “That's why I want you to come with me when I leave to begin the expansion.”

Shayu glanced up again, eyebrows raised. “Wait, really?”

“Of course. I want you there by my side to witness the great things we're going to accomplish. We'll do it together. What do you say?”

“Okay, yeah, sure.” An excited smile spread its way across Shayu's face. “I'd like that.”

Yula smirked. “Excellent. In that case, go prepare. We leave at the end of the week.”

* * *

Azula spun out of the way of several flying earth discs. The projectiles were quick, and she knew from experience already that they hurt if she failed to dodge them. This time, though, they didn't touch her. Her motions were sharp, and fluid. Another volley of discs raced towards her and again she whirled her body away. Her feet nearly crossed too much and tripped her off balance, but she was able to recover before eating a disc to the face.

“That's good, just try to add a little more spin,” Korra said. The Avatar kicked up several more earthen discs and then punched them towards her. “And remember to keep your feet moving, so you don't trip yourself like that. It'll help improve your ability to dodge.”

“I _got_ it,” she insisted. As instructed, she was sure to add more spins to her dodges. This time, her footwork was perfect. “You see? Easy.”

During the past week, she been undergoing vigorous training exercises—Zuko trained her in swords, Korra in different combat styles, such as these airbending evasive maneuvers, Kuvira in hand-to-hand combat, and Anraq in full sparring. At first, she had been reluctant to admit she needed the training. Like it or not, though, without her firebending she was a shade of her former self as far as combat went. Regardless of how much she hated having to essentially go back to basics, it was necessary if she wanted to become a true threat again.

Korra shot off the last few discs, and a smile crept onto her face as Azula again evaded them. “You really learn quick.”

“Well, I wasn't called a prodigy for nothing,”Azula stated, planting her hands against her hips. “Even if I can't bend anymore, I'll be the strongest non-bender who ever lived, just you watch.”

“Judging from what I've seen, I wouldn't doubt it.” Korra lifted her hands and recalled the earth discs next to her into two neat piles. “Do you want to do more, or have you had enough for now?”

Azula paused a moment, pressing a finger to her lips. “Hmm, well I suppose I should take a break and get something to eat before my session with Kuvira. And Zuzu will be here soon to give me more sword lessons... So, yes, I suppose that's enough for now.”

“Alright, same time tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes, I'll be here,” she said, with a flippant wave.

“Hey, Azula!” Anraq appeared, running across the gardens of the Beifong Estate. He carried with him a small plastic bag, and held it up so she could see it. “Brought you something.”

Azula lifted an eyebrow, eyeing the plastic bag with intrigue. “I do hope there's food in there, because I'm starving.”

“As a matter of fact, there is.” Anraq reached into the bag to pull out a small container. “Spicy rice balls, from that joint downtown we visited a few days. Now, I wasn't sure if you liked rice balls, but I know you do like spicy food, so I figured it would be worth a try.”

Azula opened the container to find five clumps of rice wrapped with tea leaves inside. Each of them were slathered with what looked like some kind of hot sauce. “Hmm, well that doesn't look bad, I'll admit. Thank you, Annie.”

Anraq smiled, and responded by leaning in to kiss her. Almost immediately, she flinched and pulled back, looking over her shoulder; Korra stood there, watching them with a grin.

“ _Annie,”_ she said, in a hushed whisper. “Not in front of the _Avatar.”_

“ _Ahem.”_

That simple throat clear throat stiffened her; it hadn't come from Korra, but rather a new arrival. When she turned towards the voice, she found Zuko there, staring at them with his arms folded. “Or my _brother.”_

“Uh...” Anraq glanced back and forth between Korra and Zuko, then shrank back in embarrassment. “Heh, whoops.”

“Azula, Anraq,” Zuko said, giving them both a nod. Then, he turned and bowed to Korra. “Avatar.”

“Lord Zuko.” Korra returned the bow, then started towards the mansion. “Anyway, I have to head out now. I'll see you all later for tonight for dinner.”

Zuko gave her a wave, and when she was gone he turned back to his sister. “Are you ready for sword practice?”

“Just a minute, can't you see I'm eating?” Azula focused on the rice balls and popped one into her mouth. The flavor surprised her—not too salty, and with just a hint of sweetness to it. The spiciness of it made her mouth burn, but not in a bad way. She did love spicy food, and in that department these rice balls were remarkable. “Mmm... these are actually quite good.”

“But really, really— _wow_ —spicy!” Anraq exclaimed, waving his hand in front of his mouth. He had only managed a couple of bites before recoiling at the burn. “I mean, I like spicy food too, but this is ridiculous.”

“ _Hmph_ , lightweight,” she chided, as she took a bite out of a second one. “That's what makes them so good.”

Zuko gave the remaining couple of rice balls a curious look. “Mind if I try one?” When Azula offered the container, he took one of the rice balls and bit into it. For a moment, he made no reaction, simply chewing and testing the flavor. “Hmm... I suppose they're not that...” Then, he stopped chewing. His eyes flew open wide and began to tear up, while his entire face flushed red. Without warning, he grabbed Anraq's hip flask, popped open the cork, and gulped down a mouthful of water.

“Hey, that's my _bending_ water!” Anraq said, making a grab for the flask. Zuko turned away, though, so he could drink more.

When Zuko finally finished off the water, he handed the flask back to Anraq and then huffed out a deep breath. “Well, those are quite...potent.”

Azula laughed, snatching the rice ball from her brother's grasp. “Oh Zuzu, you never had the stomach for spicy food.”

“Yes, well...” The old firebender wiped his lips dry, then straightened out his clothes. “In any case, are you ready now?”

“Just a second.” She finished off the last of the rice balls, then wiped her hands clean on a napkin. When she was done, she handed the empty container back to Anraq. “Alright, now I'm ready.”

“Good, then draw your swords,” Zuko stated. “I'm going to show you a few advanced techniques today. I imagine you'll pick them up rather quick.”

Azula smirked, then reached over her shoulder to draw the dual blades from their scabbard. “Please, of course I will. Did you forget who you're talking to?”

* * *

Later that night, Azula leaned against the balcony railing of the estate's guest house. Anraq stood just behind her, holding his arms around her waist and resting his chin against her shoulder. She had been hesitant, at first, allowing that kind of intimate touch between them. It wasn't something she was used to, and perhaps she had been apprehensive in letting him get that close to her. That initial reluctance soon dissipated, though, when she reminded herself that this was Annie, the one person she cared most about. He didn't want to hurt her; he only wanted to hold her, and spend time with her. That...was something she could allow.

“So, things seem to be coming along pretty well with your training,” Anraq said. “I mean, you're looking better than ever.”

Azula raised an eyebrow and glanced back over her shoulder at him, with a suggestive smirk. “Are you sure it's my skills you're watching?”

“Uh, well... I mean...”

“Hmph, pathetic,” she stated, with as endearing a tone as she would allow herself. She widened her smirk ever so slightly, then leaned closer to kiss him.

After the kiss broke, Anraq grinned. “What can I say? I'm drawn to powerful and attractive women.”

She stared at him a moment, maintaining her own smile. Then, she looked away to gaze up at the sky, at the stars. Her smile faded, replaced instead by a worried frown. “Annie... about this, about _us._..”

He leaned closer, looking over her shoulder at her and wrapping his arms tighter around her waist. “Yeah?”

“It just... I've never done anything like this before,” she said, easing a heavy sigh past her lips. “I've never felt like this about anyone. I've never been in a proper relationship. Or _any_ relationship, really. It's... new for me.”

“I know, but that's okay,” he insisted. “However you feel you want to do this, I'm with you one hundred percent.”

She paused a moment, then lowered her focus down out at the gardens below. She sighed again, this one carrying a more concerned tone. “I've had very few genuinely good things in my life, and you're one of them. I just...don't want to screw it up.”

“You won't.” Anraq held her hand now, tightening their fingers together. “We'll take it slow, alright? We'll go at whatever pace you need, and we'll make it work.”

Azula almost pulled away out of instinct, but managed to relax and return the hold. “Thank you, Annie.”

“So, did you want to do anything tonight?” he asked. “I wouldn't mind just taking a walk through Suyin Park, if you wanted.”

“No, I'm not in the mood to go out right now.” Azula breathed in deep and settled back closer against his chest. When she felt his arms embrace her, she let her eyes close. “I'm fine just like this.”

He smiled, then gave the top of her head a kiss. “Sounds perfect to me.”

* * *

“Mmm...” Kuvira whispered, her lips just inches away from Korra's ear. She pushed herself up against the back of the tub, sloshing the water around their bare bodies. “Finally have you all to myself.”

Korra leaned back against her girlfriend's chest and grinned. “And what do you intend to do with me now that you have me?”

Kuvira wrapped her arms around Korra's waist, fingers gently gliding downward. “I'm sure I can think of a few things. Like maybe...” Her fingers continued to travel lower, until they found their way between her girlfriend's legs. “... _this.”_

Korra uttered a sharp gasp, gripping her hands tightly against the edges of the tub. “Careful, keep doing that and I might start getting feisty.”

“That's the whole point.” She pushed her fingers deeper, and brought her lips closer. “Come on... get feisty.”

“Well, if you insist...” Korra gasped again, then flipped herself over to lie against Kuvira on her front. She moved closer, poising herself above the matriarch with an eager grin. The moment she did, Kuvira's hands crept around to grasp her rear.

Before they could go any further, a knock pounded against the closed bathroom door. “Kuvira! Avatar Korra!” It was Baatar.

Kuvira huffed out a groan, letting her head fall back against the edge of the tub. “What is it? Kind of in the middle of something here.”

“It's Captain Hong Li,” Baatar stated, with a distinct urgency in his tone. “He just arrived with some dire news. He needs to see you both immediately.”

“Alright...” she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. “We'll be right there.”

Once Baatar was gone, Korra pouted down at her. “I don't suppose there's time for a quickie?”

Kuvira thought a second, then leaned up to give her girlfriend a kiss. “Well, we can certainly find out.”

* * *

Kuvira and Korra made their way into the mansion's sitting room about twenty minutes after being told of the captain's arrival. They had _tried_ to hurry, but...well, they had spent longer than they meant to. Besides, they had been in the middle of a bath anyway, so Hong Li had to expect he'd be waiting. Kuvira was still fixing her robes straight and fitting her diadem in place over her forehead when they arrived, and Korra was struggling to get her still-damp arms through her Water Tribe sleeves.

As soon as they appeared, Hong Li approached them and gave a salute. “Matriarch, Avatar, thank you for seeing me. I wouldn't have just shown up at your home like this, but it's important.”

“What is it?” Kuvira asked, though she dreaded the answer. She knew the captain well enough to know that he was telling the truth; he wouldn't have come straight to her like this at this time of night if the situation weren't dire.

“I just received word from our scouts stationed in the mountains,” he said. “They've spotted Dragon Empire forces traveling through the Earth Kingdom in this direction—airships, tanks, ground troops... There are thousands. They estimate that the empire could be here within two days.”

“ _What?”_ Kuvira's eyes shot open, and her stomach twisted. She hadn't expected anything this soon. At the least, she would have hoped they'd have more than a couple days to prepare. “This is bad... Yula is making her move. If she makes it here with those troops, I don't know how long Zaofu can hold out.”

“Well we can't just let her take the city,” Korra urged.

“No, we can't,” Kuvira said, shaking her head. The irony of the situation didn't escape her. Six years ago, she had marched on Zaofu herself to conquer it. Now, here she was as Zaofu's ruler about to defend it from the same type of invasion. “Our security force does have some of the best fighters in the world, and are trained especially for siege situations. The problem is, we don't have nearly the numbers to go up against the entire might of the Dragon Empire. Making a stand against them could get messy.”

Korra hummed a soft breath, thinking. “We should evacuate the citizens. Have them take the train to Republic City, before the empire arrives. If Yula decides she wants violence, at least that way no one innocent will get hurt.”

Kuvira nodded. “I agree. Captain, see to it that the city undergoes emergency evacuation measures. I want everyone who isn't a member of the security force out of Zaofu by tomorrow night.

“Yes, Matriarch. I'll put the word out at once.” Hong Li gave a firm salute, then turned around and hurried out of the room.

Once the captain was gone, Korra folded her arms and focused a concerned gaze on her girlfriend. “Trying to stop the Dragon Empire from invading isn't going to be easy, and there's no time to request reinforcements before they arrive. You think we have a chance?”

“I suppose we'll find out,” she said. “Although, we do have one thing that they don't have.”

“What's that?”

“The Avatar.”

Korra quirked an eyebrow, frowning. “You know I can only do so much, right? Even I can't take out an entire army.”

“I know, but as it stands you're the biggest advantage we have,” Kuvira insisted. “I'd rather it didn't come to that, though. This is still Yula... Maybe she can be reasoned with.”

“You heard what the others said about her, though. They tried to reason with her and she nearly killed them. She's changed.”

“We still have to try.”

Korra sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Alright, I need to find my father and let him know what's going on.” Kuvira ran her fingers back through her hair, trying to settle herself. As composed as she tried to appear, her stomach fluttered with nerves. “I'll have to send him and the rest of my family on the first train out of here to bring the news to Asami. We can't just have every Zaofu citizen randomly showing up in Republic City without explanation.”

Korra approached her, resting a hand on her shoulder to help calm her. “We'll get through this, Ku. No matter what happens, we'll maintain balance. I mean, it is kind of my thing.”

Kuvira swallowed, then slowly nodded her head. “Right... Then let's get started. We have a lot of preparations to make.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And after a few calmer chapters, we're on the verge of some pretty intense ones. Yula is making her move, and she's starting with Zaofu (I mean, it is right in the middle of the Earth Kingdom, so it is kind of an easy target). So it'll be interesting seeing Yula confronting her former friends when she tries to conquer the city.
> 
> I'll admit, having Azula and Anraq as a couple here changes some of the dynamics from what I anticipated, since I wasn't even sure if they would get together until much later. Because it happened earlier, though, their interactions are obviously going to be much different than they were supposed to be. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. It is a challenge, but a fun one. It's just nice to see Azula actually happy.
> 
> Also, for anyone who hasn't seen, here's a fan art of this fic of Kuvira as the Matriarch of Zaofu: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/129018508958/the-matriarch-by-vyalla-posted-with-artists


	84. Critical Mission Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yula arrives on Zaofu's doorstep and makes demands for their surrender, while the current Team Avatar makes plans to stop her.

Zaofu managed to fully evacuate within a day. It had been a chaotic twenty four hours of cramming the trains well past their maximum capacity, but their efforts had been successful. Now all that remained in the city was the security force, along with Kuvira, Korra, Zuko, Azula, and Anraq, the latter five of whom now stood watch in one of the outer guard towers. By the time the Dragon Empire forces arrived, the domes of Zaofu had been shut tight, acting as a shield against invasion. It was one of their primary defenses, although Kuvira has concerns about how long they would hold, if attacked. As per the reports, the Dragon Empire had brought a massive invasion force—twelve fully equipped bombardier airships, ten platoons of tanks, at least thirty regiments of ground troops, and two waves of mechas leading at the front lines. As it stood, Zaofu was outnumbered at least ten to one, and at a severe disadvantage in terms of armaments.

"That's...a lot of troops," Anraq said, gazing out of the guard tower. His tone was grim, and for good reason; the entire valley in front of Zaofu had been packed full. He couldn't even see the grass.

"The scary part?" Kuvira said, as she watched the troops draw closer. "That's only a fraction of the empire's entire army."

"Yula is an idiot," Azula muttered. "I told her repeatedly you can't just start invading other nations. That's how you start another Hundred Year War."

Kuvira raised an eyebrow at her. "And how exactly were _you_ planning on doing it?"

"The same way I did the Earth Kingdom," she insisted, with a nonchalant shrug. "Through careful planning and clever manipulation." She paused a moment, then realized they were all staring at her. "What? It's not like I can do it _now_."

"With the kind of numbers she has, it may not matter if she makes direct invasions," Zuko said. "If she takes Zaofu, then all that's left is Republic City and the two Water Tribes. If the United Forces combined their efforts with both Water Tribe militaries, they _might_ be able to stand against the Dragon Empire, but it would be far from a sure thing."

Anraq heaved out a sigh. "So basically, no matter what happens here, we need to do some serious damage. We need to at least thin out their numbers."

"Only if it comes to that," Kuvira stated. “I want to talk to Yula first. Maybe... I can talk some sense into her, or something."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Anraq said, shaking his head. "Chances are, we're in for the fight of our lives."

"You know, you three didn't have to stay," Korra said, looking to Anraq and the others. "You could have gone to Republic City with the rest of the evacuees."

"What, and miss this?" Anraq chuckled. "Nah, you guys need all the help you can get. Besides, we're still Team Avatar—or one version of it, anyway. We stick together."

"Besides, I have a score to settle with Yula," Azula added. "I'd love a chance to give her a headache. Or a sword to the gut."

Zuko lifted a brief eyebrow at his sister, then looked back at Korra. "And if they're staying, then so am I. Who else is going to keep them out of trouble?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Please, Zuzu, I'm not helpless."

"I was more concerned about Anraq doing something stupid," he insisted, giving the waterbender a teasing smile.

Anraq frowned. "Ha ha. Geez, just because I'm dating your sister doesn't mean you _have_ to give me a hard time."

"Actually I believe it does." Zuko stifled a chuckle under his breath, though Korra and Kuvira were less discreet with their laughter.

Anraq groaned, burying his face into his hand.

"Alright, everyone get ready," Kuvira said, calming herself with a deep breath. "Things are about to get intense."

* * *

Yula stood militantly in front of the airship window, arms clasped behind her back. The great platinum domes of Zaofu had been raised, shielding the city from the outside world—as expected. Of course, it didn't matter to her. With her kind of power, those domes wouldn't last long. She was sure that Kuvira and the Avatar had formulated some kind of pitiful plan to deal with her forces, but no matter what they attempted, they would fail. The Dragon Empire had no equal. Zaofu would surrender to her, or be crushed.

Captain Han approached and stood at attention. “Empress, our troops are in place.”

“Good,” she said. “Have the pilot set the Dragon's Wing down behind the first line.”

“Should we make battle plans, as well?”

“Not yet.” Yula narrowed her eyes, focusing on the central dome. “We're going to give them a chance to do this the easy way. If they refuse... Then you can make all the battle plans you want.”

“Understood.” He gave a salute, then hurried away to give the order to the pilot.

When he was gone, Yula turned to her left and gave a smile. “This is exciting, isn't it, Shayu?”

Her sister fidgeted awkwardly, pulling at the black leggings of her new imperial uniform. “Yeah, for sure. I just... Ugh, these pants are way too tight. I feel like they're going to tear right off my legs if I so much as lean forward.”

“I'll be sure to make a request for a larger pair later,” Yula said. “But the rest of it fits okay?”

“Oh, yeah, everything else is fine.” Shayu tugged at the sleeves of her red and gold military coat, making sure they were snug around her arms. “Feels totally weird to be dressed up like this, though. I feel all official and important.”

“You _are_ important,” Yula insisted, bring a hand to her sister's shoulder. “I'm glad you're here with me.”

Shayu smiled. “Thanks, Sis.”

“Now, let's get ready. We're about to have a very important meeting.”

* * *

The meeting took place in Zaofu's central city square, beneath the watchful eyes of the new Suyin Beifong statue. Yula had been allowed to bring a single squad inside with her for the proceedings, while Kuvira showed up flanked by half the might of her security force—a mere two hundred elite metalbenders—as well as Korra, Azula, Zuko, and Anraq. Compared to the thousands of troops waiting outside, the number was paltry. Kuvira knew this, but she didn't plan on giving that information away to Yula. This was one instance where showing any kind of weakness could doom them all.

“Ah, Matriarch Kuvira, Avatar Korra,” Yula said, as she approached the opposing group. Her own squad, a fifty strong group of her most skilled firebenders, remained in formation behind her, ready and waiting. Captain Han stood at one side of her, and Shayu at the other. She shifted her gaze past Korra and Kuvira, taking notice of the other three. “So, you did come to Zaofu, as I thought. So good to see you all again.”

Azula scowled at her. _“Stuff_ it, you four-eyed, backstabbing twit.”

“I see someone's still a little bitter.” Yula smirked, then glanced at the sword handles sticking up over Azula's shoulder. “Nice swords. I take it the firebending still isn't doing so well, in that case?”

Azula didn't answer, but she deepened her scowl into a look of seething rage. Only Anraq's hand coming to her shoulder got her to relax before she did something regrettable.

“Yula...” Kuvira took a step forward and eased a deep breath out her throat. She had hoped many times during the past year that she would meet Yula again, but she had never imagined it would be under such circumstances. “Why are you doing this?”

“Isn't it obvious?” Yula said. “Because I _can._ I have the power and the means to do so, so why wouldn't I? It's time to spread the Dragon Empire to all corners of every nation. It's time to unite the world. That is something you can appreciate, isn't it, Great Uniter?”

“Please, Yula, stop this,” she insisted. “You don't have anything to gain by invading other nations. All you'll accomplish is hurting people.”

“I've already come all the way here, I can't just turn around now.” Yula folded her arms and smirked at the matriarch, staring her dead in the eyes. “The only reason you're even bothering to ask me to is because you know you can't beat me. I'm guessing these guards you have with you are...what, a third of your forces? Maybe half? Zaofu was never a military state, was it? You don't have a proper army. On the other hand, I have an army outside that could raze this city to the ground.”

Kuvira tightened her jaw, and remained calm with a deep breath. “I'm asking you because we're friends. Or we were, once. I don't want to do this, not against you. Please, you have to know that what you're doing here isn't right.”

“It's _because_ we used to be friends that I haven't attacked yet,” Yula stated, lowering her brow with a stern glare. “I can see you're prepared to fight, considering you've evacuated the city from the looks of it, but I want to give you a chance to do this peacefully. Surrender to me and you won't be harmed. I might even give you a high position in the empire. You could even still lead Zaofu, if you wanted. Of course, you'd be under the Dragon Empire banner, but this way there doesn't have to be any violence.”

“You think I don't know what you're doing?” Kuvira shot back a glare of her own, hardening her resolve. “You come in here, claim you want peace, and give us an ultimatum that you know we won't accept. That way, you get to look like the reasonable one, while knowing you'll still get exactly what you want—the chance to exercise your power when we refuse. It's exactly what I did when _I_ marched on Zaofu.”

Yula merely sighed at the accusation. “You think you have me all figured out. Just because we slept together a few times doesn't mean you know me.”

At this statement, Shayu lifted her eyebrows and turned to her sister. “Wait, you guys _what?”_

“Never mind, Shayu,” Yula said. “Just stand there and be quiet.”

Anraq scoffed. “You're unbelievable. Getting your sister involved in this? As if you haven't done enough damage already.”

Yula turned a glare towards him. “Mind your own business, waterbender.”

Shayu, on the other hand, looked to Anraq and gave a wave. She smiled, but turned her head away shyly. “Hi, Anraq.”

“Hey, Shayu...” he muttered, breathing out a deep sigh.

Azula glanced back and forth between them. Although they had never spent much time together, she had noticed Shayu giving Anraq suspicious looks during the past year. While she had thought nothing of it before, she now felt a surprising awareness of just want those looks had meant—that girl had a crush on him, didn't she? Her eyes shifted with contempt. “Listen to your sister. Mind your own business.”

“Shayu, would you stop flirting with the enemy?” Yula grumbled.

Suddenly aware of everyone staring at her, Shayu shied away several steps, head bowed. “Oh... uh, sorry.”

“Of all the ridiculous...” Yula pressed her hand to her face, then took a calming breath. When she composed herself, she refocused on Kuvira. “Here's how this is going to work. You have until tomorrow morning to surrender. If you refuse, then we lay siege to Zaofu. We will crush you, and everyone we find within its walls. Oh, and don't think your domes will protect you—they won't.”

“Yula, please, you _have_ to reconsider.” It was Korra this time. She took a step forward, ahead of Kuvira. “What you're doing is more than just invading other nations. If you continue on this path, you'll throw the entire world out of balance!”

“Oh, Avatar.” Yula shook her head and sighed. “If there was one thing that Azula and I most agreed on, it was that the world has no place for you anymore. I don't care about your antiquated notions of maintaining balance. While the world continues to grow and evolve, the Avatar does not. We'd all be better off with you.”

Korra's hand curled into a fist, but Kuvira made a grab at her shoulder and pulled her back.

“Are we done here?” Kuvira asked, holding a hard glare on the Dragon Empress.

“Yes, I think that will do for now.” Yula gave a flippant wave and then turned to leave with her troops. “You have until dawn to make your decision. Try not to keep me waiting.”

* * *

Kuvira huffed a groan of aggravation as she dropped herself into the chair behind her office desk. The others stood around her, including Captain Hong Li. “Well, you were right. Yula has definitely changed...”

“I don't mean to say we told you so,” Azula said, with a furrowed brow, “but we _told_ you so.”

“So what's the plan now?” Anraq asked. “We don't have a lot of options here. We either give ourselves over to the empire, or probably die fighting them all off.”

Zuko looked to Kuvira and hummed a contemplative breath. "There is another option. I understand there are hidden tunnels beneath the city that lead into the mountains. Given the circumstances, it may behoove us to abandon Zaofu, and retreat to Republic City while we still can. Your security force would only help if added to a larger resistance."

Kuvira shook her head. "No, we have to let Yula know that she can't bully her way to conquest like that. She has to know that people will resist her."

Korra nodded in agreement. "Besides, we're here now, and so is Yula. If we can get to her, then there's a chance we can end this before it even starts. We could prevent her from ever marching on Republic City, or the Water Tribes."

Anraq raised his brow. "So what, you're saying we _kill_ her? We just...sneak in and assassinate her in the middle of the night, and then everything is A-okay?"

Azula uttered a soft chuckle. "I'm impressed, Avatar. That's a plan I could get behind."

"No, I just...” Korra sighed, and hung her head. “I don't know. Maybe. It's not like I _want_ to, but she isn't leaving us much choice."

“I suppose we could think of a way to subdue her long enough to get her into some kind of chilled containment, to keep her from firebending,” Zuko said. “That way, we neutralize her without having to kill her, and still effectively cut the head off the Dragon's neck.

“Shirshu toxin should work,” Hong Li offered. “We just recently confiscated a whole batch. I can grab it from headquarters.”

Kuvira thought a moment, sinking back in her seat. “That still leaves us with the task of getting to her. We certainly aren't about to fight our way through her army.”

“A small infiltration team could slip behind enemy lines without being noticed,” Zuko said.

“Just like what Su tried on me...” Kuvira muttered, bringing a hand to her chin. That, of course, had failed miserably for Suyin. “We'll need another team to create a diversion and draw attention away, though. If the infiltration team is caught, I doubt Yula will be as merciful.”

Zuko nodded. “I could lead that team with Druk. What better distraction than a dragon?”

“Myself and the rest of the security force would be at your disposal,” Hong Li said, with a salute. “We'll give you all the opportunity you need.”

Kuvira gave them a careful stare, then turned a look towards Korra. “What do you think?”

“It... could work,” she replied. “We'll need a good team, though.”

“Sign me up,” Anraq said, raising his hand. “I do still owe Yula one for trying to roast me.”

Azula scoffed, and folded her arms across her chest. “And if you think I'm sitting this one out, you're stupid. I think my vendetta against her speaks for itself.”

“Alright...” Kuvira stared back at her, tapping her fingers against the table. “Just remember, we're going to try _not_ to kill her, if we don't have to.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, I'll do my best.”

“So, looks like we have a plan,” Korra said.

Kuvira nodded. “We have the rest of the day to work on the details. I want us ready by midnight.”

* * *

Zuko glared out over the valley. As expected, the Dragon Empire had made camp shortly after arriving, and now at near midnight most of the troops had retired to bed. Numerous patrols still guarded the perimeter, of course, but a much more manageable number than their entire army. It would give him and the security force the opportunity they needed to cause a little mayhem before the enemy had a chance to know what was going on.

Captain Hong Li approached him, looking up over the side of the rocky mountain slope. “My men and I are ready when you are.”

Just a little longer,” he replied. “We need to give the infiltration team time to tunnel in below the Dragon's Wing.”

“Just say the word, sir.”

Zuko focused his attention on the platoons of heavy tanks behind the first wave of infantry. “When we get in there, I want your men to concentrate on dismantling those tanks. Chances are, they're made of platinum, so you won't be able to destroy them in the conventional sense. However, you can make their weapons useless.”

Hong Li, too, looked to the tanks. “How's that?”

“See their canons? Unlike typical Fire Nation munitions, which are built to focus fire, those are built to focus lightning. They rely on a focus crystal set near the firing chamber. The lightningbender inside fires a bolt into the crystal, which empowers the lightning into a destructive laser.”

“Seriously?” The captain's eyebrows lifted. “That's...scary.”

“Yes, Fire Nation ingenuity at its most deadly...” Zuko muttered. “What works in our favor, though, is that those focus crystals are obviously made of earth. Your men should be able to bend the crystals out of the canon mouths and then shatter them, effectively making the tanks useless.”

Hong Li nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I'll relay the information to the men. What will you be doing?”

“I'll be melting those mechas into scrap metal,” he said, looking back over his shoulder. Druk sat there, waiting. The dragon gave a low grumble to express his impatience, then set his head on the ground. “Hopefully before any of their troops can arm them.”

As much as this mission was for simple distraction, it was equal parts sabotage. The more of the empire's armaments they could destroy, the better. With the security force disabling the tanks, and Zuko destroying the mechas, that would leave only airships and ground troops to worry about. Granted, the infantry numbers were still overwhelming, but they'd be much more manageable without their heavy weapons. At least, until they could resupply.

“Just remember, we're not going in to fight,” Zuko added. “This is strictly diversion. Get in, do what damage you can before they can regroup, and then get out of there.”

“I know, we're ready.”

“Good, because we'll be going in any minute now.”

* * *

The patrolmen never saw the dragon coming. It flew in from above, against the pitch black darkness of a cloud-covered night sky. It wasn't until a massive jet of flames swept across the line of mechas that they realized they were under attack. Screams erupted from all over camp. An alarm soon followed, blaring over the entire valley. By the time the sleeping troops had managed to scramble out of their bedrolls to prepare some kind of defensive, Druk was already on his way back for another pass.

A second wave of flames swallowed the next line of mechas, leaving behind scraps of twisted and melted metal in their wake. The troops closest to the mechas scrambled out of the way to take cover, while others shot blasts of fire or chunks of rock at the fleeing dragon. With Druk's speed, though, they never stood a chance of actually landing a hit. At least, not their ground troops. The tank platoons, however, began to stir, as drivers entered in through the top hatches.

When Druk turned around for a third pass, several tanks already had their canons pointed at him. Zuko guided the dragon sharp to the left, just as three simultaneous lasers lit up the night sky. The beams just missed, so close that Zuko felt the air heat up as they passed. Druk prepared to dive in to avoid a second volley of lasers, but those three shots were all the tanks would get off.

Seconds later, Hong Li and the rest of the security force tunneled up through the ground and made for the nearest tanks they could find. Removing the focus crystals proved easy enough; they were the only parts of the tanks that weren't made of platinum. Within moments, they had disabled all of the currently manned tanks. Before they could move onto the unmanned tanks, however, the Dragon Empire infantry troops began to converge on their position. The captain gave the immediate signal to retreat, prompting them to tunnel back into the ground. Zuko and Druk made one more pass, melting the final line of mechas, and even grabbing another handful of tanks on the way by. Their job was done.

Now, it was up to the others.

* * *

The infiltration team moved quickly as soon as the commotion started. As Druk made his first pass over the mechas, they emerged from ground right below the Dragon's Wing airship. Kuvira and Korra led the way, metalbending open a hole in the side of the ship so they could slip inside. Once they were in, they closed the hole behind them and continued down an open corridor in the lower decks. Shouting and footsteps echoed throughout the deck as a team of imperial soldiers came running around the corner, no doubt alerted by the attack outside. As soon as they came face to face with the intruders, however, they slid to a stop, staring in surprise.

“What in the—?” one of the soldiers started. Before he could finish his words, a metal strip wrapped around his mouth and then jerked his entire body sideways into the wall. Kuvira launched another pair of strips around the wrists of a second man and bashed him headfirst into the wall as well.

Korra made a move to attack the remaining two men, but Azula beat her to it. Azula raced forward at one of the soldiers and slid in low just as the man punched a shot of fire at her. The flames scorched the air above her head, leaving her untouched and allowing her to spring up with a rising kick that snapped the man's head back and knocked him clean off his feet. The final guard turned to attack her, but never got the chance before her elbow crashed into the side of his neck; she was far too fast.

When the final man toppled, Azula mockingly brushed herself off. “Well, that was simple. Should we continue?”

Anraq gave the unconscious guards a passing glance as he followed the others down the corridor. “Nice work.”

“Please, was there ever any doubt?” she replied.

As the group neared the set of steps that led up to the main deck, Kuvira raised a hand, urging them to stop. “Hold on a second. We need to make sure we know exactly where Yula is.” She raised her leg and bended the metal bottom away from her boot, exposing her bare foot. Then, she stomped against the floor and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the following vibrations throughout the airship, taking note of how many more guards there were, where they were moving, and anyone else who might be on board. “I see someone in a large room on the upper deck, guarded by a team of soldiers.”

“That's the royal cabin,” Azula stated. “Fancy, for a metal box on an airship. My guess would be it's Yula.”

“Can you tell for sure?” Korra asked.

Kuvira shook her head. “No. My seismic sense has improved but it's still not on the level of Toph, or Lin. Plus, they're about as far away from us on this airship as they could be. All I'm getting are vague outlines.”

“Well, it's the best lead we have,” Anraq said. He was already halfway up the ladder. “And we only have so much time, so we better get a move on.”

They wasted no more time, following Anraq up the ladder to the main deck. There, they met more resistance—a dozen imperial guards, all firebenders. Korra led the charge with a blast of wind that pushed the guards off their feet, while Kuvira used the momentary stun to grasp several with her metal strips. She slammed them into each other, then cast them aside like rag dolls. Anraq followed up with a volley of frozen spheres, bludgeoning several men in the head. They collapsed like rocks, flopping against the ground motionless. By the time the remaining guards recovered enough to launch a counter attack of their own, Azula had already lunged in the middle of them. The five men made some desperate attempt to subdue her, but their fire hit only air. Azula weaved and spun around their attacks effortlessly, dropping each one with precision blows to the neck or head. Within seconds, the men fell to her feet unmoving.

“The way to the upper deck is over here,” Azula said, without even pausing after the brutal beat down.

She waved the others along and ran over to the steps that led to the upper deck. Just outside the entrance to the royal cabin, another team of guards met them. This time, though, Korra simply air blasted them off the balcony down to the main deck below. Kuvira led the way, tearing the metal door off its hinges with a single punch. When the way was clear, they ran inside.

“Yula, you're finished!” Azula called, pushing herself in front of Kuvira, with her swords drawn. “You're going to pay for—!”

Before she could finish her sentence, the metal floor beneath their feet peeled upwards and wrapped tight around their bodies. It pulled them in close to each other in violent fashion, slamming them together. The more they struggled, the tighter the bindings became.

“An admirable effort,” said a voice—not Yula's voice. It was a man's voice, deep and callous. “But the empress thought you might try something like this, so she had me watching the vibrations of the surrounding area. I saw you all coming a mile away.”

A figure stepped out of the shadows near the back wall. At first, the long robes and wide-brimmed hat appeared foreign and unfamiliar. Upon closer inspection, however, the man in the outfit revealed himself as _very_ familiar. Korra was the first to notice, now realizing where she had seen that uniform before—the uniform of the Dai Li.

“ _Avan,”_ she hissed, pushing her arms outward. The metal wrapped around them began to bend and give way, but the Dai Li commander again tightened it with a simple clench of his fingers. His raw bending power had not diminished in the slightest.

“Yula let _you_ out of prison?” Kuvira said. “She really has gone mad.”

“The empress recognized my talent and chose me to serve her, and to reinstate the Dai Li,” he replied. “It was either that or rot in a wooden cell in the middle of the ocean.”

Anraq grunted as he tried to shift his body out of the metal bindings, to no avail. “Guess I can't blame you for taking that offer. But you're still a bastard.”

Azula scoffed. “Really, Avan? You, laying down and taking orders from a self-proclaimed empress? I thought you were better than that. Heck, with the Dai Li at your disposal, you should be plotting a coup, not playing lap dog.”

“Ah, Aoi.” Avan's eyes narrowed, and he tightened the metal even further, prompting a few pained groans. “Or should I say, Azula? It doesn't matter what you think I should do. In the end, none of you will live to care.”

Korra glowered at him. “You really think you can hold us for long?” Her eyes started to glow, and the metal binding them expanded.

“Long enough.”

Reaching one hand back, Avan bended open a hole in the far wall. Then, he gave the bindings one more squeeze before turning to leap out the hole into the open night air. The parted metal wall closed behind him on his way out. Not a second later, Korra's eyes glowed brighter and the metal bindings exploded outward to pieces.

“I really hate that guy,” Anraq muttered. “What now?”

“Our plan failed,” Kuvira said. “We have to get out of here now and make a retreat, before—”

She wasn't entirely sure what happened next; none of them were. A loud boom rang out, deafening them. Fire and smoke and metal shrapnel ripped through the room. The entire cabin split apart, throwing them from their feet, and before they could recover, another thunderous blast followed. Then, there was nothing. Only darkness.

* * *

“Easy boy, down,” Zuko said, giving the top of Druk's head a gentle pat. The great dragon flew down from the sky and landed atop a rocky precipice on the side of a mountain. “Good, get some rest.”

After Druk set him down, Zuko took a step towards the ledge and gazed out over the valley below. He could see teams of soldiers running frantic, trying to put the fires out. Fortunately, it looked like they were all too busy with restoring order about the camp to pursue the security force, which meant Hong Li and his men should be able to safely retreat. He'd regroup with them later. For now, his gaze settled on the Dragon's Wing, the airship at the center of the entire encampment. The infiltration team should have had Yula by now, if they were successful. With any luck, they would show up at the rendezvous point soon.

 _BOOM_.

Zuko's thoughts were rattled at the sudden ball of fire that erupted at the center of the camp. At first, he wasn't sure what he was looking at, or what had caused it. When he noticed the metal bits of airship blasting hundreds of feet in the air, however, that's when he realized—it was the Dragon's Wing. The entire top half of the vessel had exploded, with such a violent force that the entire valley shook. A second explosion ripped through the airship soon after, towering a raging inferno into the sky.

“ _No.”_ Zuko's eyes widened as he stared. The firelight flickered in his eyes, mesmerizing him in a trance of horror. He dropped to his knees a moment later, still staring. “No...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just when you think things can't get any worse, huh? Well, this certainly isn't good for anyone involved, except maybe Yula of course. Not much to say about this one, just... gonna leave you with that cliffhanger.
> 
> *evil grin*


	85. Team Avatar Sticks Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of their failed attempt to take out Yula, Team Avatar makes plans on what to do next.

The wreckage of the exploded airship cleared with a sudden expulsion of wind. Flames and debris swept around like a cyclone away from the center to reveal the cause of the sudden maelstrom—Korra, eyes glowing in the midst of the Avatar State. A smaller bubble of spinning air surrounded her, as well as the other three of her team—Kuvira, Anraq, and Azula, all of who lay motionless at her feet. She wasn't certain how much damage she was able to prevent for them, but she did know one thing for certain.

They had to get out of there.

As the surrounding imperial forces began to regain their bearings after the explosion, Korra forced the spinning dome of air outwards. The front line of troops lifted clear off their feet and flew airborne. Then, she lifted up on a whirling cyclone and shot empowered blasts of fire down at the converging soldiers. She sent them scattering, ducking for cover; they knew they couldn't withstand the might of a fully powered Avatar. Several squads did attempt counter attacks, but Korra simply deflected them away with repeated blasts of wind from her body. She knew how badly she was outnumbered, and even in the Avatar State she wouldn't last forever.

She just needed to clear a path...

Another battalion moved in from behind and fired off a combination of earth and fire at her; those incoming boulders and flames only exploded harmlessly into nothing before they could reach their intended target. Korra turned to the attacking soldiers and released gale force winds from her palms. The men attempted to defend themselves, but their efforts were futile as they careened off their feet.

Korra lowered herself from the air, though she still hovered just above the ground. The wind at her feet expanded out and surrounded her in a spinning sphere. She released a jet of flames from her mouth, adding a line of fire to the air. A collection of small rocks lifted up from the ground next and added to the other two elements as a separate spinning ring. Finally, the water from Anraq's flask bended out and became a third ring whirling around her body. All four elements surged around her, and her eyes glowed brighter.

The nearby imperial forces watched in awe and began a steady retreat away from her. She noticed the hesitation and fear in their eyes; that's when she struck. She attacked with all four elements at once, blasting the troops with air, burning the ground with fire, pelting them with missile-like stones, and lashing out with sweeping whips of water. What soldiers weren't caught in the initial attack turned and ran. For a moment, Korra thought she might have that clear path she needed.

That's when the tanks began moving. The ones that the security force hadn't disabled were now moving towards her, canons raised. Several blue lasers blasted towards her, but with a simple raise of her arms she lifted a sheer wall of stone from the ground, ten meters thick, to take the blow. The lasers exploded bits of earth and rock in all directions, but couldn't penetrate. Then, with a push of her hand, Korra sent the wall rocketing towards the tanks. The entire ground split apart in its wake, pulling the destructive vehicles into the growing crevice.

Korra's attention then turned the dozen remaining bombardier airships set down in the valley. Her eyes glowed brighter, and she again lifted atop a spiraling cyclone of air. Twelve enormous boulders lifted up into the sky and began to spin in orbit around her. When she shoved her arms straight outward, each boulder took off like a missile at a separate airship. The massive projectiles punctured clean through the sides of the vessels, focused near the engines. Explosions followed, ripping through all twelve airships.

"Korra!” The voice came from above. “Over here!”

She looked upwards to see Zuko swooping down towards her on the back of his dragon. _There_ was the opportunity she'd been waiting for. With a deep breath, she let the twister beneath her feet dissipate and plummeted back towards the ground. She landed in a crouch and smashed her fist straight down against the earth, causing the ground to ripple out in all directions like an rocky tidal wave. Any lingering troops nearby were sent tumbling away.

Druk landed just behind her, poised above the three unconscious individuals. Zuko hopped down, not even bothering to wait for the dragon to lower himself. “Hurry, help me get them on!”

Still empowered by the Avatar State, Korra raced over and lifted both Kuvira and Anraq, one in either arm. Zuko carried Azula, and together they returned to the dragon.

"Go, Druk!” Zuko shouted, once everyone was adequately secured atop the dragon's back. “Fly!"

Druk took to the skies, soaring up into the clouds and then heading towards the mountains behind Zaofu.

* * *

They traveled several miles beyond Zaofu. When Zuko noticed a suitable place to land, a small grassy basin between two mountains, he guided Druk downward. The dragon landed next to a scant collection of trees at the shore of a lake, then lowered himself down so Zuko and Korra could dismount. Korra, now well out of her Avatar State, set each of her unconscious friends gently in the grass, keeping them straight and making certain not to mishandle them. From what she could tell, they were breathing; that as the one good sign.

"Are they going to be alright?" Zuko asked.

"I can't say... Some of their injuries look pretty bad, though.” Korra's gaze was drawn in particular to Anraq, whose shirt had been shredded open to reveal dark bruising along his chest.

Zuko sighed. “When I saw the Dragon's Wing explode, I feared the worst... I'm just glad you're all in one piece."

"For the moment, anyway...” Korra plopped herself onto the ground and reached out to hold Kuvira's hand. She sighed, and hung her head. “We failed. Yula knew we were coming, and we walked right into her trap."

"Don't dwell on it,” Zuko said. “We have to remain vigilant."

"Yeah, I know..." Raising one of her hands, Korra called a bubble of water from the lake towards her, then knelt beside Anraq—his injuries appeared to be the worst. “I should start healing them.”

As soon as she pressed her glowing hand to his chest, Anraq groaned. He recoiled away from her touch and sat upright, holding his own arm around his chest. "Ugh, feels like I got kicked by an ostrich horse..."

"Anraq, easy," Korra said, trying to ease him back to the ground. “You're injured.”

Again, he resisted her touch, and remained upright. “What happened?"

"There was an explosion,” she said. “I protected us as best I could, but..."

Anraq's gaze turned to the side, where he spotted Azula still lying next to him. When he saw her, he lurched forward in panic. "Azula!” He made it halfway to her before crumpling forward with his arms wrapped across his chest, face cringing with pain. _“Urk_... Need to...heal her..."

“No, you need to lie down,” Korra said, with a harsh sternness to her voice.

He ignored her, instead calling water from the lake to bubble around his hands. Then, he forced himself forward and held his hands to Azula. The water glowed bright, beginning to heal her. "Don't worry about me. I'll get to myself after she's taken care of. You just concentrate on Kuvira, alright?"

Korra sighed, then moved herself to Kuvira's side. She knew Anraq well enough to know that she wasn't going to change his mind. "Do what you can for her, then _please_ heal yourself, alright? I don't like the look of that bruising..."

"Oh, this?” He glanced down at his chest; the black and blue had spread since he last looked at it. “S'nothing... Nothing at all."

It didn't take long for them to determine the extent of their patients' injuries. Kuvira had suffered from mild head trauma and a few shallow shrapnel lacerations, while Azula had inhaled a significant amount of smoke and broken her leg. Under normal circumstances, the injuries would have been concerning, but with a couple of master healers on the job it wouldn't take long to fix. While Anraq and Korra concentrated on healing the other two, Zuko took time to gather some wood from the nearby trees. When he had enough, he returned to the group and set up a small campfire. A single shot of flames from his fingers ignited the kindling, providing them with a bubble of warmth.

Partway into the healing, Azula stirred with a quiet groan. She eased her eyes open and sat upright, looking around. Her gaze settled on Anraq. "Annie? What happened?"

"Yula blew us up, that's what happened,” he muttered. “Sacrificed her own damn airship to take us out."

"But we got away?"

He nodded. "Yeah, we're fine."

Azula paused a moment, then glanced down to notice Anraq holding his glowing hands to her knee. "Am I hurt?"

"Only a little. I already cleaned the smoke out of your lungs, just trying to fix up your leg now." Shortly after he said this, he turned his head and hacked out a violent cough. Crimson droplets sprayed from his lips, misting the air.

"What was _that?"_ Azula questioned, leaning closer to him. Her tone pulsed with concern.

"Nothing...” he said, keeping his head turned from her. “Really."

He couldn't hide it from her, though. She reached out to grab his chin and forcibly turned his face towards her again. When she saw the red drops flecking his lips, she scowled at him. "You're _hurt_ , you idiot. Forget my leg and heal yourself."

"It's fine... I'll be fine,” he muttered, pulling himself away from her grasp. “I'm almost...almost done."

"Don't be stupid!” she shot back. “You're coughing _blood._ That means you have internal bleeding. Would you quit worrying about me for five minutes and just heal yourself?"

Anraq blinked at her, then reluctantly pulled his hands away from her leg. When he brought his hands to his own chest, a soft groan emanated from his lips and he fell back to his behind. “There, happy?"

"Yes, I am.” Azula breathed a sigh, and the scowl on her face softened into a more caring expression. Then, she crawled her way behind him and eased him backwards to lie against her lap. “Now come here, you big dummy."

* * *

An hour later, Anraq had fallen fast asleep in Azula's arms, after healing most of his bruising. There were still patches of dull yellow and blue across his chest, but not enough to be concerned about. Korra, too, had finished healing Kuvira and fallen asleep next to her. Zuko was gone; he had taken off on Druk to meet up with Hong Li some time ago, to make sure that the security force was safe after the failed mission. Now, Azula sat in front of the fire, absently brushing her fingers through Anraq's hair. She stared into the flames, entranced by their glow and steady flicker. With one hand, she reached towards the fire, waving her fingers as if trying to pull the flames towards herself.

"What are you doing?"

Azula immediately yanked her hand away from the campfire. When she turned to the voice, she saw Zuko standing there. Druk sat just behind him, bellowing out a quiet grumble. “Oh, Zuzu... I didn't hear you.”

Zuko raised an eyebrow. “You didn't hear the giant dragon land ten feet away from you?”

"Well, I was...distracted.” She sighed, then looked back to the fire. “I don't know. I keep thinking that maybe one of these times I try to firebend, it'll just work how it should. Instead, I get nothing."

"Not entirely nothing,” Zuko said, as he seated himself next to his sister. “You can make smoke."

"Oh, how effective.” Azula punched her hand forward, expelling a puff of white smoke from her knuckles. She scoffed. “Yes, Zuzu, I'll slowly _choke_ my opponents to death."

"What I mean is that I don't believe your inability to bend is a physical problem."

She stared at him, scrunching her brow together. "What are you talking about?"

“Something I've been thinking about quite a bit over the past couple weeks,” he explained. "I believe your inability to bend stems from the conflict within yourself."

"What conflict? I'm _fine."_

"The conflict between the person you used to be, and the person you're becoming,” Zuko explained. “Cold, heartless, and alone, versus caring, calm, and at peace. Your mind is uncertain which path to follow. Love, compassion, friends, family—your desire to have these things in your life is putting your very spirit at odds with itself. You've never had these things before, because you've always felt you never needed them.”

He turned his gaze from the fire and stared at his sister, deep into her eyes. “Now, you're changing... But your spirit is having trouble agreeing with that change. This emotional and spiritual imbalance within yourself could be creating a block in your body, and preventing you from properly harnessing your chi. If that's the case, then overcoming this block could allow you to bend again."

Azula scoffed. "That's ridiculous. There's nothing... _changing_ in me. I'm still _me._ I just have...some things in my life now that I never had before. That doesn't mean it would prevent me from bending.” She folded her arms, then looked again at the fire. “Do you even know how stupid that sounds? Firebending is a physical skill used to destroy and burn. It can't just fizzle out because I _feel_ different. What would you know about it away?"

Zuko watched her a moment, then he, too, gazed into the flames again. "A similar thing happened to me when I left the Fire Nation to join Avatar Aang. Because I so drastically changed my way of thinking, and what I wanted to be, my bending became much weaker. I couldn't figure out how to harness my chi the way I used to, because I had lost the source of my power—my anger. I had to learn to draw from another source.

“I believe the same thing could work for you. You believe that firebending is physical, that it only destroys, and burns. But there is much more to it than that. There are other aspects to fire, greater ones. I think learning about these aspects could help you better understand what firebending is, and could help you find the peace and harmony within yourself needed to put your spirit back into balance. It could help you bend again."

Azula slowly glanced at her brother. There was caution in her gaze, but a distinct intrigue, as well. At this point, she knew better than to get her hopes up, after what had happened with the Avatar, but if there was a chance to get her bending back...she had to consider it. “So what, I read a book or listen to one of your lectures and suddenly I'll be all better? You'll excuse me if I find that hard to believe.”

“No,” Zuko said, with a firm shake of his head. This is something that can only be learned from true firebending masters.”

“Hmph, well I already knew you weren't a real master. No surprise there.”

“I mean, you have to learn from the same ones who taught me—the ancient masters, in the city of the Sun Warriors.”

“ _What?!”_ Azula flinched at the statement, eyes flying open wide. Memories of sun masks and paranoia crept into her mind, and she suddenly felt nauseous.

“Not _those_ Sun Warriors,” Zuko insisted. “The _real_ Sun Warriors.”

The knot in her stomach loosened. She calmed herself, breathing in deep as she understood now what her brother was referring to. “You mean the extinct civilization?”

“ _Believed_ to be extinct,” he said. “They're still around, though. Their masters possess the true secret of firebending, now lost from the world over time.”

“And...you're saying if I learn from these firebending masters, I'll be able to bend again?”

“In theory, yes.”

“Well then what are we waiting for? We should leave as soon as possible!”

“Hold on,” Zuko said, in attempts to quell his sister's enthusiasm. “There are...risks that you must know about first.”

She frowned, glaring with renewed skepticism. Of _course_ this wouldn't be as simple as it should be. “What kind of risks?”

“When you meet the masters, they will look into your heart, your very soul,” he explained. “They can see who you are, everything that makes you _you._ If they judge you worthy, they will teach you. If not... They will destroy you.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Please, is there anyone more worthy than me?”

A dire sternness set upon Zuko's face. He glared at her, unflinching. “Not that kind of worthiness. They will judge your intentions, your desires, your goals, your feelings... You must be humble, and truly possess the will to change and open your mind. Those are qualities that only you can know if you have. I can't tell you whether you should or shouldn't do this. I can only let you know it's an option. If this is what you want, then I will go with you... I only ask that you're _absolutely_ sure. If they don't find you worthy...” A heavy sigh brushed past his lips, and he turned his gaze again to the fire. “I just got you back, Azula. I don't want to lose you again.”

She stared at him, eyebrows furrowing together. Her eyes softened, and then she, too, focused on the flames. “You worry too much, Zuzu...” Her voice was quiet, passive. She let a long silence linger between them, then breathed deeply. “I'm sure. To be able to bend again... It's what I want, more than anything. However I have to do it.”

A gentle cough answered her claims. “Oh, so we're going on a field trip, huh? Count me in.”

Azula blinked down towards her lap, where she saw Anraq staring back up at her. “Annie, you're awake?”

“For the moment,” he said. A weak groan burst from his throat as he tried to sit up straight; he didn't get very far, instead falling back against Azula's chest. “I've been...drifting in and out.”

Azula frowned. “You should be resting.”

“I _have_ been. Just want you to know, wherever you go, I'll follow. Ancient city of an extinct civilization to meet mysterious firebending masters so you can get your mojo back?” He smirked, then raised a hand to give her a thumbs-up. “Sign me up.”

“You sweet, stupid man...” Without even realizing it, a smile crept its way across her face. Azula leaned towards him and brought their lips together. She held the kiss for as long a her breath lasted.

They were interrupted by a new voice, from the other side of the fire. “We'll have to make a plan first.”

Zuko straightened himself, looking beyond the flames to see Kuvira sitting there. Korra sat next to her, both now awake. “How long have you two been listening?”

“Long enough,” Korra replied, with a shrug.

Kuvira nodded, and huffed out a deep sigh. “We've all but lost Zaofu at this point, and Republic City needs to be warned of the imminent threat of the Dragon Empire. We need to reunite with Captain Hong Li and the security force, too, as soon as possible. The only way we're getting them out of here is on an airship.”

“I met with him a short time ago,” Zuko stated. “They're safe, and awaiting new orders. They've been keeping a watch on the empire's troops, as well. From the looks of it, Yula hasn't issued orders yet to take the city. For the most part, they're too busy cleaning up and recovering after the mayhem. We have the Avatar to thank for that.”

Korra uttered a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, well... I did what I could. I _may_ have gone a little overboard, though. At least they're out of tanks...and airships.”

“We need to get back to Zaofu and set everyone up on an airship so they can get out of here,” Kuvira said. A tired breath left her throat, as she pushed her way up to her feet. She struggled momentarily, legs buckling, but soon she steadied herself. “Captain Hong Li can bring the news to Republic City in my stead. We'll be going with you.”

“Are you...sure?” Anraq questioned, with a raised brow. “Wouldn't it make sense for you to head to Republic City instead? I mean, you _are_ a world leader.”

“With no nation left to lead,” she muttered, glaring into the dying embers of the campfire. A brief hesitation followed before she looked to Anraq again. “We're Team Avatar, right? At least, the current version of it. We stick together.”

“We'll catch up soon enough anyway, long before Yula's forces get there,” Korra added. Then, she glanced to Azula. “Besides... We all need a little support sometimes.”

Azula crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “I don't need _your_ support.”

Korra held her focus. “You know, I've come to learn over the years that the times we least want the support of others are usually the times we need it most.”

“Whatever,” Azula muttered, still not meeting the Avatar's eyes. “It's not like I stop you from coming if you really want to, anyway.”

“How long will it take to reach this city?” Kuvira said.

“With Druk carrying five passengers?” Zuko glanced over his shoulder at the dragon, who met his gaze with an annoyed grumble. “A few days, maybe. He'll need to stop for rest more frequently than usual.”

“Still not too bad...” Kuvira nodded, then bended a clump of dirt over the last of the dimming embers to extinguish the fire. “Alright, let's get moving. We need to get Hong Li the security force on those airships, and we need to do it now.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt much longer than it actually is, for some reason. Could be because that entire first scene was all action, and we know that me and actions scenes don't get along... ugh. In any case, I enjoyed writing the last couple scenes though. Writing Azula/Zuko scenes are a joy, especially considering their growing bond as siblings. It's especially interesting since Zuko is a lot older than her now, and a lot wiser. He sort of takes on that Uncle Iroh role for her, which I think is important for her to have, just as important as having Anraq there for her in a romantic role. We also see both Kuvira and Korra really giving Azula the chance they said they would. They recognize that she needs help and support, and they're trying to help give that to her. I think it resonates with Kuvira in particular, since it's such a similar path of recovery that she's on.


	86. The Lost City of Zaofu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira loses Zaofu in the worst way imaginable, Team Avatar flees towards their new destination, the ancient city of the Sun Warriors, and Anraq enjoys a casual stroll through a small town.

Yula stood with her arms clasped behind her back, as she watched her troops attempt to clean up the damage caused several hours ago. It was dawn now, with the sun just poking up over the line of mountains on the horizon and painting the sky a deep orange color. During the attack, the Avatar and her team had managed to destroy all the empire's mechas, disable half their tanks and bury the rest, and render the airships so far beyond repair that they'd be lucky if they could salvage the wreckage for parts. Of course, the armaments that Yula had brought with her on this particular campaign were but a fraction of what she possessed. Plus, with that attack, Kuvira had all but guaranteed Zaofu's doom.

"The Avatar certainly did a number on your forces,” said Avan, as he made his way next to her.

"Yes, perhaps I underestimated her,” she replied. “Still, there's plenty more where they came from. We'll reconvene with our other troops when we're done here."

"Speaking of which...” The Dai Li commander turned a glance towards the domed city. “Shouldn't we be taking Zaofu now?"

Before Yula was able to respond, another voice called out to her. "Yula!” It was Shayu, who ran towards them through a squad of earthbender soldiers attempting to dig out the buried tanks. She heaved out a tired breath when she arrived, doubling over with her hands pressed to her knees. “What on earth happened last night? I heard screaming and explosions... I tried to see what was going on, but your guards wouldn't let me out of my tent."

Yula held a hand to her sister's shoulder. "They were just keeping you safe, Shayu. The Avatar and her friends made an attempt on my life last night. Fortunately, we were prepared to deal with them. They might have gotten away, but they won't be giving us anymore problems for now."

"What?” Shayu stared with wide eyes, puzzlement setting over her face. “Why would the Avatar try to kill you?"

"Because she refuses to accept change. While the world evolves, the Avatar remains stagnant. The world will never advance as long as she's there to drag it down."

"So...then what are you going to do about her?"

"I'll deal with her in time. Right now, we have to finish up here.” Yula turned away from her sister, then focused on the Dai Li commander again. Her expression hardened. “Avan, I want this city gone. Can you do that?"

He nodded. "No problem."

Shayu scrunched her brow together, giving her sister a worried gaze. "Wait, what do you mean...gone?"

"Zaofu has become an eyesore,” Yula explained, bringing a fierce glare towards her sister. “After what they attempted last night, I want to get rid of it. This city was always a mockery of a nation, anyway. It doesn't deserve to remain standing."

"But...people live here,” Shayu insisted. “This is their home."

Yula scoffed, and reset her attention on Zaofu. The platinum domes gleamed in the early morning sunlight, as if to mock her with their brilliance. "A home they all abandoned. Now, it's nothing but an empty metal shell."

Avan took several steps forward, ahead of the front line of troops. He breathed in deep and widened his stance, then thrust both fists forward. A great fissure split the earth apart in front of him and raced towards the city like an earthen lightning bolt across the ground. When the fissure reached the main dome of the city, it parted further and began to surround the outer sectors, until a gaping crevice opened around the entirety of Zaofu. Then, the entire valley began to quake.

* * *

Kuvira rubbed her temples. It had been a long, long night, with a too much wasted time after they had reunited with Hong Li and then made their way back into the city. They'd had to be cautious, in case they alerted the nearby imperial forces. As far as the Dragon Empire knew, Zaofu was abandoned; they wanted to keep it that way, until the security force was safely in the air and on their way out of here. Now, they had gathered at the airfield, and for the past hour they had been boarding and prepping enough airships for takeoff. By now, Kuvira estimated it was past dawn. The sooner they got out of there, the better.

"Alright, is that everybody?" she asked.

Captain Hong Li gave her a firm salute. "Yes, ma'am. Everyone's loaded up and ready to go. Ten airships, all packed to capacity."

"Alright, good. Go join them and get ready for takeoff.” Kuvira then turned a look towards the nearby control tower. “Go ahead and open the domes!"

Through the control tower window, she saw Anraq give her a thumbs-up, then pressed several buttons on the panel in front of himself. When the domes began to open, he hurried out of the tower to rejoin them down below.

"You're certain we won't have to worry about enemy aircraft?" Hong Li asked.

"Unless they can repair exploded engines in a few hours, then yeah, you're in the clear,” she said. “I'm not sure about anything beyond the valley, though, so be careful. You're still flying through Dragon Empire territory."

"I'll keep that in mind. See you in Republic City."

"Good luck, Captain."

Hong Li gave another salute, then ran off to board one of the airships. Kuvira marched towards the back end of the airfield, where Zuko, Korra, and Azula waited, along with their transport, Druk. Anraq caught up with her a moment later, slowing out of his run to match her stride. Shortly after the group joined together, however, the entire city began to shake. Powerful vibrations ripped through the airfield, splitting apart the metal paneling beneath their feet. The glass on the control tower window shattered, and the antenna on its roof snapped in half.

"What in spirits name is _that?"_ Korra said, as she attempted to steady herself on her feet.

Azula fell backwards against Druk, and used the dragon to stabilize herself. "It's an earthquake, _obviously!"_

"Uhhh, hey guys? Is it just me, or are those mountains getting taller?” Anraq gazed up at the now half-open domes to see the open world beyond. The mountains behind Zaofu appeared to growing, looming higher above them by the second.

"They're not getting taller...” Kuvira's eyes snapped open wide with panic at the revelation. “We're getting _lower._ Zaofu is sinking!"

 _"What?!”_ Korra called. “How is that even possible!”

Kuvira waved her arms at the airship fleet, only half of which had made it into the air so far. “Go! Get those airships out of here, now!” The remaining half soon lifted up off the ground. All ten vessels sped up towards the opening in the dome, following each other one after the other.

Zuko climbed atop Druk's head, then waved the others along to get on the dragon's back. "Everyone on, let's move!"

When everyone was seated in place, Druk took to the air, racing up towards one of the gaps in the dome; with the violent quaking, the sections of the dome had stalled and wouldn't open any farther. At the very least, it had already opened plenty wide enough for them to make it through. They just needed to make it out before the entire city sunk below the ground. As they neared the top, however, sheer earthen walls rose up around the dome—the ground had begun to swallow Zaofu, the deeper it sank. A flood of dirt and stone poured in over the sides, spilling into the city like massive waterfalls.

The airship fleet was forced to take evasive measures to avoid falling rocks on the way up, and for a brief moment they appeared as though they would make it free unscathed. Just as they reached the top of the city, though, the final airship in the line took a direct hit from a falling boulder, smashing its hull inward. It spun around wildly on its way downward, falling back to the city below. A fireball engulfed the vessel upon impact, and within seconds it became buried beneath a sea of dirt.

 _"No!”_ Kuvira screamed, watching the scene with wild eyes. There had been people on that airship, people she _knew_ , people she had worked with, had been _friends_ with. Now...they were gone, all in the blink of an eye. She forced herself to tear her gaze away, focusing on the open sky above them. “Faster!"

Druk pushed himself harder through the air, darting expertly around the falling dirt and stone. When at last they emerged free above the ground, the earth closed behind them, swallowing all traces of Zaofu with it. As they gained altitude alongside the remaining nine airships, Kuvira gazed down at the ground below. There, she spotted Avan, with his hands raised in the air; _he_ had been the one who sunk Zaofu. Next to him, Yula looked up at them, watching. Even from there, Kuvira could see a sinister smirk carved across the Dragon Empress' face.

A hard knot lodged in her throat, and she looked back over her shoulder. There was no more city—only a barren patch of freshly dug land. Her heart sank, and a bubbling nausea teemed deep in her gut. "It's...gone. Zaofu is _gone."_

* * *

They continued flying late into the afternoon, when the sun had dipped low against the horizon. As Druk's wings began to slow and tire, Zuko guided him down below the treeline of a forest. The dragon landed with an exhausted grunt and curled up in a small clearing, allowing his riders to disembark. Within moments, Druk's breathing steadied and his eyes closed, fast asleep.

Kuvira wandered towards a nearby tree and leaned against it. Her legs buckled and she almost fell, but she managed to hold herself upright.

Korra approached, holding a gentle hand against her backside. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay,” she uttered, her voice laden with despair. “I was Zaofu's _leader._ Now it's gone. Not just taken over... _gone._ Everything Su worked for, everything she built... I _lost_ it."

"You didn't lose anything,” Korra insisted. “Yula did this. This is _her_ fault, not yours."

At last, her legs gave out. Kuvira sunk to her knees and set herself against the tree. Once again, her stomach churned; she felt ready to vomit. "That doesn't make it hurt any less..."

Korra sat down beside her and reached out, linking their fingers tightly together. “We'll get through this, Kuvira. Zaofu might be buried, but we can dig it up again. When all this I over... We'll make things right.”

“I _want_ to believe that...”

“Well then believe it. That won't be the last we see of Zaofu. Avatar's promise.”

Kuvira glanced to her girlfriend. When their eyes met, the despair in her gut eased just the slightest bit, and soon she began to calm. With a gentle sigh, she pressed Korra's hand against her cheek and closed her eyes. “Thank you.”

“You know I'm always here for you, right?” Korra said.

She nodded. “I know. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Meanwhile, Azula plopped herself on the ground next to Druk and held her arms around her stomach. “Ugh, I'm starving. Do we have anything to eat?”

“Considering the hurry in which we had to leave?” Zuko said. “No, we didn't get a chance to pack any supplies.”

“We could always try looking around for some berries or something,” Anraq said. “If there's a stream nearby I could get us some fish.”

Zuko shook his head. “No stream, but I did see a town a couple miles east. We could always purchase supplies there.”

Azula rolled her eyes and huffed a harsh scoff out her throat. “Oh yes, brilliant. I'm sure three of the most wanted fugitives of the Dragon Empire can just waltz right into town without being noticed. Or the Avatar and the Matriarch of Zaofu. Honestly, Zuzu, I don't know where your head is, sometimes.”

Anraq pursed his lips together, turning a look towards Zuko. “She...does have a point.”

“I didn't mean all of us,” Zuko said. “Anraq would have to go.”

“Wait, what? Why me?”

“You're the most unrecognizable of us,” he insisted. “Considering your change in hair, clothes, and beard.”

Azula took a moment to examine Anraq. It was true—he _did_ look much different than he had while in the Fire Nation. For anyone who didn't know him as well as they did, he could pass as a completely different person. His clean shaven face alone took off at least five years from his appearance. “Hmm, I suppose he does make a point. If the most updated information they have on you is how you looked as my bodyguard, then you could go unnoticed.”

“Okay...” Anraq muttered, with a lifted eyebrow. “But what if it isn't?”

“The only time you've been seen since we fled the Fire Nation was yesterday in Zaofu,” Zuko insisted. “I believe you're safe.”

“Okay...but what if I'm not?”

“Then take this.” Zuko reached into the collar of his robe and pulled out the golden dragon whistle. He lifted the chain to which it was attached up and over his head, then passed it to Anraq. “That'll bring Druk straight to you, if you need to make a getaway.”

Anraq took the whistle and flipped it around in his fingers. Intrigue spread across his face. “Huh, I guess I can't say no to commanding a dragon... Alright, fine, I'll go.” He set the chain around his neck, then began his trek east through the forest. “If I'm not back in a couple hours, send out a search party.”

* * *

The town that Anraq arrived in was small, nestled between a pair of sheer rock walls just outside the forest. While the main area of town sat at ground level, numerous other dwellings had been carved into the side of the cliff faces, each connected by stone walkways that had no doubt been created with earthbending. It seemed like a peaceful enough place, but still Anraq worried.

His concerns only compounded as he made his way along the road through the town entrance. Several imperial soldiers stood watch atop stone outlooks and gave him careful glares. He held his breath as he passed, but fortunately the guards looked away several moments later without incident. A relieved puff of air expelled from his lungs, and he continued through to the center of town. There, he found a small market, filled with various stands selling everything from fruit to jewelry.

He stopped in front of one stand in particular, which sold a variety of different supplies. With a thoughtful finger pressed to his lips, he leaned forward to get a better look at the wares. Then, to the merchant standing behind the stand he said, “Let's see, give me a couple bags of those nuts, some of that boar-q-pine jerky, uhh... that box of bottled water, one of those watermelons, and... let's go with a bag of apples.”

In all, he hadn't bought much; he didn't need a lot, just enough to last them a few days. Or at least until they could make another stop. Granted, it was still enough to put a strain on his arms as he carried it all, but he could manage long enough to get out of town. If anything, Druk would provide him with an easier way to get it all back to camp than wandering through the forest.

On his way out of town, however, a trio of posters caught his eye in front of a building. When he focused on the building, he recognized it as a police station. Or guard station, anyway; this place probably didn't have actual police, in the conventional sense. The posters that had first grabbed his attention were pinned to a bulletin board next to the entrance—wanted posters, one of Azula, one of Zuko, and one of himself.

Anraq groaned at the sight of them. Yula really wasn't kidding around if a little town like this out in the middle of nowhere was on the lookout for them. At the very least, the picture on his poster was indeed one of him in his Fire Nation appearance, as Azula's bodyguard. With the goatee, topknot, and Fire Nation combat armor, the picture looked nothing like him now, with Water Tribe garb, clean-shaven face, and hair done up in a wolf tail. Sending him into town had been the right call.

“Hey, you.”

“Wha—” Anraq stiffened and turned around at the voice. A heavyset man stood there behind him, arms folded and a frown set upon his face. “Uh, who, me?”

“Yeah, you,” the man stated. His eyes narrowed into a stern glare. “You're not from around here, are you?”

“Um... what makes you think that?”

“The way you're dressed. Don't get too many Water Tribe folk up this way.”

Anraq cleared his throat, then casually took a step to the side to shield his wanted poster from view of the other man—better safe than sorry. “Oh, well, you know, I'm just passing through. Kind of traveling the world, seeing the sights, finding myself... Boring stuff, really.”

The man scoffed. “Well, be careful around these parts. In particular, I wouldn't be walking past any police stations or guard posts, or anything. You might end up finding yourself detained and brought in for questioning as a suspect against the empire. You really don't want that.”

“Oh, of course...” Anraq said, lifting an eyebrow at the man. Detained and brought in for questioning? Definitely wanted to avoid that. “I mean, thanks, but...why are you telling me this?”

“Because I've seen enough people get hurt by those imperial assholes.” The man shifted a glance down the street, where a pair of Dragon Empire soldiers patrolled. “They're supposed to be here to add security to the town, and protect us, or whatever, but they're just a bunch of thugs who think they can do whatever they want because they have the authority to do so.” He scoffed again, then looked back at the guard station behind Anraq. “I used to be the sheriff around here. _That_ used to be my sheriff station. Now it's property of the Dragon Empire. They didn't need me around anymore, so here I am, out of a job and forced to watch the town I love fall to shit.”

“Oh, well... I'm sorry to hear that.”

The man stared a moment longer, then held out one of his hands. “Name's Taw.”

Anraq shifted his stack of supplies around in his arms just enough to get one of his own hands out to shake. “I'm Anr...er...I'm, uh, Sokka. Yeah, Sokka.”

“Well, pleasure to meet you, Sokka. Just remember what I told you, and stay safe out there.” Taw gave a parting salute, then headed down the street out of sight.

When Taw was gone, Anraq turned around again and gave the wanted posters one last look. He frowned at them, then huffed out a sigh before finally continuing his march out of town. How much longer, he wondered, would those posters be up? How much longer until they stopped Yula and her empire? Or... would they even be able to stop her at all? Those impossible to answer questions gnawed at him the entire walk back into the forest, and by the time the town disappeared from view he had come up with a dozen new questions to worry himself. He really had to stop doing that.

Shortly after entering the forest, Anraq became acutely aware that he was being followed. Footsteps that were not his own plodded along the road behind him, joined by a few incoherent grunts and snorts. Someone even spit at one point. Finally, he stopped and turned around. Five Dragon Empire guards stood there, ten paces away. With a sigh, he leaned down to set his stack of supplies on the ground.

“Oh boy. Let me guess, you want my money?” he said. “Unfortunately, I just spent the last of it on all this food. I guess I could let the apples go, but you'll have to fight me if you want the jerky.”

One of the guards took a step forward. “You don't look like you belong around these parts. See, the empire has a very strict policy about suspicious looking individuals. We're gonna have to take you in for questioning.”

“I dunno,” said a second guard. “He doesn't look like he knows anything.”

“Yeah, you're probably right,” replied the first. He held out one of his fists, igniting a flaming dagger into his grasp. “Might as well just cut straight to the fun part.”

“Oh, so we're jumping straight to the cliché 'asshole guards' routine, huh? Alright, well don't say I didn't warn you.” Anraq reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out the dragon whistle Zuko had given him. “Now, before you get all excited and attack how about you try...this!” He blew the whistle as hard as he could, unleashing a shrill, nearly silent squeal of air. Then, he let the whistle go and folded his arms, smirking. “Wait for it... wait for it...” He allowed several moments to pass, then dramatically pointed his finger towards them. _“Now!”_

Nothing happened. The guards glanced back and forth at each other, brows scrunching with confusion. They shrugged at each other and shook their heads, having no idea what Anraq was doing.

“Huh...” Anraq held the whistle again and squinted at it. “Maybe this thing's broken. Let me try again.” He blew it a second time and waited, but still nothing.

“What's he doing?” one of the guards asked, turning a questioning look to one at the head of the group.

“Hold on, I got this,” Anraq insisted. He blew the whistle a third time, then again waited. “Just a second.”

The lead guard groaned, and pointed his fiery dagger forward. “Who cares? Just get him!”

Anraq rolled his eyes and let the whistle fall back to his neck. So much for that. Well, he supposed he could take on five hapless imperial guards. Might even be a little fun to knock their heads in. Before he ever got that chance, however, a dark shadow descended from above and landed in front of him—Druk. The dragon roared, unleashing a jet of flames across the ground. The advancing guards immediately turned tail and ran in the opposite direction, screaming the entire way.

Anraq tilted his head back and let out a delighted laugh. “Oh man, that just doesn't get old.” He gave the dragon a firm pat, then made a move to retrieve the supplies he'd set on the ground. “Come on, Druk, let's get back to camp.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is mainly meant as a bridge to the next one, so not a lot happens here. The important part of this chapter is, obviously, the sinking of Zaofu. Here we get to see Avan again show off his remarkable raw power, by burying an entire city beneath the ground. Granted, Zaofu isn't as large as, say, Republic City, but it's still an impressive feat. Next chapter should be more interesting, as it's one I'e been waiting to get to for a long time now.


	87. To Heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of those closest to her, Azula undergoes a life changing transformation as she learns the true nature of firebending.

Azula stared at the ancient, crumbling stone buildings. Hordes of thick green vines had grown in over most of them, like snaking fingers reaching up from the earth to grasp and pull them into the ground. The whole city itself appeared to be a labyrinth of stone corridors and old temples. "So, this is the place?"

Zuko nodded, as he approached the central city street. "Yes, we're here."

"Well, it's definitely ancient,” Anraq muttered, as he followed. “Doesn't look like anyone has lived here in centuries."

"That's the point,” Zuko said. “The Sun Warriors have become secluded and secretive over the years. They're smaller than they used to be, and don't wish the outside world to know they still exist."

Kuvira gazed into the distance, up at a massive stepped pyramid near the center of the city. "If that's the case, then how did you find them?"

"When Avatar Aang and I came here, it was initially just to surround ourselves in the place where firebending was born,” he explained. “We thought that just by being here we would be able to tap into some ancient spiritual energy and learn what we needed. It wasn't until after I accidentally triggered a trap that the Sun Warriors revealed themselves to us, and gave us the opportunity to meet their masters."

Anraq froze in mid-stride. "Wait, hold up. Trap? Like, booby trap?"

"Yes, there are many such traps throughout this city,” Zuko said. “So, be careful where you step."

"Oh, great, that's just...great.” Anraq took a careful step forward, testing the cobbled stone beneath his foot—seemed solid enough. “You could have mentioned this _before_ we got here."

"Must have slipped my mind."

Korra chuckled, and slapped an encouraging hand to Anraq's back. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. I mean, what are a few traps to Team Avatar, right?"

No sooner than she said this, Korra stepped onto an oddly colored cobblestone, and her foot sunk several inches into the street. A handful of dark slots opened up immediately on the walls to either side of the street, and seconds later fired a barrage of piercing darts at them. Anraq let out a shout as he ducked and covered his head. Zuko and Azula both dropped down flat on their stomachs against the ground. Korra and Kuvira, on the other hand, each turned to one side and lifted an earthen wall upwards to block the projectiles. When at last the attack ceased, they lowered the walls and helped the others back up to their feet.

Anraq glanced at the open slots on both walls, then uttered a dismayed groan. "We're dead.”

The group continued their way through the city, towards the central ziggurat. Along the way, they set off several more hidden traps. At one point, Azula nearly plummeted into a spike-filled pitfall, only just managing to catch herself on the edges before becoming human shish-kabob. Anraq triggered a tripwire that released a massive rolling boulder along the path behind them; if they didn't have any earthbenders along with them, then in all likelihood they would have been flattened. The flashiest trap, though, had occurred when Zuko set off a spark that ignited the puddle of oil they had been forced to walk through. He was able to bend the fire away into nothing, but not before Kuvira suffered from slightly singed eyebrows.

When at last they made it to the steps of the ziggurat, Anraq crumpled forward with his hands on his knees, head bowed. “Alright... How about we make a point to _never_ go through that city again? Really, I don't know how much more of that I can take.”

“Yeah, I'm going to agree with you on that,” Kuvira muttered, as she gently prodded her eyebrows. The hair was stiff and charred; she feared what they would look like when she got to a mirror. “I've had enough booby traps to last me the rest of my life.”

“I'll third that,” Korra said, huffing an exhausted breath.

Azula scoffed. “You bunch of babies. They weren't _that_ bad.”

Zuko glanced back at them, then looked up the pyramid steps. “Take a minute to catch your breaths, then we need to continue.”

They marched up the steps in single-file, Zuko leading the way in front of Azula, followed by Korra, Kuvira, and then Anraq bringing up the rear. Midway up the ziggurat, the steps led around to another side, where they came upon a massive stone wall. Painted across the wall was a mural, eroded and cracked with time, depicting two dragons breathing fire at a man between them. The sight of the towering mural brought the group to a pause, as they stopped to gaze upon it.

"What is that?" Korra asked.

"A scene depicting the original firebenders," Zuko said. “The Sun Warriors were the first to learn how to firebend, and were taught by the dragons.”

Kuvira's eyebrows lifted. "Dragons are the original firebenders?"

Zuko nodded. "Yes, just as the badger moles are for earthbending, the sky bison are for airbending, and the... _moon_ is for waterbending."

"Yeah, I never really...understood that one either,” Anraq muttered, scratching the back of his head. “You'd think it would have been some kind of fish or something.”

Azula brought a hand to her chin, staring at the dragons in the mural. "Well, these ones don't seem all that friendly. How is it you managed to tame Druk?"

"I didn't _tame_ him,” Zuko insisted. “We're friends, partners. Our relationship is mutual."

"Right, if you say so,” she muttered, with a roll of her eyes.

Korra gazed at the mural a moment longer, then looked to Zuko. “I've actually been meaning to ask you about that. I always thought dragons were extinct, but then I met yours... Are there more dragons?"

Zuko sucked in a deep breath, then sighed it outward. "Very few. They're not extinct, but they are extremely endangered. Most of the dragons were hunted and killed many years ago, for sport."

"For _sport?”_ Kuvira's face twisted with disgust at the thought. “Despicable. Should be a crime to murder such majestic creatures."

 _"Majestic,”_ Azula scoffed, finally turning away from the mural. “That's one way of describing them. I could think of a few others."

Zuko shot a stern glare towards his sister. "Remember, Azula, you must be humble. Dragons are very important to the Sun Warriors."

"Yes, yes, humble,” she sighed. “I know."

They stood there a moment longer, and then Zuko continued his march towards the steps. "Let's keep going. We've almost reached the sunstone chamber."

Azula was right behind him, wasting no more time with the old, weathered mural. "Is that where the Sun Warriors are?"

"No, but there is something there I must show you."

The next level up on the ziggurat brought them to a wide open space in front of a stone chamber, the doors of which were shut tight. A pillar stood across from the chamber, with a large red gem set in a slot at the top. Anraq was the first to approach the gilded doors. He tugged at them, straining his muscles to make them budge. In spite of his efforts, though, they remained firm and unyielding.

With a groan, he backed off and scratched at his head. "I don't suppose anyone has a key?"

"This is a celestial calender,” Zuko said. He turned to point at the gem atop the pillar behind them. Then, he pointed to a second gem just above the doors. “The chamber only opens on the solstice, when the light that filters through the stone at the pillar hits the one above the doors."

"Oh, well that's just lovely,” Azula muttered, planting her arms across her chest. “You do realize that's half a year away, right?"

"Don't worry, I know a trick. Give me one of your swords."

Azula stared at him with a questioning gaze, then reached up over her shoulder to draw one of the dual swords from their scabbard. When Zuko took it from her, he made his way over towards the concentrated red dot of light on the ground, near the bottom of the calender. He knelt low and held the flat side of the blade in front of the light to reflect it. When he tilted it just right, the red dot redirected towards the gemstone at the top of the chamber. Several quiet seconds later, the doors slid open.

"There,” he said, passing the sword back to his sister. “Simple."

Azula frowned, then sheathed the blade. "Show off."

The room within was empty, save for a collection of twenty statues set in a circle at the center. A large painted mural of a sun sat between the statues, lit up by sunlight cascading in from a hole in the ceiling above. The walls, too, were covered in additional murals. Unlike the dragon mural outside, though, these were in pristine condition, preserved with the utmost of care. Even the statues appeared as if new, with nary a chip or scratch on them.

"Wow,” Korra said, guiding her attention along the painted walls. “This place is...amazing."

“Hmph,” Azula muttered. “It's not _that_ impressive. Just a dusty old room with some statues.”

Kuvira walked to the center of the floor and looked around at the line of statues. Each one appeared to be in the midst of some kind of bending pose, and when put all together completed a full form. "What do these statues represent?"

"They are what I need to show Azula," Zuko said

Azula furrowed her brow. "What? They're just a bunch of old statues. Why do I need to see them?"

"These statues showcase a traditional, ancient firebending form, called the Dancing Dragon. It requires two participants, both beginning next to each other, like so.” Zuko stepped in front of one of the two starting statues and took the initial pose. He waited, and eventually Azula got the hint to take her stance in front of the other statue. “Then, we each mirror the other in an opposite circle, performing the set in unison. Mimic the statues, and make your way around to the other side."

Azula sighed, but did as instructed. She performed each of the poses, moving around the line of statues one after the other. Each time she stepped into the proper position, foot-pads pressed into the floor beneath her boots. "And why do I need to learn this?"

"This is an ancient firebending form, one of the very first,” Zuko explained. “You may need it."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, _be_ cryptic.”

When at last they completed the entire form, leaning towards each other with their fists pressed together, the last set of foot-pads lowered into the floor. Moments later, the center of the sun mural opened, prompting a pedestal to rise into the room. On the pedestal sat a large golden gemstone, shaped like an egg. In the direct sunlight from above, its surface gleamed and appeared to glow.

Kuvira leaned close to the golden egg, squinting her eyes curiously. “What is that?”

"I don't know...” Anraq said, raising a hand to his chin. He studied it a moment, then grew a wide grin. “I bet it's worth a fortune, though."

As Anraq made a grab for the glowing stone, however, Zuko reached out and pulled his arm away. "Don't touch that."

The waterbender frowned. "Why not?"

"Just...trust me on it,” he insisted. Then, Zuko waved the others along to follow him as he headed back towards the doors. “This way."

When they returned outside, a harsh, authoritative voice rang out to great them. "Stop right there! Who dares intrude upon our home?"

The group halted. Standing before them, just outside the entrance to the statue chamber, was a crowd of men and women all dressed in scant tribal clothing. Some wore golden jewelry—earrings, rings, armbands, and bracelets—and others had painted markings across their faces. The man at the front of the crowd wore a feathered headdress atop his head, and bore markings across his eyes unlike any of the others. These had to be the Sun Warriors, and the man in the headdress must be their chief. Not a single one of them looked happy to see Team Avatar.

“Since you all seem to enjoy gawking in silence, I will ask again,” said the chief. “Who are you?”

Zuko took a step forward and bowed. “Greetings, ancient Sun Warriors. I am Lord Zuko, of the Fire Nation, and I've come here with the Avatar and some of my closest friends. Rest assured, we come on peace."

The chief raised an eyebrow at the other four behind Zuko. “The Avatar? Which one?”

Korra cleared her throat, then gave the man a bow of her own. “I am, sir. It's an honor to meet you.”

"I see...” The Sun Warrior chief took a step towards her, still glaring. “Tell me, Avatar, if you came in peace, then why did you attempt to steal our sacred sunstone?” In spite of asking his question directly to Korra, he turned his glare towards Anraq, the one who had actually attempted to take the stone.

Anraq immediately stiffened. "Oh, uh... you mean that glowing egg thing in there? No, no... we weren't trying to steal that.” Glancing back over his shoulder, he pointed inside the chamber. “See? It's still in there. We didn't touch it."

“We didn't come to steal any of your treasure.” Zuko moved in front of the chief, forcing the man's attention on him instead. Then, he gestured towards Azula. “I only entered the chamber in order to show my sister here the Dancing Dragon statues.”

The chief glanced at Azula, then back at Zuko, then to Azula again. “Your...sister?” He didn't need to explain his confusion; the massive disparity in their ages spoke for itself.

Azula sighed. “It's complicated.”

“You see, I was here many years ago to learn the true way of firebending from your masters,” Zuko explained. “Now, Azula wishes to do the same. Her inner spirit has become conflicted recently, and she wishes to better understand herself. I humbly request that you grant her the opportunity.”

The chief narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Azula, so close that she leaned farther away to keep an appropriate amount of distance between them. “Just because you were found worthy by our masters does not mean she will. I sense a darkness in her. Something twisted, and cold.”

“Hey, I'm standing right here,” she shot back. “What would _you_ know about me, you no good—”

Zuko silenced her with a simple touch to the shoulder. She bit her tongue and glanced up at him; the look he gave her spoke clear enough—be humble. Don't ruin your chances before they even start. An annoyed grumble surged from her throat, but still she managed to calm herself. With a deep sigh, she straightened and folded her arms, staring at the Sun Warrior chief.

“Look, I know I've been rather...abrasive in the past.” Even as she said it, Azula could feel the stares on her. She sighed again and rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine, I've been _terrible._ But... I've come to realize some things recently, and perhaps I... I don't know. I just want to try things different this time around, alright?” Her posture slackened, shoulders drooping. “Every time I try to force what I want, things blow up in my face. Well, I'm tired of always failing and hurting myself. And...other people.” Another sigh left her lips, and she turned a cursory glance towards her brother. How many times had she hurt him? Too many to count. It had never mattered to her before, and yet now here she was...regretting it.

“I want more out of my life now,” she continued. Her gaze shifted over to Anraq, the sight of whom brought a gentle smile to her lips. “I've seen what I can accomplish when I'm not cruel, or awful. When I'm... _kind_. I want more of that...” She scoffed out a chuckle, then lowered her eyes to the ground beneath her. Those were words she had never thought she'd say, and yet deep down it was true. As hard as it was for her to admit, she _did_ want those better things in her life, and she knew that she would never have them if she continued to be the vicious, cold, merciless individual she always had been.

“I can't firebend right now. I used to be able to, but... I've lost my ability. My brother thinks it's because these changes I'm going through have put my spirit in turmoil.” Azula lifted her hands and stared at them. She imagined creating flames from her fingertips, but of course there was nothing. Instead, she merely clenched them into fists. “Ever since I was a child, my firebending has been my most notable skill. It's been... _everything_ to me. But I've only ever used it for my own selfish and destructive purposes. It's all I've ever needed from it. It's all I was ever _taught_. Now... I suppose I don't want that from my bending anymore.”

Azula unclenched her hands and let them drop down to her side. Then, she looked back up at the Sun Warrior chief. “If _I'm_ different, then so too should be my reasons for bending. That means learning about _true_ firebending. Or at least, that's what I've been told. If that's what is required of me, though, then I want to do it. I want the chance. Please.”

“Hmm...” The chief rubbed his chin, maintaining his glare on her. Several long moments past as he examined her, until finally he lowered his hand and said, “And you know the risks involved in meeting the masters Ran and Shaw? They will look into your heart, your very soul, and if they do not find you worthy, they will destroy you.”

“Yes,” she said, with a firm nod. “Zuzu already explained this part. I'm willing to face it.”

“Very well...” The chief looked from Azula to the others, then waved them all along to follow him. “Come with us.”

* * *

The Sun Warriors brought them to the very top of the ziggurat. There, a large open hearth blazed with rippling fire. The chief approached this hearth and reached a hand towards it. A small coil of flames sprang outward and focused at the center of his palm.

“If you're going to see the masters,” he said, “you must bring them a piece of the eternal flame. This fire is the very first to ever exist, given to us by the dragons themselves. We have kept it going for thousands of years.”

Azula furrowed her brow with suspicion. “You _must_ be joking. It's _never_ gone out?”

“Not once.” The chief turned away from the hearth and then approached her with his palm extended, offering the flame to her. “You must take some of this fire to the masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending.”

“But... I _can't_ firebend.” Azula took a tentative step away from the man, keeping her focus on the flame. Her stomach knotted at the sight of it. “That was the whole point of this, so I could learn to firebend again. How am I supposed to carry it?”

A hand came to her shoulder—Zuko. “You can do this, Azula. Remember, you still possess the ability, deep within yourself. Believe that you can hold it, and you will hold it.”

Azula swallowed, then slowly held her hands outward. The Sun Warrior chief raised the flame above her palms, and when he let go she flinched, expecting the fire to disperse into thin air. Much to her surprise, however, the fire remained hovering there above her open hands, albeit smaller and weaker than before. Still, she was carrying the flame under her own power. Her face lit up at the revelation.

“I... I'm doing it!” she exclaimed, with a beaming smile. “Zuzu, look, I'm—!” Her words caught in her throat when she turned to the others and noticed their amused expressions. She immediately calmed herself out of her excitement and cleared her throat. “I mean... Of _course_ I'm doing it.”

“This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy,” the chief explained. “You must maintain a constant heat. Make the flame too small, and it will go out. Make it too big, and you will lose control.”

“Okay...” She concentrated on the flame, trying to maintain it to a manageable level. As much as she tried, though, it remained small and flickering. Still, at least it wasn't going out. “So where do I take this now?”

The chief turned and pointed just beyond the city. There in the distance stood a small mountain with twin precipices towering atop the peak. “You must bring the flame up there. The cave of the masters is beneath that rock.”

Azula nodded, then turned a look towards her brother. “You're coming with me... right?”

“Only those who carry the eternal flame and wish to seek judgment may travel with you,” the chief said.

Zuko met his sister's gaze. There was a distant hope in her eyes, a need for him to do this with her. With a simple step towards the blazing hearth, he raised a hand and called a small swirl of the eternal flame to his palm. “Then I suppose I'd better take some of this.”

“Very well,” said the Sun Warrior chief, giving them both a stern look. “Your journey will be slower, due to your need to maintain your flame. The rest of us will be waiting for you to arrive.”

As the chief led the way back down the steps of the ziggurat, Anraq approached Azula and set a comforting hand upon her shoulder. “You can do this. I know you can.”

“Thanks, Annie...” She smiled at him, then leaned in for a brief kiss. When the kiss broke, he returned the smile and hurried off after the others with a wave.

“Meet you up there!”

* * *

 The journey to the top of the mountain was indeed slow going—not because of Zuko, of course, who managed his fire with expert control, but because of Azula, who struggled the entire way to keep her fire lit. She stared at it, refusing to take her eyes off it for any reason, even as her feet stumbled across the rugged terrain. She feared that if she lost her focus for a single second, the flame would flicker and die. By the time they at last reached the mountain peak, the sun had set low in the sky, painting a bright orange across the horizon.

At the top of the mountain, they found a large open circle of space, at the center of which had been painted another sun mural. Near the far end of the circle stood a towering set of steps that led up to a platform above, between the two precipices on either side, and from that platform extended a stone bridge to connect two opposing caves on either crag. The view itself overlooked the vast ocean beyond, glistening in the waning daylight. As promised, the Sun Warriors waited for them there, set up in a circle around the painted mural. Anraq, Korra, and Kuvira stood off to the side, watching.

When they arrived, the Sun Warrior chief approached them, his arms clasped behind his back. His gaze focused intently on Azula. “Facing your judgment at the hands of the firebending masters will be extremely dangerous for you, Azula of the Fire Nation. You have done many horrific things throughout your lifetime, and shown little remorse for it all. You have twisted firebending into a perverse, destructive art that directly contradicts our teachings. The masters may not take too kindly to this.” He then shifted his attention to Zuko. “You... I'm not so worried about. However, you should know that if the masters choose to destroy her, then you will be destroyed as well.”

“I understand,” Zuko said. Then, he looked to his sister. “You can still turn back. It's not too late.”

Azula narrowed her eyes, gaze tilting down to the ground. “No, not now. I've already come this far... I _have_ to do this, no matter the result. This isn't just about me getting my firebending back anymore... This is about me taking back control of my life.”

He nodded. “Then we face them together.”

The Sun Warrior chief reached forward and took a small piece of the flames from both Zuko and Azula. Then, he passed another piece of the flame to the other Sun Warriors around the central circle, each one fueling it with their own bending to create enough for them all. Once they each had a part of the eternal flame, they spun the fire around in a circle in front of themselves. Another line of Sun Warriors sat upon the ground in front of large rawhide drums, their hands resting upon the tops. As they prepared for the ritual, Zuko and Azula approached the steps.

“Chanters!” the chief called.

The Sun Warriors beat their drums in rhythm, pounding their fists upon the hide. A deep, steady chant filled the mountaintop. Azula kept her focus on the flame in her hands, as her nerves began to grow stronger. The flame flickered and nearly went out, but a reassuring touch to her shoulder allowed her to steady it. She looked up to meet her brother's gaze; he smiled at her, and she nodded. Then, she shifted her focus straight ahead. When they finally reached the top of the platform, Zuko turned to face one of the caves at the end of the long stone bridge, while Azula faced the other.

One of the Sun Warriors' voices echoed up to them. “Those who wish to meet the masters Ran and Shaw will now present their fire!”

Azula swallowed, then lowered herself to one knee. She held her palms, and the flame, forward.

“Sound the call!”

The deep bellow of a horn rang out across the mountain. Before the call even ended, the twin precipices began to quake. The shaking was subtle at first, but then turned more violent. Bits and pieces of rubble broke away from the crags and tumbled down to the ground below.

Azula's back stiffened straight as she stared into her cave. “Zuzu... What's going on?”

“Be calm, Azula.”

“Is there something I should know about these masters?”

“Just relax and wait,” he said. “This is something you must experience yourself.”

The quaking grew stronger, rippling vibrations through the entire platform. Azula felt herself stumble on her knee, but managed to steady herself before falling. Somehow, she maintained her flame. Deep within the darkness of the cave ahead of her, a pair of glowing eyes appeared. Her eyes widened at the sight of them, and she released an audible gasp. What on earth...? She didn't have time to wonder, as seconds later a massive beast emerged from the lair, soaring out into the open sky—a great blue-scaled dragon. Soon, the blue dragon was joined by another from the opposite cave, this one red. Together they circled the platform through the air, wings spread wide.

Azula's jaw dropped. “The masters are...dragons?”

Zuko nodded. “They are.”

She watched them with wide eyes as they soared around the platform, diving beneath the bridge and coming up the other side, always keeping her and Zuko at the center between them. They were so much bigger than Druk, nearly double his size. “They're...” What was the word Kuvira had used? “Majestic.” Yes, that was the word.

Azula was so captivated by the dragons, that she hadn't noticed her flame go out. It wasn't until she finally lifted her hands higher, to present her offering, that she realized it. Panic leaped into her chest, and knotted her stomach. “Zuko! My fire, it...it went out!”

“It's alright, Azula. Don't worry.”

“But we were supposed to give the fire to them!” she insisted. “Now I don't have it! How am I supposed to—” When she turned to face her brother, however, she noticed that he, too, had lost his flame. He now stood straight, keeping his focus on the two dragons.

“I said, don't worry.” Zuko looked back over his shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. “Now, follow me.”

He shifted himself into the first pose of the Dancing Dragon, and that's when Azula realized why she had learned the form. She hesitated only a second before joining him in the same pose, her back to his. With a deep breath, she moved into the second pose, and then the third, and the fourth, and continued on. She kept in perfect rhythm with Zuko, each shifting their pose at the same moment. Around in a circle they went, pose after pose, until finally they met at the other end, coming together with their fists pressed to each other's.

The platform shook again as Ran and Shaw landed on the connecting bridge. They glared at the two at the center, lips pulled back into hostile snarls. Combined with the deep growls bellowing from their throats, they appeared ready to attack.

“What's happening now? Why are they just looking at us?” Azula's voice quivered, stricken with a subtle fear. The blue dragon stared at her, deep into her eyes—into her soul. It was judging her, she realized. “Zuko?”

She received no answer. Another agonizing moment past, until finally the dragons moved. They gripped the edges of the bridge and pulled themselves forward, jaws opening wide. Flames jetted out onto the platform, and Azula screamed.

“ _Zuko!”_

She turned her head and squinted her eyes shut, arm raised in desperate attempt to shield herself. She felt the heat from the flames surround her, and fully expected her flesh to melt from her bones at any moment. But that moment never came. Instead, she felt...comfortable. Warm, even. At peace.

“Azula...” It was Zuko's voice. His hand came to her shoulder, driving away any fears and worries that had rooted in her. _“Look.”_

Azula eased a single eye open, but what she saw immediately widened both. A cyclone of whirling flames surrounded them, flames of all different colors—blue, red, orange, green, yellow, purple, white... colors she had never imagined. Her jaw fell open and her brow lifted as she watched them. A growing wonder filled her, a sense of awe and amazement she had never before experienced. In that fire, she saw so much—more than color, more than power.

Fire wasn't just destruction, she realized, just as Zuko had told her. There were many more aspects to it, wondrous aspects. Fire was energy. Fire was beautiful. Fire was soothing. Comforting. It was a warm hearth on a cold winter's night. It was the feel of a late afternoon sun against your skin. It was a freshly roasted duck enjoyed by a loving family.

Fire was... _life._

_ _

The fire dissipated soon after her revelation. The two dragons lifted back up into the sky and circled around the platform one more time before returning to their lairs and disappearing from sight. Even with the masters gone, though, Azula still stood there staring wide-eyed at nothing, trapped in her awe.

“I...I understand now,” she uttered. Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Show me,” Zuko said.

Azula took several steps forward to the edge of the platform, overlooking the ocean below. She closed her eyes, then took a deep, steady breath. Down below on the mountaintop, the flames controlled by the Sun Warriors burned larger. She took in a second breath, and this time the flames turned blue in color. One more breath, and the flames leaped out of the Sun Warriors' control and began to dance in the sky. Then, Azula opened her eyes. Releasing the breath out through her nose, she shifted her stance forward and thrust her hands through the air, each with two fingers pointed straight. A towering shot of blue flames erupted from her fingertips, lighting up the dimming sky. A grin spread across her face—a genuine smile of excitement and joy. She didn't stop there. Shifting back into the first pose of the Dancing Dragon, she went through the entire form once again. This time, though, each motion unleashed a brilliant shot of blue fire. When she finished, she turned herself back to face her brother, breaking out with another wide grin.

“You did it,” he said, returning a smile of his own. “As I knew you could.”

The smile then faded from her face. “Zuko, I...” Azula bowed her head, and eased out a deep sigh of regret. “I'm sorry. For everything... I...” Her words ceased when she felt his arms wrap around her, tightening into a comforting hug.

“You are forgiven,” he said, in earnest. “And you are _loved.”_

She felt her throat knot up, but she fought it down and returned the hug, holding her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you, Zuzu... I... I love you.”

Zuko—the brother she had done nothing but torment and humiliate, the brother she had hated and made suffer, and yet the brother who had never given up on her, and the brother who had helped her heal. She could never repay how much she owed him.

He smiled at her, a gentle warmth spreading across his face. “I'm proud of you, Azula. So very proud.”

When they returned to the bottom of the steps, Anraq was the first to greet them. He ran towards Azula with a look of wild excitement upon his face and immediately took her in his arms. Bringing his hands to her cheeks, he kissed her deep and long, until finally he pulled back again and laughed. “That was incredible! You did it!”

She closed her eyes and held herself close to him—Annie, yet another who had been there for her through so much. “I never imagined... All this time, I've been doing things so wrong. Now, I know better. I'm going to _be_ better.”

“Congratulations, Azula.” Korra approached, arms folded and a friendly smile upon her face. “You still have a lot of work to do, though.”

“Yes, I do,” she said, with a nod. “But I'll do it to perfection, just as always.”

Kuvira came into view next, with her hand held forward. “I think you've just made the biggest step towards finding peace for yourself, and healing. Take it from someone who knows... That isn't easy.”

“Thank you...Kuvira.” Azula reached her own hand forward, clasping the other woman's and giving a firm shake. Then, a smirk came to her lips. “Now, let's get out of here. We have an empire to stop.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this was a long one... but such a fun one to write. This is one of my new favorite chapters, because it was such a joy to finally reach the pinnacle of Azula's change. After so much conflict, so much pain, so much suffering, and paranoia, and breakdowns, and just... so much misery for her, she's finally able to truly understand what she wants out of life, and she's finally able to start healing. After all that development leading here... it's so nice seeing Azula actually happy, especially having a good relationship with Zuko for the first time in ever.
> 
> Random fun fact, the name of this chapter is in reference to Jeremy Zukerman's Book 4 music, of the same title. "To Heal" is the music I imagined playing during that final scene when Ran and Shaw give her the vision of true firebending, and it still gives me chills.


	88. Next Stop, Republic City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> President Sato attempts to prepare Republic City against an impending invasion. Meanwhile, Kuvira and Azula get a little overzealous during a 'friendly' spar, much to the dismay of their significant others.

Azula breathed deep and snapped a punch forward. Bright blue flames lit up the night, leaping out from her knuckles into the darkened sky. It was late, nearing midnight now, and the others had long since settled down for sleep back at camp. She, on the other hand, had snuck off to a small clearing in the surrounding forest, to get some practice in—not that she needed practice, of course. Her firebending was still top notch, even without the enhancement of Sen's essence. Still, after her time spent without the ability to bend, she had an urge to use it. She didn't care if she needed the practice or not; she just wanted to let loose.

As she went through her various forms, she realized that her bending felt entirely different now. Before, it had come from a source of hate, anger, and malice. Now... it came from a place of peace, as though there were a life-giving sun within her. It felt...good, better than ever. Ever since her encounter with Ran and Shaw, she held a newfound appreciation for her bending. It wasn't just a tool to destroy her enemies anymore; it was a way to bring harmony within herself.

As she shifted into the final pose of a particularly advanced firebending form, Azula charged an electric current through herself. This time, when she pushed her fingers forward, she shot out not another blast of fire, but a bolt of lightning into the sky. She smirked, watching the bolt streak across the inky darkness. Oh how she had missed that...

“So, how does it feel?” a voice said. “Having your bending back.”

Azula came out of her pose and looked behind her shoulder. Kuvira stood there at the edge of the treeline, arms folded. With quiet scoff, she turned away again and created a ball of fire in her palm. She stared at it, captivated by the blue glow. “Like a dream I hope I never wake up from. It's not as powerful as it was when I had Sen's essence obviously, but everything is much...crisper, and fluid. I feel like the prodigy I was born to be.”

“Well, I might not know how it feels to be considered a 'prodigy', but I do know that dream-like feeling you're talking about,” Kuvira said, making her way into the clearing. “Everything that's happened to me since I got out of prison has felt like that. Heck, even before then. Just being with Korra...”

“Hmph.” Azula bounced the fireball up from her palm a few times, then cast it into the air. “You two are sickeningly mushy, you know that? You might try getting a room one of these days.”

“Oh, and look who's talking.” Kuvira frowned, and planted her hands against her hips. “You and Anraq aren't much better.”

“Please, we're much more sophisticated.”

Kuvira lowered her eyebrows into a disbelieving glare. “You were nibbling at his ear earlier.”

Azula flinched at the statement. When she finally managed to look back at the matriarch, she cleared her throat and tried to relax herself. “Oh, well... you weren't supposed to see that.”

Kuvira just shook her head, then bended up an earthen seat from the ground to sit. “So, how _are_ things between you two going, anyway? I mean, I'll be honest, if I had ever tried to think of someone he'd end up with, you wouldn't have been anywhere near that list.”

“Things are fine,” she said, with a shrug. She created two fireballs this time, then began to toss them around in the air. “I mean, as good as they can be. I guess. This whole relationship business is still new to me, but we're taking it slow. Don't want to ruin it, you know.”

“Ah, so then you two haven't...?”

Azula promptly dropped the fireballs when she realized what Kuvira meant. What kind of question was _that?_ Was this the kind of thing that 'normal' people talked about? With a grumble of disgust, she recreated her fireballs and threw them up into the air again. “Well I hardly see how that's any of _your_ business.” Of course, she and Anraq hadn't yet done... _that._ After all, they _were_ taking things slow, and if she was honest with herself, she didn't really feel ready for that kind of intimacy. That didn't mean she had to admit it to Kuvira, though. “We're not  that close, Matriarch.”

“No, I suppose is we aren't,” Kuvira sighed. “To be honest, I'm still a little cautious. I'm no stranger to life changing revelations like you just experienced, but even still... you did do a lot of damage, not just to us, but to the nations, and to the world.”

“Yes, I'm well aware of that,” she muttered. “You don't need to remind me. Let's just say, I was...misguided.”

“I think that might be a bit of an understatement.”

“Hmph, maybe.” Azula added a third fireball to the initial pair, then began to absently juggle them between her hands. She wasn't even certain why she was doing something so inane—perhaps just to say she could. “After I came back from being trapped in the Spirit World for so long, I had such a clear view of what I wanted to do, what I thought my destiny was—take the Fire Nation throne, start an empire, make the world bow to me, become the ruler I was always meant to be... It was all I thought about, all I needed.”

Kuvira leaned back on her hands, watching the fireballs bounce up and down through the air. “And now?”

“Now... It all seems so trivial. I mean really, what was ever the point? I don't know anymore whether I actually wanted that for myself, or if I was just trying to prove something. In the end, does it even matter? Would _I_ even matter?” A sigh left her lips, and she finally blasted the fireballs into the air, where they exploded in a shower of embers. “Every time I've tried to climb on top, to dominate and rule with fear and manipulation, I've fallen flat on my face and lost everything. I'm tired of that... I just want to live my life now. I don't know what that life will _be_ , exactly, but that's almost the fun of it.” She crossed her arms across her chest now, and turned back to face the matriarch. “Forget 'destiny', forget 'fate', forget what I always thought I wanted, or needed... I'll just figure it out as I go.”

“Well, that's not a bad way to do things,” Kuvira said. “It's actually sort of what I've been doing these past couple years. I didn't know where my life was going or what I'd be doing. Heck, I thought I was going to be in prison for the foreseeable future. I've pretty much just gone with the flow since then, and it's worked out alright.”

“Yes, well, as good as going with the flow is, first thing is first.” Azula shifted her stance, and then began to go through another firebending set. “We have to stop Yula. _I_ have to stop her. After all, I created her... turned her into a combination of the worst parts of myself. Now she might be worse than I ever was. Or at least just as bad.”

Kuvira breathed deep, and lifted one of her hands. Several small stones hovered up from the ground and then began to spin above her palm. “You definitely changed her... I still can't believe she's the same person I met in Ba Sing Se. The methods she's willing utilize, her complete lack of remorse, what she did to _Zaofu_...” She let the spinning stones drop into her palm, then clenched her fingers tight. When she opened them again, all that remained of the stones was a fine powder. “She needs to be stopped.”

Azula spun a backhanded fist through the air, sweeping out a curling wave of flames. “And I still owe her for betraying me, too. Not that I can blame her now, I suppose, but still, she _does_ need to pay for what she did.”

Kuvira nodded, then let the dust in her hand fall away to the ground. “We'll get her, one way or another.”

“Well of course we will, and I'll be the one to do it,” Azula insisted. Again, she finished her form with a sizzling shot of lightning into the sky. “By whatever means necessary.” Her latter words she said with a distinct coldness. Just because she had found peace within herself and was determined to be better didn't mean she had suddenly become a completely different person. She would still take care of her enemies however she had to, and she wasn't above getting revenge on those who had ruined her. Doing so to Yula would bring her a particular joy.

“Hopefully it won't come to that, though,” Kuvira said, with a bow of her head. “If there's any way to end this peacefully... I'd prefer to go that route.”

“Yes, yes, but if it _does_ come to that then there's no use crying about it. Yula might have been innocent once, but now... Well, we can't let our feelings get in the way of doing what's right.”

Kuvira nodded, not even bothering to try and counter the suggestion; she knew Azula was right.

Azula took placed a hand to her hip, then turned a challenging glance towards the matriarch. “So, since you're up and about, how about a friendly spar? I'm _dying_ to put my skills to some actual use.”

Kuvira lifted an eyebrow at her. “And by 'friendly spar', you mean...?”

“I mean you better bring your A-game, Matriarch.” Azula smirked, then ignited a pair of flickering blue flames in her palms. “Because I'm not going easy.”

Kuvira stared at her for a long moment, straight into her eyes. Then, she stood up from her seat and peeled several metal strips off her armguards. An equally competitive grin broke out across her face. “Fine then, you're on.”

* * *

Asami held her head in her hands, elbows propped up atop her desk. She had been drifting in and out of an exhausted daze for the past hour, and doing everything she could to keep herself awake. With the news from Zaofu about the Dragon Empire's plans for expansion—which really was just a polite way of saying 'invasion'—the past few days had been pandemonium trying to reconfigure defenses and make plans to keep the city safe. She had been prepared for Azula to try something eventually, and had been keeping a close eye on her, but ever since Yula had usurped control over the empire, the situation had changed.

Yula was an entirely different brand of ruler. At the very least, Azula had seemed intent on taking things slow and trying to get what she wanted through subtler means. That was something Asami could have dealt with. But Yula seemed to prefer the brute force method, and was wasting no time in exercising that force. Now, Zaofu was gone—not taken over, but wiped completely off the map—and Republic City was the likely next target. Why was it that they could never catch a break?

A knock sounded at her half-open office door. “Madame President, you wanted to see me?”

Looking up from her hands, she saw General Iroh standing there. She breathed a quiet sigh and straightened herself. “General, yes. How are our defenses coming?”

Iroh made his way into the office and stood at attention. “Our Navy has a blockade around all of Yue Bay, and we have scout ships patrolling through the Mo Ce Sea in case of a naval attack. We have outposts set up along the United Republic borders to alert of us of any invading forces, while our Army and Air Force are on standby, ready to act at a moment's notice. The good news is that they're definitely not going to be sneaking up on us.”

“And the bad news?”

The General pushed out a deep breath. “Depending on how large a force Empress Yula decides to send, we won't have nearly enough numbers to hold off an invasion for long. The Dragon Empire military consists of both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom forces combined, both of which were already the two largest militaries in the world to begin with. The United Forces has only a few thousand ground troops, plus a modest fleet of airships, five battleship battalions, and one hundred bomber planes. I estimate the empire has at least five times that.”

Asami did her best to remain composed at the news. While she knew that numbers weren't everything, in this case they were a huge factor. If the Dragon Empire's forces were really as large as she kept hearing, then Republic City didn't have much of a chance of repelling a full scale invasion. At least, not on their own. “Have we heard back Chiefs Eska and Desna, and Chief Tonraq, yet?”

“The North has agreed to lend us part of their Naval fleet in we need it,” Iroh said, “but they want to keep troops back to defend themselves in case of imperial attack. No word yet from the South.”

“We'll have to ready an evacuation,” Asami muttered, sinking back against her chair. “The only problem is, we can't evacuate anyone until we know where the attack is coming from. _If_ one is coming at all.”

“We're fairly certain one is coming. From what Captain Hong Li told us, Zaofu is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Asami closed her eyes and hung her head, pressing a hand to her face. “I just rebuilt this city a third time. Now it's about to be under attack _again._ I can't let Republic City fall.”

“I know,” Iroh replied. “We'll be doing everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen.”

“Has there been any sign of Korra yet?”

Iroh shook his head. “I'm afraid not, but it's still early. According to the time frame we were given, the Avatar should be arriving in a day or two.”

Asami nodded, then straightened herself again. She had to keep her composure. “Thank you, General. You're dismissed.”

Instead of leaving, though, Iroh shifted awkwardly on his feet. His face twisted with concern. “Uh, Madame President, before I go... Have you heard anything from my mother? I haven't been able to get ahold of her, but I _know_ she would never go along with Empress Yula's plans. If she tried to resist...”

“No, I'm sorry...” Asami uttered. “We've been trying to make contact with the Earth Queen for the past several days, but our messages to Ba Sing Se keep getting ignored.”

Iroh bowed his head and huffed a disappointed breath. “I see... Thank you.” He then gave a salute and left the office.

When she was alone again, Asami fell back against her chair and pinched her fingers against her eyes. It was late now, near midnight, and she could feel the onset of a headache beginning to throb between her ears. She just wanted to go home and sleep, and yet still she had more work to do.

Another knock sounded at her door. “Hey, Asami? Uh, I mean, President Sato.”

Asami removed her fingers and glanced up at the door. When she saw who it was, she sat up straighter behind her desk. “Oh, hey, Mako. You know Asami is fine.”

“Uh, right,” Mako said. He cleared his throat, then made his way into the office. “Still not sure on that sometimes.”

“What are you doing here so late?”

“Oh, well I just got off work and I was passing city hall on my way home,” he said, tapping his fingers against his thighs. “I figured I'd stop by and see if you were still here. And you are. So... yeah.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, but for the moment let his awkwardness slide. “And how are things at the station going?”

Mako groaned out a quiet sigh. “It's been pretty crazy lately, actually. We've mostly been working with the United Forces to prepare the city for an invasion, and those of us that are actually working the streets are spread thin and overworked. Chief Beifong has the worst of it. I don't think she's slept in three days.”

“Sounds rough.”

“Yeah, it is...” He sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. An awkward pause past between them before he cleared his throat and finally added, “Sooo, uh, I know you're pretty swamped with being the president and all, but... Wu's band is coming into town. We're all heading down to Lao's Bar tomorrow night to see them play, if you wanted to come with?”

Asami lifted another brow. “Who's 'we'?”

“Well, Bolin and Opal, Jinora, Kai, Bumi, Kya, and I think Varrick and Zhu Li too,” he said, counting the names off on his fingers. “So, you know, pretty much everyone. Would be great to have you there.”

She hesitated a moment, looking back at Mako with pursed lips. Considering everyone that was going, it wasn't a date that he was asking her out on, which was what she had initially been concerned about. There was just too much bad history there to try dating him again. Still, she was busy trying to prepare the city against an impending invasion; she just didn't have that kind of time. And yet, the nagging headache now pulsing through her skull argued against logic. The police force weren't the only ones exhausted and overworked.

“You know what?” she said, flashing a small smile. “I could use a night out. Count me in.”

Mako returned a smile of his own, his a bit more blatant than hers. “Awesome, I'll let everyone know you're coming. We're meeting there at eight.”

“Eight o'clock it is.”

* * *

Kuvira flinched when Korra touched the fresh burn along her jaw. _“Ouch,_ watch it.”

“Hold still, you're making it worse,” Korra said, bringing a glowing bubble of healing water to the burn.

Next to Kuvira, Azula grumbled and tried to pull away from Anraq. “Annie, I'm _fine.”_

“No, you're not,” he insisted, with a harsh sternness to his tone. He eased his girlfriend into place and lifted his own healing water to her ribs. “Just sit still and let me heal you.”

In the aftermath of their spar, both Kuvira and Azula now sat in front of their significant others, reluctantly receiving treatment for the injuries sustained during the fight. The spar had started simple and casual enough, but had soon escalated into an all out contest, both determined to one-up the other. In the end, they had destroyed nearly an entire acre of forest and ended up in hospital-worthy conditions. Of course, part of the reason they had gone so far was because they knew they had a couple of healers back at camp to treat them right away, which made any potential crippling injuries a moot point. Even still, neither would admit they needed treatment—that would be admitting defeat.

“Honestly, you two,” Korra muttered. “As if waking us up in the middle of the night like that wasn't bad enough. I thought we were under attack!”

“It wasn't _that_ bad,” Kuvira said, turning her head to the side.

“Oh no? Tell that to the forest you just decimated.” Korra immediately turned Kuvira's head straight again, so she could continue healing the burn. “You both look like you just went through a meat grinder.”

Kuvira frowned, averting her eyes away from her girlfriend. “Don't look at me, _she_ started it.”

“Hey, I _told_ you I wasn't going easy,” Azula insisted. Again she tried to refuse Anraq's assistance, but he was having none of it. He forced her to sit still, then lifted her arm upward, so he could get better access to her ribs. Only then did she finally relent. “Besides, _you're_ the one who sent a rock at my face first.”

“ _After_ you set my shirt on fire!” Kuvira countered.

“Well that is generally what tends happen when you get hit by a fireball.”

“Alright, _enough,”_ Anraq groaned. “How about for now we all agree to no more sparring? We want to make it back to Republic City in one piece, don't we?”

Kuvira frowned, turning a look towards the other woman. “Fine.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Yes, fine.” She paused a moment, then glanced away with a smug grin. “I still won, though.”

“You did not!” Kuvira nearly shot up from her seat, but Korra forced her back down.

“Please, of _course_ I did.”

Korra pinched the bridge of her nose and heaved out an annoyed groan. “Okay really, you two are like children.”

“Ugh, can we just get going?” Kuvira said, once again trying to avoid treatment. Still no luck, as Korra planted her firmly back into her seat.

“Not until we're done treating you both,” Anraq said, turning a disappointed frown between the two. “So just settle down and let us work.”

The healing session lasted well into the morning. By the time the sun neared its highest point in the sky, Korra and Anraq finally deemed their patients fit to travel. While most of their more pressing injuries had been completely taken care of, there were still numerous scrapes and scratches that lingered behind. They couldn't afford to take the time to heal everything, though; they would have been there all day, and they needed to get to Republic City as soon as possible.

Zuko stood next to Druk, watching the four approach. “Are we all healed up and ready to go now?”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Yes, Zuzu, we're all better. Not that there was anything to worry about to begin with.”

Anraq deadpanned at her. “You had two cracked ribs _and_ internal bleeding.”

“Nobody _asked_ you, Annie!” she retorted, shooting a glare at him.

“Let's not even get started on Kuvira's injuries,” Korra said.

Kuvira frowned. “I wasn't that bad.”

“You were missing two teeth! Do you know how difficult it is to reattach teeth? You're lucky we even _found_ them!”

“Don't forget the burns,” Azula chimed, with a mocking grin.

“That's it,” Kuvira said, “next time I'm breaking _all_ your ribs.”

“Oh, you can try.”

From atop Druk's back, Anraq buried his face into his hands and groaned. “Okay... everybody on.”

While the others climbed atop the dragon, Azula suddenly paused and turned to her brother. She hesitated a moment, then grabbed at the strap of her swords and removed them from around her shoulder. “Oh, Zuzu, here. I almost forgot, I guess I won't be needing these anymore.”

When she offered them to him, he simply held a hand up and shook his head. “Keep them. They were a gift. Besides, I'm sure you can figure out a use for them.”

“Hmm...” Azula took the swords back and gave them a careful look. “Well, then I suppose I'll have to keep up with my swordplay.”

“Hey, slowpokes, you coming?” Anraq looked down at them from atop the dragon's back, his hands set against his hips. Both Korra and Kuvira already sat behind him.

“Yes, yes, we're coming,” she replied, hopping up onto the spot in front of him.

Druk then lowered his head for Zuko to climb aboard. When they were all in place, the mighty dragon again took to the skies. Next stop, Republic City.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we finally get another glimpse of what's going on back in Republic City. Asami is doing her best, but things are never easy when you have a massive empire preparing to invade you. Still, she's been doing a good job leading the United Republic so far, here's hoping she can keep it up.
> 
> Also, I liked the idea of Kuvira and Azula (the two former villains who have found/are in the process of finding redemption) developing something of a friendly rivalry, while also developing a sort of understanding towards each other. We KNOW Azula is competitive, from the way she handles volleyball, and I imagine Kuvira is much the same way, so I think they'd both end up going a little too far trying to show off and end up just hurting themselves. Poor Korra and Anraq then have to put up with the aftermath.


	89. Wu And The Badgers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night out with friends to watch Wu's new band play turns into unexpected turmoil for President Sato.

The crowd of people swarming through the entrance of Lao's Bar surprised Asami. She knew the place to be a fairly popular hangout around the city, but it seemed especially busy tonight. The only reason she could think of for that was Wu's band. She had no idea the former prince had become such a popular attraction. Then again, she hadn't really kept up with him over the years. She knew that he and Mako kept in touch on occasion, but other than that she hadn't really heard anything about him since he stepped down from the Earth Kingdom throne six years ago.

Asami smoothed out the front of her dress before she approached the entrance. It had been ages since she'd had an opportunity to just go out and enjoy herself with friends. Between running a company and running a nation, she had little free time, and what time she did have was usually spent catching up on sleep. With a quiet breath, she finally crossed the street towards to the bar. Waiting just outside the front doors were Mako, Bolin, Opal, Varrick, and Zhu Li. They noticed her before she made it to them, and greeted her with smiles and friendly waves.

“Hey, everyone,” she said, with a small wave of her own.

“Heeey, if it isn't the president herself!” Varrick announced. _“Now_ it's a party.”

“Asami, you made it!” Bolin came forward and greeted her with a hug. “Isn't this great? Just like old times.

Mako held out his hand to her, and she gave it a firm shake. “Glad you could make it.”

“I am too,” she replied. “I needed a night out where I can just...relax.”

“Things must be pretty crazy right now,” Opal said, with a subtle frown. She brushed her bangs back away from her forehead, revealing a blue arrow in the process. Eight months ago, she had received her airbender tattoos—the mark of a true airbending master—and only recently had her hair grown back long enough to even _have_ bangs.

“Yeah...” Asami sighed. “They really are. This whole empire business has everyone on edge. It'll be nice to forget about it for at least one night, though.”

Zhu Li then stepped in front of her, holding out a hand to shake. “Greetings, Asami.”

“It's good to see you again, Zhu Li.” Asami shook the woman's hand, then glanced back and forth between her and Varrick. “So...who's watching Iknik, Jr.?”

“The babysitter of course!” Varrick replied. He then held a hand to his chin, easing a disappointed sigh. “I hope this one turns out better than the last one, though. I left a very detailed list of instructions, and they have to be followed to the _letter._ And what does the previous babysitter do? Forgets to put Junior down for his nap!” He leaned closer to Asami, staring intently with concerned eyes. “You know how important naps are? They're right up there with eating, or... or breathing! They keep the mind rested, and sharp.” When he finally leaned away again, he gave a simple shrug and shook his head. “My point is, if you can't follow a simple schedule, then you have no business looking after somebody's kid, least of all mine.”

Bolin raised an eyebrow at the man. “Uh, how detailed exactly _is_ a two year old's schedule? Don't they pretty much just eat, sleep, and... I don't know, play with blocks or something?”

Varrick huffed a sigh and threw his arm around Bolin's shoulders. “Kid, two is a very delicate age for the development of a child. Their minds are ripe for molding, and need constant stimulation for optimal growth.”

“We're trying to make sure that Iknik reaches his fullest potential,” Zhu Li explained. “That means following a strict program. Deviating too much from the schedule could throw off his development.”

“Huh, I don't know, that sounds a little... not fun?” Bolin said.

“Oh there's plenty of time for fun in there, I guarantee it,” Varrick insisted. “It's the same way I was raised, and look how great I turned out!”

Mako furrowed his brow, lips twisting into a frown. “I guess we'll take your word on that...”

During the small pause that followed, Opal glanced towards her fiance and cleared her throat. “So, um, speaking of kids...”

Bolin blinked at her, confused. “Wait, are we telling them? Right now?”

“Now's as good a time as any.”

Asami looked back and forth between the two, eyebrows scrunched together curiously. “Tell us what?”

“Well...” Opal smiled, then reached out to hold Bolin's hand. With her other hand, she touched her palm to her abdomen. “We're having a baby!”

Mako's eyes shot open wide. _“Seriously?”_

“Yeah, can you believe it?” Bolin laughed, widening a delighted grin across his face. “I'm gonna be a dad!”

“I don't believe it... I'm going to be an uncle,” Mako uttered. He managed to compose himself with a smile of his own, then wrapped his arms tight around Bolin for a hug. “Congratulations, little bro.”

“Zhu Li you hear that?” Varrick said, leaning close to his wife. “I'm sensing some play-dates in the future. We'll have to start rearranging the schedule.”

“I think we have plenty of time before we need to do that,” she replied.

“Hey, you can never plan too early for something!”

Asami flashed a excited grin and pulled Opal in for a hug. “That's fantastic, congratulations. How far along are you?”

“Just a month,” Opal said. “So, I'll still be able to fit into my dress for the wedding next month.”

“That's good news, then,” Asami said, with a chuckle. “But really, I'm happy for both of you.”

As they continued expressing their excitement with the baby news, a new voice called out over the crowd surrounding the bar. “Weeell, look at this sorry bunch.”

Asami turned around to the voice and spotted Bumi standing there with his hands on his hips. His sister, Kya, stood next to him, and beside her was Jinora and Kai. “Hey guys, glad you could make it.”

“Likewise, Madame President,” Kya said, with a subtle tease in her tone. She then came closer and pulled Asami in for a brief hug. “It's good to see you again.”

“You, too,” she replied. “No Lin?”

Kya laughed in response. “Ha, no, she passed out on the couch hours ago. I didn't have the heart to wake her. She's been working herself way too hard lately, and quite frankly she could use the rest.”

Jinora, meanwhile, greeted Opal with their own hug. “So good to see you guys. How are the tattoos doing, by the way? If you need any touch ups, you can stop by the island any time.”

“Oh, no the tattoos are perfect,” Opal insisted. “I don't know how the acolytes manage to get the arrows so straight.”

Jinora smiled. “Lots of practice, I assume.”

“Pretty soon, I'll have tattoos of my own,” Kai said, spreading a confident grin across his face. “And you know they'll look great on me.”

“You already look great without them,” Jinora said. Then, she leaned up on her toes to give her boyfriend a gentle kiss.

When their lips came apart again, Kai's grin widened even further. “I do, don't I?” A second later, he dove back in for another kiss.

“Alright you two, save the making out for after the show,” Kya said, planting her arms tight across her chest. “Don't make us separate you.”

“Ah, let'em be,” Bumi insisted. “Nothing wrong with showing a little affection to people you care about.” Then, he spread his arms out and gave his sister a smile. “Come on, give me a hug.”

Kya glared at him. “Bumi, I am not giving you a hug.”

“You know you want to.”

“Bumi...”

“Ah come on,” he said. “Don't tell me Lin's rubbed off on you that much.”

The old waterbender huffed out a groan, then finally held open her own arms. “Fine.”

“There,” Bumi said, wrapping his arms tight around his sister's shoulders, “was that so hard?”

She simply rolled her eyes. “Come on, we should head inside. The show should be starting soon.”

* * *

The interior of the bar was more than just a bar. It was a whole restaurant, complete with tables, waiters, dinners, and of course the actual full bar. A stage had been set up at the back end of the restaurant, around which the tables were centered. Asami's group in particular sat around a pair of tables pushed together, set up near the very front of the stage. For now, they sipped at their drinks from the bar, and waited on their waiters to bring their food.

“Oh, hey Asami,” Varrick said, leaning across the table. “I've been meaning to schedule an appointment with your company. I got an idea I want to pitch your way.”

Asami sighed and turned a doubting look towards the man. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted. “This isn't about your time machine is it? You're wasting your time with that.”

“Are you kidding? I'm telling you, that's a winning idea!” he asserted. “How much do you think people would pay to go back and throw cabbage at Fire Lord Ozai in prison? We'd make a fortune!”

Zhu Li frowned, and held a hand to her husband's shoulder. “Varrick, honey, I've told you before. Time is a unit of measurement that people created to keep track of events. It isn't a physical substance that you can manipulate.”

“Well not with _that_ attitude it isn't.”

“Mhm...” Asami held her elbow against the table and raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And what kind of progress have you made with that, exactly? According to the papers, there was another lab explosion?”

“So there's a few kinks I still need to work out. I'm getting there,” he said, with a shrug. “Anyway, that's not the idea I wanted to pitch you.”

Asami blinked. “Oh... well then what is it?”

“Get this...” Varrick grinned and leaned closer, as if about to tell her the most interesting secret to have ever existed. “We make personalized mover screens. Smaller than your standard screen. We make them cheap and affordable, and _bam_ , we could have one in every home in the city!”

“Okay... I'll admit, that...could be big,” Asami said. She knew from experience that the general public loved movers, ever since Varrick introduced them nine years ago. If people had the opportunity to take movers home with them? That was definitely a profitable plan worth looking into. “How would it work?”

“Well, there's not enough time to go into detail right now,” he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. That, at least, could be true. Varrick's idea proposals tended to be upwards of a hundred pages long or longer. “Basically, though, you have a box, and the box projects an image on a glass screen. The only thing I haven't come up with yet is the best way to get different movers into the box. I suppose we could try to fit a projector inside of it and make it like a phonograph with pictures, but that would make it way too bulky and complicated. Completely inefficient.”

“Hmm...” Asami held a hand to her chin and let her gaze shift out of focus, as she often did when settling into a deep thought. “Actually...there might be something we could do with radio waves.”

“A _radio_ with pictures?” Varrick pressed his hand to his lips, considering the suggestion. A second later, he snapped his fingers and cast an excited grin at her. “That's it! Asami, you're a _genius!”_

“Well, I am—”

“Almost as much of one as I am.”

Asami deadpanned, then cleared her throat. “Right, anyway, if you're looking to partner on this idea, send your plans to Baatar at Future Industries R and D.”

Varrick immediately reached across the table and shook her hand. “Ha, you got it!”

“Oh, oh, quiet everyone!” Bolin said. “Here they come!”

No sooner than the deal was made, the lights in the bar began to dim, and the chatter from the tables died down to whispers. A pair of spotlights shifted around from the ceiling to point directly at the stage, and shortly after that a group of five individuals stepped out to a round of cheers and applause—Wu and The Badgers, as the band was called. Asami glanced back and forth across the restaurant with lifted eyebrows; she'd had no idea that so many people were looking forward to seeing Wu that much. She was even further surprised when she saw that instead of an instrument, like the other four members of his band, Wu carried a microphone. He was the _singer?_

Asami preemptively cringed in preparation for what was about to come. The last time she had heard him do anything remotely related to singing, it had sounded something like a dying hog monkey. When the music began to play and Wu raised the microphone to his lips, however, her eyes widened and mouth dropped open at the sound that came through the speakers. The singing was... smooth, and soulful, perfect in pitch. And how deep he could get his voice to go... How on earth was this the same Wu she had known from years ago?

“Wow,” she uttered, caught in a trance as she watched the performance. “He actually sounds...really good.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Mako said, staring in equal amazement. “He said he'd taken some singing lessons, but I didn't imagine this. I guess those lessons really paid off.”

Somehow, she managed to nod her head in response. “Clearly.”

The band continued to play all throughout dinner, constantly mixing up their style from slow and emotional to uptempo and electric. The crowd kept up their excitement with repeated applause and cheers, while some even abandoned their dinners altogether so they could take to the dance floor—which really was just an open area between the tables. At one point, even Varrick sprang up from his seat and started pulling his wife over to dance.

“Come on, Zhu Li!” he said. “Let's do the thing!”

While Asami herself didn't join in on the zealous excitement, preferring to eat her meal calmly, she did watch the others with a delighted smile. For as worried as she had been about the performance, it ended up being pleasantly entertaining. Just sitting there with her friends, enjoying the music and a nice meal, that was what she could call a perfect night.

Two hours after the band first went on, things finally started to wind down. They finished their last song, the crowd started to thin out, and a much calmer, quieter atmosphere came over the bar. At their own table, everyone but Mako, Bolin, Opal, and Asami decided to call it a night, saying their brief goodbyes before heading out of the bar. Soon, though, they were joined by Wu himself, who came marching out from the back of the stage with a friendly grin.

“Hey, Wu,” Asami said, with wave. “Nice job up there.”

“Aww, did you guys all come out just to see me?” he replied, taking up a seat at the middle of the table.

“Yeah, we figured we'd see come see what all the fuss was about with your band,” Mako said. “I gotta say, I'm impressed.”

“Well thank you, Mako.” Wu slapped a hand to Mako's shoulder, giving him an affectionate smile. “You're still my favorite former bodyguard.”

“I'm...your _only_ former bodyguard.”

“And that's what makes you so special,” he insisted. “Now, who wants a drink? Rounds are on me!”

Asami stifled an oncoming yawn, then promptly stood up from the table. “I'll be right back, I'm just going to head to the restroom.”

“Alright, but make sure you hurry,” Wu said. “You don't want to miss the story about how I came up with the band name!”

* * *

The bathroom was empty, as Asami stood at the sink, washing her hands. She hummed quietly to herself, one of the songs she had heard tonight. Even as she dried her hands and then began to fix her hair in the mirror, she kept up the tune; she couldn't get it out of her head. Somewhere in the background she heard the door open, but she didn't pay any attention to it. At least, not until she heard a following click—the lock.

Asami blinked, turning her head to look over her shoulder. Another woman walked past the stalls, seemingly not paying any mind to her at the sink. She watched the woman a moment, then eased her attention back to the mirror. Perhaps she had simply imagined hearing the lock. That was probably it; she shouldn't have had so much to drink.

She almost didn't hear the metallic flick until it was too late, only catching sight of the attack in the mirror at the last moment. Throwing herself away from the sink, she shifted herself out of the way of thrust, and countered with a square kick to the center of the attacker's chest. The woman stumbled backwards off balance but caught herself, then raised her fist—a razor sharp armblade had slid out from beneath her sleeve.

Asami immediately took a defensive stance. Her expression hardened, turned combative. “Who are you?”

“The Dragon Empress sends her regards.” It was all the assassin said before lunging in for another attack.

Asami ducked low away from the blade, then threw herself close to the woman. She grabbed hold, pushed the woman's arm away, and then delivered a thudding knee to the chest. The assassin grunted at the impact, but managed to wrap an arm around Asami's leg. With a jerking motion, she yanked the president off balance and then slashed again with her armblade.

The blade bit like fire across Asami's thigh, but she didn't let it slow her down. The assassin struck again, but this time she caught the woman's arm between her own, pinning it straight to the side. Then, Asami delivered a brutal headbutt to the woman's face—bone snapped, blood sprayed. She managed another several quick jabs to the ribs before the assassin finally recovered and followed through with a counter of her own.

Asami's head snapped back against the mirror, shattering the glass into countless glittering shards. The next thing she knew, she was rolling across the floor over the tiny razors, cutting open her legs and arms as she went. She tried to push herself back up to her knees, but the moment that her palms met the glass-covered floor, she cringed at the feel of sharpened edges slicing open flesh.

The assassin struck again with the armblade, but Asami twisted her body and kicked the blade away. Doing her best to ignore the broken glass beneath her, Asami then wrapped her legs around the woman's neck and tugged her down to the floor. When they were both on the floor, Asami grappled close and made sure to keep the armblade pinned away from herself. She drove another knee into the assassin's ribs, but in the process took a brutal jab of knuckles dead center in her abdomen.

The two continued to exchange blows, one after the other, neither gaining much ground on the other. At one point, though, Asami took a shot to the head so hard that bright stars exploded in front of her vision. She recovered soon after and jabbed her elbow into the assassin's chest, but that did nothing to stop the next attack. During the struggle, the assassin's arm with the blade attached slid free from its hold, and before Asami realized it, the narrow blade thrust into the side of her abdomen.

Asami screamed at the pain and toppled backwards, rolling across the floor of broken glass. She tried to get up, tried to ignore the pain and continue defending herself, but no matter which way she moved, a hot explosion of pain ripped through her. While she was stunned, the assassin recovered and crawled back up to her feet. Her armblade now dripped with a steady trickle of crimson.

“Crazy bitch,” the assassin grunted, staggering against the side of the sink. She heaved a deep breath and wiped a line of blood from her lips. “You were just supposed to lay down and die.”

As the assassin moved in to finish the job, a knock sounded on the locked bathroom door, followed by a voice. “Uh, hello? Is everything okay in there?”

Asami made an attempt to call out for help, but the only sound that managed to leave her throat was a hoarse groan of pain. She could do nothing now, except writhe there in pain and wait for the assassin to finish the job. As the assassin made her way from the sink, however, the bathroom door abruptly smashed inward, tearing off its hinges and ripping the lock straight off. Another woman hurried through the doorway, a woman dressed in green robes. For that initial moment of surprise, she and the assassin just stared at each other.

The woman in green reacted first, reaching forward with one arm. A metal cable zipped out from the bracelet at her wrist and wrapped around the imperial woman's arm. With a firm yank, she dragged the assassin off balance. The assassin lurched forward, spinning wildly and tripping over Asami as she went. The woman in green simply held her arm up, allowing the assassin to spin straight into a clothesline, head whipping back and body flipping around in midair. When the imperial woman landed atop the broken glass, the woman in green stomped atop her head, knocking her out cold in an instant.

With the assailant taken care of, the woman in green ran forward and knelt at Asami's side. “President Sato! Are you alright?” The only response she received was a fading groan. Turning her head back to the open doorway, she yelled, “I need help over here!”

Asami cringed once again, wrapping her arms around her stab wound. She felt so much blood leaking out through her fingertips. It was...warm. Yet, at the same time, she felt cold. That...shouldn't happen.

* * *

When Asami finally awoke, she found herself in a dark room surrounded by the soft glow of various medical machines—the hospital, she realized. That's where she was. She attempted to sit up, but the moment she did a sharp pain jolted through her side, forcing her to her back again. _“Ungh_... hello? Is anyone there?”

Footsteps shuffled just outside the room, and then the door burst open. The lights turned on a moment later, revealing both Mako and Chief Beifong.

“Oh thank the spirits you're awake,” Lin uttered, with a relieved breath. “Thought you were going to end up in a coma.”

“What happened?” Asami muttered. “I remember fighting an assassin and then...nothing.”

“You lost a lot of blood,” Mako said, taking a step closer to the hospital bed. The look he gave her flooded with concern. “That assassin really did a number on you. You're lucky to be alive.”

“Still nothing that won't heal, though,” Lin said. “You're going to be alright.”

Mako nodded. “We have the woman who attacked you in custody, so we'll be interrogating her as soon as she wakes up.”

Asami eased a sigh and turned her head to look straight up at the ceiling. “There's no need... Yula sent her. That's what she said.”

“It seems the Dragon Empress is trying to get in a preemptive strike before her invasion...” A deep worry twisted across the chief's face. “Well, I have officers stationed all throughout this floor of the hospital, just outside the room, and around the entire building. We're not letting anyone else get to you.”

“There was...another woman,” Asami muttered, pressing her hand to her forehead. She tried to think back to the incident, to remember the woman in green. “A metalbender. She was the one who finally took down the assassin.”

“We know,” Lin stated “Actually, she's waiting outside if you want to meet her.”

Asami lifted her eyebrows at the statement, then at last managed to push herself up into a mostly upright position in bed. “Yes, please. I want to thank her.”

Lin nodded, then she and Mako head towards the door. “We'll be right outside if you need anything. Just holler.”

A short moment later, the woman in green entered into the room. She was a younger woman, with her silky black hair cut in a straight bob, with flat bangs spread even across her forehead. “President Sato? Are you alright?”

“I'll be fine, thanks to you,” she said. “What's your name?”

“It's Sin, ma'am.”

Asami glanced down at Sin's green robes and silver jewelry—she knew that style. “You're one of the Zaofu refugees?”

“Oh, yeah.” Sin nodded, then stepped closer to Asami's hospital bed. “I went down to the bar tonight to see the band with some of my friends. Guess I picked the right time to go to the bathroom, huh?”

Asami coughed out a soft chuckle, though she was forced to stifle it when another sharp pain ripped through her side. “You certainly did. Thank you.”

“It was nothing, really.”

“You know, from what I saw before I passed out, you handled yourself pretty well against that assassin. Are you on Zaofu's security force?”

“Oh, no,” Sin replied, with a simple shake of her head. “I'm just a dancer, actually. No formal combat training, but when you learn how to dance, you know how to move effectively. Plus my metalbending is top notch, if I do say so myself.”

“Hmm...” Asami paused a moment, shifting herself straighter in bed. She stuffed her pillow closer against her back, to give herself some cushioning. “I'd like to at least give you something to thank you for your help.”

“You mean like a reward?

She nodded. “Is there anything you want? I mean, I do also own one of the top businesses in the city. I could get you just about whatever you wanted.”

“What? Oh, no that's fine, really,” Sin stated, with bashful smile. “I don't need anything. I was just glad to help.”

“Well, if you're sure...” Asami went quiet a moment, giving the other woman a careful look. Sin was staring at her, as if caught in some kind of trance. She wondered... “What about dinner?”

Sin blinked. “Huh?”

“I mean, would you like to go out for dinner some time?” she asked. “After I'm out of the hospital, anyway.”

“Dinner?” Sin blinked again, then shrank back slightly with a subtle blush, hands held behind her back. “Oh... uh, yeah. Yeah that I could... I could definitely do that.”

Asami smiled. “Good. So it's a date?”

Sin returned a smile of her own and nodded. “It's a date.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to keep these notes brief since I'm falling asleep as I type this. Just wanted to make sure I got this chapter up before the day was over. I wanted to take a chapter to catch up with the RC crew and see how things were going for them this past year. We have Asami struggling to keep up with both her company and her presidency, mention of Varrick and Zhu Li's son, Ikinik, Jr., Bolin and Opal having a baby soon and getting married in a month, Opal now an airbending master with her own tattoos, Varrick and Asami putting together ideas for the first televisions, Wu now a talented singer with a popular band, and then Sin, Kuvira's friend from Zaofu and a member of her dance team, helping Asami against an assassin and then getting a date with her.
> 
> So, a lot more happening here than I thought.


	90. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar returns to Republic City, Azula finally says the L word to Anraq, and two couples share an unexpected double date at Kwong's.

It was late afternoon by the time Druk made the descent into the Republic City airfield. They had been flying throughout the night and most of the day to make it back as soon as they could, stopping only once for a couple hours so the dragon could get his strength back. When they finally landed, Mako and Lin were there to greet their arrival, along with a small team of other officers. Korra beamed a smile at them as she slid off Druk's back.

“Hey! Thanks for meeting us here.” Korra gave them both a hug, although Lin didn't so much reciprocate the act as just stand there stiff and at attention. At least she didn't try to refuse the hug.

“Avatar Korra,” Lin said, with a nod. “Welcome back.”

“Good to _be_ back,” she said. Her smile then faded, and she lowered her head with a sigh. I just wish it were under better circumstances...”

“We all do,” Mako said. “It is good to see you, though. It's been a while, hasn't it?”

Korra nodded, strengthening her smile once again. “It has. Too long, if you ask me.”

Lin turned from Korra to the next woman of the group, and greeted her with a firm handshake. “Kuvira, good to see you. I'm sorry about what happened to Zaofu... This whole empire situation has gotten completely out of hand.”

Kuvira eased as calm a sigh as she could manage from her lips, though she still couldn't hide the pain and regret she felt over what had happened to her city. “Thank you, Lin. I just hope we're able to stop Yula before the same happens to Republic City.”

The police chief scoffed. “We damn sure better.”

“Lin, you're looking well.” Zuko stood in front of her, then lowered himself into a respectful bow. “It's good to see you again.”

“Likewise.” Lin returned a bow of her own at the old man. “Glad to have you here.” Then, she turned a glance to the man next to Zuko. “And you, too, Anraq.”

Anraq gave a simple salute. “Nice to see you, chief.”

“Uhh... Korra?” Mako said, lifting his eyebrows high up on his face. He had looked past the rest of the group to notice the fifth member of their company. “What's _she_ doing here?”

Azula strolled up to join the others, and set a hand down on her hip. She smirked at Mako, noting the confusion and caution on his face. “What's the matter, can't handle my excellence? I know, my presence can be overwhelming, but do try to contain yourself.”

“It's alright, really,” Korra insisted. The borderline hostility in Lin's eyes did not escape her notice, and she knew that she needed to settle things down before anything happened. “Azula is...well, things have changed. We can trust her.”

Lin turned a confused glare towards the Avatar. “Are you serious? Have you forgotten what she's done?”

“No, of course not,” Korra said. “But she's not the same as you last saw her, believe me. She just wants to help put a stop to Yula.”

Anraq nodded. “It's true, we can count on her. Trust me, there's a lot more to her than meets the eye.”

Lin still had apparent difficulty coming to grips with the Avatar's words. She blinked, then glanced towards the others. “Kuvira? Zuko?”

“They're right,” Kuvira said, with a simple nod. “Azula is on our side now, as hard as that might be to believe.”

Zuko concurred. “I'd trust her with my life.”

“You see?” Azula took another step forward, maintaining a mocking grin. “You don't need to worry about me. I'm a good girl now.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Mako said, stepping directly in front of her. He raised one of his hands and ignited a ball of fire in his palm. “But that doesn't mean we won't be keeping an eye on you. Given everything you've done, not just to my friends but the entire world, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you. You try anything and I swear...”

Azula glanced down at the flames in the police lieutenant's hands, and with a single breath she blew it out. Then, she tilted her head back and let out a delighted, mocking laughter. “You won't be doing anything to me with pitiful firebending like that! Honestly, who taught you, my brother?” When she settled down from her laughter, she leaned close to Zuko and added, “I'm only joking, by the way, I'm sure you're a much better firebender than this idiot.”

Mako frowned. “I heard that.”

“Well of course you did,” she replied. “I said it loud enough so you would.”

Korra glanced back and forth between the two. It was probably best to change the subject as soon as possible, before someone started throwing fire. With a blatant clearing of her throat, she urged Azula off to the side and said, “So, uh, anyway... Where's Asami? I was hoping to speak with her about the Yula situation.”

Mako stared at Azula a moment longer, then finally returned his attention to the Avatar. “Actually, Asami just got out of the hospital this afternoon.”

“ _What?”_ Korra said, eyebrows lifting high. A jolt of panic ripped through her chest, as she imagined Asami lying alone and cold in some hospital bed somewhere. “What happened? Is she alright?

“She's fine,” he assured. “She just got a little banged up. The healers at the local hospital worked overtime on her.”

“Empress Yula sent an assassin after her, and nearly succeeded,” Lin said. “Fortunately, someone else showed up in time and managed to put the assassin down. I think her name was...Sin?”

At the mention of Sin, Kuvira's eyebrows raised and a smile broke out across her face. “Oh! Sin was there? That's good... She doesn't look it, but she can really put up a heck of a fight when she needs to. I'd hate to get on her bad side. Actually I did, on a few occasions... Those weren't fun times.”

“But Asami is going to be okay?” Korra questioned. Her stomach still bubbled with a deep worry.

“Yeah, she'll be fine,” Mako assured. “She's already back on her feet. Actually, she and Sin have a date tonight.”

Kuvira blinked, recoiling back a step. “Wait, they what now?”

“A date?” Korra paused a moment, letting the information sink in. When she finally had it, she grew a happy smile across her face. “That's great. Asami deserves to have some fun for a change. She's always working so much.”

“Speaking of dates...” Anraq made his way towards Azula, reaching out to grab her hand. When he had her, he began leading her along out of the airfield. “I don't think you've ever been to Republic City before, have you?”

“Once or twice,” Azula said, with an indifferent shrug. “But never for more than a couple days.”

“Well, come with me then. I am going to show you what this city has to offer.”

It took a few moments for Lin to piece together what had just happened. When she did, she twisted a baffled expression across her face, and turned to watch the couple disappear out of the airfield. “Wait a minute... Are those two...?”

“Oh, uh, yeah...” Korra said. “Surprise?”

“But...I mean...what? How...really?” Lin paused, then took a second to compose herself. A single firm slap to her own cheek did wonders for that. When her thoughts were finally back on straight, she added, “Didn't she almost kill him with lightning once?”

Korra nodded. “Yeah... A lot's happened since then.”

“Clearly...”

“Lin, have you heard from my daughter at all?” Zuko asked. He took a step forward, holding his arms across his chest. “I've been worried... I know she wouldn't follow along with Yula's invasions. The entire reason she accepted Azula's offer to become Earth Queen was to keep that nation stable and prevent any further damage. If she tried to resist Yula's orders, I fear what might have happened to her.”

Lin uttered a quiet sigh and hook her head. “I'm afraid not. I haven't heard from Izumi in a while, and any message we send through to Ba Sing Se goes unanswered.”

“That is...troubling.” Zuko bowed his head a moment, then eased a deep sigh out his throat. “Thank you, Lin. I need some time to think.” He gave another bow to the police chief, then made his way out of the airfield.

“Oh, one more thing,” Mako said, giving the two remaining women a warm smile. “I do have some happier news. Guess who's going to be an uncle?”

“What?” It took Korra only a second to realize what he meant, and instantly her face lit up with the news. “Bolin and Opal are having a baby? That's amazing!”

“Wait.” Kuvira stared at them, eyes gradually expanding. “That means...”

“Someone's going to be an aunt,” Korra said, throwing her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders. “How's it feel?”

“I, uh... I don't know,” the matriarch replied, with a nervous tremble in her voice. “I don't think I'd really be very good with kids...”

Lin huffed out a scoff, arms planting across her chest. “Welcome to the club.”

“Oh you'll be a great aunt,” Korra insisted. “And don't worry, if they ever ask you to babysit, I can help. I'm great with kids. Mostly. As long as they're not like Meelo...”

“I guess we'll see...” Kuvira muttered. The look on her face, though, indicated quite clearly that she remained unconvinced of Korra's words. Redeeming herself in the eyes of the people, paying for her crimes, leading a nation, fighting an evil empire, those were all one thing. Dealing with a young kid? Being an aunt? That somehow gave her the most issue out of anything.

“In any case, we've had a long week,” Korra said, as she reached out to hold Kuvira's hand. “We should probably get settled in and get some rest.”

Lin nodded. “Stop by city hall first thing in the morning. We're having a meeting with the president and General Iroh to discuss the empire situation, and we'll need you both there.”

“Got it.” Korra led her girlfriend along by the hand and gave a parting wave to the other two. “See you guys later.”

* * *

Azula glared at the boat, her arms crossed tight over chest. “Seriously? I am _not_ getting in that.”

“Oh come on,” Anraq pleaded. “It's not that bad.”

“It's ridiculous,” she insisted. “It's way too...nauseatingly cute. I don't _do_ nauseatingly cute.”

It had been several hours now since they had arrived in Republic City, and since then Anraq had been showing Azula around to some of the more notable sights. Somewhere during that tour, they had ended up outside the rental dock for turtle duck boats. Now, Azula stood at the edge of the dock, glowering at the vessel. Anraq, on the other hand, had already climbed inside. He leaned back over the edge of it, holding his hand out for her to take.

“You're being stubborn,” he said. “It won't be that bad, I promise. This is actually a good way to see some of the sights. Please?”

Azula stared at him a moment longer, then finally rolled her eyes and took a step forward. “Very well. But if anyone asks, this never happened.”

Anraq flashed her a pleased grin. “You have my word.”

The next hour was spent aimlessly floating around Yue Bay in the turtle duck boat. They passed by Air Temple Island at one point, as well Avatar Memorial Island, and even the pro-bending arena. Eventually, they floated out under Kyoshi Bridge and drifted farther into the bay, until they could see the entirety of Republic City lit up like a beacon against the inky backdrop of the night sky. Technically, they weren't supposed to take the boat out that far, but it didn't matter—just as long as they didn't go far enough to hit the United Forces blockade.

They didn't talk for the longest time, instead just lying there against the back of the boat in each other's arms. When Azula finally broke the silence, she set her head gently upon Anraq's chest. Her gaze tilted up at the city in front of them, and she felt an overwhelming sense of calm begin to drift through her. “Well, I'll admit the city does look impressive when it's all lit up like this.”

“It's nice and peaceful out here, too,” Anraq said, tightening his arms around her waist. “And quiet.”

“Yes, that is a plus,” she said, with a gentle sigh.

He smiled, and brushed his fingers back through her hair. “So, not that bad, right?”

She purposefully hesitated a moment before answering, but soon a smile of her own spread across her face. “Okay, it's not so bad. Besides... I am here with you.” The smile then faded from her face, replaced by a more somber expression. She lifted her head from Anraq's chest and looked up at him, deep into his eyes. “Annie, I... I just want to thank you, for everything you've done for me. In spite of everything I put you through, you were there for me whenever I needed you, through my worst moments and my best. I don't know what would have happened to me if you weren't there. So, I... I mean, thank you.” She grimaced slightly as her tongue tied together, unable to continue putting her thoughts into words. She had more she wanted to say, but for the life of her she just couldn't figure out how to spit it out. With a sigh, she looked away and frowned. “Sorry, I'm terrible at this, aren't I?”

“No, you're not. And you don't need to thank me, either.” Anraq lowered one of his hands and placed his fingers gently against Azula's chin, turning her face to look at him. “Azula... after everything I've lost in my life, after all the tragedy I've been through... I never thought I'd be actually happy again. I know I always came off as a joyful, easy going guy, but that was all just a front. I just... I guess I didn't want to deal with my deeper emotions.” He brought his hand up to her cheek now, tenderly holding his fingers against her. “But ever since I got to know you, I've been...happier than I have in a long, long time. I haven't actually felt this way about someone before, the way I do about you. It's actually a little scary...but also wonderful. So, I'm the one who should be thanking you. Just for being in my life.”

Azula stared back at him as if caught in a trance. She swallowed a growing knot in her throat, and felt her nerves begin to flutter inside her gut. The feeling was mutual; she had never felt like this way about anyone before either. Just a year ago, the thought of connecting to anyone like she did to Annie would have seemed a laughable prospect. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without him.

“I'm happy you're in my life, too, Annie.” She hesitated a moment. There were three words she wanted to say to him, but they proved to be difficult to spit out. It should have been easy, should have just rolled off her tongue, but she had never said this before to anyone. At least, not in the way she meant it for him. Zuko didn't count, considering her relationship with him was a much different sort—familial, versus romantic, as it was with Anraq. This... This was hard for her. It _scared_ her. And yet, at the same time... It soothed her. Finally, she sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to say it. “Annie, I... I love you.”

She tensed up as she said it, half expecting him to push her away and claim he didn't actually feel the same way about her. She knew he liked her, but love was an entirely different beast, a beast she had never before attempted to tackle. Was it too soon? Was love not supposed to develop that fast? Would he laugh at her? Or maybe get angry with her? Her stomach began to churn and knot just thinking about it.

Her worries proved unfounded. Anraq merely smiled at her, and pressed his forehead against hers. “I love you, too, Azula.”

Then, he leaned in and brought their lips together in the deepest, strongest kiss they had shared yet. Azula held herself close against him and returned the kiss with equal fervor. Her heart pounded inside her chest, and the knot in her stomach twisted tighter, but in a good way. So this... _this_ was love then? Yes... Yes, that's what it was. She loved Anraq, and he loved her. It was a revelation that made her happy—undeniably and immeasurably happy.

* * *

Sin leaned her elbows against the table, staring at Asami with growing intrigue. “So you're the President of the United Republic _and_ you own one of the largest companies in the world? That must keep you crazy busy.”

Asami chuckled. “Yeah, it really does, but I manage. I've never been a stranger to working long hours and sleeping in my office, so I was already pretty used to it.”

A smile broke out across Sin's face. As if being taken to fanciest restaurant in all of Republic City hadn't been exciting enough, she got to share the evening with probably the most interesting person in the entire city too. Their drinks hadn't even arrived yet, and already she was enjoying herself. “That's totally amazing. I don't think I could ever keep up with all of that. I could barely balance running my flower shop with dance practice.”

“Oh, you own a flower shop?” Asami said. “That sounds lovely.”

“Well... _owned_ , I guess.” Sin eased out a sigh and bowed her head. “After what happened to Zaofu...”

Asami flinched at the realization. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean...”

“It's alright,” she assured, with a shrug of her shoulders. “It's just...hard, you know? I grew up in Zaofu. Everything I knew, everything I loved... now it's gone. Just...gone.”

Asami reached out across the table, placing one of her hands over Sin's. She gave a reassuring, comforting squeeze. “We're doing everything we can to make sure that we put a stop to Yula and her empire. I promise, once this is over, the United Republic will lend as much aid as possible to help restore Zaofu.”

Sin relaxed at the touch, and lifted a gentle smile towards her. “Thanks, Asami.”

“Asami? Sin?”

The voice drew their attention, just in time to see two familiar faces approaching the table—Korra and Kuvira. Sin immediately sat up straighter and smiled at the couple. “Oh, hey!”

“I didn't realize you were back,” Asami said, flashing the pair a welcoming smile. She then stood up from her seat and came forward to give Korra a hug. To Kuvira, she gave a far more reserved handshake. “How are you?”

“Well, as good as we can be, given the circumstances,” Korra replied. “What about you, though? We heard about the attack.”

“Still a little sore, but I'll be fine,” she said. “The hospital healers do great work. Of course, I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for Sin.”

Sin blushed a little as Asami pointed her out. “Heh, well I did what I could. I guess we can thank my full bladder for that one.”

Kuvira tilted her head, giving her friend a confused look. “Uh...what?”

“Oh, uh... never mind,” Sin said, with a soft laugh. Now that she thought of it, without having the context of the assassin's attack, her joke really didn't make any sense at all.

“So...” Korra said, glancing back and forth between the other two women. “You guys are on a date?”

Asami chuckled. “Yeah, I figured inviting Sin out for dinner was the least I could do for saving my life. We might even catch a mover later on.”

“And how about you?” Sin asked. “You guys look like you're on a date, too, considering we're at Kwong's.”

“Oh, yeah it's been a while since we actually got a chance to go out for dinner,” Korra said. She smiled to Kuvira, then reached out to hold her hand. “So, we figured we'd make a date at Kwong's. We had no idea you guys were here too.”

“You want to join us?” Asami asked. “We only just ordered drinks.”

“What?” Kuvira blinked at the suggestion, and only barely managed to keep herself from recoiling backwards at the suggestion. “Oh, no, I mean you two are on your first date. We wouldn't want to intrude or anything.”

“Heh, yeah,” Korra said. “We don't want to ruin anything for you.”

Sin just gave a shrug, smiling at the other couple. “I don't mind. Our date isn't over after dinner anyway, so you wouldn't be ruining anything. Come on, it'll be fun.”

“Yeah, and it'll give us a chance to catch up,” Asami said. Her focus then shifted over to Kuvira in particular. “Besides... we're all friends, right?”

Kuvira stiffened at the sudden look. She swallowed, head bowing. “I... suppose we are, aren't we?” She felt Korra give her hand a reassuring squeeze, and only then did she finally manage to relax herself. With a deep breath, she nodded and said, “Alright, we'd be happy to join you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another late chapter, sorry. These past couple days have been brutal and I haven't had much time to write, but I still managed to finish this one. I'm not really happy with a lot of it, but hopefully it won't be that bad...


	91. Looking To The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Kuvira discuss a certain possibility in their future, Anraq and Azula accidentally stumble upon the intimate end of their friends' date, and Asami shows Sin something special.

Kuvira heaved out a distant sigh as she gazed over the railing of the ferry, watching Air Temple Island draw closer. Tonight had been so...strange. It wasn't just that they'd had dinner with Asami and Sin, but the entire interactions between them. There had been no hostility between herself and Asami, no awkwardness, no dirty looks, no apprehension, nothing. That wasn't a bad thing, of course, but it felt so foreign to her. While they had at least been on decent terms since the end of Kuvira's prison sentence, she had never expected anything like tonight, being so...normal around each other, especially during a double date with her and Korra.

A gentle touch on her shoulder called Kuvira out of her daze. She glanced to her side to see Korra standing there, and brought a smile to her face. “Oh, hey.”

"Are you alright?” Korra asked, tilting her head with concern. “Ever since we left Kwong's, you've seemed...somewhere else."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine.” Kuvira turned her head back over the railing, gazing out at the dark water of the bay. “I've just...been thinking, about earlier. About dinner. Asami referred to me as her _friend_ , and throughout dinner it even felt like we _were_ friends. We were talking, and laughing, and telling stories, jokes...” She tightened her grip on the railing and pushed herself back a little, arms straightening. Her focus remained on the water below. “I just, I don't know, don't understand, I guess. I knew she had forgiven me and she's accepted you and I being together... But _friends?_ I never would have thought..."

Korra smiled. "Hey, don't worry so much about it. We all know how much you've changed, Asami included. It's been a long time, too; that kind of time can heal a lot. If she says she thinks of you as a friend now, then she means it."

"I guess I just never realized how much it would mean to me,” she replied, with a subtle chuckle. “I always assumed with how much I hurt her, she'd hate me forever, deep down. This is just so...unexpected. Relieving, though."

"So, you're okay?"

Kuvira looked back at her girlfriend and offered a smile of her own. "More than okay. I'm great."

The ferry arrived at the Air Temple Island dock several minutes later, though by now Tenzin and his family had long since turned in for sleep. Still, he had already invited them to stay in one of the guest dormitories while they were in Republic City, and they knew the way. Even so, they didn't make it halfway along the path leading up to the temple before a large white blur came bounding towards them with an excited yip.

"Naga!” Korra held her arms out wide and hugged the massive polar bear dog. Naga responded by giving several firm licks to her face. “Aw, I missed you too, girl. Sorry we had to send you away on the train, but Zaofu was no place for you to stay.” Naga then sat up straight and held her tongue out of her mouth, tail wagging. She stared at Korra expectantly, waiting. “Yes, I bought some treats for you on the way here. Actually, I think Kuvira has them."

Kuvira's eyes widened as the polar bear dog turned towards her. "Wait, hold on a minute, no, don't—!” Her pleas when ignored, as Naga lunged at her and pinned her against the ground. Kuvira squirmed and turned her head with a disgusted grimace as Naga's tongue slathered across her face. Korra just _had_ to make her carry the treats, didn't she? _“Blech!_ Naga! That's my _mouth!_ Ugh, here. Take your treats.”

She struggled out from beneath the polar bear dog's grip, then reached into her robes to pull out a few strips of jerky. Naga immediately gobbled them down, then nuzzled her head against the matriarch. Kuvira sighed, giving the dog a few friendly pats. “Yes, I missed you, too."

When Naga finished her treats, she turned around and ran back up the path, disappearing around the corner. Several moments later, she returned with a large leather ball held in her jaws. She dropped the ball at Kuvira's feet and nudged it forward, then waited with her tail wagging.

"Looks like she wants to play,” Korra said, with a grin.

Kuvira picked up the ball and stared at it—particularly, the drool dripping off the bottom. "It's pretty late..."

"Just a little while,” Korra insisted. She wrapped her arms around Naga's head and curled her lips into an eager smile. “Come on, can you really say no to this face?"

"Alright... just for a little while,” she said, easing a sigh out past her lips. She moved from the temple path and made her way down towards the shoreline of the island, with Korra and Naga following close behind. When they made it to flatter ground, she tossed the ball as far as she could across the beach. Naga eagerly gave chase.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you since earlier,” Korra said, as she watched the polar bear dog return with the ball. “Do you really think you wouldn't be any good with kids?"

"Uh, oh, well... I mean, I don't know.” Kuvira gave a small shrug, then picked up the ball again when Naga set it at her feet. Once again, she threw it along the beach and Naga ran after it. “I just don't really know the first thing about them."

"Well that's why you learn,” Korra said.

"Maybe...” Kuvira hummed out a thoughtful breath, bowing her head. “Still, kids are hard... I probably wouldn't be cut out raising one, even just as an aunt."

"So...you wouldn't want any of your own?"

She stiffened at the question, eyebrows lifting. Naga returned again with the ball, but Kuvira didn't acknowledge it right away. "Wha, uh, I mean... It's not really something I've thought about.” She swallowed and sucked in a deep breath in attempts to relax herself, then hurriedly retrieved the ball to throw it again. After she did, a sudden realization hit her and she snapped her gaze back towards her girlfriend with widened eyes. “Wait... Are you trying to say _you_ want kids?"

Korra offered a half-smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Someday, yeah."

"And you mean with me?"

"Well, you don't plan on breaking up with me any time soon, do you?"

 _"What?”_ A jolt of panic shot through Kuvira's chest. Where had _that_ question come from? Had she done something wrong? What did Korra _mean?_ “No, of course not!"

Korra chuckled. "Then yes, I mean with you."

A warm relief drifted through her; _that's_ what Korra had meant. Duh. “I don't know... I'm not really sure if I'm 'mother' material."

"It's not something you need to make a decision on right now,” Korra said, holding a hand to her shoulder. “Just something to think on. Alright?"

"Okay... I'll think on it." Kuvira breathed another sigh, and watched as Naga again returned with the ball. This time, the polar bear dog dropped the ball in the sand and then curled up with a quiet whine.

"Looks like you're getting a little tired, girl.” Korra scratched the dog behind the ears and then urged her to return up the path. “Go on, get some rest. We'll still be here tomorrow." Naga licked Korra one more time, then promptly retreated up the trail towards the temple.

"I guess we should turn in too,” Kuvira said. “We have an early meeting tomorrow."

"Yeah, we probably should...” Korra glanced towards the water, and then a mischievous grin spread across her face. “Or we could go for a late night swim?"

"A swim? At this time of night?” Kuvira, too, looked out to the water, watching the night-dark waves gently crash against the shore. “We really shouldn't... Besides, neither of us have a swimsuit."

"Oh that's right, we don't." Heading towards the water, Korra promptly reached down and lifted her shirt up over her head. Before Kuvira even knew what was going on, the Avatar removed her bra and pants, and then her underwear, until she was standing stark naked on the beach.

"Korra, what are you _doing?”_ Kuvira hissed, keeping her voice hushed. “There are other people on this island!" Not that she didn't enjoy the view, of course—she very much enjoyed it—but this was more than a little risky.

"All of whom are asleep and wouldn't be able to see down to the shore in the dark anyway,” Korra replied, smirking back over her shoulder. She then waded out into the water up to her waist and waited there. “What's the matter, Kuvy? Embarrassed?"

"I... I am not. I'm just...” Kuvira paused a moment, then glanced up at the temple. She could barely see it through the darkness, and there wasn't a single light on in any of the windows. With a deep huff, she turned back to the water and then hurriedly began to strip off her robes. “Stand back, I'm coming in.” Within moments, she, too, stood naked on the beach. A shiver ran up her spine at the feel of a cool breeze against her bare flesh, and she knew the water wouldn't be any better. Sure enough, as soon as she waded out next to Korra, she puffed out a sharp breath and held her arms around herself. “Oh my _spirits_ it's cold!"

Korra grinned wider, tilting her glance down at Kuvira's chest. "Certainly looks like it."

Kuvira blinked, then followed the Avatar's gaze down to her own chest, where she could see a tell-tale sign of just how cold she was. She pouted, then glanced back up at her girlfriend. "Is that the _only_ reason you wanted to swim?"

"Not the only one." Korra floated around behind her, then wrapped her arms around Kuvira's waist. Her hands started along the matriarch's hips, then gradually moved lower beneath the water.

"Korra, what are you-” Kuvira's hips bucked at the sudden touch between her legs, and she fell back against her girlfriend. “Oh... Oh my... Korra, stop, we shouldn't...” Her protests immediately ceased as the touch intensified, causing her entire body to twitch. Her eyes closed, and a deep groan bellowed from her throat. _“Mmmmph._ Never mind... Don't you _dare_ stop."

* * *

Anraq inhaled a deep, slow breath, setting his head back against the turtle duck boat. They had been out here for hours now, just drifting along the bay and relaxing. A part of him wished the night would never end, but he knew they had to return the boat at some point. "Probably time to head back, huh?"

"Mm, I suppose...” Azula muttered, with her head resting against his chest. Her eyes were closed, and if not for her actually speaking, she could have passed as fast asleep. “Although I'd rather just lie here for the rest of the night."

"As nice as that sounds, we can't sleep in a turtle duck boat,” he replied, with a quiet sigh. “The overtime charges would be through the roof."

"Very well, if we must.” A soft yawn exhaled from Azula's mouth as she sat up and straightened herself in the small seat. She briefly fixed her hair, then sat with one leg crossed over the other. “Though, I'm curious, where exactly are we staying?"

"Uh... Well, I guess we can find a hotel or something,” Anraq said, as he took the wheel of the boat to guide it back through the bay. “It's a little late to show up unannounced at anyone else's place, and even then I'm not sure if...” He paused, catching his words in his throat. “Uh, I mean..."

"You can say it, Annie,” she replied, with a distant sigh. “They wouldn't want me there. It's not as though I could blame them. I get it, believe me."

"Right, sorry...” he muttered. “So...hotel?"

"I suppose that will have to do.” Azula kept her gaze on the city, as the boat continued through the bay. Even this late at night, the entire place was still lit up like a beacon, and satomobiles still traveled along the roads. Republic City as a whole, it seemed, never truly slept. Her attention eventually shifted away from the city and focused on Anraq. She stared at him, her eyes softening. “Annie, can I ask you something?"

He glanced at her, curling his lips into an affirmative smile. "You know you can ask me anything."

Even with the assertion that she could ask him anything, she still hesitated. She almost didn't want to ask her question; she knew it had to be a touchy subject for him, and he was the one person she would actually be concerned about bringing up something like this. Still, after taking a moment to gather her nerves, she managed to force out her words. "Earlier, you said you'd never felt about anyone the way you feel about me. But...you were with someone before, weren't you? Kanna's mother?"

"Ah, yeah...” Anraq held his gaze straight ahead of them, keeping watch on the water. “Megumi. Things were...different with her."

"So...you didn't love her?"

"It's...complicated.” He huffed out a deep sigh and bowed his head. “I was young back then, new to Republic City, barely scraping by on a meager salary. When I met Megumi, we hit it off right away. She was smart, and beautiful, and cool, and...everything I wasn't. I was crazy about her. I don't think it was ever really love, though. At least, not that real, deep, forever kind of love. One day, maybe, but I didn't know her long enough for that."

Azula kept her gaze on him, watching him closely. There was a distance in his expression, as he recalled the story. "What happened?"

"Heh, well... Kanna happened,” he said, with a quiet chuckle. “She was sort of, well, an accident. Like I said, we were young, stupid. Still, we were going to try to make it work, to raise our child the best we could together. But...fate didn't work out that way.” The distance in Anraq's eyes grew stronger, and became laden with sorrow. “Shortly after she have birth, Megumi suffered medical complications. The doctors couldn't save her, and I still wasn't that good a healer yet, so I couldn't either. She passed away a few hours later. Next thing I know, I'm a single dad at eighteen years old in the middle of Republic City. I tried to make it work as best I could, and I managed for a couple years, but... Well, it got to be too much to keep up with. So, I packed up and moved back to the South Pole with Kanna. After that...” He sighed again, hanging his head and closing his eyes. “Well, you know the rest."

An involuntary knot lumped into Azula's throat as she listened. She turned her head and closed her own eyes, now starting to feel a lingering regret over asking the question. She could hear the pain in Anraq's voice; it twisted her stomach. "I'm sorry, Annie..."

"Don't be,” he said, with a gentle shrug. “It was a long time ago."

"I think...I would have liked to meet Kanna,” she said, gradually bringing her gaze back to him. “From how you spoke of her before, she seemed like a...tolerable child."

Anraq laughed; for Azula, he knew the statement was sincere, even if she had phrased it in otherwise awkward way. "I actually think she'd have gotten a kick out of meeting you. Even more out me dating you."

Azula smirked, planting her arms tight across her chest. "Well, I am quite awe inspiring."

He turned a smile of his own at her. "You certainly are."

A moment of quiet lingered between them, the only sound being the lapping of the waves against the side of the boat. Soon, though, as they began to pass by Air Temple Island, a distinct noise drifted in over the silent night air. Azula furrowed her brow and lifted her head, looking out across the water.

"Do you hear something?" she asked.

Anraq, too, squinted his eyes around the bay, searching for the source of the noise. "It sounds like...yelling?"

As the boat drew closer to the island, the yelling grew louder, and clearer. Clear enough for Azula to determine that it wasn't yelling at all—it was moaning. She quirked an eyebrow and finally brought her focus to the source, an area in the water near the shoreline of Air Temple Island. At first, she saw nothing, but soon their angle changed in just the right way so that the pale moonlight lit up the water. It was then that she saw them. "Is that...Kuvira and the Avatar?"

"I think so...” Anraq replied, leaning over the edge of the boat for a better look. “But what are they... Oh... _Oh._ OH."

Azula realized it a second after he did. Her eyes flew open wide at the sight, but she couldn't bring herself to look away. "Are you _joking_ me? They're right out where anyone can see them!"

"Well don't _stare!”_ Anraq threw himself low against the floor of the boat, shielding himself behind the edge. “Just avert your eyes and we'll float right on by."

She ignored him, of course, and instead continued to watch, if only out of morbid curiosity. "Oh my, now _that's_ an inventive use of waterbending."

"What?” Anraq peered over the side of the boat for a closer look, and when he saw what she had referred to, his eyebrows lifted with surprise. “How in the heck are they...?” Before he could finish his thoughts, he squinted his eyes shut and dropped back against the floor again. “Wait, no, stop looking. Those are our _friends."_

"Hey, they're the ones doing it in the open,” Azula insisted.

"Would you _sit down?”_ He tugged her sleeve, trying to get her to join him behind the side of the boat, out of sight. “They'll see you!"

Azula scoffed out a laugh. "Oh, I think they're way too distracted to notice us."

"Ugh..." Anraq remained hidden until the boat finally floated far enough away from the island that Korra and Kuvira were out of sight. Only then did he finally crawl back up to the seat.

Azula returned to the seat as well, settling in with her arms crossed over her chest. "Well, that was amusing."

"You are shameless,” he muttered, glaring at her out the corner of his eye.

"And you're pathetic.” She smirked, then leaned in close to kiss his cheek. “Try to remember that waterbending trick, though."

"What? Why?” He paused a second, blinking at her. It took a moment, but he soon realized what she meant. “Oh... _Oh._ Wait...really?"

"Well, eventually...” she said, with a shrug. She knew that they hadn't done anything beyond kissing yet, and she still didn't feel ready for it, but it would happen sometime. At least, she assumed. “I mean, it _will_ happen. Right?"

"Well, yeah, obviously. I-I mean of course. Eventually.” Anraq cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly in his seat. “Whenever you're ready. I'm not like...in a hurry or anything. Just... You know, when you want."

A soft chuckle eased from her throat, and again she leaned against him for another kiss. "You're adorable when you're flustered, you know that?"

"Heh, well, yeah... I mean, I can be. I guess."

A smirk widened across her face, and she settled close against him, arms wrapping around his shoulders. "Do we have to go in just yet?"

Anraq eased out a contented sigh and returned the hold, clutching her close against his chest. "Well... I guess we can stay out a little longer."

* * *

“That was a really exciting mover,” Sin said, with an excited grin. She and Asami had just exited the mover theater, and now made their way along the streets of Republic City, side by side. Even well after midnight, the neighborhood was still alive with activity. “I mean the end when they leaped over the erupting volcano? _Epic!_ Oh and the romance... It was so touching.”

Asami watched the other woman with a smile of her own. She had learned a lot tonight about Sin, who had proven to be an adventurous, excitable type. She liked that in a woman. “Well I'm glad you liked it. I had a really good time tonight.”

“So did I. It was really great. _You're_ great.” Sin paused a second, blinking. Then, she smacked herself in the forehead. “And... I've actually said that several times tonight, haven't I?”

“Honestly? It doesn't get old,” Asami said, with a quiet chuckle. “I mean, I _am_ pretty great.”

Sin smiled again, keeping her focus on the president. As they past by the window of a store, however, her gaze caught sight of a clock—nearly one in the morning now. “Oh wow, it's late... I didn't realize so much time had gone by.”

Asami, too, glanced at the clock. Her eyes widened subtly at the sight of it; she had been having such a good time on their date, she hadn't realized how late it really was. “Wow, me neither. But I guess that's what happens when you're having fun.”

“So... I guess that's it?” Sin said, with a disappointed sigh. “Probably time to call it a night, I suppose.”

“Maybe...” Asami pressed a hand to her chin, then offered a knowing smirk. “Or maybe not.”

“Oh? Do you, uh, have something else in mind, or...?”

“Actually, I think I do,” she said. “You're new in Republic City, so I doubt you've seen everything it has to offer. You want to see something really cool?”

Sin nodded eagerly. “Yes, absolutely!”

Asami led the other woman along by the hand, changing directions down the street to head towards downtown. In the distance, the glowing beam of the spirit portal filled the sky, stretching up into the darkness beyond. Within several minutes, large green vines began to appear along the sides of nearby buildings, growing thicker the farther they went. When they finally rounded the last corner, they came face to face with a thick wall of the vines that hid the rest of the city beyond.

“Here we are,” Asami said, guiding the way up in front of the vines. She reached out to part them as she would a curtain, then ushered Sin inside. The darkness beyond the vines was minimal, as a soft glow from multiple floating spirits lit up the area. The vines grew like a forest here, completely entangling the buildings within, buildings that had at one point been people's homes.

“Wow...” Sin stared around with wide eyes, wonder stricken upon her face. Her attention focused on a flock of fluttering butterfly spirits. “What is this place?”

“These are the Spirit Wilds, Republic City's biggest attraction,” Asami explained. “It was created when Vaatu attacked the city during Harmonic Convergence, and expanded when the new spirit portal formed.”

“It's beautiful...” Sin wandered around the wilds, captivated at the many spirits that made it their home. A delighted smile curled its way across her face, and her eyes gleamed. “I've never seen so many spirits in one place before. Zaofu has some, but they're pretty rare.”

“It is pretty amazing, huh?”

“Totally...” Sin uttered, gradually bringing her gaze back towards Asami. “Thanks for bringing me here, this is wonderful.”

“I'm glad you like it.” Asami watched the woman a moment longer, and soon she found herself smiling too. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a really pretty smile?”

“Oh, uh, no, actually.” Sin's lips twitched a little, and she shrank back with a quiet chuckle. Her cheeks flushed with a deep shade of red. “I do?”

“Yeah, you do.”

“Heh, wow, thank you.”

Asami took a step closer, then reached out to gently take one of Sin's hands in her own. “This might sound strange, but I'm really glad that assassin attacked me. Otherwise I might not have met you.”

“Oh, me too!” she replied. “I mean, not... that the assassin attacked you, that was horrible, but that I met you. You're pretty too. I mean, you have a pretty smile too. I mean...” She swallowed, as a curtain of embarrassment fell across her face. “Uh, wow, I'm rambling, aren't I?”

Asami merely smiled, then leaned in close to give the other woman a quick kiss at the corner of her lips. “Thanks, Sin.”

As if she hadn't been blushing enough already, Sin's face grew even redder. A bashful grin spread across her lips, followed by an embarrassed laugh. “Oh my...”

“Come on,” Asami said, leading Sin along by the hand. “We should probably get going. It's getting pretty late.”

“Oh, right, of course, yeah.”

“I'd love if we could do this again sometime, though.” Asami glanced back over her shoulder, offering another smile. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”

“Oh, yes, definitely! Me too, I had a lot... a lot of fun.” Sin tried to hide her blushing, but failed miserably. All she could do now was follow the president out of the Spirit Wilds and back into the open night of Republic City.

And what a night it had been.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So another fluffy filler type chapter, but I thought this one was important to do. I wanted to build on the mention of children in the last chapter with Korra and Kuvira discussing the possibility of having their own in the future, and Kuvira's apprehension about it. I also thought this would be a good time to learn about Kanna's mother, Anraq's first 'love', so to speak. There hadn't really been a way to fit that in the story yet, but it made sense to bring it up here. Plus, I wanted to provide a little more focus on Asami's date, since she deserves some happiness too damn it.
> 
> And then Azula and Anraq essentially walking in on Korra and Kuvira, because... well why not xD


	92. Game Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remaining World Leaders come up with a plan to deal with Yula before she makes an invasion on Republic City. Meanwhile, Zuko prepares to leave on a secret mission.

Korra yawned and rubbed her eyes as she made her way up the steps of city hall. When all was said and done, she and Kuvira probably should have gone to bed earlier last night, rather than staying up for another hour during their 'swim'. Then again, it had totally been worth it. She could still feel lingering twinges of enjoyment when she had awoken that morning, and Kuvira was struggling to keep her legs straight while walking. It was amusing, watching the matriarch marching up the steps with her hands clasped behind her back, stumbling on buckled knees every few steps. That waterbending maneuver had really been a good call.

As they reached the top of the steps, a familiar man dressed in Water Tribe attire was there to greet them. Korra lit up when she saw him, and immediately ran to embrace him in a hug. "Dad! You're here!"

Tonraq smiled down at his daughter, holding his arms tight around her. It had been nearly half a year since they had last seen each other. "It's so good to see you, Korra."

"So you got the news, then?"

He nodded. "I did. This whole empire situation is gravely concerning. If we don't act soon, Empress Yula could bring disaster to the rest of the nations, just like she did Zaofu."

"Yeah, it's bad...” Korra sighed, bowing her head. “We were there at Zaofu. We saw it sink into the ground... Wiped off the map, just like that."

Kuvira stood straight in front of Tonraq and held her hand outward in greeting. Ever since she had started dating Korra, she hadn't seen much of the Avatar's father. She had no idea whether or not the man had eased up on the idea of her dating his daughter. "Chief Tonraq, it's good to see you again."

"Matriarch Kuvira.” Tonraq narrowed a glare at her, arms crossed over his chest. “I trust you've been treating my daughter well?"

"Oh, yes, of course!” she insisted. She went stiff, and pulled her hand back; clearly he wasn't going to be shaking it. “I have. Definitely. Just like I said I would."

Korra raised an eyebrow at her father. "Dad..."

Tonraq glanced back at her and uttered a soft chuckle. Then, without warning, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Kuvira as well, much to the matriarch's surprise. "I'm just giving you a hard time. It's good to see you, too. Korra's been keeping me well informed about things between you two."

“Oh... uh... that's good.” Kuvira blinked, unmoving in the man's hold. With how his arms had tightened around her, she couldn't even lift her own arms to return the gesture. She could only stand there awkwardly and wait for him to let her go.

"Cousin Korra, you made it.” The voice came seemingly from thin air, as it usually did when Eska and Desna showed up somewhere. Those two really did have a knack for creeping up on people. Sure enough, when Korra turned around, her cousins were standing right behind her, a little too close for comfort. How on earth could they be so quiet?

"Eska, Desna,” she replied, with a simple nod of her head. “It's...nice to see you, as always."

“Of course, it is a pleasure,” Eska said.

"Yes, although the circumstances could be better,” Desna added. “It is good, though, that you managed to escape Zaofu.”

“Indeed. We would have been saddened if you were buried with the city.” Even with Eska's insistence of their possible 'sadness', though, her expression remained as indifferent as ever.

Tonraq glanced back and forth between them, then led the way towards the city hall entrance. "We'd better get inside. I'm sure the president is waiting for us."

Within the meeting chamber, President Sato, General Iroh, and Chief Beifong were already waiting for them around a large round table. Avatar Korra, Matriarch Kuvira, Chief Tonraq, and Chiefs Eska and Desna joined them at the table, ready to get the meeting underway. The only world leaders not present were those of the Dragon Empire—Dragon Empress Yula, and Earth Queen Izumi, who still hadn't been heard from since Yula took power. As of right now, there was no separate Fire Lord in charge of the Fire Nation.

Once everyone was seated, Asami folded her hands in front of herself and leaned forward. "Now that we're all here, we can begin. General Iroh, where does the United Forces stand right now?"

"As of now, we're at six thousand troops strong, including five battleship fleets, twenty airship fleets, fifty-two mech battalions, one hundred bombers, and twelve anti-aircraft units,” the general explained. “We have a blockade set up around Yue Bay, and troops stationed all along the border to warn against attack. When given command, it'll take approximately six hours for our entire force to converge at a designated target location."

Asami nodded, then turned a look towards the other side of the table. "Chief Tonraq?"

"I've added half my nation's Navy to your fleet,” he said. “The soldiers aboard can act as ground troops as well, if needed. In total, we have eight thousand troops aboard fifty battleships, stationed just one mile outside your blockade. We also have numerous ocean mines we can set up outside the bay. That should at least slow down any attempted naval invasion."

"Good, thank you,” she replied, then turning her gaze towards the Northern leaders. “Chief Eska, Chief Desna?"

"We have also brought half our military, though I believe you will find our additions more beneficial,” Desna stated. It wasn't meant to be a smug comment, but rather a factual statement—the North did indeed possess a far greater military than the South.

"Seventy-five battle ships carrying twelve thousand troops, sixteen airships, eighty-five bombers, ten battalions of mechs, and six Class-T9 water cannons,” Eska detailed. “I trust that will be sufficient.”

Asami's eyebrows lifted at the report. "Wow. That's...more than we could have hoped for. Thank you."

"We could not just sit by while this empress seeks to conquer the world,” was Eska's simple reply. “We will do what we can to stop her."

“You'll have my security force, as well,” Kuvira said. “They're not numerous, but they're some of the most skilled earth- and metalbenders in the world.”

Asami nodded to her. “Thank you, Matriarch.

Korra eased a sigh, and set her elbows against the table. “I'm hoping we can stop this _without_ a battle, though. Even with a combined force this size, Yula's military is still larger. And even if we did manage to defeat her, the casualties would be enormous. We need to do this with as little bloodshed as possible."

"I agree,” Lin stated, rising from her seat. She leaned forward, hands pressed flat against the table. “Which is why I have a plan."

Asami tilted a curious gaze towards the police chief. "What plan is that?"

"Exactly what she tried to do to you,” Lin said. “We assassinate her. Cut the head off the snake and the entire beast dies."

Korra's eyes snapped open at the suggestion. "What? That's crazy! We should at least attempt some kind of diplomatic solution first, before we just go _killing_ her!"

"I agree with the Avatar,” Kuvira said, quickly. Her brow lowered with concern at the police chief. “There must be some way we can end this without violence. At least, we should try. How would assassinating her make us any better?"

"Well, we'd be preventing a war, for one,” Lin muttered, planting her arms across her chest. She stared back at them, then huffed out a tired breath. “Look, normally I wouldn't even suggest it, but the stakes are way too high here. You realized that before, remember? As I recall, you two already attempted to do the same thing back in Zaofu. Why so against it now?”

“We were trying to _capture_ her, not _assassinate_ her!” Korra insisted. “Yula was already on our doorstep and we didn't have a means of otherwise defending ourselves, with how outnumbered we were. It was just...the best option at the time.”

“Besides, it didn't work anyway,” Kuvira said. “Yula knew we were coming and nearly killed us. I just think that attempting another sneak attack like that could end in disaster. We shouldn't rule out diplomatic methods.” In truth, Kuvira knew deep down that Lin was right; she just didn't want to face that fact, partly because she didn't want to get her hands dirty in such an underhanded way, and partly because it was still Yula—a changed, twisted Yula, but Yula nonetheless. How could she just agree to send an assassin after her?

“After what happened to Zaofu, I think Yula has already proven she wants nothing to do with diplomacy,” Lin said. Her gaze hardened, then shifted towards Korra. “You said it yourself. If it comes to war, thousands of people could lose their lives. If we can prevent that, then taking out a single tyrant is a small price to pay. As the Avatar, that's something you should understand."

"Well, I know, I _do._..” Korra said, tilting her head down against her hand. “It just... feels wrong."

Tonraq reached out and gave his daughter's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I don't think it's supposed to feel right, even if it does seem like the most practical solution.” He sighed, then pulled his hand back to fold his arms across his chest. “I don't like it anymore than you do, Korra, but the last thing I want to do is march my people to their deaths in a war that could otherwise be avoided."

"Agreed,” Eska said. “If war could be prevented, then we should pursue this option."

Desna nodded. "You have our support in this matter."

"And mine,” Asami said. The president straightened in her chair, hands folded on the table in front of herself. The look she gave Korra seemed apprehensive, and somewhat apologetic. “I'll admit, this isn't an easy call to make, but we have to do everything we can to end things before we find ourselves in an all out war. The best option, as messy as it might be, is the one that saves the lives of our people. That has to be our main priority, otherwise why are we even here?"

Tonraq gave a slow nod, turning his gaze around the table. "So, we are all in agreement?" He received several affirmative nods in response. Even Korra and Kuvira, who didn't outright voice their agreement, made no further protest against the plan.

"Looks like it,” Iroh stated. “Now the question is, how do we do it?"

"A small team would be best,” Lin said. “No more than a few people. It'll be easier to slip behind enemy lines that way, and get to Yula unnoticed. I volunteer."

"Lin, you're the chief of police,” Asami said, quirking an eyebrow at the older woman. “We need you here."

"There are plenty of other capable individuals here who can run the police force while I'm gone,” she insisted. “Besides, this was my idea. I'm not going to suggest a dangerous mission if I'm not willing to do it myself. I'll still need a couple more with me, though."

Kuvira took in a deep, slow breath, then stood up from her seat. "I'll go."

Korra's eyebrows shot upward at the declaration. "Kuvira, wait, are you sure?"

"I'm sure,” she replied, with a nod. “I'm the only world leader here without a nation to actually lead anymore, so I might as well. And Yula...” Kuvira bowed her head and sighed. As much as she hated this, and as much as it twisted a knife in her gut, if it was going to happen then it should be her. If she had never gone out with Yula, never started dating her, never been with her that night Azula attacked, if she had never gotten Yula _involved._.. Then none of this would have happened. “She needs to be stopped."

"Well then I'm going too,” Korra said.

"No, you need to stay here."

Korra twisted a look of puzzlement across her face. "What? Why on earth would I do that?"

"Any number of things could go wrong on this mission,” Kuvira said. “It'll be dangerous.”

"Which is exactly why I should go with you! I'm the Avatar.”

"It's _because_ you're the Avatar that you shouldn't go,” she countered. “If something does go wrong, if the worst happens... The world can't afford to lose you."

Korra shook her head, staring at her girlfriend in disbelief. "Kuvira, you can't just expect me to sit here and wait for you while you're in hostile enemy territory! I need to be there with you."

"Please, Korra. You're far more important to the world than I am. That's not something you can dispute."

"But Kuvira—"

Kuvira silenced her with a tight hug, arms wrapped around her shoulders. A deep breath left the matriarch's throat, and she stroked her fingers gently through Korra's hair. "I'll be fine. I promise. Just please... do this for me? The world needs its Avatar, no matter what.”

Korra didn't say anything for a long moment. She sank against the hold, eyes closing. Eventually, she set her head against Kuvira's shoulder and swallowed the knot in her throat. “Fine... I'll stay. But don't expect me to be happy about it.”

“I know, it's okay,” Kuvira replied. “Be as angry as you want... We can work it out when I get back.”

“You'd _better_ come back.”

“I will.”

Lin waited for the two to finish before continuing. "We should bring a healer with us too, just in case. Preferably one with combat experience."

"I suppose I can talk to Anraq,” Kuvira said. “As far as combat-oriented healers go, there isn't much better. But...if he agrees to come, then Azula will want to, as well."

A low grumble bellowed out of Lin's throat. “I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with that.”

Kuvira sighed. “As bad as that might sound, having Azula with us wouldn't be a bad thing. She wants to stop Yula more than any of us, and if I'm being honest, she could fight circles around...well, almost anyone. She'd only be an asset.”

“Assuming I could put up with her,” Lin mumbled. “Fine, ask them, see if they want in. If not...I suppose there's Kya. Spirits know she probably won't let me go without her anyway."

Kuvira nodded. "We'll need to know exactly where she is if we plan to do this."

"We have spies throughout the Earth Kingdom that can keep an eye out for her,” said General Iroh. “The last report we received said she arrived at the state of Yi after leaving Zaofu, but that was a few days ago. We'll keep you updated as soon as we know more."

"Alright...” Kuvira sucked in a deep breath, steadying her nerves. “We'd better get ready then."

* * *

Druk stirred out of slumber as Zuko began to strap his travel bag around the dragon's neck. A deep, tired grumble followed, bellowing out between the massive red-scaled jaws. When the dragon's eyes opened, Zuko patted the side of Druk's head. “It's alright, boy. It's just me. Thought I'd let you get a little more rest before I woke you.”

While Zuko had been invited to the meeting between the world leaders, he had elected not to go. Rather, he had far more personal business to take care of, and he knew they didn't need him there. Whatever plans they intended to make, they could do so without him. He needed to move quickly, anyway—couldn't afford to waste time.

“Zuzu, what are you doing?”

Zuko stiffened at his sister's voice, then turned around. There Azula was, staring at him with her hips cocked to the side and her arms folded across her chest. Anraq stood next to her, his hand around her waist. With a small sigh, he brought his attention back to Druk and continued tying his gear into place. “I'm leaving.”

Azula raised an eyebrow. “Leaving? But you just got here. Where else would you even be going?”

“Communications with Ba Sing Se have been cut off, ever since Yula's rise in power,” he explained. “Izumi was the Earth Queen there, but I'm concerned about what might have happened to her. I know my daughter well enough to know she would never willingly follow Yula's plans, and with the Dai Li reinstated, I fear what kind of state that city is in now. Izumi might have been removed from power and imprisoned... or worse.”

“So you're going to Ba Sing Se to look for her?” Azula questioned.

“That's precisely what I'm doing.”

Anraq blinked with concern. “And you're going alone? Lord Zuko, with all due respect... that's crazy. Ba Sing Se is the Dragon Empire's largest city, and we're their most wanted fugitives. There's no way you make it five steps within the walls before the Dai Li snatch you up and drag you off to who knows where.”

“I have to do this,” Zuko insisted. “Izumi is my daughter, and if anything happened to her while I didn't try to help her...”

Azula approached him, and gently stroked her hand along his shoulder. A scolding sigh left her lips. “Then let us come with you, Dummy.”

He pushed his eyebrows together and looked back at them, confused. “You want to come with me?”

“Well it's not like we're doing anything else right now,” Anraq said, with a shrug. Other than sitting and waiting for Yula's forces to show up on our doorstep. We might as well.”

“And besides, Izumi is my niece...” Azula insisted. She raised a hand and began to casually check over her nails—freshly filed to their signature points. “I can't have Yula holding her prisoner in some dingy Earth Kingdom prison, it's embarrassing.”

“Are you both certain you want to do this?” Zuko asked “It'll be dangerous...”

Anraq huffed out a laugh. “Do you have any idea who you're talking to? At this point, danger is my first, middle, and last name.”

“Plus, you're an old man,” Azula said, giving her brother a firm pat on the back. “You really expect to do this on your own?”

Zuko smiled. “Well... if you're sure, it would be nice to have you. Thank you.”

Azula merely waved off the comment, then made her way towards the awakening dragon. “Don't mention it, Zuzu. Let's just make sure little 'Zumi gets home safe, alright?”

“Alright, everyone aboard,” Anraq said, already climbing atop Druk's back. “Next stop, Ba Sing Se!”

“Actually, we have one more stop to make first,” Zuko said.

Azula hoisted herself into position in front of Anraq, then turned a curious glance down to her brother. “What stop is that?”

“I wasn't going to go alone.” Zuko tightened the last strap to his gear, and then climbed atop Druk's head. “At least, I was going to try not to.”

“You mean you're recruiting someone?”

“Precisely.” Zuko gave Druk's head a firm pat, and the dragon raised himself upwards off the ground, standing at full height. “If we're going to be looking for Izumi in Ba Sing Se, we're going to need someone who can see every inch of it, on the surface and through the ground.”

“Oh, you mean an earthbender?” Anraq questioned, with a puzzled stare. “You know, Korra, Kuvira, and the Chief are here...why not just ask one of them?”

“They're busy with other things right now. No need to bother them.”

Azula leaned back against Anraq's chest and folded her arms. “Well then what earthbender are you planning to recruit?”

A smirk curled its way across Zuko's face, as Druk then flapped his wings and took to the sky. “The greatest one there is.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter here, but I wanted to get this political stuff out of the way. Although, this is at least somewhat interesting with them coming up with an assassination plan lol. We'll have to see just how well that goes. And in the meantime, Team Fire (plus Anraq) are on their way to Ba Sing Se to find Izumi... and they're picking up a special guest along the way :D


	93. The Sea of Chi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph joins Zuko and his team for their mission to find Izumi in Ba Sing Se, but tensions between her an Azula remain high. Also, Zuko teaches his sister a vital new skill.

Yula smiled, placing her hands on her sister's shoulders as they both gazed into the mirror. "There, now you look just like royalty."

"Ha, I look just like _you,”_ Shayu said.

Yula chuckled. "Well that _is_ the point.”

Shayu took another moment to look herself over. Wearing a regular imperial military coat had been strange enough, but to be dressed up in Yula's Dragon Empress robes? Now that was totally bizarre. Plus, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she really _did_ look just like her sister, if only a little younger. Well, provided she kept her posture straight; she did have a problem with slouching sometimes. "So why am I doing this again? It feels weird, dressing up like an empress. It should be _you_ wearing this uniform, not me."

Yula took a step away from the mirror, hands on her hips. She herself was now dressed in a simpler, casual outfit, no different than an ordinary citizen. Her hair had been let down, and gone were her glasses. At a quick glance, no one would be able to tell that she was, in fact, the Dragon Empress. "Shayu, I already told, I have things I need to take care of right now, but at the same time the people need to see their empress. They need to know that she's still there for them. So, while I'm taking care of other matters, you're going to travel around the Earth Kingdom in my stead. You won't have to speak or get close to anyone, just stay behind your escort and wave to the crowds every so often. Simple."

"I guess that makes sense...” Shayu said, squinting at her reflection. “You're sure they'll think I'm you?"

"Of course,” she replied. “Just look at you. You're the spitting image of me in that uniform. Just one more thing...” Yula turned to the nearby desk and grabbed the pair of round glasses sitting there. Then, she opened them and placed them onto her sister's face. “There we go."

Shayu's eyebrows lifted—now, she looked nearly identical to Yula's usual appearance. "Wow, you're right.”

"I'll miss you, Shayu, but it's only for a couple weeks.” Yula wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging tight. “We'll see each other again soon."

"Thanks, Sis,” Shayu replied. “I'll miss you too."

"Now, go on, your escort is waiting." Yula ushered Shayu out of the room, giving one final wave before her sister disappeared.

Once Shayu was gone, Avan slipped into the room. He glanced back over his shoulder briefly, then set his attention on Yula. "You're sure this is a good idea?"

"Yes, I'm positive,” she replied. “I've no doubt there are spies behind our borders, trying to determine our next move. If they want to watch me, then they will—by watching Shayu. Meanwhile, I'll be free to organize our troops in preparation for Republic City. In two weeks, we should be ready to invade."

* * *

Azula swatted at a fly buzzing around her head. She followed close behind Zuko, doing her best to avoid stepping in the large pools of mud along the way. At one point, a squirrel frog jumped onto her shoulder, prompting her to shoo it away with a disgusted groan. "Why on earth would anyone want to live in a swamp? This place is _filthy."_

"At least it's quiet?" Anraq said. No sooner than he said it, the screeching wail of some distant animal split the air. “Uh, for the most part.”

"I don't think that's worth all the mud,” she muttered, as she slid down over a massive raised tree root. Her boots sploshed in a thick puddle of mud, eliciting an annoyed grumble from her lips. When her moth opened, though, a rogue insect fluttered inside her mouth and lodged in her throat. She coughed and sputtered, turning her head to spit it out. _“Uck!_ Or the _bugs!"_

"Relax, Azula,” Zuko said. “We won't be staying long, either way."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine then. Let's get this over with."

Zuko led the way towards a large tree, the roots of which twisted and raised up out of the ground. The roots parted around a small opening at the base, leading into a sort of tree cave beyond. A curtain of grassy vines hung down over the opening, blocking the interior from view. Zuko paused a moment just outside, breathing in deep and curling a gentle smile onto his face. Then, he took a step forward and reached out to part the vines. As soon as he did, the ground shifted beneath his feet and forced him backwards, giving enough space for a smaller figure to walk out from behind the grassy curtain with a travel pack slung over her shoulder.

"Well it certainly took you long enough to get here,” the old woman muttered, marching straight past him. “Let's stop wasting time and go already. Where's the dragon?"

Zuko blinked at her, caught in a confused stare. "Toph, you...knew we were coming?"

"Of course I did!” she replied, with a raised eyebrow. Her expression was one of disbelief, as though the question were one of the stupidest she had ever heard. “Geez, it's like you forgot who I am or something. Just because I came back to my swamp doesn't mean I stopped paying attention to what's going on in the world through the vines. I know about Yula, what happened to Zaofu, _everything._ I knew that you were coming here to ask my help finding Izumi, so I made sure I was ready."

"I see...” he said, with another blink. “Honestly, I thought I was going to have to do more convincing than that."

Toph uttered a harsh grunt. "I already lost a daughter. I'm not going to let the same thing happen to you as long I can help it. No convincing required."

A deeper smile came to Zuko's face. "Thank you, Toph."

"Thank me _after_ we find Izumi. Until then, stay focused.” Toph hoisted her pack higher onto her shoulder, then marched forward. She didn't need anyone to tell her where to go, as she no doubt had already sensed where Druk was waiting. However, she abruptly halted when she came next to Azula, and a heavy frown twisted upon her face.

Azula stared at the old woman. An awkwardness spread between them so thick that it could have been cut with her swords. "Toph..."

"Azula."

"So...” What was she even supposed to say? It was no secret that Toph despised her. If not for Zuko being here, the old earthbender probably would have attacked her already. “It's...nice to have you along, I suppose. What's it like, living in a swamp?"

 _"Stuff_ it.” Toph's voice bit with venom. “I don't want to hear anything from you."

"But—"

"Let's get one thing straight.” Toph turned a blank stare towards Azula, a scowl set upon her face. “I'm putting up with you on this trip because I have to, as a favor to Zuko. This doesn't mean I like you, it doesn't make us friends, and it doesn't make me forget the things you've done."

Azua frowned. "I've changed, you know. Not that I care what you think about me, but I _am_ trying to be better, and set things right."

"You mean you're trying to clean up the mess _you_ helped create,” Toph retorted. “I don't care how much you say you've changed. Doesn't make it true."

"Kuvira changed, didn't she?” Azula said. “You used to hate her, but now you're friends. If you gave her a second chance, why not me?"

The scowl on Toph's face grew stronger, and was soon joined by a flash of genuine rage. "Kuvira wasn't complicit in my daughter's murder!"

Azula stiffened. She stared back at the old woman, but didn't say anything at first. Instead, she made an attempt to compose herself; there was something about being shouted at by a cranky old woman that put her on edge. Finally, she regained her confidence and asserted herself with an equally stern glare. “I didn't kill Suyin. That was Zaheer."

"But you were _there,”_ Toph insisted. “You helped him do it. You're just as responsible for Su's death as Zaheer himself, and if that's not something you can acknowledge and take responsibility for, then you haven't changed one bit, no matter how much you claim otherwise. You think I'm going to give you a second chance after that, just because you're a little less horrible now? It doesn't work like that.”

Toph turned her head and spit into the mud. Her expression didn't shift, remaining angry and bitter. “If you want forgiveness, you need to actually own up to what you've done. You need to realize how much you've hurt people, and take _their_ emotions into account, not just your own. You think you've changed, but you're only partway there. Who cares how _you_ feel over the things you did? How do _they_ feel? _That's_ what you have to consider. You need empathy, and as far as I've seen, that's not something you're truly capable of yet. Until then, don't talk to me." The old woman then scoffed and continued her march through the swamp.

"Toph, wait a minute,” Anraq said, making a move to follow her. “With all due respect, I think—"

Azula silenced him with a grab to his shoulder, holding him back. “No, Annie... Don't bother. She's right... Let's just go."

* * *

Azula gazed up at the stars, hands held behind the back of her head as she lied on the ground atop her bedroll. They had made it most of the way to Ba Sing Se by the time night had fallen and they needed to stop to make camp. Tomorrow, they would arrive at the city and begin their search for Izumi. For now, though... They slept. At least, the others slept. Anraq had passed out hours ago in the bedroll next to hers, his face buried against his pillow. Toph was on the other side of the forest clearing, hidden in an earthen tent she had bended up to surround herself. Druk curled up at the center of the clearing, his wings wrapped over his head. Zuko, on the other hand...

Well, she wasn't sure. The last time she had checked, he wasn't in camp; perhaps he'd gone off to go to relieve himself. Right now, she didn't even care. Her thoughts were on other things—questions that kept repeating through her head. How much _had_ she changed, really? Was she actually any different than before? Was her new lease on life just some kind of subconscious front that she was trying to fool herself with?

She had Toph to thank for this onset of self-doubt, of course. For someone who had been so forgiving towards the Great Uniter of all people, she would have expected that old earthbender to show a little more understanding. Then again... They _did_ have a history. It had been a long, long time, but Azula had still tormented Toph and her friends on numerous occasions. Then, of course there _was_ the Suyin incident... The hate was warranted, she supposed.

As she continued staring at the stars, Zuko's face emerged into her field of view, peering down at her. "Azula, are you still awake?"

"My eyes are open, aren't they?” she said, narrowing a glare up at him.

He furrowed his brow at her momentarily, then gestured for her to get up and follow him. "Come with me. There's something I need to show you."

She watched him disappear from her line of sight, then finally sat up and huffed out a sigh. "Fine, if I _must."_

Zuko led her into the forest, down a small, overgrown path through the trees. For several minutes, he remained silent, merely leading the way with his arms held behind his back. Eventually, though, he glanced at her and said, "Don't let Toph get to you. She's always been...blunt."

Azula rolled her eyes. "I'm not concerned about Toph. She hates me, I understand that; she has every reason to. There's nothing I can do about it, so I'm not going to worry.” A brief pause followed. Azula folded her arms across her chest and tilted her gaze downward, watching the dirt beneath her feet as they moved along the path. “She was right, though. Even now that I've realized the terrible things I've done, and even though I'm trying to do better, and be less horrible, and make things right... I still never actually thought about how the people I've hurt must have felt. I just...thought about my own guilt. Not their pain."

A thoughtful breath hummed past Zuko's lips. "Perhaps now that you've realized this, you can work towards rectifying it?"

She shrugged. "I suppose. Really, though, what would it even matter? People like Toph are never going to forgive me no matter what I do, so what's the point in making the effort? I don't even care about their forgiveness anyway. I don't need it to feel better."

"The point, I think, is to find empathy, as Toph mentioned. You've started healing, yes, but to finish healing, you may require more than simply realizing you've done terrible things."

"Like killing Suyin, you mean?” Azula stopped walking. She stared at the ground, arms held around herself in a sort of self-embrace. Zuko wouldn't be able to see it in the dark, but her eyes shifted with an uncharacteristic softness and regret—or were those sort of emotions now becoming characteristic of her? She didn't even know anymore. “Toph was right about that, too. I wasn't the one who dealt the final blow, but I might as well have been. I'm responsible for aiding the Red Lotus attack, for getting them inside Zaofu, for using her husband as a hostage to make her surrender... _I_ did all that. _Me.”_

Azula spread her fingers and ignited a flickering ball of blue flames in her palm. She stared at it, entranced by the glow. “At the time it was just a means to an end. I didn't care how it would affect people, or what the consequences were. The casualties didn't matter to me, just as long as it furthered my own goals. Looking back on it now, I wonder how I ever became that depraved. That desperate.”

The fire in her palm ceased, dissipating into thin air. She sighed, then returned her arms across her chest. Her gaze sank again, only this time they quivered with a deep pain—a pain that she seldom showed to anyone, but had become easier to express in recent months. “I was operating under the lie that it was my destiny to rule, whether it be the Fire Nation, an empire, the world... By whatever means necessary. I've been a slave to that lie my whole life. I hate what it did to me. I hate how it _destroyed_ me... And I hate our father for ever driving it into my head in the first place.”

A scowl twisted onto Azula's face as she thought of Ozai. She clenched her fingers tight together into a fist; flames erupted from her knuckles. “He never gave me a chance to be anything else but the monster I was. I don't want to live that lie anymore. I don't want to be that _monster_ anymore."

A long silence followed. Azula stood there with her arms held around herself, still staring at the ground, as though the dirt beneath her feet offered some kind of solace to her. Really, she just didn't want to look up so Zuko could see the pain on her face. In spite of her efforts to hide her emotions, though, her brother still came up behind her and held a hand to her shoulder, offering a comforting touch that actually eased a soothing warmth through her body.

"You know our mother never thought you were a monster, right?” Zuko said, his tone soft and tender. “She was only ever concerned for you, and how our father was raising you. She did love you."

Leave it to Zuzu to get right to the heart of the matter. _Monster._ That was what Azula had always claimed their mother thought of her as. How could Ursa have thought any differently, after all? By all accounts, Azula had been a terror of a child—uncaring, cruel, mischievous, even sadistic at times. Zuko had been the one that Ursa had spent most of her time with, her clear favorite of the two. Rather than try to connect with her daughter in the same way though, she had only ever wondered 'what was wrong' with Azula.

_What is wrong with that child?_

Those simple words had eaten away at her for years. She had never let it show, of course, simply burying it down deep in her core. That had just made it fester, though, to the point where she had been convinced that her mother hated her—that Ursa thought of her as a monster. Even if deep down she should have known better, it had been beyond her understanding at the time, at that age, especially when she had a father who treated her like a prodigy and nurtured her cruelty. Really, she never had a chance.

Now, though... Now she did have a chance. And now she did know better.

"I know...” she uttered, with a deep sigh. “I think I've always known, in a way. It was just...I don't know, easier to blame her for how I turned out, I guess, rather then accepting my own mistakes.” She went quiet again for another lingering moment. Then, she tilted her gaze back at her brother. “How was she? After you brought her back home, I mean. Was she...a good mother?"

Zuko eased a soft breath out his lips, and smiled. "She was everything I had hoped for since she disappeared. We were a family. Her, myself, Ikem...Kiyi.” His expression shifted, becoming more solemn at the mention of their half-sister. “She was never a replacement for you."

"Yes... I realize that now,” Azula muttered, again looking away. “Is she...still around?"

"I'm afraid not,” he said, with a simple shake of his head. “Kiyi passed away close to twenty years ago now. It was an illness, nothing the doctors could do."

"Oh... I see."

"For what it's worth, I think you two would have gotten along."

Azula only managed a shrug. "I guess we'll never know.” She paused again, allowing another silence to drift between them. After several moments, Zuko began walking again, and she followed. “So, what did you bring me out here to show me, anyway?"

"I need to teach you something you should know,” was his response.

A soft groan grumbled out her throat. "Training at this hour? Really, Zuzu, can't it wait?"

"No, it can't. There's no telling when you might need this skill, and to be honest I should have taught it to you ages ago."

"Fine...” she sighed. “What is it?”

Zuko turned from the path and motioned for her to follow through the edge of the treeline, into a small clearing. "I'm going to teach you how to redirect lightning."

Azula's eyebrow lifted at the statement. "Oh, well... I suppose that _would_ be useful to know."

"This technique was developed by our uncle after studying waterbenders,” he explained. “A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponent's energy against them. By applying the same concept, a firebender can do this with lightning. By letting the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it.” Zuko extended an arm, with two fingers pointed forward. “You must create a pathway with your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach. The stomach is the source of the energy in your body, and is known as the sea of chi.” With his other hand, he traced a line down the pathway he described, to illustrate. “From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. It is absolutely critical that the lightning pass through the stomach on its way out your body. If it passes through your heart, the results could be fatal.”

Azula watched him, absorbing the lesson like a sponge. If there was one skill that had given her fits over the years, it was this one. As talented as she was with generating her own lightning, it became useless against an opponent who could redirect it. She had never been able to figure out how to do it herself, though. Now she could finally learn.

“Follow this motion, to get a feel for the flow of energy.” Zuko started with both his arms held forward, fingers extended. Then, he turned his body and pulled one of his arms back, pointing it in the opposite direction. When he finished, her performed the action again, returning to his original position.

“Like this?” Azula mimicked the motion, flowing back and forth like water.

“Exactly like that,” he replied. “Are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your chi flowing in, down, up, and then out?”

She nodded. “Yes, I can.”

For close to an hour they repeated the same motion again and again. Azula lost count of how many times she performed it, but she never once faltered. Her form remained perfect, and each time she was sure to properly flow her chi through her body—down the arm, into the shoulder, through the stomach, and then back up the other arm. It wasn't too difficult a concept to master, once she knew the basics.

After what felt like the thousandth time of repeating the motion, Zuko finally raised a hand, urging her to stop and end the lesson. "That's good for now, Azula. You seem to have it down. Of course, you'll never truly know unless you try it, but I'm not about to shoot lightning at you. Hopefully, you'll never have to use this technique at all."

Azula quirked an eyebrow at him. "But if I _do_ need to use it, then I'll have no idea if I actually can?"

"That's...pretty much it, yes."

She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Well that's just wonderful."

"Come on,” he said, waving her along. “We should head back."

Azula pulled into stride next to him, as they returned to the path that led back to camp. For several minutes she said nothing, instead enjoying the quiet. Eventually, however, she looked to her brother with softened eyes. "Zuko?"

"Yes?"

"I...just want to thank you,” she said. “I know things were so messed up between us for so long, but... I'm happy you're in my life now, in a positive way. And I'm happy to have you as a brother. Even if you are an old man."

Zuko looked back at her and smiled. Then, he held a loving arm around her shoulders. "I'm happy, too."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live for happy bonding moments between Azula and Zuko. It's so nice having those two actually on good terms and happy and ugh I just love them. 
> 
> And we have the return of the Toph, too! It's only been 28 chapters. Of course, considering Azula's roll in Su's death... yeah they aren't going to get along. At the very least, Toph's bluntness is having a way of getting Azula to realize she still has a long way to go to truly change and become a better person.
> 
> Also, I have a new commissioned piece of art for the fic! This one of Azula learning the true nature of firebending from Ran and Shaw with her brother: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/129799962198/sleepysenshi-commission-for


	94. Enhanced Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko, Azula, Toph, and Anraq arrive in Ba Sing Se to search for the missing Izumi.

Zuko pulled the hood of his new Earth Kingdom coat farther over his head, shielding his face from view. "Everyone keep your heads down and don't draw attention to yourselves."

They had made it to Ba Sing Se earlier that afternoon, though had taken special precautions to make sure they remained unnoticed. For starters, they had landed Druk several miles outside the Outer Wall of the city, and then Toph had tunneled them into the Lower Ring. Once inside, they had 'borrowed' some traditional Earth Kingdom style clothing from a local boutique, so they would blend in while they were there. Even then, they had chosen heavier attire with hoods to further disguise themselves, a fact that no one thought twice about, given the winter cold—nearly every citizen was similarly dressed.

"Looks like the world's creepiest police force really is back,” Anraq muttered, turning a glance towards a nearby alley. Two Dai Li agents stood there, stiff as boards with their hands clasped behind their backs and the brims of their hats set low over their eyes. “I've seen Dai Li agents stationed on every damn block."

"No doubt to keep the people in order,” Toph said. “I'll bet my swamp that anyone who causes problems mysteriously disappears in the middle of the night."

"Well, if these Dai Li are anything like the ones I controlled when I staged my coup on this city years ago, they're not that tough.” Azula held her hands together beneath the wide sleeves of her earth-green jacket. She kept her chi flowing, warming the interior of the garment; it really did pay to be a firebender when the weather got cold. “At least, not once you have them figured out. If you don't know what you're doing, then I imagine they'd be quite formidable."

Toph scoffed, turning her attention away from the agents stationed near the alley. "Please, the Dai Li are children compared to me."

"I don't care how much either of you think you can handle them,” Zuko said, “let's not give them reason to pay attention to us. Just keep to yourselves."

Azula rolled her eyes, and gave her brother a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Yes, Zuzu, don't you worry. This isn't the first time I've infiltrated Ba Sing Se. Or even the second time."

Zuko raised an eyebrow at his sister, then brought his attention to the old earthbender. "Toph, can you see anything yet?"

"There are tunnels that run beneath the entirety of this city,” she replied, concentrating on the vibrations in the ground. The fact that she wasn't wearing shoes even in this weather didn't seem to bother her much. “A lot of them. All I'm seeing right now are empty caverns, though. No sign of any prisoners or the like."

"We'd better keep moving, then.” Zuko gave one more glance to the Dai Li agents, then continued farther down the street. “Ba Sing Se is enormous. That means we could have a lot of searching ahead of us." That was an understatement, if there ever was one. Ba Sing Se was large enough to be its own separate nation, large enough to house millions of citizens. Trying to locate a single individual within its walls would be about as simple as locating a single strand of hay in a sea of needles.

"And that's assuming she's even still here,” Anraq said. “Who's to say they didn't move her somewhere else? She could be in Omashu for all we know. Or even out in the Agrarian Zone somewhere."

Zuko hummed softly, narrowing his gaze. "Let's focus on Ba Sing Se first. We'll worry about other possibilities if we can't find her here."

They wandered the streets for hours, allowing Toph to expand her sensory range the farther they traveled. However, their search proved fruitless, as all the master earthbender was able to see were empty tunnels. She would occasionally see Dai Li patrols traveling throughout the tunnels, but nothing to indicate that they were guarding any prisoners. None of the above-ground prisons held Izumi, either—only the standard criminal thugs. Still, during the time that they searched, they had only managed to cover a tiny fraction of the city. There were plenty of hidden areas left.

After night fell, and many of the Lower Ring citizens began to return to their homes, their group too decided to turn in for the day. Only a handful of citizens still roamed the streets at this hour, meaning they would become much more noticeable to any patrolling Dai Li—best to continue their search early the next morning. For now, they located a local inn and rented out a couple of rooms to stay the night.

"Well, I think we covered about...a tenth of the Lower Ring today?” Anraq said, as he followed the others down the inn's main corridor. “That's...good, I guess?"

"The Lower Ring is the largest city ring, so that's something,” Zuko said. He stopped outside the pair of doors that led into the two rooms they had rented. “We'll search more tomorrow. For now, we should get some rest."

Azula glanced to the door on the left and took one of the keys from her brother. "I suppose Annie and I will take this room. See you two in the morning."

Once they were inside the room, Anraq removed his coat and threw it on one of the two beds. He yawned, lowering himself onto the edge of the mattress. Azula, however, crossed the floor and stood in front of the window, peering out from behind the curtain.

“What are you looking at?” Anraq asked.

“Nothing,” she said. In spite of her denial, she continued gazing out into the darkened streets beyond.

Anraq watched her a moment, then stood up and made his way behind her. Still, she stared out the window. "So...how are you doing? I mean, with Toph here and all."

"I'm perfectly fine,” she insisted. “I don't need that old crone's approval to feel good about myself. I just try to ignore her for the most part."

"Well, I suppose that's easy enough... Since she seems to be doing the same with you."

"Whatever.” Azula turned her gaze to the side, watching the other end of the street now. “I really don't feel like talking about her, if it's all the same to you."

Anraq just nodded, then returned to the bed. "Right, yeah, sure."

Azula tapped her fingers against the windowsill, her patience waning. "The way we're searching for 'Zumi now is inefficient. We can't just keep wandering around aimlessly hoping the Blind Wonder sees something with her disgusting feet."

"Well, what else do you expect us to do?"

"We should go straight to the source."

Anraq squinted at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

Another pause followed, and then Azula finally noticed what she had been looking for. "I mean _them."_

She pulled the curtain aside and pointed out the window. Anraq hesitated a moment, then joined her at the window. There in the distance, a pair of Dai Li agents strolled out the mouth of an alley and made their way in the opposite direction of the inn. By now, all but a lingering few normal citizens had disappeared, leaving the streets of Ba Sing Se empty and quiet.

Anraq lifted his eyebrow again, then turned a slow stare towards his girlfriend. "You want to attack Dai Li agents?"

"And interrogate them, yes."

"We're supposed to keeping a low profile,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “You realize that, right?”

She merely sighed, and gave a soft shrug of her shoulders. "Yes, well, I was never any good at following orders. I'm more inclined to give them."

Anraq watched Azula open the window and uttered a disbelieving groan. "Do you have any idea how many things could go wrong here?"

"Do you realize how many things could go right?" she said, looking at him over her shoulder.

"One,” he said, holding up a single finger. “One thing could go right."

"Oh quit being such a worrier.” Azula was already halfway out the window now. “Are you coming with me or not?"

Anraq sighed and grabbed his coat off the bed. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

A grin spread across Azula's face. "Not really, no."

* * *

 They kept to the shadows as they tailed the Dai Li agents down the street. Every so often, the agents would turn or look behind themselves, forcing Azula and Anraq to quickly hide behind a fruit stand, or a parked satomobile. Since stealth had never been Anraq's strong suit, he followed Azula's lead. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing, at least, always able to remain out of sight at just the right moments, all while drawing closer to their targets.

"So what's the plan?” he whispered, peering around the corner of a car. The agents had stopped just outside another alley, and seemed to be waiting for something. “We can't just attack them in the middle of the street."

"Hmm...” Azula rubbed a hand along her chin, thinking. Several moments later, she stood up from her hiding spot. “Wait two minutes, then follow me. And have your water ready.”

“Wait, what are you—” He never got a chance to finish his words, though, as Azula darted out from her hiding place and raced down the street, with her hood down and face exposed.

Azula quickened her pace when she neared the agents. By the time they noticed her and turned to see just who was sprinting straight at them, she was already shoving her way past them, nearly knocking them over on her way by. She entered the alley and looked back at them over her shoulder, flashing a smirk. It took them a moment, but recognition soon lit up across their faces and they took off after her, gliding across the ground on their earthen boots.

The chase didn't last long, although Azula was sure to put on a spectacle as she leaped up across the building walls, bounded over a chain fence, and dodged the rocky gloves that the agents shot at her. The goal wasn't to get away, though, and so eventually she turned straight into one of the gloves. Its earthen fingers snatched at the hood of her jacket and yanked her backwards across the ground, straight into the grasp of one of the Dai Li agents.

"Hey, let me go!” she said, swinging her arms and tugging at her coat.

"Well, well, look at what we found here,” said the agent who held her hood. “Azula, fugitive of the Dragon Empire. What are you doing all the way in Ba Sing Se?

“That's none of your business,” she retorted. “Unhand me at once!”

“I don't think so,” he replied, as he placed a pair of earthen cuffs around her wrists. “You are hereby under arrest. I'm sure Empress Yula will love to see you."

"You can't arrest me!"

The man smirked. "And what are you going to do about it? You can't even bend anymore, isn't that right?"

"Oh no, you're right.” Azula huffed out a mock sigh, head bowing. “Whatever will I do?"

On cue, Anraq's voice sounded from behind the agents. "Hey."

By the time the agents turned around, a pair of ice bricks pummeled into their heads, knocking them out cold. Azula stepped away and broke the cuffs from her wrists, then lowered her hands to her hips. She scoffed, glaring down at the fallen Dai Li.

"Well, that was easy,” she stated. “Now, let's take them somewhere private."

* * *

A wave of water splashed across the faces of the unconscious Dai Li agents. They coughed and sputtered awake, lurching upright with wide eyes. They didn't make it very far, though, as thick ropes bound them together against a post. A close look around revealed that they were being held in some kind of empty warehouse.

"Ah look, the idiots are awake." Azula took a step forward, arms crossed over her chest. “Good. Now we can get started.”

The agent with a thin mustache blinked up at her. "What... What is this?"

"This is the part where you give us information, or we hurt you,” she said, lowering her brow into a heated glare. “I'm going to ask you this once, and once only: where is Earth Queen Izumi?"

The other agent, with a long braided ponytail, twisted his lips into a frown. "You won't get anything from us."

"Oh no?” Azula tapped her fingers against her lips, as if contemplating what to do. A few seconds later, she held out her hand and ignited a blue flame from her knuckles in the shape of a dagger. “You must be quite the masochists then."

The mustached agent stiffened with raised eyebrows. "I thought she couldn't firebend anymore!"

"Apparently our intel was wrong..." the other agent muttered.

"So,” Azula stated, with a smirk, “who wants to have their flesh melt first?"

The braided agent retained a defiant glare. "You're bluffing."

"Hmm, you're probably right.” Azula took a few steps forward, and dissipated the flame from her grasp. Then, she tapped her fingers against her lips again. “Although..."

Without warning, she lowered herself in front of the man and pressed her index finger against his forehead. Instantly, his skin began to sizzle and burn. The Dai Li agent opened his mouth to scream, but Azula silenced him by pressing her other hand over his lips. All that came out was a muffled shriek of pain.

"I'd listen to her,” Anraq said, as he stepped into view. He focused on the agent with the mustache, who watched in horror as Azula burned his partner's forehead. “She really doesn't bluff."

Finally, she removed her finger from the man's forehead, leaving behind a bright, shiny red mark. The agent smacked his head back against the post he was tied to, whimpering with pain. Then, she turned her gaze towards the second man. "What about you? Where do you want _your_ scar?"

"No, don't! Please!” he insisted, shrinking as far back away from her as possible. “I'll talk, I swear! Just...don't burn me."

Azula grinned. “Now that's more like it.”

* * *

 A loud knock pounded against the inn door. "Hey, geezers, wake up!”

Zuko stumbled through the dark to the door, throwing it open before he was even fully awake. A thick fog of sleep still glazed over his eyes, and only by squinting at the figure before him could he determine who it was. "Azula? What's going on?"

"Hey!” Toph appeared behind him, glaring at the open door with that signature blank stare of hers. “People are trying to sleep in here! Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yes, clearly past your bedtime,” Azula muttered, shooting a glare towards the old woman. “But now's not the time to sleep. Wake up and let's move."

Zuko blinked at her, wiping the sleep away from his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"We know where Izumi is."

* * *

 The tunnels beneath the city weren't what one could call well-lit. Evenly spaced glowing crystals offered a small bubble of glowing green light every so often, just enough to see where they were going, but beyond that there was only darkness. Still, neither Zuko nor Azula used their firebending for added illumination—the goal here was stealth, and lighting the way with fire ran the risk of them giving away their position. So, for now they dealt with the dimness. Toph led the way, using her seismic sense to map out the tunnels ahead of them, while the others followed close behind.

Zuko hummed out a soft breath, then glanced at his sister out the corner of his eyes. “So, when you say you 'interrogated' a couple of Dai Li agents...”

“She means she tortured them,” Toph said, with a scoff. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Only a little,” Azula insisted. “Really, it was just about intimidating them into coughing up the information, but I had to let them know I wasn't bluffing. Otherwise, it wouldn't have worked. Now we know where 'Zumi is and we can go straight to her. If we'd waited to do it your way, we'd have been wandering around this city for weeks hoping to catch a glimpse of her. I think that's worth a second degree burn on a single Dai Li agent, don't you?”

Zuko stared at her with a frown, but he didn't dispute her claim. As questionable as her methods had been, she did have a point. “And where are they now?”

“Frozen in a block of ice,” Anraq said. “They should thaw out in a few hours, plenty of time for us to get Izumi and get out of here. At least, that's the plan.”

He nodded, then shifted his attention ahead of them. “Do you see anything, Toph?”

“These tunnels branch out all throughout Ba Sing Se,” the old earthbender explained, as she turned down a branching corridor. “According to our information, we need to find a sub-level beneath the royal palace. If we take this path, we should find our way there soon.”

“Any guards?”

“Oh sure, this place is crawling with them. All Dai Li, from what I can tell. Fortunately, I can make sure we avoid most of them.” An eager grin then spread across her face, followed by a delighted chuckle. “We might have to knock a few heads in along the way, though.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Criticizes me for my enhanced interrogation techniques, then gets excited at the thought of beating up Dai Li agents. Honestly, the _hypocrisy.”_

“I'm blind, not deaf,” Toph shot back. “I can _hear_ you.”

“Yes, that was the point.”

For the most part, Toph was able to guide them towards the underground prison while keeping out of the way of any patrolling guards. The few Dai Li agents that they did come across, Azula handled with a combination of stealth and hard blows to the back of the head with the hilts of her swords. When the tunnel finally ended, they emptied out into a massive underground chamber, perfectly round in shape with a ceiling that stretched nearly a hundred feet up into the air. Along the walls of the chamber were rows and rows of heavy metal doors—prison cells. There were no walkways in front of the doors, though, only sheer drops out over open air.

“I take it this is the prison,” Anraq said, as he wandered out into the center of the chamber, gazing upward at the cell doors. “There's so many...”

Zuko turned a glance to Toph. “Which one has Izumi?”

The old earthbender didn't say anything. Rather, she shifted the ground beneath her feet and pulled the four of them close together. Then, the ground lifted high up into the air, near the fifth row of cell doors. She guided them across the row to one of the far cells, near the back of the chamber, and simply pointed at it. “This one.”

“How do we get in?” Anraq asked, giving the door a gentle tap. “Looks like it's made of platinum.”

“All these cells are solid platinum boxes,” Toph replied, as she pushed him aside. “Fortunately... I've been practicing.” A smirk spread across her face. She linked her fingers together and cracked her knuckles, then cracked her neck from side to side. With a deep breath, she thrust her hands forward and grabbed at the metal door—the platinum gave way and cracked open, ripping apart at her touch.

Zuko's eyes widened. “Toph...you're bending platinum?”

The old woman cackled, and yanked a gaping hole open through the door. “You're darn straight I am! I have Kuvira to thank for that. Took me a while, but I finally got the hang of it.”

The moment that Toph pulled the hole open wide enough, Zuko ran into the cell. There, sitting up against the back of the metal box, was a woman so very familiar to him, dressed in ragged prison attire with her hair hanging loose and disheveled around her shoulders. “Izumi!”

“Mmph...” The woman groaned, easing her eyes open. When she realized who was standing in front of her, she forced herself to sit up straighter. “Father?”

“I'm here for you, sweetheart.” Zuko knelt in front of his daughter and wrapped his arms around her tight. “Are you alright?”

“Been better,” she muttered, returning a weak, one-armed hug. A tired expression set across her face, and she had trouble just holding herself upright. “The Dai Li ambushed me before I even knew they had been reinstated. I'd only just found out that Yula had deposed Azula.”

Zuko frowned. “Evidently, she wasn't going to take any chances about you resisting her orders and opposing her.”

“Well, she was right,” Izumi replied, with a soft laugh. “I would have.”

“Would you hurry up in there already?” Azula poked her head into the cell and frowned at them. “We should be leaving now.”

Izumi stiffened, lifting her eyebrows. “You brought _her_ with you?”

“Yes...” Zuko glanced back at his sister, then returned his focus to Izumi. “A lot has happened since you've been in here. We can explain later when there's more time, but for now just trust me. She's on our side.”

“Yes, yes, I'm completely reformed,” Azula sighed, with a roll of her eyes. “Can we go now? There's no telling when more guards might show up.”

Zuko assisted his daughter up to her feet, holding her arm around his shoulders. When she was steady, they exited the cell, and Toph lowered the slab of earth back down to the floor of the chamber below.

“I've been meaning to ask about that, actually,” Anraq said, as they reached the ground level. He shifted a curious gaze around the empty chamber. “Nobody else finds it a little odd that there were only a handful of guards stationed outside the prison holding the former Earth Queen? You'd think there would have been heavier security, even if the prison is hidden.”

“Let's not worry about it,” Zuko said. “We need to get out of here and out into the open so I can call Druk. We have to get out of Ba Sing Se as soon as possible.”

No sooner than he spoke, Toph's blind eyes flashed with alarm. “Hold on, we have company!”

All around them, the ground split apart. Holes opened up in the earth, allowing figures to pop up freely into the chamber. There were dozens of them, each wearing the same, distinct uniform—Dai Li agents. The agents surrounded the group, cutting off all means of escape. Even in spite of the overwhelming odds, though, Azula, Anraq, and Toph took defensive stances, ready to defend. Zuko tightened his hold around his daughter's shoulders, keeping her supported, but he did manage to ignite a flaming dagger in one hand.

“Well, well...” A familiar deep voice echoed through the chamber, as one of the Dai Li agents stepped forward ahead of the others. When he lifted his head, the hat tilted just enough to reveal his face—Avan. “I thought I sensed a bunch of elephant rats crawling about. Stand down, all of you.”

Anraq bended a spiraling sphere of water around the group, and hardened it into ice. “Yeah, that's not going to happen.”

“Let us go, and we won't be forced to hurt you,” Azula added. “Although to be honest, I'd love to burn that grin off your face.”

“I see your bravado is as strong as ever,” Avan replied, deepening his glare. “If you haven't noticed, you're not in any position to resist us.”

“Actually, I don't think you realize the position _you're_ in,” Toph said. She twitched her fingers and curled his lips into a knowing smirk. “I'm counting thirty-two Dai L agents around us, and I have to say...”

For an old woman, her actions were swift and sharp. A few twitches of her wrists sent half a dozen of the Dai Li agents catapulting through the air. Another shift of her feet exploded blunt crags of stone from the ground, pummeling another handful of agents in the face. The remaining agents finally began to move in on her for a counter attack, but they never had a chance. Toph turned her body and slid one of her feet back, followed by two sharp chops of her hands. The ground beneath the agents' feet exploded, launching them violently back into the walls of the chamber. By the time the dust settled, the only agent still standing was Avan himself, who hadn't even flinched at the assault on his men.

When she was done, Toph turned her head to the side and spit. “...that's not nearly enough.”

“Toph Beifong...” Avan's eyes sharpened. “What an honor it is that we meet again.”

“Hello, Avan.” Toph grinned, cracking her neck from side to side. “Ready for our rematch?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it's been a long, frustrating day for me, so I'm going to keep this brief. They have located Izumi (who's actually been missing longer than I realized, almost 15 chapters), and now it's Toph vs. Avan, Round 2. Get ready... Fight!
> 
> Also I just want to take a moment and thank everyone who has been reading this story so far. I know it's not the best and it has its problems, but I'm proud of it, and I'm happy that people have been able to enjoy it, however few that may be.


	95. The Sting of the Dragon Empress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph gets a rematch with Avan, while Zuko and the others attempt to flee Ba Sing Se with Izumi.

Avan gradually shifted into a bending pose, fist raised and leg sliding backwards. "Don't try anything stupid. You can't win here."

Toph huffed, hands held behind her back. She could feel the other Dai Li starting to recover around her. Under normal circumstances, it was true; the situation would be dire. But Avan was easy to goad. She knew she wouldn't have to worry about fighting any of the other Dai Li. "Didn't take you as a coward, Avan. I'd have thought the commander of the Dai Li could handle a single old lady by himself."

"They're not here to help me fight you. They're here for them.” Avan looked past her to the others—Azula, Anraq, Zuko, and Izumi. The recovering Dai Li agents were already beginning to surround them, forcing the group form a tighter circle.

"Yep, that's what I figured," she said, with a soft nod. "I hope they're good at chasing people, though."

Toph raised her hands and stomped against the ground. A slanted tent of earth rose up on all sides of the group behind her, forming a spear point above their heads. Then, the ground shot upwards like a missile. The earthen pillar lifted them up to the ceiling of the chamber and broke through the stone, continuing onward to the surface above.

Avan frowned, watching them disappear. "Don't just stand there, go after them!"

The other Dai Li agents rose upwards on their own pillars, and soon they too vanished through the ceiling. Within seconds, only Toph and Avan remained in the prison chamber. The Dai Li commander immediately sank back into his stance. Toph straightened her posture, and then she shifted into her own pose, holding both her fists down by her hips.

"After you, prissy pants," she said, with a mocking smirk.

Avan thrust his fist forward. The surrounding pillars that the other Dai Li had used to escape the cavern all quivered and then crashed inward. Toph slid back across the ground out of the way, then gave a single chop to the air with one hand. The pillars exploded in a cloud of dirt and stone, sending debris in Avan's direction. The Dai Li commander merely raised an earth wall to block the stony shrapnel. Then, he glided across the ground atop his earthen boots.

Toph waited, patient. As she suspected, he led with a shot of the earth glove around his left head. His clawed metal prosthetic followed, fingers splayed out to grab her. She simply leaned to the side and guided the projectiles safely around her body. Then, she sent them back the way that came. Avan caught the projectiles and reset them in place on his body. Without missing a beat, he slid to a stop on the ground, kicking up a rippling mound of earth.

Stone crags burst forth from the ground in rapid succession, forcing Toph to retreat backwards. As she did, Avan reached out and made a fist, then yanked his arm backwards. A massive slab fell free from the wall behind her, too large for her to evade. Instead, she fell to one knee and thrust her own fist upward just as the slab fell upon her; the section above her exploded into powder, rendering her unharmed.

"That the best you got, kid?" Toph chuckled, standing straight and lifting her hands. Six large boulders burst free from the ground and hovered in orbit around her. "You're being outclassed by an old woman. That's gotta sting."

Avan scowled as Toph punched the boulders at him, one after the other. He swatted each of them away, deflecting them with his fists. The final one, however, he caught in his open palm and stopped it cold. With a firm clench of his fingers, the boulder turned to dust. He then stomped one of his feet against the ground, splitting jagged fissures through the earth that jolted across the entire chamber, up the walls to the ceiling. The prison quaked, loosing chunks of stone from the ceiling above.

"As I told you the first time we fought, your days of relevancy are over," Avan said, with a burning glare. He clenched his fists tight together and lowered his stance; the cavern shook harder. "I'm just getting started."

* * *

As soon as they burst free from the ground into the open expanse of the palace courtyard, Zuko reached into his shirt and pulled out his dragon whistle. He gave it a long, hard puff, splitting the air with its silent call. Druk would hear the call even several miles outside of Ba Sing Se, but it would be more than a few minutes before the dragon actually showed up. In the meantime, they had to hold out against thirty-two Dai Li agents in pursuit—simple, really.

“Let's move!” Anraq called, breaking out into a run. He waved the others along behind him to follow, but he only made it a few steps before half a dozen Dai Li agents burst free from the ground in front of him. They fired out several of their earthen gloves as projectiles, forcing him to shield himself with his water and jump backwards. “Never mind, not this way!”

The remainder of the Dai Li agents emerged moments later, surrounding the group. The four of them came back-to-back, covering all sides. Even Izumi found the strength to stand firm in a rigid defensive posture. The agents attacked in unison, firing repeated earthen projectiles from their hands. Anraq swirled his water around the group and hardened it into a protective sphere. The projectiles pelted the ice, smashing away bits and pieces, but did not penetrate. Zuko added a swirling pillar of flames around the exterior of the barrier, which grew stronger when Izumi added her own chi to the mix. The flames grew further still and then turned blue as Azula took charge.

The heat that emanated out from the fire seared the air, forcing Anraq to double his efforts to keep his ice solid, and forcing the Dai Li to create more distance between themselves and their targets to keep from being burned. With one solid push of their arms, the three firebenders sent the flames scorching outward like a firestorm. The Dai Li fell back even farther, shielding themselves behind walls raised from the stone ground. When the flames dissipated, the Dai Li lowered their walls in preparation to attack again; they never got the chance.

Anraq waited for the precise moment, and as soon as their defenses lowered he shoved his hands forward. The ice surrounding them burst apart into countless razor-like shards. The frozen shrapnel shredded through the Dai Li ranks, ripping flesh apart. Most of the Dai Li were able to recover after the initial attack, once again falling back behind earthen defenses, but a handful were not as fortunate. The unlucky ones toppled from their feet, punctured with tiny icy blades. No sooner than his attack ceased, he recalled the ice back to himself in the form of liquid water.

“Keep them back!” Zuko yelled, sweeping a wave of fire across the courtyard. Several Dai Li skated out of the way and countered with shots of earth from their gloved palms, but Izumi knocked them away with a few well placed counter blasts. “We just need to hold out long enough for Druk to get here!”

“And for Toph to make it back!” Anraq added, as he ducked and weaved around several incoming earth gloves. He waved his arm through the air to counter, knocking several agents off their feet with a lashing water whip. “We can't just leave without her!”

As Anraq recalled his water to make another attack, a sudden tug on the back of his coat yanked him off his feet. A Dai Li glove that he hadn't seen had grabbed him from behind, and now pulled him along the ground towards the opposing forces. Halfway to them, he managed to slip out of the coat and fall free to the ground, but doing so put him in a poor position as ten Dai Li agents immediately surrounded him. The best he could do as they attacked with flying boulders was raise his water around himself and defend.

“Annie!” Azula cut her fingers through the air and sliced apart several stone projectiles with blasts of fire. She raced across the courtyard towards the Anraq, leading with a spinning kick of flames. Three Dai Li agents were caught in the flames; they fell back with yelps of pain as their clothes ignited and skin burned. Two more agents turned to her and fired out their gloves. Azula ducked low and slid across the ground between them, then twisted her body to spin atop her backside, legs raised in the air. A whirl of fire erupted outwards, engulfing both attackers. They screamed and toppled to the ground in agony.

Azula didn't stop there. She sprang back up to her feet and kicked out two more shots of blue fire. This time, she torched the remaining four Dai Li agents surrounding Anraq, giving him space to retreat. As he rejoined her, he lifted an icy wall up behind her to block an incoming boulder; the impact shattered the ice, but deflected the projectile away to leave them both unharmed.

“I _had_ that,” Azula insisted, as she placed herself back-to-back with Anraq.

“I'm sure you did,” he said, coiling a ring of water around the both of them. “Doesn't mean I can't help out, though.”

Even with the fight they were putting up, more than half the Dai Li agents remained. Making matters worse, they had been split into two separate groups. Azula and Anraq defended against nearly ten surrounding agents, while Zuko and Izumi had been backed up by another eight. Izumi, too, was far from in top condition; she staggered atop her feet, and her attacks lacked any real power. The time locked away in her prison cell had left her exhausted and weak.

“Father, I'm not sure...how much longer I can keep this up,” she uttered, with a heaving breath. A boulder crashed towards them, forcing her to throw herself to the side to avoid it. She rolled across the ground and was slow to get up, knees shaking.

“Just a little longer, Izumi.” Zuko sidestepped a rippling wave of earth and stood over his daughter, defending her until she could return to her feet. “Druk should be here any—”

A deafening roar split the air. From the clouds above, a red dragon dove into the courtyard with jaws opened wide. Flames leaped from the beast's throat, scorching a line across the courtyard at the attacking Dai Li. The agents immediately fell back with shouts of panic, lifting up earthen defenses to keep from being reduced to ashes. Zuko, Izumi, Anraq, and Azula all made several final attacks to force the Dai Li far enough away from Druk to land between them. The agents made a futile attempt at attacking the dragon, but were promptly forced back into cover with another searing jet of flames.

“Everyone get on!” Zuko ordered, waving them towards the dragon.

“What about Toph?” Izumi asked, as she stumbled towards Druk. Her legs nearly gave out on the way there, but Anraq caught her.

“We won't leave without her,” he insisted. “But we have to make sure we're prepared to leave! Druk can keep these agents back for now; I'm sure Toph will be here soon.” Since none of them were earthbenders, they couldn't go back to retrieve Toph; all they could do was wait for as long as possible while defending themselves, and hope that the old woman would soon rejoin them.

As Anraq and Azula began helping Izumi up atop Druk's back, however, a sizzling blue jolt streaked through the air. The lightning erupted against the dragon's side, scorching a hole through his scales and eliciting a shrieking cry of pain. Druk stumbled to the side at the impact, legs quivering—the blast left him stunned and weak. With another groaning howl, he toppled to his stomach and lied there, shaking.

“Druk!” Zuko called, snapping his eyes open wide. Panic ripped through his chest as he turned towards the direction that the lightning had come from. When he saw the figure marching towards them through the line of Dai Li, his gut sank.

“Now, now,” Yula said, brow lowered into a sharp glare. “Where do you all think you're going?”

* * *

Massive chunks began springing free from the chamber walls and crashing down to the ground below. Toph slid the earth beneath her feet to remain mobile and avoid the falling debris, but there was far too much of it to keep running for long. Soon, half the ceiling gave way, crumbling down upon her. She ducked and raised her hands, bending a slanted barrier above herself to keep from being crushed. In spite of the enormous weight of the rubble that buried her, she held firm and unyielding, until finally the quaking ceased. When it did, she tunneled her way back out of the rock pile.

Avan was waiting for her there with a pair of giant boulders. He swung them in at her in attempts to squash her between them, but she merely spread her arms wide and exploded them into smaller stones. Then, she slid down the rubble pile and kicked a piercing crag up from the ground at him. He lifted himself up upon a rocky pillar out of the way, and landed against the prison wall. He clung there atop his earthen boots, glaring at the old woman. Reaching a hand back, he grasped the smooth stone of the wall and then yanked his arm forward. An entire section of the wall ripped free, including two of the platinum box cells with it. With a single motion of his arm, he tossed the mass of earth and metal through the air.

Toph dropped into the ground, sinking below the surface just before impact. To Avan, it would mostly likely have looked as though she'd been crushed, but if he actually believed that then he was a fool. She immediately tunneled back to the surface, ending up inside of one of the platinum cells. A thoughtful breath hummed out her lips as she pressed a palm against the smooth metal. Then, she spread a grin across her face.

“Come on out, Toph,” the Dai Li commander said, as he dropped back down to the floor. He glared at the platinum box. “You're not the only one who can feel vibrations. I know you're in there.”

The sound of ripping and creaking metal erupted from the cell. One side of it burst open and Toph leaped out into the open, clad from head to toe in metal armor, with only the bottoms of her feet exposed against the ground. The armor was crudely constructed, but held together as it was meant to, in order to provide protection. As Toph soon showed, however, protection wasn't the only reason she had encased herself in a metal suit.

With barely any effort, she leaped into the air—high, high into the air. She landed behind Avan and kicked back a flat slab of stone at him. He caught it in his hands and sent it back at her, but by the time he made the counter Toph was already behind him again. He turned and fired out the earthen glove from his left hand, but again he was too slow. Toph lunged away and then ran at him, in far better form than someone of her age should be able to accomplish—with far more agility than any normal person should have in general, in fact.

“I see,” he muttered, as he leaped backwards to create distance between them. “You're bending the metal around your body to enhance your physical capabilities. Innovative. But, in the end, stupid. Have you forgotten who you're fighting?” Avan shifted his stance and held his arms forward, fingers clenching. “I'll crush you inside of that metal suit!”

When nothing happened, the Dai Li commander's eye twitched. He realized it too late. Toph closed the distance between them in an instant and swung her fist up at his chin. He barely even saw the attack coming before it snapped his head backwards and lifted him off his feet. _Platinum._ How could he have forgotten that these cells were made of platinum? How could someone even _bend_ platinum? His questions became muddied in a swirl of darkness before he could figure out the answers, and within seconds consciousness faded.

When Avan toppled unmoving to the ground, Toph allowed the metal to fall from her body. She huffed out in exhaustion and bowed her head, hands held against her knees. Even though she had been bending the metal to make herself able to move like that, it had still put a strain on her body that was difficult to endure at her age. Still, she managed a grin, chuckling at her fallen opponent.

“I believe that's a KO.”

* * *

“What's the matter?” Yula said, twisting her lips into devilish smirk. “You seem surprised to see me. I'm guessing you weren't expecting me to be in Ba Sing Se?”

Azula scowled, igniting a ball of fire in both hands. “No, but now that you are, we can finish things between us.”

“Azula, no,” Zuko said, holding his arm in front of her. “That's not a good idea.” His eyes shifted from Yula to the Dai Li behind her; had she been alone, then perhaps they could have taken the Dragon Empress, but with this much opposition, attacking now would be suicidal.

Yula raised an eyebrow at the blue flames. “Oh, I see you have your bending back. I'll bet it's lost quite a bit of its juice since the last time you had it, though.” She smirked, then raised her own hand. The flames that erupted from her fingers towered above her, far larger than Azula's. “That power is mine now, remember?”

“As if I could forget...” Azula muttered.

“Your dragon isn't looking so well,” Yula said, giving a cursory glance to Druk. The dragon grumbled out a pained breath, still stunned from the lightning. “That's not good, is it? Considering he was your ride out of here.”

“ _Screw_ yourself, Yula.” Anraq spat his words with bile, face twisted with a scowl. He was done trying to play nice and hold out hope for her—whatever person she had been a year ago was gone now, replaced by someone undeserving of his sympathy. Words would never get through to her, compassion wouldn't change her... At this point, there was really only one way to deal with her.

“That hurts, Anraq, really,” she stated, with a mocking pout. “But in the end it doesn't matter. You are all traitors and enemies of my empire, and there's only one way to deal with your kind.”

Yula cast her arm forward, blasting the massive flames from her hand outward. The flames spread across nearly the entirety of the palace courtyard and engulfed her targets completely. She held her arm in place for several long moments, generating a continual stream of fire. These were flames that no person could withstand, flames that would incinerate them to ash.

At least, that had been the intent. When she finally pulled her arm back and let the fire dissipate, however, she saw all four of her foes left unharmed—Azula, Izumi, and Zuko stood together with their arms held forward, while Anraq huddled behind them. It had taken all three master firebenders to bend enough of her fire away to survive, and yet even still their clothes were singed, and skin blackened with soot.

“Oh, so you're going to make this difficult,” she sighed, with a roll of her eyes. She then formed another fireball in her hand. “Fine then, if you insist.”

When she threw the fireball, this time the four scattered. When the flames struck the ground, they exploded like a meteor, expelling a heated wave in all directions. Anraq shielded himself with a bubble of water, but hit the ground hard, landing awkwardly on his shoulder. Azula flipped herself over a earth wall that one of the Dai Li had left behind during the previous battle. She huddled behind it with her arms held over her head. Meanwhile, Izumi tripped atop her weakened legs and fell to her knees. Zuko pulled her away and shielded her with his own body, just as the heat from the exploding fireball seared across his backside. He stumbled down to his own knees with a pained groan, and struggled to return to his feet.

Yula immediately turned her focus to the pair out in the open. She brought both hands together, creating an even larger fireball between her palms. Then, she lifted her arms above her head to throw the flames. Before she got the chance, Izumi sprang up from behind her father and punched out a quick shot of fire. The flames streaked through the air and erupted across Yula's chest, disrupting the empress' attack. The fireball in her hands erupted out of control and exploded. She shrieked out in surprise as the blast threw her off her feet. She hit the ground hard, sliding to a stop with smoke billowing from her singed clothing. When she sat upright again, she growled and pointed a commanding finger forward.

“Kill them!” she yelled.

The order ushered the Dai Li into action. The agents skated forward across the ground and held their arms forward in preparation to attack, but as they did, the earth beneath their feet burst skyward, catapulting each of them through the air. Before they even landed, a storm of rocky projectiles shot upward from the ground and collided with them with thunderous impact. By the time they did finally crash back to the ground, the Dai Li agents were weary and in pain; barely half of them even bothered to move.

Toph sprang out of the ground a second later, hunched forward with her hands clasped behind her back. “You see? Like children.” Then, with a simple shift of her feet, a thick earthen wall burst upward between them and Yula. “That dragon ready to take off, yet? We don't really have a lot of time here.”

Druk responded with a low bellow, pushing himself up onto his legs. His wings spread wide, ready to leave.

“Everyone on,” Zuko said, assisting his daughter up onto Druk's back. When Izumi was in place, she slumped against the dragon and closed her eyes.

Anraq groaned as he sat upright, clutching his shoulder. “Damn it, pretty sure that's dislocated.” Fighting through the pain, he clambered back up to his feet and hurried towards the dragon.

Azula made her way towards them, giving one last look back at the earth wall between them and Yula. “We should be _ending_ this...”

“Now isn't the time for that,” Zuko said. “We need to get to safety while we still can. We can stop Yula another—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the earth wall trembled and exploded, giving way to a massive blast of flames. The resulting force lifted Zuko up off his feet and sent him spinning across the ground; he didn't get up. Druk, too, stumbled backwards, still weak from his previous injury. Izumi attempted to hang on, but she lost her grip around the dragon's neck and crashed against the ground. When the flames dissipated, the wall crumbled into rubble. Yula leaped into the air, propelling herself forward atop a pair of scorching fire jets from her palms.

“We're not finished here!” she shrieked, as she landed in front of the group.

Toph immediately shifted her stance in attempt to attack, but Yula was ready for her. The Dragon Empress swept her foot across the ground and erupted a carpet of fire across the ground. Before Toph could make her attack, the flames scorched across her feet, eliciting a shrill cry of pain from the old woman's lips. She toppled, unable to stand. More than that, though, with her feet burned she could no longer utilize her seismic sense. Now, she really was blind.

“You're _first_ , you old hag!” Yula turned her stance and snapped a quick punch at the downed earthbender. A violent stream of flames erupted from her knuckles, set to engulf the old woman.

Just as the fire reached its target, however, Azula leaped between them with her hands pressed together. She parted her hands, whipping her arms out to her side. The flames spread just enough to keep from incinerating both herself and Toph, but the sheer power of them did not go without leaving their mark. As the fire burst into thin air, Azula fell backwards with a scream of agony, her palms bright red and shiny. She attempted to move her fingers, but the slightest twitch only made the pain from her burns stronger. All she could do was sit there clutching her hands close to her chest, jaw clenched in attempts to silence herself.

“Azula!” Anraq ran forward, putting himself between her and Yula. The pain in his shoulder throbbed harder, but he ignored it. Even with one good arm, he still managed to bend a ring of water around himself. “Get back. _Now.”_

“Or what?” Yula smirked, then pointed two fingers at him. A small shot of fire sprang out of her fingertips and exploded against his water. The liquid evaporated into steam upon impact, and Anraq lifted off his feet. He fell with a thud next to Toph and Azula, unmoving and groaning quietly. “Pitiful.”

“You...” Azula growled, as she struggled back to her feet. She made it as far as her knees before she was forced to stop and cradle her hands together again. _“Monster...”_

“That's funny, coming from you,” Yula said, with a roll of her eyes. “After all, you're the one who taught me, remember?”

“I'm going to _end_ you...”

“No, you won't.” Yula gave another smirk, then charged a crackle of electricity at her fingertips. “Goodbye, Azula.”

Shifting her stance into the proper pose, she thrust her fingers forward and released a sizzling blast of lightning. Azula tried to raise her arms to catch the bolt and redirect it, but her burned hands refused to cooperate. She could only watch the flash of blue and wait to die.

An instant before it struck her, however, Zuko lunged in front of her. He caught the lightning in his arms, guided it down through his body, and then out his fingertips—straight back from where it came. Yula only just managed to step back enough to avoid it, but the bolt ripped the ground apart at her feet and sent her violently spinning backwards into the rubble of the earthen wall behind her.

When the lightning left his body, Zuko released a pained groan and slumped to his knees. Wisps of smoke billowed from his clothing. He held a hand to his chest and stifled another groan, teeth clenched. There had been so much energy in that blast—too much, even more than the first time he had redirected Yula's lightning. And his body... it just wasn't as resilient as it used to be.

“Zuko, are you okay?” Azula asked.

“Fine,” he uttered, clambering back to his feet. His gaze found Yula, some distance away; she was beginning to stir. Several Dai Li agents, too, had started to recover. “But we need to go. Everybody on Druk, now.”

The red dragon bellowed as he crawled over to them, setting himself low so they could get on. Anraq carried Toph, ignoring the pain in his own shoulder to get her on first, while Zuko once again assisted Izumi into place. Anraq crawled up to join them, then pulled Azula into the spot in front of him. When they were in place, Druk lowered his head so Zuko could climb on.

“Almost there,” Zuko said, grabbing at one of the dragon's horns. “Just a little more and we're—”

His words cut out into a scream, as a lightning bolt seared into his backside. His eyes flew open wide with shock and he fell forward, toppling to his knees. A second later, he collapsed face down to the ground, eyes closed.

“ _Zuzu!”_ The panic in Azula's own voice shocked even herself, but she did nothing to try and hide it. The panic only enhanced when Izumi's horrified shout joined hers. A knot tightened in her chest and her stomach churned; she felt sick.

Yula stumbled atop her feet and charged another bolt of lightning in her fingertips. “I said, we're not _finished!”_

She never got the chance to attack again, though. Druk turned his head and unleashed an angry howl at her, followed seconds later by a scorching wave of flames from his jaws. Yula was forced to run for cover, and that momentary lapse was all the dragon needed to grab Zuko and then take to the skies, leaving the palace and Ba Sing Se behind.

“What happened?” Toph questioned, though she didn't need eyes to know that something was very wrong. “What's going on? What's wrong with Zuko?”

“It's nothing,” Anraq urged, swallowing a lump in his throat. “It's just...don't worry. Everything will be fine. Right?”

He received no answer.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *breathes in...breathes out*
> 
> So, that chapter turned out a lot more intense than I thought it would. Especially the ending, which...um...well, yeah. I'm not going to give anything away here, but... I'm just going to apologize to everyone in advance.
> 
> Also, I still hate writing fight scenes. And this entire chapter was one long fight scene. Ugh.


	96. Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko suffers through the aftermath of being struck by Yula's lightning, in the company of loved ones.

"There! Set us down over there!" Azula pointed to the forest below, ordering Druk to land. They had only just made it outside of Ba Sing Se, little less than a couple miles from the Outer Wall. In fact, they were probably still too close for comfort, but they couldn't waste time. Zuko needed to be treated _now._

Druk landed with with a thud between a grouping of tall trees, and gently set Zuko down in the grass. A worried bellow rippled out the dragon's throat, and then he lowered himself to the ground to allow the others to dismount.

Izumi immediately ran to her father and knelt at his side, holding his hand. "Father, can you hear me?”

At first, there was no response, but then a weak groan eased out past the old man's lips. His eyes, though, remained closed. "Izumi..."

"I'm here,” she said, tightening her fingers around his. “Please, don't strain yourself. Just relax."

"This is bad...” Toph knelt nearby with her hands pressed against the ground—even with her feet burned, she could still sense vibrations through her fingers if she concentrated. “His heartbeat is weak, and fading fast."

Azula swallowed a numb knot in her throat, then spun towards Anraq. She reached out to grab hold of his collar and pulled him close. Her eyes were wild, panicked. "Annie, _heal_ him! You _have_ to heal him!"

"I need water!” he countered. His tone was desperate, defensive. “I lost the last of mine when Yula attacked me!"

"Water? Water, okay, let's find water...” Azula released his collar and then looked around the forest surrounding them. She could barely see anything in the darkness. “There must be a...a stream or something around here, right?"

"I don't know!” Anraq shifted his gaze around the treeline, while clawing his fingers back through his hair. “I think I might have seen something in that direction on the way down? But it was dark, I'm not sure if—"

"Don't just stand there, let's go!" Azula grabbed his wrist and yanked him along, hurrying off into the dark with Anraq struggling to keep up. She ignited a ball of flames in her other hand to light the way, and in moments they were gone.

Izumi watched them leave, and once they had disappeared from view she looked back to her father. Still, his eyes were closed, and a look of pain twisted across his face. "Just hang in there, Father... They'll be back soon, and Anraq will heal you.” She reached out to touch a hand to his cheek, and in doing so she nearly lost her composure. She managed to choke back her sob, however, and her tears stopped just at the corners of her eyes. “You'll see. You'll be okay."

"Izumi...” Zuko uttered. He cracked his eyes open just enough to get a look at her, and curled his lips into a weak, barely noticeable smile. “I am...so proud of you. And I love you...so much."

"I know,” she said, swallowing another sob. The tears, however, fell free from her eyes this time. “I love you, too."

"When this is...over... When you...all stop Yula...” Zuko coughed, and paused his words as a pained throb erupted in his chest. He cringed, eyes squinting shut. “The Fire Nation...will need a leader again...” The coughing finally ceased, and he was able to open his eyes again to gaze at his daughter. “They'll need _you_."

"You say that like you won't be there to see it,” Izumi replied, as she wiped her cheeks dry. Again, she attempted to compose herself, this time with a deep breath. The breath quivered into her lungs, though, and she nearly lost it again. “You _will_ be.” She smiled at him, and again held his hand. “I'm here, right here. I'm with you. Please...don't give up."

A hand came to her shoulder. Toph sucked in a breath through her nose and tilted her head downward, lowering her blank gaze to the ground. "He's doing the best he can,” she assured. “He's fighting... He was always a fighter."

Zuko uttered a small laugh at her statement, a laugh that soon turned into another pained fit of coughing. His breaths began to wheeze out of his lungs now, barely able to take them in. "Toph...heh... I'm sorry we never got that life changing field trip together..."

A gentle smile came across Toph's face. She knelt down next to him again, and brought her hand to his shoulder. "Zuko, just knowing you has been life changing. That's...more than enough.” She breathed in another deep breath, then slowly let it out through her nose. As Zuko's daughter, Izumi understandably held onto the denial of the likely outcome of this situation. Toph, on the other hand... She knew. Zuko did, too.

"Perhaps...” he responded, letting his eyes close. “I just wish... I wish..." A groan eased from his throat, and then he was silent.

"Father!” Izumi jolted, panic ripping through her heart. She turned a worried look towards Toph, eyes wide. “Is he...?"

"He's still hanging on...” the old woman replied, lowering her head. The expression on her face, however, did not inspire hope. “For now."

* * *

"Over here!” Azula stumbled down a small slope, through a line of bushes. When she came out the other side, she held the fire in her palm forward and squinted into the distance. She saw trees, rocks, leaves, twigs, vines, bushes... but no water. Still, she didn't let that stop her, as she continued pressing onward through the forest. If they just kept going, then they'd find some water eventually. They _had_ to. “This way!"

Anraq ran into stride next to her, but kept his attention on the forest. One of his arms hung limply at his side, barely able to move—it was still dislocated, as he hadn't had a chance to pop it back into place yet. "Do you see water?"

"I...I don't know,” she uttered. She stopped a moment, whirling around and listening. Had that been the sound of water? “I thought I heard...” No, no it wasn't water—just some animal in the darkness. Nausea tightened in her gut, and a scowl twisted across her face. “No, no, no, come on!” She broke out into a run again, racing through the trees. “There must be water around here somewhere!"

"We'll find it,” Anraq said, as he again picked up the pace to keep up with her. “Don't worry."

Azula skidded to a stop and snapped her gaze towards him. The look in her eyes was frantic, almost crazed, as if the thought of losing her brother threatened to push her back into a dark place. "How can you tell me not to worry?! My brother is lying close to dead after being shot with lightning by that _lunatic_ , and the one substance we need to save him, we can't find!” She swallowed again, and then lowered her brow. Determination overtook her eyes now.

No... not determination. Desperation.

“We have to save him!" she shrieked, voice cracking with a harsh quiver.

"I know, Azula.” Anraq brought his good hand to one of her shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze, in attempts to calm her. His touch seemed to have an effect, as Azula gradually began to relax out of her wild panic.

"I just... I _just_ got him back,” she uttered, bowing her head. Her eyes squinted shut. “After years of...of hate between us, I finally had a brother in my life, family that loved me, and I...” She looked up again, straight into his eyes. “I can't lose him, Annie. Not now."

“I'll do everything I can for him,” he said, holding his hand to her cheek. “I promise."

Azula turned from him and raked her fingers through her hair. “If we could just find some water. There must be...something. _Anything.”_

Anraq turned another look into the surrounding trees. Of all the places for them to land, there couldn't have been a stream or a pond, or something? Even rain would work, or... His thought abruptly paused as a gentle white flake fluttered down out of the sky into his field of vision. He blinked at it, then tilted a look upward. Several more flurries followed, and within moments the entire sky was filled with them.

“Snow!” he called, with an excited laugh. “Azula, snow!”

“I don't care about snow!” she shot back. “We need to find water!”

“That's what I'm saying!” Anraq grinned, then waved his arm through the air. Countless snowflakes hovered over to him and liquefied into water, joining together to flow into the flask at his hip. “Snow _is_ water. Now come on!” He waved for her to follow, then took off back the way they had come; they were only a few minutes way from where they had landed.

Azula's eyebrows lifted at the declaration. Of _course._ She'd been so absorbed in worry that she hadn't bothered to consider the new onset of flurries as a water source. Immediately, she sprinted through the trees in pursuit of Anraq. Her heart pounded in her chest, but now it wasn't out of panic; it was hope.

* * *

 

"Out of the way! We got it!” Anraq burst through the trees in full stride, with Azula just a step behind him. By now, the snow had picked up and fell harder, but he ignored it. He slid into place next to Zuko and bended the water out of his flask. The water bubbled around his hand and began to glow, as he pressed his palm to the old man's chest.

Azula, too, knelt at her brother's side. She smiled a hopeful smile at him—her attempt at being reassuring. "You see, Zuzu? I told you. Everything will be fine."

A quiet breath hissed out past Zuko's lips. His eyes fluttered open, and he turned his head towards her. Then, he returned the smile, though his was weak and barely there. "Azula... I'm happy...happy..."

"What are you talking about?” she said, twisting her eyebrows with confusion. “You just got struck by _lightning._ What could you possibly be happy about?"

"I'm happy...because you came back...into my life,” he uttered, his words wheezing out between pained breaths. “And we...mended things between us. I'm happy...I got to know you as a sister. And I'm proud...at what you've become."

The puzzlement on her face only grew stronger. "Zuzu... I don't understand. Why are you telling me this?"

He didn't answer her question. Instead, he reached out to her and held her hand in his. The smile on his face grew just a bit wider. "Continue...on this path. Become better... And keep...keep healing."

"Zuzu, stop _talking_ like that,” she urged, lowering her brow into a glare. A subtle twinge of anger ignited in her tone—an anger borne of worry and fear. “Stop acting like you won't _be_ here anymore. You're going to be _fine._ Do you hear me? You'll be fine!"

"Oh no..." It was Anraq. His eyes expanded with a distant panic as he dragged his glowing palm across Zuko's chest. “This isn't good...”

"What?” Azula snapped her gaze towards him—the concern in her eyes only intensified. “What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's his heart,” he said. “It was already weak from age, and now... There's so much damage. I... I don't know if I can heal this."

"What do you mean you don't know if you can heal him?!” The anger returned to Azula's eyes. It overtook her panic, and fear, and desperation—or rather, it masked them, if only for a brief moment. “You _have_ to! You're supposed to be one of the best healers in the world!"

"I am!” he retorted. “And I'm _trying_ , but this...” Anraq looked down at the glowing water around his hand. “Without spirit water this is...” He let his words trail away; he knew he didn't need to elaborate. If he had spirit water, then there might have been a possibility. With this kind of damage, there was only so much he could do with normal water.

"Well just keep trying! He's still breathing, isn't he? He's still alive! _Keep_ him that way!"

Anraq said nothing, but he kept up his healing for as long as he could. Even with Azula yelling at him, even with Izumi and Toph watching him in silence, he knew it was only a matter of time. When the moment finally came, he bowed his head and closed his eyes. Then, he pulled his hand away and let the water fall to the ground. "Azula..."

"What are you...?” Azula's gaze flicked back and forth between him and her brother. There was confusion at first, soon replaced by concern, then fear, and then a knowing denial. “Why...why did you stop? _Why did you stop?!"_

Anraq said nothing. All he could manage was to raise his fingers and press them against his eyes. Toph slumped next to him, her head bowed and a frown twisted upon her face. A deep, solemn sigh huffed from her lips. Even Druk bellowed out a deep, solemn growl. Then, Izumi lifted her father's hand and held it against her cheek. She was able to keep her composure for a few seconds, but it didn't last long; the tears and sobbing followed within moments.

Azula watched them all with wide eyes and a lifted brow. At first, she sat there in stunned silence, unable to say anything or react. Soon, though, she lowered a desperate glare down to her brother; he wasn't moving, wasn't breathing. "No... No, no, no...” She leaned over him closer, scowling—the anger did its job in hiding her pain, if only a little. Deep in her eyes, the hurt was still there. “You idiot! Wake up! Don't just lie there!”

She grabbed at his shoulders and shook him, half expecting him to start coughing again and open his eyes. “Don't you leave me! Just...just wake up!” Again, there was no response. No coughing, no groaning, no movement of any kind...nothing. Her scowl finally disappeared, and the mock rage along with it. Soon, her true emotions twisted across her face—pain, grief, sorrow. “...please? Please wake up..."

Anraq made an attempt to comfort her, reaching out a hand to hold her shoulder. A second after his fingers touched her, however, Azula pulled away and stumbled back to her feet. She took a step backwards, her gaze locked onto the motionless Zuko. He wasn't getting up... He couldn't. Not ever again. He... he was gone.

When she at last fully realized this, she cried out an incoherent howl, a half mix of fury and grief. She tossed a fireball at a nearby tree, igniting the branches. For several moments, she watched the tree burn, but when she could no longer stomach the sight of it, she marched away from the others and disappeared through a swirl of snow flurries into the trees. She couldn't be around them right now. She couldn't be around _anyone._ She just... needed to be alone.

* * *

 

Azula wasn't certain how long she sat there at the edge of the cliff, staring out at the world below her. Time didn't seem to have any relevance at the moment. Through the darkness and the falling snow, she couldn't really see anything near the bottom of the cliff, except for vague shapes and blobs. Trees, and rocks, and bushes, she was sure.

Not that it mattered... Nothing mattered right now. Zuko was gone. Taken away...just like that. Just when they had finally made things right between each other, when they were finally _happy_ with each other... Now that happiness seemed like a distant memory. There could be no more happiness with Zuko, with her brother... the brother she had finally come to love, and who had loved her.

Now, there would be only pain.

"Azula?"

The voice drew her out of her thoughts. She turned a slow glance towards the figure that approached, carrying a small flickering orange flame in her palm—Izumi. "Oh...it's you. What do you want?"

Izumi stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out over the valley below. Her composure had returned, or at least as much of it as she could manage. The redness in her eyes and wet streaks along her cheeks did little to hide the fact that she had only recently stopped crying. "I thought you...might need the company."

Azula frowned. “What I need is to be _alone.”_

A brief pause followed, and then Izumi sighed, bowing her head. "Well, then perhaps _I_ needed the company."

"You have the others to keep you company, don't you?"

"They're not family.”

Azula scoffed. "And _I_ am?"

"You _are_ my aunt,” Izumi said, with a shrug. “Technically speaking."

"Yes, the aunt who threatened you, challenged you to an Agni Kai, burned you, and took the Fire Nation throne from you.” Azula rolled her eyes, then turned away from the other woman. She returned her gaze straight ahead, watching the snow fall over the empty darkness in front of her. “The aunt who caused every horrible thing that's happened over this past year. The aunt who got your father killed. Who...Who ruined your life. Who ruined everything."

Izumi frowned at her, but it wasn't a frown of disappointment or annoyance—rather, it was of pity, or sympathy even. "That's quite a large burden to place on yourself."

"Well it's true, isn't it? If not for me, none of this would have happened. You'd still be Fire Lord, Yula wouldn't be a tyrannical empress, and Zuko would still be alive. You should be spiting me, or trying to kill me, not seeking out my company."

Izumi went quiet a moment, shifting her gaze back out over the edge of the cliff. The snow picked up a bit, whipping around in white sheets across the sky. "My father was a great man...and a very forgiving man. When he set his mind to something, he always saw it through, and never gave up. Much like he did with you.”

She glanced at Azula again, eyebrows lifting softly. “He saw something in you, something that convinced him you could change if you only had the support you needed. If you had a second chance. I didn't believe him, of course. I thought he was letting his personal feelings cloud his judgment. But in the end, he saw it through just like he always did. He never gave up on you...and now he's shown me that he was right. He usually was."

Azula met the older woman's gaze, eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I believed in my father. I trusted him—and I still do. Second chances are hard to come by sometimes, especially when you don't have a lot of people who believe in you, like how he believed in you. I owe it to his memory to follow that. So...” Izumi breathed in a deep sigh, and then offered the slightest of smiles. “I just wanted you to know that you still have family. _I_ am your family... And I believe in you, too."

"Izumi...” Azula straightened herself, taken aback by the woman's words. Hearing this coming from her, from someone she had already hurt in more ways than one... It was as baffling as it was welcoming. “I... Thank you."

"Take all the time you need here,” Izumi said, as she stood up from the edge of the cliff. She let her hand come down to Azula's shoulder for a moment, then straightened herself to full height. “We'll be waiting for you back at camp when you're ready. Then we should return to Republic City and let them know what happened."

Azula thought a second, then promptly shook her head. "Kyoshi Island."

"Hm?"

"Your mother is on Kyoshi Island with Ty Lee,” she said. “We should stop there first. Mai should...” Azula lowered her gaze emptily towards the ground—how would she even begin to tell Mai? “She needs to know."

Izumi watched her a moment, and then gave a slow nod. "Kyoshi Island, then."

* * *

 

Some time later, Azula had moved back away from the edge of the cliff. Now, she sat cross-legged in the grass, looking up at the dark, cloud-covered sky above. Snow continued to fall, blanketing the area with a thin layer of white powder, including herself. She did nothing to wipe away the frozen flakes that dusted her clothes and her hair. It didn't bother her; she kept herself warm enough with her chi. It had been so long since she had actually seen snow like this... Growing up in the Fire Nation, winters had been just the same as summer—hot, muggy, and not a snowflake in sight. There had been plenty of ice and snow at the North Pole of course, but that was different. The entire landscape was made of it. This, though, watching actual an actual snowfall blanket a once clear landscape...

She had forgotten just how marvelous it could be.

"Uh...hey." She knew that voice—Annie.

Azula finally lowered her attention from the sky and glanced back over her shoulder. Sure enough, Anraq stood there behind her. "Hey..."

"I, uh... I should probably heal your hands now,” he said, making his way towards her. “Before the burns start scarring."

She blinked at him a few times, then looked down at her hands. Her palms were still scorched red, and throbbed with a dull, lingering pain. She had almost forgotten about that too. With a sigh, she dropped her hands back into her lap and gave a simple shrug. "Shouldn't you be healing Toph's feet?"

"I already did,” Anraq said, as he sat down on the snowy ground next her. “You've been out here for hours."

"Oh... I guess I have, haven't I?"

Anraq raised a hand and called a ball of snow into his palm that he then liquefied back into water. "You know I'm here for you, right? Whatever you need."

"I know.” She gave him a nod, then held out both her hands for him to take. “Thank you."

He brought her hands into the water, and in an instant it began to glow, soothing the burns. For the first few minutes, neither said anything. Then, Anraq bowed his head and uttered a deep sigh. "I'm sorry, Azula... I know what it's like to lose someone you love."

She shrugged, keeping her focus on the glowing water. "I just can't stop thinking of the irony. There was a time when I would have reveled in this moment, a time I would have celebrated his death. Now that we finally fixed things between us and I actually wanted him in my life... That's when I lose him. I suppose that's just karma, continuing to punish me for all the terrible things I've done."

"I don't know that I'd blame karma,” he said, “And I certainly wouldn't blame yourself. Yula is the only one to blame here— _she_ did this."

"But I put her on this path, didn't I? No getting around that.”

“You were a different person then.” Anraq looked up from his healing water, meeting Azula's gaze with sincerity. “You're a different person _now.”_

“Same person, different choices,” she insisted, with a simple shake of her head. “In the end, what does it matter? What's done is done...and I can't change it.”

Her gaze lowered again. As she watched that glowing water heal her burns, a sudden swell of emotion bubbled in her gut. It was the grief, she realized, surging through her again with full force. Up until then, she had been able to suppress it and keep herself mostly calm and relaxed, if obviously sullen. Now, though, it hit her in such a way that her stomach churned and she felt ready to throw up.

Soon, it became too much to bear. Her posture sank, eyes squinted shut, and then the tears came, streaking out from behind her closed eyelids. A shuddering breath left her throat, until finally she allowed herself to fall against Anraq. As she had hoped, as she had _needed_ , his arms wrapped around her and held tight.

“I got you, Azula...” he whispered. “I got you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry
> 
> *hides in a bunker*
> 
> I swear Zuko is actually one of my favorite characters. This is where the story has taken us, though... He accomplished what he set out to do though, in rescuing Izumi, and he died while in the company of loved ones.
> 
> Now if you'll excuse me I need to go sob in a corner I mean sleep.


	97. Assassination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin, Kya, and Kuvira make their way into enemy territory to take out Dragon Empress Yula, in an attempt to stop a war before it starts.

“So, this is your team?” Asami asked.

Lin stole a glance behind herself, where Kuvira and Kya stood outside the open gangplank of their airship. It was a smaller vessel, only large enough to fit a few passengers, but much faster and less likely to be spotted than one of the larger, slower models. They had been prepping for takeoff for the past few hours now, but still the sun had only just begun to poke its way above the horizon, basking the Republic City airfield in a dull, dim light.

“This is it,” she replied, with a nod. “The smaller the better, really. We'll be able to better get around unnoticed that way.”

Korra looked back and forth curiously between the three members of the team. “I thought you were going to ask Anraq and Azula?”

“I was,” Kuvira said, “but I couldn't find them. No one's seen them in a couple days, actually. Lord Zuko, too. We're not sure where they are.”

“Really?” Korra scrunched her eyebrows with concern. “That's... strange.”

“We'll keep an eye out for them,” Asami said. “They can't have gone too far. Unless they left the city... Although I can't imagine why they would have.”

“It's all the same to me,” Lin said, with a simple shrug. “Just means I don't have to put up with Azula during this mission. That wasn't a prospect I was looking forward to, if I'm being honest.”

“So, do you know for certain where you're going?” Asami asked.

Lin nodded. “According to General Iroh's intel, Yula is currently touring around the Earth Kingdom, visiting her supporters. Apparently, she's making appearances to let the people know she cares about them or whatever.” The police chief scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I don't buy that for a second, though. She just wants to maintain their support so that when she attacks us, the people don't turn against her. That's my bet.”

“Currently, she's in Omashu, and should be there for next couple days,” Kuvira added. “We'll try to make it there before she leaves, but if not then we'll follow her to her next destination and deal with her there.”

Korra took a step towards Kuvira, and held a hand to her arm. “Just be careful, alright? If anything happens to you...”

“I'll be fine,” Kuvira said, returning a touch to Korra's shoulder. “I promise.”

“Don't worry about a thing, I'll keep these two in line.” Kya smiled as she came between the other two women, holding an arm around both their shoulders. “And in shape. Spirits know at least _one_ of them is likely to do something stupid and get herself injured.”

Lin frowned, turning a glance towards her girlfriend. “You don't need to coddle me, Kya.”

“Yes I do,” she replied, grinning back at the police chief. “It's my job.”

“In any case, we should get going now,” Kuvira said. “The sooner the better. If we're not back in a week, consider the mission a failure and start fortifying your defenses.”

Korra leaned closer, bringing her lips to tenderly to Kuvira's. When she broke the kiss, she rested their foreheads together. “I love you. Be safe.”

“I love you, too.” Kuvira stroked her fingers against Korra's cheek, then gave her one more kiss before pulling apart to join the others on the airship. “I'll see you again soon.”

Korra stood back and watched the gangplank retract behind the group. Within moments, the small airship began to rise into the sky. “If they're not back in a week, I'm going after them.”

Asami looked back at her with raised eyebrows. “Are you sure that's a good idea?”

“I'm sitting out right now because I can't take needless risks when the world needs me.” Korra huffed out an annoyed sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don't like it, but I promised Kuvira. But I'm not going to abandon her if something goes wrong, either. Or Lin and Kya. So yeah, I'm sure.”

“Well, if it does come to that, you know you'll have all the support you need,” Asami said.

Korra nodded. “Thanks. I guess for now, the best we can do is wait.”

“And continue to prepare.” Asami watched the airship a moment longer, as it distanced itself through the sky. Then, she turned and waved Korra along to follow. “Come on, let's grab some breakfast or something. I need some tea before I get to work.”

* * *

 

Kuvira squinted around the landscape as she made her way down the airship gangplank. After flying for more than eight hours straight, they had finally settled down in the middle of a rocky canyon about ten miles outside of Omashu. Now, the sun sat high in a cloudless sky, and beat down on them intensely. After being trapped in a dim, stuffy airship all day, it made adjusting to the sudden influx of light a little difficult.

“Is this the spot?” she asked, holding her hand above her eyes to block the sun.

“According to the coordinates we received, yes,” Lin muttered, as she unfolded a map of the Earth Kingdom. She stared at it, drawing a finger across the area outside of Omashu. “The meeting place should be right around here.”

“Uh, I think that might be it?” Kya squinted towards a jagged rock formation nearby, where a bright flash of light flickered repeatedly in their direction. It was a mirror, she realized, that someone was using to reflect sunlight at them.

Lin led the way towards the reflecting light. At the base of the rock formation, a man waited for them. He was dressed in casual attire, looking no different than any other normal Earth Kingdom citizen. That was the entire point, though—a good spy knew how to blend in and remain unnoticed. “You the United Forces scout we're supposed to be meeting?”

The man nodded and pulled his hand up in a firm salute. “Sergeant Kim, ma'am, at your service.”

Lin extended her own hand and shook his in greeting. “Nice to meet you. What information do you have for us?”

“From what I've been able to gather, the Dragon Empress is still inside Omashu, but she's planning on leaving early tomorrow morning,” the sergeant explained. “If you want to get to her before she leaves, you'll have to do it tonight.”

“What's the best way inside the city without being spotted?” Kuvira asked.

“There's a sewer system that runs beneath the city. You can access it from a drainage pipe near the bottom of the gorge. Once you're inside, you'll need this.” Sergeant Kim reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of folded papers, then passed them over to Lin. “It's a map of Omashu, as well as guard schedules and patrol routes. The empress is staying in the palace at the very top of the city. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any details about the guard layouts inside the palace, so you'll be on your own in there.”

“That's fine, we'll figure it out,” Lin said, as she looked over the map and schedules. “Thank you, Sergeant.”

He nodded, then gave another salute. “My pleasure. Anything to help get rid of this empress and her damnable regime. I need to get going now, though. I wish you luck.”

* * *

 

An hour later, they sat just a mile outside of Omashu, beneath a rocky overhang. For now, there wasn't much they could do other than wait for night to come so they could infiltrate the city and commence their mission. Kuvira, though, began growing restless during the wait, tapping her foot impatiently against the ground. Eventually, she stood up and marched away from the group.

“I'll be back,” she said. “I'm going to scout the area around Omashu, make sure there aren't any surprises waiting for us when we infiltrate tonight.”

“Just be sure to stay out of sight,” Lin said.

“I will.” Kuvira pulled a pair of binoculars out of her pack and waved them at the police chief. “I won't be getting very close.”

When Kuvira was gone, Kya set her own pack down in front of herself and unzipped the top of it. Then, she reached inside and pulled out a small, sealed container. “So, you hungry? I packed seaweed wraps.”

Lin twisted a look of disgust on her face. “You know I don't like seaweed wraps. They're too salty.”

“Which is why I went light on the salt and made yours with that sweet sauce you like.” Kya opened the container and offered it to Lin. Half of the seaweed wraps inside were slathered with a thick, orange sauce.

Lin raised an eyebrow, staring at the container. “Okay... now you have my attention.” She waited just another moment before finally reaching inside to take one of the wraps. She took a large bite, nearly stuffing the entire thing in her mouth at once.

“Well?”

After she swallowed her bite, Lin pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Alright, they're pretty good.” She finished off the last bite of the first wrap, then grabbed another couple and quickly ate those as well.

Kya grinned “Looks to me like they're more than just 'pretty good'.”

“Don't butter yourself up too much,” Lin said, as she swallowed the last of her food. “They're just seaweed wraps.”

“Admit it. You enjoy my cooking.”

Lin gave a nonchalant shrug. “Well, I certainly don't _not_ enjoy it.”

“Oh my, what a compliment,” Kya said, with a roll of her eyes. “You know, if it weren't for my cooking, you probably would have burned down the apartment by now.”

“That was _one_ time!” Lin insisted. “It's not my fault the grease got out of the pan.”

“Riiight, the grease just jumped out of the pan and started a kitchen fire all on its own.”

“Hey, I did plenty fine cooking for myself for my whole life before we moved in together.”

Kya held her hands to her hips and shot a frown towards the police chief. “Instant noodles do not count as cooking. Neither does takeout.”

Lin huffed, planting her arms firmly across her chest. “I'm telling you, I can cook just fine.”

“Alright, then when we get back you're going to make us a nice big dinner,” Kya said, with a challenging smirk. “I'm talking a full three course meal, and no cheating. That means you can't just buy pre-packaged food at the store, take it out of the containers, heat it up, and claim you cooked it yourself.”

Lin frowned, though it was more out of guilt than annoyance. “That was also only one time...”

“Yeah, because I caught you.”

Finally, Lin sighed and threw up her hands in defeat. “Fine, if you're so insistent, I'll make us the best damn meal you've ever had. When I'm through, you'll be begging me to cook for you again.”

Kya grinned. “Just be sure not to set the kitchen on fire again.”

“ _One time!”_

The two sat in silence for another few minutes. Kya finally dug into the container for the standard seaweed wraps she had made for herself, while Lin studied the map of Omashu, as well as the guard routes and schedules. If they were going to infiltrate the city tonight, then at least one of them needed to have that information memorized.

Shortly after finishing her food, Kya set the container back into her pack and zipped it closed again. Then, she sat there with her knees tucked up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. For a long while, she just watched Lin studying the map. A smile came to her lips—even just watching her girlfriend working had a way of making her happy. Soon, though, she broke the silence. “So, are we ever going to talk about it again?”

Lin didn't even glance up from the map. “Talk about what?”

“You know what.”

This time, Lin set the map down. She raised a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, uttering a deep sigh from her lips. Yes, she _did_ know—that didn't mean it was something she was ready to talk about again. “Kya... I still don't know if it's the best thing for us.”

“And why not?” Kya moved closer, setting a loving hand on her girlfriend's shoulder. “We love each other. We already live together. We _do_ want to spend the rest of whatever short time we have left in our lives together. Right? So why not get married?”

“It's just...” Lin turned her head away and sighed again. “I don't really think I'm wife material.”

“Lin, come on, you're being ridiculous. You're already a damn fine girlfriend. What makes you think being a wife would be any different?”

“Because it... I don't know, it just seems so...official.” Lin looked back at Kya and gave a small frown. “Do we really need to exchange jewelry, sign a piece of paper, and have a ceremony to declare our love? Seems a little unnecessary to me.”

Kya lifted an eyebrow. “You know, of the two of us, I'd have thought _I_ would be the one afraid of commitment.” She then reached down to take hold of the other woman's hand, linking their fingers together. “Come on, Lin. It's not like we have to have any kids or anything. Spirits know we're probably way too old to manage that anyway. But I want to marry you. I want to put a ring on your finger, kiss you in front of all our friends, say 'I do', and be your wife.”

Lin gave their fingers a loving squeeze, but her attention faltered, shifting down to Kya's neck. “And would _you_ be wearing a ring, too? You already have a betrothal necklace. I'm not...” She huffed another deep sigh and looked away, staring at the ground. “I don't want to make you replace it.”

Kya paused, softening a curious look at her girlfriend. “Is _that_ was this is really about? Lin...” She held a finger to Lin's chin and turned the woman's attention back towards her, so they could look each other in the eyes. “You wouldn't be replacing Yuka. Nothing could. But I've moved on from that. _You're_ the woman in my life now, and I want to move forward with you. Together.”

“I'm just...afraid I'll disappoint you,” Lin said, with a subtle frown. “As a wife. I know I'm not... I'll never be able to live up to what Yuka meant to you.”

“Lin, stop worrying about living up to imaginary expectations,” Kya insisted. “You're everything I could want. I love you, and there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with.”

Lin's frown relaxed into a more tender expression. She stared into Kya's eyes and held a hand to her cheek. The touch was soft, loving. “I love you, too.”

“At least think about it? For me?”

“Alright... I can do that.”

Kya smiled, then leaned in closer to give Lin a deep kiss. “Thank you. Now, you should get back to studying those schedules. At least one of us is going to have to know what they're doing tonight.”

* * *

Well after night had fallen, the team made their way to the bottom of the gorge just below Omashu. The drainage pipe was easy enough to find, as it stuck out like a sore thumb against the sheer rock wall that made up the base of the city. From the look of it, it was more than large enough to fit inside at full height.

“Looks like this is it,” Lin said. “Let's get moving. We'll only have a small window of opportunity before the next guard patrol comes by the street where this pipe leads.” With a simple flick of her hands, she bended open the metal covering of the pipe. As soon as she did, however, she recoiled with a disgusted groan.

“Oh my spirits,” Kya uttered, pinching her nose shut. She took a few steps back to avoid the thick, unspeakable sludge gushed out of the pipe. “That is...oh _spirits...”_

“Try not to throw up,” Kuvira said, giving the waterbender a firm pat on the shoulder. “You have to take the lead.”

“ _What?_ Why me?”

“Because you're the waterbender,” Lin said. “So you're the only one who can keep that sludge off us on the way up. Unless you'd rather swim in it.”

Kya scrunched her face with disgust as she made her way towards the pipe. “Ugh...”

The going up the pipe was easy enough, and Kya did manage to bend the sewer sludge safely away from them as they made their way up to the city. The smell, however, was impossible to ignore. Whereas Kuvira and Lin could at least hold their noses shut, Kya needed both her hands to bend properly, which meant she received a full whiff of the putrid scent the entire way. By the time they reached the grate that led to the streets above, she was about ready to turn her head and vomit.

“Alright... we're here,” she uttered, finally able to hold her nose shut. “Can we please get out of here now?”

Lin looked up through the slots in the grate. “Okay, we should still have three minutes before the next patrol comes through. Let's move.”

She wasted no time, bending off the grate and then climbing up into the darkened streets beyond. Kya followed close behind, with Kuvira bringing up the rear. The city was empty at this time of night, not a soul to be found out on the streets. That was courtesy of the nightly curfew that had been instated ever since Omashu joined the empire. It allowed them to remain unseen as they made their way into the surrounding alleys before the next guard patrol came by.

“We need to get to the palace,” Lin said, looking up to the top tier of the city. She could just make out the palace against the dark backdrop of the night sky. “We'll take the route up between the eastern mail chutes. In about twenty minutes, the guards will change shifts, meaning that entire path will begin to empty out. It'll give us small windows to advance without being seen.”

Kuvira nodded, then peered out the alley. A group of four guards marched down the street and disappeared around the corner. “Alright, let's go.”

It took forty minutes of sneaking, hiding, and running to reach the top level of the city. Lin led the way with trained efficiency, ordering them along with silent hand signals and keeping them out of sight of every single guard patrol along the way. The time she had spent memorizing the guard routes and schedules did not go to waste in the slightest. When they finally reached the palace, however, that was where their advantage ran out. From here on, the guard setup was a mystery.

“Give me a second,” Lin said, as she raised one of her legs into the air. The bottom of her metal boot slid open and then she stomped against the ground, keeping her eyes closed and concentrating. “Yula's bedchambers are at the rear of the west wing. I'm counting six different guard patrols on the way there, but I think I can get us through unseen. Follow me.”

Lin made a beeline for the rear wall of the palace, towards a blind spot in the guard patrols. As quietly as she could, she shifted the stone wall aside and slipped inside, with Kuvira and Kya close behind. Once they were inside the palace, she closed the wall behind them and then led the way through the corridors. Once again, she avoided every patrol that went by, stopping every so often to utilize her seismic sense again and refresh her understanding of the palace's layout and guard routes.

When they finally reached the west wing, Lin stopped them just before the turn that led to the royal bedchamber. “There are two guards stationed outside the doors. We'll need to do this fast and take them down before they can alert anyone else.”

Kuvira nodded. “I'm ready.”

Lin raised a hand and held out one finger, then a second finger. As soon as she held up her third finger, they both lunged out around the corner. Lin fired out both metal cables from her wrists, while Kuvira shot off a pair of metal strips from her armguards. The guards didn't even realize they were under attack before the cables wrapped around them and spun them off balance. The strips struck second, latching over their mouths. Lin reeled the cables in, dragging the guards across the ground, and in the same motion Kuvira raced forward to meet them halfway down the corridor. When she reached them, she knocked them both out with a couple of sharp blows to the back of the head.

“The next patrol is heading away from us, but they'll be returning soon,” Lin said, as she released the cables and reeled them back to her wrists. “Better do this now.”

Kya made her way around the corner to join them outside the bedchamber. “Speaking of which, who's actually going to, you know... _do_ it?”

A small pause followed the question, but Kuvira didn't let it linger. With a deep sigh, she bowed her head. “I will...”

“Are you sure?” Lin questioned. “I know you and Yula have...a history.”

“Yeah, I'm sure,” she replied, with a slow nod. I'm the one who got Yula involved in this in the first place... I should be the one to end it.”

Lin didn't argue, but she did offer a reassuring touch to Kuvira's shoulder. “The ceiling is high—I'd go for an aerial attack, drop in from above when she's not looking. End it quick.”

“Right...I can do that.”

“We'll stand watch outside. Good luck.”

Kuvira made her way to stone wall behind her and silently tunneled into it. She went as fast as she could without making any noise, until finally she positioned herself in the ceiling above the chamber. Opening a hole just large enough for her to fit through, she looked down into the bedroom below. She noticed Yula soon enough—the Dragon Empress sat in front of the dresser next to the bed, brushing her hair in the mirror, directly below. Kuvira sucked in a deep, slow breath to steady her nerves, then she extended the metal plates along her armguards into a long blade. This was the moment of truth...this was how she stopped a war.

By murdering a woman who she used to call her friend.

“I'm sorry, Yula,” she whispered, as she let herself fall free from the ceiling.

The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion. Yula noticed Kuvira's descending shadow shadow and looked upward, but it was far too late for her to do anything about it. Panic flashed in her eyes, and she raised her arms to shield herself. A scream followed—a horrified, frightened scream. It was in that instant that Kuvira knew something was wrong. She realized it at the last possible moment, when her armblade was already thrusting towards the girl—this wasn't Yula.

Kuvira twisted the blade a split second before impact in an attempt to avoid vital organs, but as the sharpened metal punctured clean through the girl's chest and out the other side, she wasn't certain if she had succeeded. The girl crumpled against her with a squeal of agony, and coughed out a spray of blood onto the floor.

“No...” Kuvira uttered, holding herself close against the girl—that's all she was, a girl, no older than seventeen. She tried not to move the blade, keeping it in place to keep the bleeding to a minimum. “No, no, no... You aren't Yula. Why aren't you Yula?”

“I'm... sis-sis...ter...” the girl uttered, barely able to get her words out through her quiet shrieks of pain.

Kuvira remembered now. This girl had been at Zaofu, when Yula met them before the attack. This was Yula's sister. “Shayu, that's your name, right?”

“Hurts...” Shayu uttered. Tears streamed down her face. She sobbed, her face twisted in a combination of pain and terror. “It...hurts...s-so...much...”

“I know, but it's okay,” Kuvira said, in her best attempt at consoling—a miserable attempt. “Everything's going to be okay.”

Shayu turned a confused, anguished look towards her. “Wh...why...?”

“You weren't supposed to be here,” Kuvira muttered, squinting her eyes shut tight. “You were supposed to be... Damn it, why aren't you Yula?”

Shayu slumped limp against Kuvira and broke out into another fit of sobbing. “Can't f-feel...legs... I-I can't...”

“Kya!” Kuvira called, raising her voice as loud as she could make it. “Kya, get in here! I need you!”

The doors burst open a second later, allowing Lin and Kya to race inside. They froze, though, when they saw the scene inside.

“What in the flameo—” Lin's eyebrows lifted as she focused on Shayu. “That's not Yula!”

“Yeah, I know,” Kuvira said. “It's her sister, Shayu.”

Kya's face twisted with shock. “She used her own sister as a decoy? Did she know we were coming?”

“I don't know, but we have to help her!” Kuvira eased the sobbing girl down onto her side, then waved for the waterbender to approach. “Kya, get over here. I can't remove the blade until you're ready to heal or she'll lose too much blood.”

“Okay, okay, just a second.” Kya dropped to her knees and bended out a stream of water from the vial attached to her belt. The water formed a bubble around both her hands. “Ready, on three. One, two.... _three.”_

Kuvira retracted the blade in a single motion, eliciting a scream of pain from the wounded girl. Kya immediately placed her hands on either side of Shayu's chest, covering both sides of the wound. Once the water began to glow and the healing commenced, the blood stopped flowing and remained inside the girl's body. No sooner than Kya began the process, frantic shouts burst from down the corridor outside the bedchamber. Lin ran to the entrance and looked down the hall—no less than ten guards were sprinting towards them.

“Kya, you'd better hurry...” the police chief said. She flicked her wrists and extended the pair of wrist blades from beneath her bracers. “We're about to have company.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you had to know something was coming out of Yula having Shayu act as her decoy. There was no way that was going to end well. On the bright side, at least they're trying to save her. I also really liked that Kyalin scene. There's nothing quite like a couple of old badass ladies in love.


	98. Marry Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira, Kya, and Lin make their escape from Omashu after a failed assassination attempt.

Lin raised a stone wall in front of the doorway, then punched it forward down the corridor. The approaching guards scattered briefly before commencing their advancement towards the bedchamber. "Kuvira, I'm going to need help over here!"

"I'm on it!" Kuvira joined Lin in front of the open door and thrust her arms forward. A pair of metal strips leaped out from her armguards and latched around two of the approaching guards. With a simple spin of her arms, she flipped both guards into the wall.

"Kya, you just keep healing the girl!” Lin called. “We'll buy you some time!”

As the guards drew closer, Lin and Kuvira raced out to meet them in the hallway, in order to keep the fighting away from Kya and Shayu. They both kept moving, ducking and jumping and spinning away from attacks, all while countering with their own. The guards were skilled, but right now they were up against two of the best metalbenders in the world. Even with the numbers advantage, the guards were outclassed.

Kuvira spun through several incoming rocks, weaving around them and avoiding just the same as an airbender would; she could thank her training with Korra for that. Her movements caught her attackers off guard, as they no doubt expected her to take the stiff, blunt approach of standing her ground and defending with her own earth. Instead, she ducked in between them and flicked her wrists to the side, catching them both with a pair of metal strips around the eyes. A few more waves of her hands yanked them both off their feet and headfirst into each other; they were unconscious before they hit the ground.

Lin kept to close combat as well. She led with a stomp that lifted several guards up off their feet atop earthen pillars, then fired out her cables to catch two of them while still airborne. With a firm tug, she pulled them both against each other and smashed them into the floor. She never stopped moving, as she raced towards another pair of guards, cutting through their stone projectiles with the blades attached to her wrists. One of them she snatched with her cables, while the other she kicked a boulder towards. When the one guard faltered to block the boulder, Lin swung the other on her cable straight into him; they both went down in a heap.

Two minutes was all it took to finally put the guards down, but the effort was not without its repercussions. Kuvira stepped back clutching at her elbow, which had taken a brutal shot from one of the guards' boulders, while Lin wiped away a line of blood from her chin, trailing from the cut on her bottom lip that had opened when she took a rock to the face. Overall, though, their injuries sustained from the scuffle were minor, and they had bought themselves some time.

"Okay, I'm not sure how long that'll give us, but we got them," Kuvira said, as she and Lin hurried back into the bedroom. Kya was still exactly how they had left her, kneeling over Shayu with glowing water pressed against the wounds.

"I don't know how much longer we can stay here,” Lin said. “Those guards must have alerted more before coming here. Pretty soon the entire city will be on us."

"But we _have_ to heal her,” Kuvira insisted. “I'm not going to let an innocent girl die because I was too stupid to confirm the target!"

"Well we can't just take her with us!” Lin retorted. Seconds after she said it, however, she paused, as if considering the idea. Then, she looked to Kya. “Could we? Can she even be moved?"

Kya shook her head. "Not without causing her a lot of pain. I mean, if one of you carried her, I _could_ continue healing on the way out, but we'd have to go slow."

Lin glanced from Kya to Kuvira, then finally to Shayu. The poor girl was shuddering there on the ground as if shivering from a biting cold, and her face twisted with a pain so intense that just the sight of her churned the pit of Lin's gut. With a sigh, she gave a nod and said, "Fine, do it. We need to move now, though."

"I'll carry her,” Kuvira said, moving into position next to Shayu. In one swift motion, she lifted the girl into her arms, eliciting a sharp, horrid scream of pain. Kya rose with them back to her feet, keeping her hands held against the wounds.

"Alright, let's move.” Lin waved them along and started towards the open doorway. “We need to get out of here before—” She didn't get a chance to finish her words before a second squad of guards appeared, these ones tunneling up through the floor into the bedchamber to surround them. She counted at least a dozen. “Shit..."

"Stop right there!” one of the guards ordered. He pointed at them with a long, sharpened blade attached to his arm. Judging by his slightly more elaborate uniform, he was probably the palace guard captain. “Step away from the Dragon Empress' sister and surrender. You're all under arrest."

Lin gave a quick glance around the room at the guards. It took only a split second for her to react. She extended one of her wrist blades and then swung her arm with a quick, precise motion. The edge of the blade paused just a hair's breadth away from Shayu's neck. "All of you stay back!"

Kya shot a wide-eyed glare towards her. "Lin, what are you _doing?"_

"Getting us out of here,” she stated.

The guard captain raised his hands, cautioning the police chief not to take her actions any further. "Just... take it easy. Don't do anything stupid..."

Lin sharpened her gaze—good, they were reacting exactly how she had expected them to. "If you haven't noticed, Shayu here is in critical condition. Right now, the only thing keeping her alive is our healer. So, I'm going to give you a choice. You can let Kya continue healing her, while letting us walk out of here unopposed. Shayu will be our prisoner, but she'll still be alive.” Lin held her blade closer, now touching it to Shayu's neck, though she was careful not to draw any blood. “Or you can try to arrest us, in which case I kill her right here. I'm not an expert on your empress, but I can't imagine she'd be thrilled with the lot of you if you let her sister die. What do you think she'd do to you?" She was bluffing, of course, but they didn't need to know that.

The guards took a step backwards and looked at each other with worried glances. Lin knew what they were thinking—which punishment would be less severe, allowing Yula's sister to get kidnapped, or allowing her to die? It didn't take long for them to come to the proper conclusion.

The guard captain grumbled quietly, then lowered his arms and stepped aside. "...let them pass."

The other guards followed suit, moving off to the side to allow a clear path out the doorway. Kuvira moved slowly towards the opening so Kya could keep pace while continuing to heal, and Lin retained her wrist blade close against Shayu's throat. The guards glared at them the entire way, but it didn't matter; they had their way out now.

As soon as they were out in the corridor and put enough distance between themselves and the guards, Lin finally retracted the blade and looked to Kuvira. "Alright, let's get out of— _hnngh!"_

A mere second after turning away from the bedchamber, Lin stumbled down to the floor with a long metal blade pierced through the side of her armor—the same blade that the guard captain had been wearing over his arm. It had happened so fast; none of them had even noticed the captain extend his arm and bend the blade through the air like a projectile. The timing had been perfect, too—the exact instant that Lin took her own blade away from Shayu's neck was when the captain had struck. The shot had hit its mark square on, straight through the side of Lin's metal chestplate and into her ribcage. Already, a thick stream of crimson poured out of the punctured armor onto the floor.

 _"Lin!"_ Kya's shriek was high pitched and cracked. She made a move to run to her girlfriend's side, but stopped a split second before breaking away from Shayu, caught in a horrified moment of uncertainty over what to do. The guards didn't wait for her to decide, though, as they swiftly began to advance on them.

Kuvira set Shayu down on the floor and leaped forward. "Kya, keep healing!"

Kuvira punched the ground, releasing as much of her chi as possible into the single strike. The floor exploded in a shower of dirt and stone, then rippled forward like a tidal wave. The guards stumbled and tripped off their feet, dragged to the back of the bedchamber by the undulating stone. Moments later, the doorway collapsed along with the entire wall, burying the guards inside. Kuvira didn't waste any time waiting around to see what happened next. She quickly raised a dome of earth around herself, Kya, Lin, and Shayu, then opened up the ground beneath their feet. In seconds, they sunk into the floor and began to tunnel out of the palace.

* * *

 

Kuvira tunneled all the way out of Omashu, through the very mountain into the bottom of the gorge. She didn't stop until they had reached a safe distance away from the city, where she was confident that they wouldn't be pursued. Only then did she reemerge out of the ground onto the surface and force apart the earth dome that surrounded them. Lin lay nearly motionless on the ground, clutching at her perforated armor. A sharp groan of pain hissed from her lips, and she curled inward, shuddering.

Kya immediately began to pull away from Shayu, water still bubbled over her hands. "Lin, just hang on! I can heal you."

"No!” the police chief retorted. As soon as she spat out the word, another agonizing twinge rippled through her, eliciting a deep groan from her lips. _“Nnngh_... Don't worry about me, just... keep healing the girl. I'll be fine."

"But Lin—"

"Kya, just do it!"

"Healing her will take time!” Kya insisted. Urgency and panic flashed across her face, mixed with a distinct fear. It was everything she could do just to hold back the tears in her eyes. “You might not have that long!"

"Really, this... It's not that bad,” Lin muttered, with a wave of her hand. “Just patch her up enough to keep her alive... Then you can worry about me."

Kya stared at her girlfriend a moment longer, then reluctantly turned back to continue healing Shayu. "Kuvira, _help_ her."

"I'm on it.” Kuvira knelt beside the chief and took a moment to examine the injury. The blade had punctured in at a slightly upward angle, and pierced through the side of the woman's ribs. Her armor had definitely lessened the impact of the blow, allowing only several inches of the sharpened steel to penetrate. Otherwise, the blade may have skewered clean through her body and out the other side. “Alright... I'm going to get your armor off so I can see what we're dealing with here."

Kuvira raised her hands and spread her fingers, causing the hole in Lin's armor to widen around the blade. With another twist of her hands, she snapped the front of the chestplate away from the backplate, then lifted it up and off the blade, exposing Lin's simple tank-top beneath. The white cloth had turned almost completely red, soaked with a growing pool of blood that oozed from around the edges of the blade. Kuvira cringed at the sight of it.

"Okay, I don't think it hit any vital organs...” she said, giving the wound a closer look. “But there's a lot of blood. We'll have to leave this in for now."

"Fine by...me. I'm not...going anywhere,” Lin muttered, coughing out another groan. _“Ugh_... You know, this really...really hurts."

"Stupid, stupid...” Kya said, with a shake of her head. She kept her focus on Shayu, but she couldn't hide the worry surging from her eyes. “We should have just surrendered, Lin. Then this wouldn't have happened!"

"You're right, it wouldn't have...” Lin grumbled. Her voice grew weaker, starting to fade. “We'd be in an even worse...position. They'd have handed us over to Yula, and then...what do you think would have happened?"

"We could have figured something out!” Kya countered. “We could have escaped, or...or something!"

"No use arguing about it now. What's done is..." Lin heaved out another pained breath and went quiet. Then, her head slumped limply to the side, eyes closed.

Kya snapped a horrified look towards her girlfriend, bolting straight up on her knes. "Lin!"

Kuvira leaned forward and gave a gentle pat to the police chief's cheek. "Lin, hey, keep your eyes open. Eyes on me, okay?” She snapped her fingers in front of Lin's face, then shook the woman's shoulder. “Right here."

"Relax, kid...” Lin uttered, her voice barely more than a whisper. She managed to crack open a single eye. “I'm not dead yet."

"Don't you even _joke_ about that!" Kya huffed out a quivering breath and settled back down on her knees, continuing to heal Shayu. Her heart fluttered with panic and her stomach churned, fueling her body with a sickening nausea.

"How long until Shayu is stable?" Kuvira asked.

"I'm not sure... A few minutes maybe?” Kya said, with a shrug. “I'll at least have the exterior wounds closed, which should keep her alive for a while, but there will still be a lot of internal damage to fix."

Kuvira nodded, then turned a gaze back to Lin, whose breathing had grown raspy and short—she needed treatment, and she needed it soon. "Did you bring any spirit water?”

At this question, Kya's shoulders sank and her head drooped. "I had a single vial... I'm already using it."

 _"What?”_ Kuvra whirled around and stared at the water in Kya's hands. “But... Then why is it taking so long? I thought spirit water was supposed to work fast."

Kya squinted her eyes shut and shook her head. "It depends on the injury. For things like blunt damage, or lightning, or something where there's nothing to piece back together, it's simple. But your blade pierced all the way through this girl's body. There's a lot of tissue, and bone, and muscle to stitch back in place, bleeding to stop... It's much more difficult. Spirit water makes healing easier, and it can do a lot that normal water can't...but it's not magic."

Kuvira swallowed, then shifted a slow glance back towards Lin. The concern in her chest suddenly grew to new heights. "And...how well would regular water be able to heal something like that?"

Kya didn't answer. All she could manage was to hang her head lower and squint her eyes tighter in attempts to hold back her tears; she failed, as the tears leaked out and began rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't worry about...me,” Lin said, with a weak wave of her hand. “It's only a flesh wound. I'll be...be fine."

Kya spent another few minutes treating Shayu, until the exterior wounds closed up and the bleeding stopped. The girl would still need more treatment later, but for now she would be stable. As soon as she was done with Shayu, Kya hurried to Lin's side. She scattered the spent spirit water away from her hands, then replaced it with her normal bending water.

"Okay, I'm ready. Take it out."

Kuvira held her hands above the blade and guided her arms back through the air. The sharpened metal shifted just a smidge, loosening from Lin's body. One more shift of her wrists, and Kuvira expelled the blade out the rest of the way in a single instant. Kya moved in immediately, placing her glowing water against the wound. Several spurts of crimson made it out past her fingers, but soon the bleeding ceased.

"Ironic...isn't it?” Lin groaned. “Me...taken out by a piece of metal. Heh...” She set her head back on the ground and hissed out a deep, pain-filled sigh. “Maybe my mom was right. Maybe I never...really picked up metalbending all that well..."

"Don't you talk like that,” Kya said, turning a glare towards the woman. “You're a _great_ metalbender, one of the best. And you're _not_ dying here, you hear me? Not as long as I can help it."

Lin cracked a smile, shifting her eyes just enough to get a good look at her girlfriend. "Hey, Kya...I ever tell you just how...how beautiful you are?"

Kya swallowed a growing knot in her throat. The tears flowing from her eyes came harder now, in spite of her best attempts to hold them back. "Lin, try not to talk. Please. Just...conserve your strength."

"You are beautiful...” Lin's smile widened, but the tone in her voice was distant, almost delirious. “So damn beautiful... How was I ever so lucky...to be loved by you?"

"Lin..." Kya tried to say something more, but her words caught dead in her throat, blocked by a fit of choked sobbing. This wasn't happening. This _couldn't_ be happening.

Lin raised a hand and gently stroked it along her girlfriend's cheek. "Kya, I love...love you. I always..." Her eyes closed, and hand fell limply to the ground at her side. A fading breath of air followed out her lips, and then she was silent.

The scream that erupted from Kya's throat was unlike anything that Kuvira had ever heard before—an inhuman shriek of sorrow, pain, and misery. She cried harder, tears raining down out her eyes, and her chest quivering with sobbing hiccups. Still, though, she didn't stop healing.

"No! Don't! Lin, just—” A trembling cough burst from her throat, cutting off her words. She slouched forward over Lin, pressing her hands closer against the wound, pouring more chi into the water. “Open your eyes, Lin! _Open them!"_

Memories began flashing through her head—painful, horrible memories. Kya blinked her tears away and suddenly she didn't see Lin lying there beneath here. Instead, it was another woman, a Water Tribe woman with a long braid and rich green eyes. _Yuka._ No, no, not again...not like this. She tried to shake the memory away, but it only grew stronger.

_Yuka gazed up at her with a deep regret flickering in her eyes, her expression blank except for the slightest curl of a smile. Every breath she attempted to take came in with a sickening wheeze. It had taken Kya three hours to find her buried in that avalanche, and in that time Yuka had suffered more injuries than she could count—bruising, a broken leg, a collapsed lung, lacerations. So much damage..._

_"I'm...sorry, Kya,” she uttered, her voice weak and fading. “You were right. I should have...stayed home. The storm was...too much. I was...stupid."_

_"No, no you're not stupid, sweetie,” Kya said, sniffling back her tears. She pressed her healing water close to her wife's chest, and tried to offer a reassuring smile; she managed only a shaking, grieving sob. “You're not stupid. Just try not to speak, okay? I have to...have to concentrate."_

_"Kya...” Yuka's smile widened, even as her voice grew softer and more distant. “You were the best thing to ever happen...to me. I love...love..."_

_As Yuka's words faded, so too did her breath. Her chest ceased moving, and her body became still, motionless. Her eyes, though... They didn't close. They remained staring blankly up at nothing, their dead gaze piercing a hole straight through Kya. A horrified squeal of sorrow erupted from Kya's throat. The water slipped from her hands, falling away to the snowy ground beneath her. All she could do now was take Yuka's lifeless body in her arms, hold her close, and cry._

The memory began to drift out of her thoughts, but the damage had been done. Kya wept harder than ever, her face a mess of tears and saliva. Yet, through all of it, she never removed the healing water from Lin's wound. "You're going to be okay! Do you hear me? I'm not losing you, Lin! Not you, too. Not again!"

Minutes past, but nothing changed. Kya fought through her sobs, continued the healing. The external wound eventually closed, as flesh knitted back together and the bleeding stopped, but still Lin didn't move. Even if she kept repairing the physical damage, she couldn't bring someone back to life.

"Kya..." Kuvira stood over the broken woman, holding a tender hand to her shoulder.

 _"No!”_ she shrieked, shrugging away from the touch. “I'm not _done!_ I can still _heal_ her! _I can still save her!"_

And yet, even as she continued healing, Kya knew she was wrong. The realization hit her several minutes later, when she finally let the water fall away from her hands and slumped back on her knees. Her sobbing grew fiercer, cut with fits of coughing and hiccuping. She grabbed at her hair, tugging at it and shaking her head.

Kuvira could only watch the woman wail and sob for so long before forcing herself to turn away. She brought a hand to her eyes, pinching her fingers against them to keep back her own tears. First Su, and now Lin... The thought twisted her gut with a pain so strong she felt ready to throw up. How would she tell Opal? Or Toph? Or _anyone?_

"I'm sorry...” Kya cried, as she fell against her girlfriend's lifeless body. She buried her face against Lin's shoulder and hugged her tightly, lovingly. _Again._ It had happened _again._ First she couldn't save Yuka, and now she couldn't save Lin. She was a failure—a failure of a healer, and a failure as a lover. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Kya was so consumed by her grief that she didn't even feel the touch come to the top of her head, or the fingers stroke through her hair. It wasn't until the voice reached her ears—that sweet, familiar, wonderful voice—that she finally looked up.

"Hey...why'd you stop?"

 _"Lin?"_ Kya's entire body trembled as she saw Lin staring back at her, both eyes open again.

The injured police chief gave as strong a smile as she could muster. "I mean, I know you stopped the bleeding, but...it still really hurts."

Kya's sobbing lessened, but still broke with frequent and uncontrolled coughs, and hiccups. Still, she managed a smile of her own and began to wipe the tears from her eyes. "You...You're _alive?_ I thought... I really thought..."

"I told you I'd be fine...didn't I?” Lin coughed and uttered a quiet groan, then let her head fall flat against the ground again. “Just...finish patching me up already."

"Yeah...yeah, of course.” Kya quivered out a soft laugh as she returned the water to her hands to continue healing. “Of course."

A quiet moment past, and then Lin tilted her head up again. "Hey, Kya?"

She immediately snapped her gaze towards her girlfriend's eyes, a flicker of renewed panic surging through her. "What is it?"

"Marry me?"

Kya blinked, and the panic dissipated. "What?"

"I know I don't have a ring, or...or a necklace right now, but...” Lin groaned and shifted herself up onto her elbows. She stared deeply, lovingly into Kya's eyes. “Will you marry me?"

"Yes...” Kya coughed out another laugh, grinning widely. “Of _course_ I will, you crazy old woman."

Lin smiled, leaning closer to give her now-fiancee a tender kiss. "I love you, Kya."

Kya made sure to hold the kiss for as long as possible and when it finally broke, she rested her forehead gently against Lin's. All the pain, all the grief, and sorrow, and misery that had nearly destroyed her only minutes ago, it was all gone. Now, there was only joy. "And I love you."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... That chapter was certainly a roller coaster of emotions, wasn't it? I apologize for putting you all through that, but I do love my drama. I really wanted to have a chapter that put a lot of focus on Kya, too, and her emotions, even getting a glimpse at how she failed to save Yuka years ago. I hope I accomplished that. 
> 
> Now, be honest. Did anyone -really- think I was going to kill off Lin? I mean...It's LIN.


	99. Kyoshi Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and company arrive at Kyoshi Island to deliver the news of Lord Zuko's untimely passing.

Azula stared a hole through the front door of the small Kyoshi Island home. Her fist was raised, frozen midway through an attempted knock—for the life of her, she could not manage to bring her knuckles the rest of the way. They had only just arrived in the village a few minutes ago, and after receiving quite a few odd looks from the locals, Izumi had led them here. Azula had insisted she be the one to knock, but now that it was time, her stomach knotted with a nervous dread unlike any she had experienced before.

It frustrated her, knowing how anxious the impending meeting made her. This should have been simple, and yet now that she was here it seemed so complicated and difficult. After all, this would be the first time meeting a certain one of her former friends since coming back, and the other already didn't like her that much. Add to that the news that she had to deliver, and this was was bound to blow up in her face just like everything else.

Finally, she forced out a sigh and rapped her knuckles against the front of the door. Several moments past before the sound of footsteps came from the other side; Azula instinctively stiffened when she heard them. Still, she didn't let her apprehension show, instead retaining a stern, confident poise. Even when she had to fake it, she knew how to carry a domineering presence. By the time the door opened, she looked every bit the Fire Princess that she had always been, at least where her demeanor was concerned; she supposed that her casual travel attire did little to portray any sort of regal appearance.

"Hello?" said a chipper voice, as the door swung open.

The voice was old, yet carried with it a familiar, bubbly tone. The woman that it came from was petite and thin, yet seemed uncharacteristically athletic for someone her age, with an excited bounce to her step. Wrinkles creased her face, bearing the most striking and obvious signs of her age, while her long silver hair had been tied back in a simple ponytail. Those brown eyes of hers, though, hadn't changed one bit—so warm and full of life. Even in the woman's old age, Azula recognized a much younger face beyond that wrinkled exterior, a face that brought with it a flood of memories from decades past.

"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?" she said, offering a small smile. It was the exact same line she had greeted Ty lee with all those years ago when she had first recruited her from the circus. The difference this time was that the smile she gave was not fake, but genuine.

The old woman blinked at her a moment, and then her eyes flashed with recognition, eyebrows lifting and a bright smile curling across her face. "Azula! It really _is_ you...” She took another moment just to stare, leaning closer for further inspection as though she thought she were seeing things. “I'd heard the news, but I never imagined... It is so good to see you again!"

"It...is?” It was here that Azula's regal poise faltered. She tilted her head softly and lifted an eyebrow, giving her old friend a confused stare. “But...I thought you hated me."

"I never _hated_ you...” Ty Lee breathed a quiet sigh, but still maintained her warm smile. “I was scared of you for a long time, but I always knew there was a better side of you, that you could change. Now, just looking at you... Your aura is so pink and beautiful.”

Azula couldn't help but crack another smile, in spite of her confusion. Same old Ty Lee, still babbling on about auras. Just as always, she didn't understand it, but if it saved any potential animosity between them, she wasn't going to complain.

Briefly after the mention of Azulas 'pink and beautiful' aura, however, Ty Lee's face twisted with concern. “Oh...but your aura is also so sad. What's wrong?"

Before Azula could answer, both Toph and Izumi stepped next to her. For now, Azula shrank back behind them. They couldn't drag this out any longer, she knew.

"Hello, Ty Lee,” Toph said, with a simple nod.

"Oh, Toph! And Izumi!” Ty Lee's face lit up even more, beaming a wide smile. “Welcome! If I'd known I was getting so many visitors, I would have put on some tea. What brings you all here?"

"Well, we...” Izumi started to answer, but stopped herself with a deep sigh. “Is my mother here?"

"Oh, yes, I think she's—"

 _"Izumi?”_ Mai appeared behind Ty Lee from within the home, a look of relief washing across her face when she saw her daughter. Running forward, she threw her arms around Izumi and hugged her tight. “Oh, I was so worried... I wasn't sure what happened to you after this whole empire mess. It's so good to see you, sweetie.”

Izumi returned the hug, holding her hand to the back of her mother's head. “And you as well, Mother.”

When Mai finally let go, she took a step back and glanced between the three women—first from Izumi to Toph, then to Azula, and then finally back to Izumi again. “Where's your father?"

"That's...actually why we're here,” Izumi said. Her face contorted with sorrow, tears already beginning to brim around the corners of her eyes. “Mother, I..."

Izumi couldn't finish her words. Instead, she turned to the side and looked back behind them. Anraq finally approached, with an equally solemn expression spread across his face. In his arms, he carried a bundle wrapped in cloth—a bundle that was very clearly the size and shape of a body. As soon as Mai saw it, a horrified understanding flickered in her eyes.

 _"No!”_ she shrieked, running out from the doorway. “No, no, no...” She hesitated just a moment before pulling the cloth back to reveal her husband's pale, lifeless face. Tears erupted from her eyes, and a sob burst from her throat. _“Zuko?_ No... no, no, no, Zuko..."

Anraq watched her briefly, before turning his own gaze away and closing his eyes. “I'm sorry...”

Mai lost herself to a flood of grief in the following moments. She hugged Zuko tightly, holding her head against his shoulder while she cried. Izumi approached in an attempt to console her, but Mai didn't even notice she was there. The others watched in silence, listening only to the sound of her anguished weeping.

“I'm sorry, Mother,” Izumi said, resting a hand against her shoulder.

Mai hiccuped, then raised her head to give a gentle, parting kiss to her husband's lips. When she pulled away, she staggered on shaky legs before catching herself against her daughter. There she remained for several fleeting seconds, before finally standing straight under her own power. It was then that her tearful vision found Azula. The air seemed to electrify as their eyes met, and soon a flash of anger surged across her face.

"You... _You_ did this, didn't you?” Mai said, glaring death at Azula. “This is _your_ fault! How could you let this happen?!"

Azula did nothing to dispute the claim; she didn't even attempt a response. There were too many reasons why this _was_ her fault—no point in trying to deny it now. Even if she wanted to, it would only make the situation worse. If there was anything she wanted to get better at now, it was restraint—that meant knowing when to remain silent and take a scolding when needed. So, instead of retorting and yelling back at Mai like the old her would have done, instead of trying to insist that Zuko's death wasn't her fault, all she did was bow her head in shame—no less than she deserved, really.

But Izumi quickly stepped in to redirect the blame. “Mother, no, it's not Azula's fault. This is... It's _my_ fault."

Mai shifted a confused stare towards her daughter. "What are you talking about?"

"I was being held prisoner, and they came to rescue me,” Izumi explained, hanging her head. “During the escape, Empress Yula attacked us, and... I'm so sorry, Mother."

A moment's pause past between the mother and daughter. Mai lowered her own gaze, eyes squinting shut as renewed tears began to leak down her cheeks. Izumi held her in a warm embrace, and finally Mai sank into her arms, sobbing.

* * *

 Three hours later, Azula wandered through the small home. Ty Lee had been generous enough to allow them to stay there for the time being, while the news of Zuko's death...settled. Since then, however, Azula had avoided the others and kept to herself, even Anraq. She needed these moments alone to reconfigure her thoughts, and to regain her composure. After delivering the news to Mai of her husband's death, a fluttering, sick sensation had been churning around in her gut. There had been a time so long ago when she probably would have rolled her eyes and mocked Mai's pain. Now, though, seeing her one-time friend in such anguish... It actually upset her.

As Azula turned the corner of a narrow hallway, she suddenly found herself entering the kitchen. There, sitting at the central table, was Mai and Ty Lee. Mai's hands were cupped around a steaming tea glass, and judging from the red puffiness in her eyes she had only just stopped crying. Ty Lee sat next to her, holding a comforting hand to her arm. At first, Azula just stared at them, and they back at her. Her heart pounded against her chest, as if trying to will her to turn right back around the way she had come. Another part of her, though, knew that this reunion had waited far too long.

"Mai, Ty Lee...” she uttered, with a deep breath. “Can I join you?"

Ty Lee smiled. "Of course, Azula."

Mai, on the other hand, did not seem to share her friend's openness. She shot a cold look towards Ty Lee, then refocused her attention down at her tea glass.

Azula sat across from them at the table, folding her hands in front of herself. She hesitated at first, unsure of what to say, but soon she took another deep breath and bowed her head. "Look, Mai, I... I know I'm far from your favorite person right now...or ever. I just want you to know I'm sorry, for what happened to Zuko. I tried to help him, but I... I couldn't."

"Oh that's _real_ shocking,” Mai scoffed, with a roll of her eyes.

 _"Mai.”_ Ty Lee frowned at her. “She's trying to offer her condolences."

"Her _condolences?_ What is _that_ worth? She tried to _kill_ him back then, don't you remember? She never cared about him! She would have celebrated his death. She'd have been happy!"

"I'm not that person anymore!” The sharpness with which she delivered the retort surprised even herself. Azula immediately sat back in her seat and eased out a calming breath. It would do no good to get into a shouting match here. “Or at least...I'm trying not to be. I know I was horrible in the past. I've come to realize that now. But I've changed...and Zuko helped me accomplish that. I...owe him so much. And I _did_ care, at least in the end.” She swallowed a growing knot in her throat, then turned a sincere look towards Mai. “He was my brother and I loved him... And now he's gone."

Mai didn't respond, but the hate and anger in her eyes seemed to soften and fade. It was slight, yet noticeable.

"I also want to apologize to the both of you, for how I treated you back then,” Azula said, with an earnest nod. “I was awful... You two were the only two friends I ever had, but I never knew how to keep you by my side without being cruel and horrible. In the end, that's what pushed you away. If I knew back then what I know now, I'd do things differently. I'd treat you like actual friends, and... I don't know, maybe things would have worked out better."

Ty Lee offered a gentle smile, then reached out to place her hand over one of Azula's. "You know...it's never too late. We may be old, but we're not dead. We could still be friends now."

"What?” Azula furrowed her brow in puzzlement. “But...are you certain?"

Mai huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't know _what_ I am right now. I don't even know who _you_ are.” She flicked her gaze back towards Azula. At first, her eyes were hard, sharp... but then they again softened. “I want to be mad at you so much... But you're just not the same, are you?"

"That's what I've been saying...” Azula replied, with a firm nod. “I'm trying to be different this time around."

Mai stared at her a moment longer, and then finally her expression returned to its trademark indifference. A deep, heavy sigh followed. "Do you want some tea?"

"Yes...” she said, cracking an ever so slight smile. “I'd like that."

* * *

 Azula stretched her arms up over her head and yawned as she made her way back towards the front of Ty Lee's home. It was night now, with a brilliant full moon looming high above in the sky. There was no time to marvel at it, though. Now that Druk was ready to fly again, they would be leaving shortly.

Anraq met her outside the front entrance. "You almost ready to head out?"

"Almost,” she said, slipping an arm around his waist. It felt nice, having someone to hold onto like this, especially when her mind was still a mess of emotions. “Just finished prepping Druk for the trip. I think that dragon took Zuko's death as hard as I did... He's miserable."

"Well, they were friends for a long time."

"Right...” Azula sighed, then entered through the front door. In the gathering room just beyond, Izumi, Toph, and Ty Lee sat around a small table drinking tea together. Mai, on the other hand, had long since gone to bed. “Anyway, we shouldn't waste time. If we leave now, we could make it to Republic city by morning."

"Oh, you're leaving already?" Ty Lee said, lifting her eyebrows

Anraq nodded. "If we could stay longer, we would, but we have to return to Republic City as soon as possible. There's a war coming.”

“Yes, and I need to be there...” Azula muttered. Her eyes took on a sudden fierceness and hostility. “Yula _killed_ Zuko, and when I get my hands on her, she will _suffer_ for it.”

"I understand,” Ty Lee said, with a small sigh. Then, she stood up and tightened her arms around Azula in a warm hug. “It was nice seeing you again after so long, Azula. Especially now, since you're...you know."

Azula hesitated, but soon she returned the hug. It felt so...strange, after so long. "It was good seeing you again too, Ty Lee. Thank you."

"Izumi, Toph, you ready to leave?" Anraq asked, glancing to the two women at the table.

"Actually, I think I'm going to remain here a while,” Izumi replied. “I should be here for my mother right now."

"And I'm staying too,” Toph said, taking a sip of her tea. “I've had just about enough excitement for the rest of my life. The only thing I'll accomplish going back with you to fight a war is getting myself killed. At least here I can catch up on my sleep, until I decide to return to my swamp."

"Oh, I see,” Azula said. “Well, if that's what you want..."

Izumi eased a deep breath, then stood up from the table and held a hand to Azula's shoulder. "I won't be staying forever, so we''ll see each other again soon, I'm sure. I do still want to help put a stop to Yula—she still has my friend, Yira, imprisoned somewhere in Ba Sing Se. For now, though... Goodbye, Aunt Azula."

"Thank you,” she replied, offering a small smile to her niece. Then, she turned her attention over to the other old woman in the room. “And Toph, before we leave, I... I just want to tell you... I'm sorry, for your daughter. You were right, I _am_ responsible for her death. I know it won't change anything between us, but... I want to own up to it. I want to apologize. For...everything."

Toph raised her eyebrows, but remained silent. She lifted her glass to her lips and took another sip of tea, then hummed out quiet, thoughtful breath. When she set the glass back down on the table, she finally spoke. "I sense that was very difficult for you to admit. You're right, this doesn't change anything between us, but...thank you for saying it. It means more than you realize."

Azula gave a nod, then turned to Anraq. "Well, I suppose it's just the two of us, then."

“Right,” he replied. “Let's go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've wanted to do an Azula/Mai/Ty Lee reunion for a long time, so this was a nice little chapter to write. Obviously it's a bit shorter than usual, and originally the chapter was longer, but I wanted to cut it down to just the Kyoshi Island scenes. I thought it was more appropriate if the entire chater was dedicated to their reunion, rather than cutting away to other scenes. Of course, the circumstances for their reunion are unfortunate... but hopefully they'll get a happier one later.
> 
> Also, I've just hit 300 kudos! I never ever imagined anything like this when I started writing. Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading and enjoying this fic, you all mean so much to me!


	100. Return to Republic City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin's team returns from their unsuccessful mission, and Kuvira has a difficult conversation with Shayu. Meanwhile, Anraq and Azula also return from their mission and meet with President Sato.

It was well after midnight when the tiny airship lowered into the Republic City airfield, yet still both Korra and Asami were there to greet it. As the president, Asami had been notified first of the team's approach. Then, she had contacted the Avatar to join her. Now, they stood waiting for the airship to land. When the vessel finally settled down and the landing crews secured it in place, the gangplank lowered. Kuvira was the first to appear, marching down to ground level with a slight limp in her stride.

Korra beamed a smile and raced towards her girlfriend, meeting her with a hug. "You're back!"

"And way sooner than expected," Asami said, with a gently raised eyebrow. "Was the mission a success?"

Kuvira pulled away from Korra and huffed out a deep sigh. Then, she glanced back over her shoulder. "Not exactly..."

Kya appeared atop the gangplank a moment later, carrying an unconscious girl in her arms. Lin was at her side, hunched forward with an arm clutched across her ribs. Her armor had been removed, and the tank top beneath was soaked with a dry, crusted crimson blotch. As poor condition as the police chief looked to be in, though, she was at least walking under her own power.

"Quick, we need to get these two to the hospital for recovery," Kya said, as she hurried down the gangplank.

Korra's eyebrows lifted with concern. "What on earth happened?"

"And who is that?" Asami added, glancing at the girl in Kya's arms.

Kuvira shifted atop her feet, turning a guilty look towards the girl. "That's Shayu... Yula's sister."

Asami's face scrunched with confusion. "And...why do you have Yula's sister with you?"

"I'll explain on the way, but we really need to get them to the hospital now," Kuvira said. "Kya healed them as best she could, but they should still be looked at by doctors."

"Right, of course," Asami replied, with a tired shake of her head. "I'll call for an emergency transport. Should just be a few minutes."

* * *

 

Korra stood with Kuvira just outside the small hospital room. Shayu lied unconscious in the bed within, hooked up to various beeping machines to monitor her vitals—just a precaution, as the doctors told them, since Kya had already done most of the work. Lin, on the other hand, had required only a brief checkup before being given leave to go home and rest in her own bed. It would be a while until she was back in fighting form, but she would recover just fine.

"So Yula used her own sister as a decoy?" Korra said, looking in through the window on the hospital room door. "She must have known something like this could happen."

"I've no doubt she did..." Kuvira muttered. "I just don't think she cared. She put her sister in a dangerous role, regardless of the circumstances. Just another example of how far she's fallen..."

"And how far she's willing to go."

Kuvira turned away from the door and raked her fingers back through her hair. A deep sigh surged from her throat. "I can't believe I _fell_ for it. I was so sure it was Yula, I didn't even bother to be certain before I attacked. An innocent girl almost died because I was impatient."

"It's not your fault." Korra reached down and held Kuvira's hand tight, lacing their fingers together. "They had _everyone_ fooled—the people, our scouts... You couldn't have known."

"I could have if I'd just waited a minute longer," she groaned, smacking the back of her head against the wall behind her. "I shouldn't have done it in the first place. What was I thinking...me, of all people, offering to carry out an assassination? _Stupid."_

"I'm sorry... I know this must be hard on you." Korra tightened the hold on Kuvira's fingers, trying to comfort her. "I'm here if need anything."

"I'll be fine," she sighed. "I just...need to let my head clear out."

"Do you want to go? It's getting late."

Kuvira shook her head. "No, I think I'll stay here a while. I'm the one who put Shayu in that condition, I should be here when she wakes up. To apologize at the very least."

"Well, if you're sure..." Korra leaned forward to give a brief kiss, then pulled away down the corridor. "I'll be back on the island when you decide to come back."

* * *

 

Shayu awoke with a soft groan, eyes easing open gently. For a long moment, her vision was hazy, blurry, and everything seemed to be spinning. When enough sense of awareness returned to her, she noticed the beeping machines next to her bed and shot upright in a panic.

"What's going on?” she shouted, eyes snapping wide open. “Where am I?!"

"Shayu, relax, it's okay! You're in a Republic City hospital." The voice came from the other side of the bed. When she turned her attention in that direction, she noticed a woman sitting there, a woman with a long braid, and shiny metal armor with green robes underneath.

"Republic City? Hospital?” She blinked, trying to remember what had happened before she passed out. It came back to her in a rapid flash of images—the blade, the pain, the blood, the screaming, the fighting. Another panicked jolt knotted in her chest. “You... You're Kuvira. You...attacked me.” Understanding and recognition ignited in her eyes, fueled by a sharp flash of fear. “You tried to _kill_ me! And then you...” A tired groan eased from her lips, brought on by a pained throb between her ears. She squinted, glancing around the room. “... _kidnapped_ me?"

 _"No,”_ Kuvira insisted. Almost as soon as she said it, however, she cringed with guilt. “Well, yes, but... Let me explain. I wasn't there trying to kill _you._ I was there for your sister."

Shayu blinked. "Yula?"

"Yes... _She_ was the target. But you were there in her place. As her decoy.” Kuvira held a hand to her forehead, sighing. “According to our intel, you _were_ Yula. After I realized the mistake, my team and I had to take you, so we could heal you and escape. Then we brought you here, to Republic City."

"But... I don't understand,” Shayu uttered, twisting her brow with confusion. “You and my sister used to be friends, right? Why would you attack her like that?"

Kuvira flinched at the question and bowed her head. "It's...complicated."

"Is it because she broke up with you, huh? Is _that_ it?” Shayu folded her arms across her chest and frowned, narrowing an accusatory glare at the woman. “You couldn't handle it so you tried to get back at her?"

"What? No, what kind of— _No."_ Kuvira blinked at the girl in disbelief. To have such an entirely simplistic, naive, teenage view of the world... That kind of ignorance had to be nice. And dangerous. "This mission was decided on by the remaining world leaders—it wasn't just something I decided to do on my own. We were trying to stop her before she starts a war with the rest of the world."

"She's just trying to _help_ people,” Shayu insisted, deepening her frown. “Why don't any of you understand that? If she brings the whole world together under one ruler, then everyone will be safe. They'll never have to worry about wars or anything like that... What happened to my family, and all those other families in Ba Sing Se when the city fell into chaos—twice—will never happen to anyone else. Don't you see? Yula wants what you want, she just has a better way of doing it."

"A better way?” Kuvira shot back. A sudden flash of anger erupted across her face, and she nearly shot up out of her seat. “Is that what you call what happened to Zaofu? People lost their homes—their _lives!_ That isn't 'a better way' to achieve world peace, it's madness!"

"But... that's just because Zaofu tried to resist,” Shayu said, with a shake of her head. She squinted her eyes shut and held her hands in her hair, trying to make the pounding behind her eyes go away—why did her head hurt so damn much? “You attacked _us_ first. Yula was just defending herself."

 _"After_ we were threatened by her army. _After_ she marched on us with the sole purpose of conquest and domination. You think we just attacked for the fun of it? _We_ were defending ourselves."

Shayu shook her head again, eyes still pressed shut tight. "No, that's not right. That's not what Yula said."

"Take it from someone who's had to pay for the same mistakes that your sister is making now,” Kuvira said, settling back calmly in her seat. “Yula is not some grand savior to the world. She is a tyrant and a bully, who only cares about showing how strong she is and crushing whoever gets in her way. She has played and manipulated you this entire time, right down to turning you into a target by having you impersonate her. She doesn't care about world peace or uniting the people. She only cares about herself and her own ego."

"No!” Shayu smacked the sides of her head with her hands. She just wanted this woman to shut up and stop saying mean things about her sister. Every new word that came out of Kuvira's mouth rippled a frustrated, angry jolt through her head and made the pounding throb harder—why wouldn't this headache just go away? “You're _wrong._ You don't know her like I do. Yula's not like that. She's not mean, she's not evil, she's not a...a tyrant. She just wants to help the world, and if that means being a little hard on people who want to stop her, then that's okay. Because it's Yula, and she's nice, and caring, and...and _good!"_

Kuvira shook her head slowly, a look of deep regret in her eyes. "I'm afraid you don't know your sister as well as you think you do."

“I don't want to talk to you anymore!” Shayu shrieked, burying her head close against her chest, hands clawing at her hair. Her eyes still squinted shut tight, now trying to hold back a growing stream of tears. "Just go away! _Get out!”_

Kuvira eased a deep sigh as she stood up from her chair and headed towards the door. She wished she didn't have to be so blunt with this girl—it was sad, just how highly Shayu regarded her sister, only to be forced to learn just how terrible Yula really was. She stopped at the doorway just a moment before leaving, looking back at the girl in the hospital bed. "Just think about it, Shayu. Who's the real villain? The people trying to defend their homes? Or the one trying to destroy them?"

* * *

Asami uttered a long yawn as she sat behind her desk early the next morning. In retrospect, she probably should have gone to bed earlier, but after a surprise late night dinner with Sin, and then the arrival of Lin and the others, she never really had the chance. It didn't matter, though; she was sure she could survive on a couple hours sleep for one day; it wasn't like she hadn't done it many, many times before. With a deep sigh, she set her mug of tea on the desk and leaned against it, rubbing her eyes. Just a few more minutes and she would wake up enough to start working.

No sooner than had she set her tea down, however, the intercom on her desk buzzed, followed by her secretary's voice. "President Sato, you have visitors."

Asami groaned quietly, then reached out to press the respond button. "I don't recall having any appointments scheduled this early... Who is it?"

A brief pause followed, and then her secretary replied, "Anraq and Azula, ma'am."

"Oh.” She blinked herself awake, her brow twitching with intrigue. For the past three days, no one had been able to find those two, and now they showed up for an unannounced meeting with the president? That _had_ to mean something important. “Okay, uh... Yeah, send them in."

The door opened several moments later, allowing both Anraq and Azula to enter the office. When they approached the desk, Anraq gave a respectful bow in greeting. Azula, however, remained standing straight with her arms folded across her chest.

"President Sato, thank you for meeting with us,” Anraq said.

"Of course.” Asami gave him an amiable nod, trying not to let the concern show in her eyes. She considered him a friend, certainly enough to be on a first name basis with each other, so for him to be using her formal title... Something was wrong. She then shifted her gaze over to Azula—that woman, on the other hand, she wasn't certain yet if she trusted. Even if Azula hadn't yet given cause to doubt her newfound change of character, Asami hadn't forgotten the things she'd done. “Where have you two been? We've been looking for you the past few days."

"Well, we, uh...” Anraq cleared his throat, and shifted his weight awkwardly. “...kind of went on an unsanctioned rescue mission."

Asami's eyes snapped open wide. "You _what?_ Where?"

"Ba Sing Se,” Azula said, “to rescue my niece."

"Izumi?” Asami paused to think a moment. All contact with Ba Sing Se had been cut off since Yula had taken over the Dragon Empire, and any attempt at reaching Earth Queen Izumi had failed. It made sense, then, to think that she had been removed from power and imprisoned, considering the loyalty she would have held towards her father and the rest of the world. “Is she alright? Where is she?"

"She's fine,” Azula replied. “She was removed as Earth Queen and imprisoned after Yula came into power, but we were able to find and free her. Right now, she's on Kyoshi Island with her mother."

Asami eased a relieved breath and relaxed in her seat. "That's good news, then."

"Yeah, well... Now we have some not so good news,” Anraq muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Lord Zuko was with us. Actually, he's the one who initiated the mission in the first place. But, well...” A long, heavy sigh huffed past his lips, and he hung his head. “During the rescue, we were attacked by Yula. She..."

"She _killed_ him,” Azula stated, with a sharp bitterness in her tone. A heated glare came to her eyes, stricken with a fierce mix of pain and anger. “Struck him with lightning when his back was turned."

A nauseous jolt shot through Asami's gut at the news. She stiffened in her seat, and reached a hand down to clutch at her stomach in some desperate attempt to settle it. _"What?_ No...” Lord Zuko...dead? It didn't seem possible. It _couldn't_ be. “I...don't believe this.”

“Well believe it,” Anraq said, tightening his arms across his chest. He glanced down at the floor, frowning. “We were there. We watched him die.”

Asami swallowed the knot in her throat, then shifted a gaze over to Azula. As cautious as she was of this woman, and a much as she didn't particularly like her, she could empathize with that kind of loss. “Azula... I'm so sorry."

"I don't need your pity,” she retorted, intensifying her glare. “I just need an opportunity. Whenever Yula decides to attack, whenever she shows her cowardly face, _I_ am going to be there. Utilize me however else you like when this war starts, but I want to be the one to face her. I want to be the one to _end_ her."

"Yula isn't someone you should face alone,” Asami insisted. “With how powerful she is..."

"You think I don't know how powerful she is? I had that same power before she stole it from me. I don't care about that. This is something I _have_ to do, for my brother. Yula needs to _pay_ for what she did."

Asami sank back against her chair and heaved out a sigh. "I'll...consider it, if the opportunity arises. But I have to be clear, if another chance comes up to stop her before that, we have to take it."

Azula grumbled quietly to herself, as if struggling to fight down an angry retort. Eventually, she huffed a sigh of her own and begrudged a nod. “I understand..."

"I have a suggestion,” Anraq said, raising his hand. “I mean, it's going to sound crazy, especially coming from me, but... What about an assassination? Or abduction, at least? Take out Yula before she attacks. I know, it's extreme... but it could be our best bet at stopping this war before it starts, and saving thousands of innocent lives.”

Asami cleared her throat, squirming a bit in her seat. "Actually... We already tried that."

He blinked at her, eyebrows furrowing together. "Wait, what? When?"

"When you were in Ba Sing Se,” she explained. “The world leaders sent a small team after Yula to preemptively stop her."

"Let me guess,” Azula said. “It didn't work."

"No, it didn't.” Asami exhaled a deep breath and bowed her head. “Our intel on Yula's location was wrong. Instead of attacking her, they ended up attacking a decoy, instead: Yula's sister."

 _"Shayu?”_ A worried looked flickered across Anraq's face. “What happened? Is she alright?"

"She's fine,” Asami said. “They were able to heal her and bring her back to Republic City. She's recovering in a hospital right now."

"Oh thank the spirits...” Anraq muttered, with a breath of relief. “I can't believe Yula would put her own sister in that kind of position."

Azula scoffed. _"I_ can. That woman has gone certifiably mad with power. I'll bet she won't ever care when she finds out we have her sister."

"Well, I hope you're wrong,” Asami said.

"And why's that?"

"Because we can use Shayu against her."

Anraq narrowed his eyes. "You mean...as a bargaining chip."

"Exactly,” Asami said, with a nod. “Assuming she does care about Shayu, we can get Yula to back off in exchange her safe return."

"Won't work,” Azula said. “Trust me on this, you can't count on Yula to keep her word. As soon as she has her sister back, she'll attack us anyway. You can't just give up the only leverage you have.”

Asami frowned, and folded her hands in front of herself on the desk. “Then what would you suggest?”

“ _Keep_ Shayu, but offer to leave her unharmed as long as Yula stops her campaign."

"And what exactly would we do if she refuses?"

Azula merely shrugged. "Kill her, obviously."

 _"Azula!”_ Asami spat, lifting her brow in disbelief. While she probably should have expected this kind of suggestion, it still ripped a horrified shock through her. “Are you _insane?"_

Anraq, too, stared wide-eyed at her. "We can't just kill Shayu!"

"Oh for goodness sake,” Azula muttered, with a roll of her eyes. “I didn't mean we'd _actually_ kill her. We just _tell_ Yula that. Honestly, you people need to learn how to bluff."

The shock abruptly faded at the clarification, and Asami relaxed back in her seat again. That actually made a lot more sense... "And what if she calls our buff? Or if she just doesn't care?"

“Simple.” Azula narrowed her eyes again into a cold glare. "Then we prepare for war."

* * *

 

Yula stood straight with her arms clasped behind her back, staring at the destruction and ruin that had befallen the royal bedchambers in the Omashu royal palace. The floor had been torn to pieces, the front wall and doorway had collapsed, furniture had been demolished... It looked like a warzone—a warzone that Shayu had been right in the middle of.

"Explain to me exactly what happened,” she said, glancing towards the palace guard captain.

"It was a small strike team,” he replied, bowing his head respectfully before her. “Three people. One of them was Kuvira. The other two... I didn't recognize. An older woman in a some kind of police armor, and a female waterbender, about the same age.”

Yula's brow twitched. She knew those two—Lin Beifong, and her girlfriend, Kya. So, Kuvira had led those two into Omashu to attack her sister. Why wasn't that surprising? Those filthy, dirty cowards...

“They infiltrated the palace and attacked your sister, then tried to bargain her life for their escape,” the captain continued. “Their healer kept her alive while they fled, and they took her with them."

"I see...” Yula sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out through her nose. Then, she turned fully to the guard captain, her blow lowered in a hot glare. “So, you let them kidnap my sister. _After_ you let them nearly kill her."

"W-well we didn't _let_ them do anything,” he stammered. “They were highly skilled, and it was a well planned operation. We just—"

"That's enough, Captain.” She looked past him to the other two guards stationed behind him, then gestured them forward. “You two, throw him in the dungeon. I'll be by to deal with him later."

"Wait!” The captain struggled against the other two guards when they grabbed him, but they held firm and dragged him down the hall. The man's expression grew wild, panicked. “Empress, no, _please!"_

She ignored his desperate pleas. When he was gone, she looked to the other man at her side. "Ishida, I need you to do something for me."

Ishida bowed low, eager to appease his empress. "Yes, Empress, anything." Ever since Yula had eliminated the terrorist Sun Warriors and left Ishida as the last one alive, he had been such a good, loyal servant, always ready to do whatever she asked of him. It was fear for his own life that motivated him, of course. As Yula had learned so well from Azula, fear was the only truly reliable way to make people do what you wanted.

"Send word to both Captain Han and Avan to prepare their troops,” Yula stated, hardening the look in her eyes. “I want my entire army ready to march on Republic City by the end of the week."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have much to add to this one, other than I think I'm starting to hate myself for what I'm putting Shayu through. Poor girl just wants to believe in her sister, and yet all it's doing is bringing her pain and suffering. It's okay, Shayu, things will get better :( Maybe.
> 
> Oh, and we've reached 100 chapters! Now there's something I never thought would happen. Consider that I only ever originally intended this to be maybe 10-20 chapters long, and wow...


	101. The Original New Team Avatar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra, Asami, Mako, and Bolin enjoy a night out together for the first time in ages. Meanwhile, Azula and Anraq pay a visit to Shayu in the hospital.

Korra stood up on her toes to get a look over the people passing by on the sidewalk in front of her. It was close now to the time that they had agreed to meet, and it wasn't like Asami to be late to anything. Then again, with how crazy things had been lately, she supposed it should have been expected. Soon enough, though, she spotted those familiar green eyes looking back at her through the crowd. Beaming a warm smile, Korra ran over to greet her.

“Hey!" she exclaimed, pulling Asami in for a hug. "So glad you could make it.”

“Me too," Asami replied. "It's been almost impossible to get away from the office this week.”

Korra eased a sigh as she pulled away from the hug. “A lot of preparing to do, huh?”

Asami nodded, exhaling a sigh of her own. “You don't know the half of it. I've been coordinating with General Iroh and the other world leaders nonstop lately. We have to make sure our defenses are perfect for when the attack comes, if we're going to have a chance. Yula's already proven she's willing to do anything to get what she wants."

"I still can't believe what she did to Lord Zuko..." Korra muttered, bringing her arms gently across her chest.

"I know... It's a tragedy, and Yula has to answer for it." Asami groaned, and rubbed a tired hand against her forehead. "We've actually been trying to contact her, to see if we can at least talk to her before she gets here. A lot of good that's done. That Dragon Empress has no interest in diplomacy.”

"Really?" Korra lifted her eyebrows, surprised. "But she must know by now that we have her sister."

"I'm sure she does," Asami said. "Unfortunately, I don't think she cares. Or she doesn't want to do any negotiating until her army gets here, which worries me."

“Me, too..." Korra said. "There's no telling what she might do when it comes to Shayu."

Asami folded her arms, turning her gaze down to the ground. "I just hope using Shayu as a bargaining chip actually works. Otherwise, things will get real messy, real fast."

"What about evacuation plans?”

“We have everything prepared for evacuations," she said. "Citizens have already been given warning and the information they need to ready themselves for when it happens. As soon as we know where and when the attack is coming, we'll have a better idea on where to send everyone and get them out of the city as soon as possible. We would be evacuating earlier, but with the size of Yula's forces, and our lack of insight on her troop movements, we can't just blindly send people to other parts of the United Republic, or they could end up right in the path of her army."

Korra gave a slow nod of understanding. "I just wish we didn't have to cut it so close."

"Me neither. Fortunately, since this is something we're prepared for this time, evacuations should go much smoother than last time.”

“Well, you know you'll have my help when that time comes," Korra said, with a reassuring smile. "For now, though, let's forget about this mess. At least just for tonight.”

Asami returned a pleasant smile of her own. “I'd like that. I'd really, really like that.”

Holding a hand to Asami's back, Korra led her towards the restaurant behind them. “Come on, Mako and Bolin are waiting inside.”

Their table had been set up near the back of the restaurant, behind a small partition for privacy. That little luxury, of course, could be attributed to the celebrity status of the group—the Avatar, the president, the city police lieutenant, and Nuktuk. Even if it did sound like the setup to a bad joke, special service came in spades. As Korra had said, Mako and Bolin were already sitting at the table. When she and Asami arrived, Bolin jumped up from his seat to give them both a hug.

“Hey!" he called, with a delighted chuckled. "You guys made it!”

“It's great to see you both." Mako flashed a smile as he stood up and gave each of them a hug, as well. "It seems like ages since we've all been together like this, just the four of us.”

“Yeah, I know," Korra said, curling her own smile as she sat at the table. "It's been way too long.”

Asami nodded, then sat down in the seat next to her. “I guess life has just been pulling us in different directions lately, keeping us all busy.”

“Well, it's pulled us back together at least for tonight," Bolin said, with a grin. "So let's make the most of it.”

* * *

 

Shayu stared out her hospital window, lost in an empty daze. A light snowfall drifted down from the darkened night sky, lit up by bright city lights. She watched the people on the streets below, watched the satomobiles drive by, watched families laughing and smiling with each other... What she wouldn't give to be home with her family now, with her mother and Yula, all this crazy nonsense gone and forgotten. It had been days now since she'd been in Republic City, and still she hadn't been allowed to leave this room.

Then again, it wasn't like she could just get up and walk out, even if there weren't police officers standing just outside the door. A sickened knot twisted in her gut, as she looked down at her wheelchair—paralyzed, the doctors told her. Kuvira's blade had severed a nerve in one of her vertebrae that Kya hadn't been able to heal; she'd never walk again, they said. She'd never stand again, or run again, or dance, or jump, or be able to dress herself, or...or do _anything_ by herself. She was trapped in here now, trapped in this room, in this _chair_ , and it was already driving her mad.

"Shayu?" The sound of her name dragged her out of her daze and back to reality. When she turned her head to look behind her to the door, the sight of a familiar man standing there brought a smile to her face, and ever so briefly made her forget her grief.

"Anraq!" she exclaimed, turning her wheelchair around to face him. Her arms struggled a moment to actually move it—she was still getting used to it. "It's so good to see you."

"And you, too," he replied, with a gentle nod. His gaze then drifted down to the wheelchair, and his eyes softened with pity. "How are you doing?"

A jolt of self-consciousness and embarrassment immediately flooded through her when she noticed his stare. She shrank backwards against the chair, head bowed and lips twisted into a frown. "I'm okay..."

"You don't sound okay."

Her gaze further tilted downward. "That's because I'm really not." She went quiet a moment, then huffed out a frustrated sigh. "The doctors say they're just keeping me here for further treatment, but I'm not stupid. I've seen the guards outside the door, and I'm not allowed out of this room. I'm a prisoner."

"Well of course you are," said another voice. Seconds later, Azula strolled into view from behind Anraq, through the doorway. "Right now, you're the biggest asset we have against your sister."

Different emotions twisted through Shayu's gut at the sight of the woman—anger, disgust, hate. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that _you'd_ say that. You were always afraid of Yula."

 _"Afraid?"_ Azula glared at her with a flash of incredulity. "Absolutely _not._ Consider who you're speaking to. I may _loathe_ her, but I'm certainly not afraid of her."

"Right, like you _didn't_ try to have her killed when you realized how much stronger than you she is."

Azula's face contorted with further confusion. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Don't try to deny it," Shayu retorted. "Yula told me how you were afraid of her power so you sent assassins after her. But she was too strong and it failed. Then she came after you and took your throne, since you didn't deserve it anymore."

Azula blinked at her, staring a moment longer, then without warning she tilted her head back and let loose an amused cackle. "Oh is _that_ what she told you?” The amusement vanished from her face almost as instantly as it appeared, and she refocused an intense glare at Shayu. “Your sister is a  liar. _She's_ the one who betrayed _me_ , and tried to have _me_ killed. She stole the throne from me because she wanted it for herself, nothing else. Because she's a selfish, power-mad lunatic."

Shayu recoiled in her seat and scowled, as a hot wave of anger flashed through her. "Shut up! Don't lie about Yula like that!" First Kuvira, now Azula trying to tell lies, trying to turn her against Yula... Why did they keep doing that? Why did the keep saying such mean things?

"Shayu...” Anraq shifted a sympathetic gaze towards her, his eyebrows pushed together softly. She looked back at him expectantly, hopeful—surely _he_ would be the voice of reason. Surely he would tell Azula how wrong she was. “It's not a lie... That's what actually happened."

"What...?” Shayu blinked, her face contorting with confusion and disbelief. Anraq, too? _He_ was lying, too? How _could_ he? “But... No, no that's not right. You're wrong. _Mistaken._ Yula's not like that."

Azula scoffed. "It's almost sad, this delusion you have of your sister. Yula is a monster, plain and simple. And that's not a word I use lightly."

 _"No!_ Stop lying! _Both_ of you!” Shayu clasped her hands over her head, fingers tugging at her hair. She squinted her eyes shut and sank deeper against her wheelchair, as if trying to disappear. “Yula is a good person... She's just trying to _help_ people. She's not a monster!"

"Oh really?” Azula countered. “Was she helping my brother when she _murdered_ him?"

Shayu's eyes snapped open again, wide with shock. "W-what? Lord Zuko...?"

"Shot him in the back with lightning, like a coward.” Azula came closer, leaning over the wheelchair so she could stare the girl directly in the eyes. “I watched him die right in front of me, because _your_ sister  killed him!"

 _"No!”_ she shrieked, burying her face against her hands. She just wanted these people to go away, to leave her alone. She didn't want to hear any of this anymore! “No, no, no, no... She wouldn't do that! Lord Zuko was nice... She _wouldn't."_

"It's true, Shayu...” Anraq's voice again. His tone was soft, mournful... It drove a knife through her heart. “I was there... She killed him."

"Nonononono....." She shook her head back and forth, trying to fight back her tears; she failed, and within moments began hiccuping through uncontrolled sobs. Why all these lies? Why were there so many lies?

Azula scoffed again, straightening herself with her arms folded across her chest. "Blubber all you like, Shayu. The truth hurts, and you need to know the truth about your sister. She gambled your own life to advance her goals. That's why you're here in the first place, sitting in that wheelchair—because Yula didn't care what kind of danger she put you in. She doesn't care about you."

Shayu couldn't bring herself to say anything this time. She merely kept her face pressed against her hands, squealing and crying and coughing. She didn't _want_ to be sobbing like this. She _tried_ to stop. And yet, her tears came freely, uncontrollably. Lord Zuko wasn't dead; he _couldn't_ be. And Yula didn't kill him; she _couldn't_ have. These were all _lies._

...Weren't they?

"We should probably go..." Anraq said, holding a gentle hand to Azula's shoulder.

"Fine by me,” she muttered, with a roll of her eyes. “I've had just about enough of this."

* * *

 

Mako leaned forward against the table, fighting to hold back his laughter. “So then he says, 'honestly, Officer, I have no idea what you're talking about. _What_ money?' Now first of all, 'Officer'? I'm a _lieutenant._ What's the point of having the title if no one's going to respect it, am I right? And second of all, I tell him, 'I just saw you throw the bags on the truck. Who do you think you're trying to fool'? So I try to get him to tell me where the truck went and he tries to play the victim, raises his hands and says 'please, Officer, don't hurt me!' And what falls out of his sleeve?”

The others around the table watched him expectantly, all smiles and laughs as Mako told his story. Bolin cut into the last of his dumplings as he listened, while Asami sipped at a dwindling glass of wine. Korra, on the other hand, had long since finished her meal in its entirety, and now leaned across the table with a smile; she seemed to be the one most interested in the tale.

“A big fat roll of yuans,” Mako continued, with a deep chuckle. “And his explanation? 'Oh, that's just the bus fare my grandmother gave me.' I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they were going to fall out of my head. I mean really, his grandmother? _Bus fare?_ Come on, I've heard better excuses than that from ten-year-olds.”

Korra spread a wide grin across her face as she laughed. “Well, no one said the triads were the the smartest bunch of criminals in the world.”

“Now that is an understatement,” he replied.

“So, how are things going with you, Bolin?” Asami said, shifting her gaze over to the earthbender. “All ready to be a dad?”

“Well at first I was super nervous about it,” Bolin said, with a matter-of-fact nod. “But then I got past that and now I'm _really_ excited. I mean, there's gonna be a little _me_ running around, isn't that great? Oh I am going to spoil this kid _so_ much. I am going to give him—or her—everything that I never had growing up, and I'll be the best possible father I can. And the best part? If I make a mistake, Opal will be there to help keep things in order. Honestly, I don't know if I'd be able to do this without her.”

“Yeah, she's kind of an...important part of that whole process,” Korra said, stifling down another chuckle. “Pretty sure there wouldn't be a kid without her.”

“Do you have any names picked out yet?” Mako asked.

Bolin waved off the question and shook his head. “Nah, we have plenty of time to think of names. We decided to wait until after the wedding to worry about that.” Then, as he made a grab for his glass of juice, he pursed his lips thoughtfully and added, “Although...”

Mako lifted an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Well, I _was_ going to suggest a couple of names to Opal...” Bolin stared into his glass a moment, then took a quick sip. After he set the glass back down, he said, “Naoki if it's a girl, and San if it's a boy.” Almost immediately after he said it, he shook his head and sighed. “I know, stupid right? I mean they were our parents' names and all, but... I don't know, it just feels right.”

But rather than rebuff the suggestions, as Bolin expected, Mako brought a reassuring hand to his brother's shoulder and smiled. “I think they're great names.”

“Yeah, I'm sure Opal will love them,” Korra said.

Bolin looked back and forth between them, offering a smile of his own. “I really hope so.”

Then, Korra turned her focus over to Asami. “So, Madame President, how are things going with Sin?”

Asami straightened herself in her seat, caught off guard by the question. A faint redness came to her cheeks, but she tried to play it off with a simple smile and nod. “Great, actually. We've been seeing each other whenever we can over the past couple weeks, and she's a lot of fun. And sweet, and caring, and smart...” Her tone drifted off with a gentle sigh, and then she added, “And gorgeous...”

“Asami,” Mako said, pointing a smirk at her. “You're blushing.”

“Oh!” Asami cleared her throat, then stuffed her wine glass up to her lips in attempts to partially hide her face. “Uhh, well... excuse me.”

“Well, that's good to hear in any case,” Korra said. “I'm happy for you, really.”

“Thanks. I don't know if things are going to get serious with us or anything, but I really like her. We have another date tomorrow night, assuming everything goes according to plan and I can get out at a reasonable time.”

Korra nodded. “Here's hoping.”

“So, uh...” Mako glanced at Korra now, tapping his fingers awkwardly against the table. “What about you and Kuvira? I mean... things are, you know, actually going well there?”

“Yes, Mako, things are going fine,” she insisted, with an amused smirk. “You don't need to be so surprised.”

“Right, sorry, it's just... I still have trouble wrapping my head around it sometimes,” he said, scratching at the back of his head. “I mean, it's Kuvira. The same woman who almost vaporized you with a giant spirit laser?”

“That was a long time ago,” Korra said, with a simple shrug. “She's really changed since then. We all have.”

Mako nodded, and eased out a slow sigh of agreement. “Yeah, I guess we have.”

“But what about you, Mr. Bachelor?” she shot back. “Got your eye on anyone special?”

“Wha— uh, no, I'm not...” Mako grabbed at his water and shoved the glass up to his lips to take a sip. In spite of his best efforts, though, the way he squirmed in his seat did little to help his case. “There's no one, really... special or anything. Nope.”

Asami folded her arms across her chest and laughed. “Oh, and you thought the bus fare guy was a bad liar?”

“Come on, Mako, who's the lucky lady?” Bolin said, giving his brother a nudge with his elbow.

“Alright, _fine.”_ Mako huffed out a defeated breath and set his water glass back on the table. “Her name's Jun. She's a detective, and we've worked together a few times... I asked her out a couple days ago. We have a date this weekend.”

Korra beamed excitedly at the news. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah, way to go, Mako,” Asami said, offering a congratulatory smirk.

"Just try not to mess this one up like the last two,” Bolin laughed, smacking his hand against his brother's back. A moment later, he cringed, glancing back at Korra and Asami. “Uh, I mean... sorry, just ignore me."

Mako just shook his head and chuckled. "Thanks, though, really. I think this will be good for me."

"You know, I have to say, I've really enjoyed tonight,” Asami said. “It's been great, having the old team back together again."

"You said it,” Mako replied.

"Here's to the original Team Avatar!” Bolin announced, holding up his glass to the center of the table. “Uh, well not the _original_ original Team Avatar, the original _new_ Team Avatar. Since we're not, you know... Avatar Aang and his friends, we're... Okay you know I mean."

Korra fought down a laugh and held her own glass to his. Soon, Mako and Asami joined their glasses too. "Here's to lifelong friends."

* * *

 

Asami let out a deep yawn as she entered through the front doorway of her mansion. A glance at the clock in the main hall brought a groan to her lips—nearly midnight, way later than she had intended to stay out. Still, it had definitely been worth it. Losing a few hours of sleep was a paltry price to pay for a night out with friends.

As she made her way towards the stairs that led up to the second floor balcony, a shrill ring echoed through the hall. She groaned again, dropping her face into her palm. Who could be calling at this hour? With a sigh, she wandered over to the table in between the dual set of stairs and grabbed the phone, bringing it to her ear. "Hello?"

"President Sato, we need you down at city hall right away!" The voice was urgent, but familiar—her secretary.

"Lora, do you have any idea how late it is?” she said, holding in a tired yawn. What on earth was her secretary even still doing at city hall? Asami had give the woman leave to go home hours ago. “Can't this wait until morning?"

"I'm afraid not,” Lora replied. “This is an emergency. The other world leaders are already here waiting for you."

Asami blinked, straightening out her posture. "What's going on?"

"Our border scouts just spotted Yula's army approaching United Republic territory!” was Lora's frantic response. “They'll be here in a _day and half._ We need to start evacuations immediately!"

Any exhaustion that Asami had felt vanished in that instant. A hardened look came to her eyes, and from there on she was all business. "Sound the citywide evacuation alarm. I'm on my way.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Avatar, the president, a police lieutenant, and Nuktuk walk into a restaurant... That really does sound like the setup to a bad joke doesn't it? In any case, though, it was seriously about time I had a scene dedicated to those four just hanging out and being friends. The way the story has been going, they really haven't had that chance yet, so that was a fun chapter to write, especially seeing how their lives are all advancing as the years go on.
> 
> And then, um, yeah... more Shayu drama. People continue telling her how much different Yula is than she believes, which obviously is completely messing with her. And... she's in a wheelchair, because Kuvira's attack left her paralyzed from the waist down. Why, oh why, do I do these things to my characters...


	102. We Might Not Get Another Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Anraq share an intimate night together, while the world leaders prepare for the Dragon Empire's impending attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild Sexual Content

Azula stared at herself in the mirror, inhaling a deep breath. The past couple hours had been chaotic in Republic City. First, it had started with the shrill, blaring siren that announced the beginning of the citywide evacuation. Then, droves of citizens had flooded the streets, some driving satomobiles, others running to the train station to leave by rail. Millions of people needed to evacuate in little more than a day, and that made for pandemonium. Yet, it was _controlled_ pandemonium. Police officers and United Forces soldiers had taken to the streets to help guide the fleeing citizens and keep order during the evacuation, and for the most part they were succeeding. Traffic was slow, but never broke down to a halt, allowing a steady stream of people to leave the city.

Even as the city emptied, though, Azula remained behind. She had to. Bartering Shayu wouldn't work, that much she knew. Yula's entire motivation now was to show her strength, and wasn't going to let herself be stopped by the weakness of love for her family. The Dragon Empire _would_ attack Republic City, one way or another, and regardless of the consequences. When that happened, Azula would be there. Yula needed to pay for what she did to Zuko, and everything else she'd done; she needed to be stopped.

In the meantime, there was something else that Azula wanted to take care of, which led to her now glaring at her own reflection. She wore a simple red silk robe, fringed with a gold trim and tied together with a gold sash. Her hair, still damp from a recent shower, hung loose and free down around her shoulders, rather than tied up in her usual topknot. She looked so different like this, almost older. That was good, though; she already had a young, ageless face and body, even if she was far older than that. Anything she could do to look at least a little older than her appearance would indicate was welcome.

A small shiver tingled up her spine. Normally, she at least wore undergarments beneath her robe, but this time was different. This time, only the robe itself adorned her otherwise bare body. Even so, it wasn't a draft that made her shiver, or churned her gut with a steadily growing nervousness. No, that came from the thought of what she was about to do. Or rather, _try_ to do. If she didn't screw it up. With a deep breath, she finally turned away from the mirror and exited the bathroom. Back in the main part of the hotel room, Anraq stood at the window, gazing down at the crowded streets.

“I have no idea how they managed to put together an evacuation like this," he said, without looking away from the window. "There's millions of people in this city, and yet they're getting everyone out of here in a day? I wouldn't even know how to begin to organize something like that.”

Azula approached him, but stopped several paces away. She stood there, watching him with her arms folded. “Then it's a good thing you don't have to worry about it."

“True," he said. "Still, it's amazing to think about.”

“And you're not planning to evacuate too?”

“Nah, are you kidding?" Anraq shifted his focus towards her now, cracking a smile. "You know me, I'm not one to run away from something like this. I'll be there alongside the rest of you, ready to fight if it comes to that. Besides, I can't let you have all the fun, can I?”

“True, I suppose I can let you join in the fun, too," she said, with a nod. Then, she took another step closer to him and gave a smile of her own. "And, well, there's no one else I'd rather have fighting at my side.”

He smirked wider. “Why Azula, was that a compliment?”

Her lips curled wider as well. “Perhaps." Her expression then altered into one of distant concern. "But... you know, with as confident as we are, things could still...happen.”

“Yeah, I know..." A deep understanding gleamed in Anraq's eyes. He knew better than anyone, of course, after what had happened to him during the Water Tribe Civil War. "In a war, things can go from bad to worse in an instant."

She gave a firm nod. “Yes, exactly. Which is why...there's something I think we should do before then." She cleared her throat, making an attempt to calm her nerves. It didn't work. "If something does happen, and we never get another chance at it... I don't want either of us to have regrets.”

“Uh, okay, yeah," he said, with a curious blink. "What's that?”

Azula said nothing. Instead, she took in a deep breath and then untied her sash. When the thin strip of gold fabric loosened, the robe fell open to expose her bare figure beneath. With a simple shrug, she removed the robe entirely, allowing it to drop from her shoulders onto the floor. The knot in her throat grew as she stood there, her naked form highlighted with a soft glow by the city lights streaming in through the window. Another shiver ran through her, this one both from a chill and from her nerves, but she remained poised.

Anraq stared at her with wide eyes, and his brow raised high. _“Oh.”_ It was the only word he managed, as the rest of his breath caught in his throat.

Azula swallowed, and shifted slightly on her feet. She suddenly felt a growing awkwardness building in her gut. “Is this...alright? I mean, I know I still _look_ younger and all, but I was hoping..." They had already discussed this inevitable possibility, and Anraq had already affirmed his interest, yet even still she questioned it, and worried about his response. It almost frustrated her, how she could lose so much confidence in front of this man, how _vulnerable_ she could become. Yet, at the same time, he was the one person she didn't mind feeling that way in front of. "I mean, we don't have to...if I make you uncomfortable, or...or whatever.”

“Azula..." Anraq softened his gaze and took a step forward, closing the distance between them. He cupped a hand against her cheek, leaned close, and brought their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss, a kiss he held for a long while. When he finally pulled away, he smiled at her and said, "You're _beautiful."_

Just like that, Azula's confidence returned to her. Her cheeks heated and her heart pounded, but no longer was it out of nervousness. Rather, her nerves completely settled, replaced instead by a growing warmth of desire. She leaned in close and kissed him again. This time, the kiss was fiercer, more eager. She wrapped her arms around him, fingers digging in against his back, while his own hands trailed along her sides and explored her nude figure. A soft gasp hissed from her throat, but it was muffled by Anraq's lips.

She wasted no more time, slipping her hands beneath his tunic to pull out off. He quickly obliged, retracting his arms just long enough to remove the tunic and his undershirt. Once the top was gone, Azula's hands bolted downward to Anraq's pants. Her fingers briefly fumbled with the belt, but his own hands soon joined hers to assist. Within a short few moments, he yanked down his pants and underwear, then kicked them away.

Azula took a moment to stare at him, to examine him, now that he too stood there just as naked as she. Another small knot rose into her throat, but she swallowed it down. Her eyes traveled lower, and then she smirked. "I see I'm not the only eager one."

"What did I tell you?" he said, grinning back at her. "I'm drawn to attractive, powerful women."

She smirked wider and placed a hand on his chest, pushing him gently backwards. "On the bed, Annie."

What came next, she didn't quite expect. Rather than simply sit on the bed, Anraq reached forward and cupped his hands around her rear. Then, he lifted her upward, spun her around to face the bed, and lowered her to the mattress. With a surprised huff, she fell back against the bed, gazing up at him. He paused just a moment to look at her, at the beauty of her figure, then he poised himself over her and locked their lips together again. Azula breathed a pleasant gasp, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him close.

When Anraq's fingers found their way between her legs, however, Azula forced out a sharp gasp. A pleasant tingle rippled through her, bringing her back to an arch, and soon she couldn't even hold the kiss together. Instead, she let her head fall back against the sheets, mouth open wide with a deep groan. Never had she felt this way before. This kind of pleasure, this kind of bliss... It was new, exciting, and it only grew stronger.

Azula clawed her fingers against Anraq's shoulders as he began giving kisses down along her neck and chest. A hot jolt ran through her like lightning, and she moaned louder. Soon, he traveled too low for her to keep a hold on him, so she let her arms drop flat at her sides. His kisses trailed lower, down her abdomen, then to her groin, and then...

She practically screamed at the pleasured wave that surged through her, at the mercy of Anraq's lips and fingers. Her back arched farther, fingers grasping tightly at the sheets. A tingling fog clouded her mind, and a growing warmth ignited within her. Each second that went by brought a new intensity to the the electric sensations rippling through her body. She lost herself to that bliss, trapped in an endless cycle of moaning and shouting.

When at last it became too much to bear, when the pleasure reached its peak, her legs instinctively wrapped around Anraq's head, and her fingers tightened in his hair. One more shrill groan shrieked from her mouth as her body writhed, hips bucking, and back lifting from the mattress. Then, she huffed a heavy breath and flopped flat against the bed, chest heaving. The room seemed to spiral around her as she stared up at the ceiling, and only when Anraq appeared back in her field of vision did she finally come back to her senses.

"I think you might have woken the neighbors," he said, grinning down at her.

Azula inhaled a few more deep breaths, then lifted her hands up to Anraq's shoulders. In a single, fluid motion, she flipped him around onto his backside, reversing their positions so that she could straddle him, her knees planted against the mattress on either side of his hips. She smirked; it was _her_ turn to be in control. "There are no neighbors, remember?"

"Hmm, good point." He leaned up and kissed her again, bringing his hands down to gently set on her hips. "Are you ready?"

She gave a firm nod and raised herself higher on her knees. "Yes."

With no further words, he guided her into place. When she at last came down again, and they joined together, she released a deep, pleasured groan from her lips and fell against him. Her heart pounded, mind raced, nerves pulsed with excitement... She had never been this close to anyone before, never opened herself up in this way. She knew then that Anraq was the only one she ever wanted to share this part of herself with.

Anraq gave kiss to her chest, while reaching down to cup her rear in his hands. She jumped a little when his fingers squeezed, but the action only spurred her on. His kisses trailed up higher, along her neck, until he brought his lips just next to her ear and whispered, "I love you, Azula."

A sharp gasp hissed from her mouth as she held her arms around his shoulders. She gently turned her head and kissed him once again, then whispered her response. “And I love you, Annie.”

* * *

 Asami breathed a deep sigh as she sat around the table in the meeting chamber of city hall. The other world leaders—Tonraq, Eska, Desna, Kuvira, and Korra—were there with her, plus General Iroh, Tenzin, and Mako. Now that evacuations were underway, they could settle down and start hammering out the final details of their defense.

“What's the situation look like?” she asked.

Tonraq stood in front of the table and pointed at the world map set up on the wall behind him. “Right now, we have evacuees relocating to the western region of the United Republic. Dragon Empire forces are marching on us from three different fronts.” He traced his finger along the three different paths as he explained them. “Ground units were spotted coming in from the southeast, including foot soldiers, tanks, and mechas. From the northeast they're sending in a massive aerial fleet. We lost count of how many airships they had, but they're all big, bulky, and likely carrying heavy artillery. From the south, their naval forces are coming up from the Fire Nation.”

“That is the one area I am not worried about,” Desna stated, studying at the map with an indifferent stare.

“Indeed,” Eska replied. “Our Navy is much better equipped and contains thousands of waterbenders out on the open ocean. If Yula believes she will penetrate our naval defenses, she is a fool.”

“And if it were _just_ her Navy that was headed for us, then that would be a reason to be confident,” Korra said. “But she's sending in two other separate militaries. We can't afford to fight a war on three different fronts, and she knows that. It forces us to remain stationed here with all of our troops, rather than meeting her out in open terrain. We'll have to hunker down and defend Republic City.”

“That's _if_ she attacks,” Mako said. “We can still get her to back off by using her sister.”

“Somehow, I'm not as confident about that plan as I was earlier,” Asami said, with a deep sigh. “Yula has shown at every turn that she's willing to do _anything_ to maintain power and not show weakness. She might attack us whether we have Shayu or not.”

Kuvira exhaled a tired breath, folding her hands in front of herself on the table. “Well, we have to try anyway. At this point, she's the only chance we have at getting out of this without a fight.”

General Iroh took a step towards the map, glaring at it with a thoughtful hand pressed to his chin. “I'm most worried about the airships you mentioned. With the size of that fleet, they could wreak havoc on us if they were allowed within Republic City airspace, and we don't have an Air Force large enough to meet them in open combat. Our biplane bombers could probably give them a fight for a while, but chances are that would end poorly for us. I highly doubt they're completely defenseless.”

Korra nodded in agreement. “Our best bet would be to come up with a plan to take them out before they get here.”

“But if we deliver a preemptive attack, then we all but throw away the chance to end this peacefully,” Kuvira countered.

“Perhaps we don't need to actually attack.” Tenzin stroked a hand along his beard as he examined the map, specifically the path on which Yula's Air Force was advancing. “What we need to do is put in place a preemptive failsafe.”

Kuvira squinted at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

Glancing back at her he said, “I think there may be a way for your security force, along with Republic City's metalbending officers, to work with my airbenders and put ourselves in position to disable Yula's Air Force in the event that she decides to attack the city.”

Kuvira went quiet a moment, thinking over the proposal. Without even hearing the details of Tenzin's plan, she began considering the possibilities. Finally, she gave him an affirmative nod. “Whatever you need, my security force is at your disposal. What about the police?” She turned a look around the room, eyebrows scrunched together. “Where's Lin?”

“Chief Beifong is still recovering from her injuries suffered during your mission,” Mako replied. “Kya was able to convince her to evacuate, but before leaving she left me in command of the Republic City Police. The metalbending squad is yours if you need it.”

Asami nodded “Alright, I think now is a good time for everyone to get some sleep. It's already near dawn, and we've been up all night. We'll reconvene here at noon to continue planning.”

* * *

Anraq hummed out a quiet breath as he opened his eyes the next morning. A gentle yawn left his throat and he sat upright, raising his arms upward to stretch out his back. When he glanced down next to him in the bed, a smile curled onto his face. Azula lied there, already awake, just staring at him with a smirk. She stretched out her own arms and squirmed atop the sheets a moment, before finally sitting upright and slipping an arm around his shoulder. Leaning closer to him, she gently brought her lips to his.

“Morning,” he said, pushing deep into the kiss.

When the kiss broke, Azula eased out a quiet sigh and grinned back at him. “Morning.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Like...an entirely new person.” Azula sat forward, resting her hands against her thighs. Even though she was still nude, she didn't feel the slightest bit chilly. Rather, she felt warm, and alive. “With what we did last night... I had no idea it was possible to feel that way. Not just emotionally, but... _physically.”_ She chuckled, then turned a pleasant glance towards him. “I mean, wow.”

“Wait...” Anraq sat up straighter, blinking at her. “You mean that was the first time you ever...?”

“Well yes,” she said, with a simple shrug. “I hardly ever had time to bother with it before. Is that...okay?”

He smiled, then leaned in for another brief kiss. “Of course it is. I'm just glad I was able to make it an enjoyable experience for you.”

A wider grin spread across her face. “Oh it was more than just enjoyable.”

“Well, judging from the way you were screaming...”

“Hey, you were hardly quiet yourself,” she insisted, poking a finger against his chest. “Especially the second time.”

Anraq eased out a guilty chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, I didn't exactly expect you to get so...wild. And controlling. Which wasn't a bad thing of course, but... wow.”

Again, she shrugged, this time with a domineering smirk. “Call it instinct.”

“Now that's the kind of instinct I like.”

Azula breathed in deep, then uttered another long yawn. “I suppose we should get up. Everyone's probably already at city hall planning, and we should be there.”

“Yeah, you're probably right,” he said, already sliding himself off the bed.

She paused a moment, then glanced towards the bathroom. “Should we...take a shower together?”

Anraq followed her gaze, fighting down the eagerness that was jumping into his gut telling him 'yes, take a shower with her right now'. Instead, he puffed out a small sigh and replied, “I want to say yes, but there's actually something I need to get ready for you first. So you go on ahead. I'll have a surprise for you when you get out.”

Azula quirked a puzzled eyebrow at him. “Okay...”

She gave him one more look before sliding off the bed and wandering over to the bathroom. Anraq couldn't help but stare at her as she left, his eyes locked onto her naked backside. She seemed to know exactly what he was doing, too, as she added a sway to her hips while she walked, in a purposeful attempt to draw attention to her rear end. It worked; he caught himself staring long after she had closed the door, and it left him almost regretting not joining her in the shower—almost. In the end, he knew it would be worth it. After quickly throwing on a pair of pants, he lowered himself down to the floor and pulled out a wrapped bundle from beneath the bed.

Azula reappeared ten minutes later, a towel wrapped tight around herself. At first, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when she reentered the room, but as soon as she looked towards the bed, she froze, eyebrows lifting high. Set atop the mattress was a familiar set of black shoulder and chest armor, fringed with scarlet detailing, gold trim, and crafted in a traditional Fire Nation style. Next to the main portion of armor was a full Fire Nation combat uniform—the red pants and tunic, black and scarlet tabard, gold belt with Fire Nation insignia set on the buckle, even the black and gold boots.

“Ta da!” Anraq announced, as he stepped into view and gestured towards the uniform. “What do you think?

“What...is that?” she uttered, approaching the bed with a curious stare.

“What does it look like?”

“It looks like late first century Fire Nation royal armor,” she replied, still staring at it. She realized a moment later that she hadn't blinked yet, and so forced herself to do so. “Like the kind I used to wear...”

Anraq grinned. “It's not just _like_ the kind you used to wear. This _is_ the armor you used to wear.”

Azula's brow scrunched together with a mix of shock and confusion. She turned a glance towards him, then back at the armor. “What? You're...you're _joking.”_

“I most certainly am not.”

She blinked again at the armor. Her heart started to flutter at the sight of it, caught somewhere between amazement and excitement. Even still, she couldn't shake herself away from how impossible this seemed. It _couldn't_ be. “But how...?”

“It was in a Fire Nation museum, in their Hundred Year War section,” Anraq explained. “I saw it a while back when we were still living in the capital. Now, actually getting my hands on it was a struggle all on its own, but fortunately I made some connections while living there, a couple of which were still willing to help me out when I sent the request. I figured you'd need something practical to wear in battle, and what better than your old armor? I did have it fully restored first, though, so you don't need to worry about it falling apart or anything. Looks great, doesn't it?”

Azula traced her hand along the shoulder of the armor. Memories began flooding back to her, so many memories, some even that she would have preferred to forget. She had worn this armor on so many occasions—public appearances, war meetings, ceremonies, audiences with her father, during combat...even during her final Agni Kai with Zuko. Seeing it in front of her again now felt like something out of a dream. “It looks...perfect.”

“Well go ahead, put it on.”

She gave him a brief glance, then promptly dropped her towel. She wasted no time changing into the full uniform, first the tunic and pants, followed by the tabard and belt, then the boots, and finally slipping the armor over her head onto her shoulders. When she finished securing the uniform into place, she made her way to the bathroom and tied her hair up into its usual topknot style. Then, she returned to the main room, grabbed her swords, and strapped them onto her back.

“How do I look?” she asked, finally turning fully towards Anraq.

He looked at her a long time, gradually curling a grin onto his face. “Like you could kick my ass.”

A chuckle eased from her throat, and she leaned forward to give him a kiss. “Please, Annie, I was always able to do that, with or without the armor.”

“True,” he replied, with an affirmative nod. “Very, very true.”

“Now... let's go.” Azula made a few final adjustments on her uniform before satisfied with how it felt; it still fit the same as it always had, like a glove. “We have a war to prepare for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so that chapter ended up a lot, um... steamier than I intended it to. I still tried to be as vague and tasteful as possible to avoid a need to bump up the rating, so hopefully that worked. Even so, I added the warning at the beginning of the chapter. I honestly meant to cut that first scene long before it went into too much detail, but my muse hit me like a train while I was writing it, so I just went with it, and that was the result. So...yay? Hopefully it's not too awkward lol.


	103. Final Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Less than a day before the scheduled arrival of Yula's army, the joint resistance of the remaining nations make last minute preparations to defend themselves.

Kuvira blinked out the window of the bedroom, gazing out over the water of Yue Bay towards the city. Even all the way from Air Temple Island, she could see the city streets clogged with people evacuating. They had been at it all night, and now that it was close to noon she estimated that evacuations were about halfway completed. As long as the pace continued like this, all remaining Republic City citizens would be safely out of the potential warzone by the time the Dragon Empire arrived.

A gentle hand on her back pulled Kuvira's thoughts away from the window. Turning her head, she noticed Korra standing there behind her with a smile. “Hey, morning.”

“Morning,” Korra said, leaning close for for a kiss. "You get any sleep last night?"

Kuvira hissed out a tired groan and rubbed her eyes; they stung with exhaustion. "Not a lot. You?"

"Probably not much more than you did,” she muttered, rubbing her hands against her face. “Pretty hard to right now."

"Yeah, I know what you mean...” Kuvira turned a look back out the window. “If the plan with Shayu doesn't work, and Yula decides to attack, we're in for one heck of a fight."

"That's an understatement. People will die... A _lot_ of people."

Kuvira went quiet, bowing her head in thought. She found herself caught in a sudden bout of hesitation, debating whether or not to make her next suggestion. She knew it wasn't a simple one, and yet at this point they had already exhausted nearly all their other options. Even if it weren't an easy thing to ask, she still had to do it. Glancing back at Korra, she said, “There is something I've been meaning to ask.”

Korra brought a hand to her shoulder. “What is it?”

"I know you don't like to do it if you don't have to, but...couldn't you just go into the Avatar State and bring Yula down yourself? She may be powerful, but she's no Avatar.” Even as she said it, Kuvira felt a twinge of confliction knife through her chest; she was essentially asking her girlfriend to ascend into godhood and kill someone.

Korra shifted her own gaze away and uttered a deep sigh. The expression on her face wasn't one of revulsion or anger, though. Rather, it was one of understanding, and contemplation; she knew why Kuvira had asked it, and knew that it was a possibility they had to consider. As the Avatar, it was her duty to maintain balance, and sometimes the methods in doing so weren't always clean. "I _could_ , if I had the opportunity. The problem is, I doubt she's going to make it that easy. I can't just go rampaging through her army to find her, taking out who knows how many of her troops along the way. And even if I did, I still can't take on an entire army by myself, no matter how strong I am. Someone would get a lucky shot in eventually, and then that's the end of me and the Avatar Cycle."

Kuvira nodded, and eased out a sigh of her own. "Yeah, I understand."

"If there's ever a chance to get her alone, though...” Korra closed her eyes and gave a slow nod. “Then yeah, I could beat her in the Avatar State no problem. But unless that happens, sending me after her probably wouldn't end well."

"I just wish there was something we could do to stop this without war,” Kuvira muttered. “We've already lost Zaofu... I don't want Republic City to be next."

"I know,” Korra said. “Neither do I. Shayu is our best hope right now."

"Here's hoping Yula hasn't completely lost it."

Korra stared out the window a moment longer, then took Kuvira's hand and started towards the exit. "We should probably get going now. Asami just called with something she needs us to take care of before we head to city hall. I'll explain on the way.”

No sooner than they exited the women's dormitory, a call shouted at them from across the island. “Kuvira, wait up!"

Kuvira turned to the sound of the voice and raised a hand above her eyes to block the sun. Racing towards her from across the courtyard were two familiar, identical individuals. “Wing? Wei? You haven't left yet?” Ever since leaving Zaofu, the Beifongs had been invited to live on Air Temple Island with Tenzin and the airbenders. She had assumed they would have already started evacuating with the rest of the city.

“Well, here's the thing,” Wing said, as the twins approached. “See, we want to stay and help.”

“What?” Kuvira blinked at them with lifted eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

“Uh, _yeah,”_ Wei replied, with a tone meant to indicate just how obvious the answer was. “That crazy empress chick who buried our home is on her way here. We're not just about to run away when we could be doing something to help stop her.”

Wing gave an affirmative nod and held up his fist. “We'll do whatever you need, Kuvira. We're ready.”

“And we're staying too,” said a new voice.

Kuvira furrowed her brow and glanced behind herself to see Baatar, Sr. and Huan standing there. “Wait, but Dad—”

“If my boys want to remain behind to help, I can't stop them,” Baatar said. “But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave them, either. I'll be here for support."

She stared at him a moment, then turned her focus to Huan. “And you, too?”

“Well I'm not going to evacuate by _myself,”_ the artist insisted, with an obvious shrug.

Kuvira watched them all for a brief moment, easing out a steady breath. She knew she very well she couldn't force any of them to leave, no matter how much she would have preferred it if they were safely out of the city. She could, however, be grateful for their support, and proud of their determination to help—proud to call them her family. “Alright. Wing, Wei, if you want to help, for now you can join Captain Hong Li down at city hall. He and the rest of the security force will be joining Tenzin and the other airbenders soon on a special assignment.”

Wing nodded. “We're on it.”

“Dad, Huan, for now you should just stay here on the island,” she continued. “Once the evacuation is finished, we'll probably be moving to a different base of operations. I'll let you know more then."

“Understood,” Baatar replied.

"And guys...” Kuvira curled her lips into an appreciative smile, then leaned close to give them a hug. “Thanks.”

* * *

 When Anraq and Azula arrived at city hall, they found the world leaders and their associates gathered in the central meeting chamber. Asami and General Iroh stood together, looking over a map of Republic and setting up pins around it to indicate troop formations. Tenzin, Hong Li, and Mako were busy discussing plans while examining a map of United Republic territory, while Eska and Desna were busy examining a map of Yue Bay, with various pins set up to represent the blockade, as well as both Water Tribe Navies.

Anraq, however, marched straight up to the other world leader in the room, who stood staring at a world map near the back wall. As he approached, he gave a firm salute in greeting. "Chef Tonraq, sir."

Tonraq glanced at him with a careful look, a look that soon flickered with recognition. "You're Anraq, right? Korra's friend."

"Yes, sir,” he replied, with a nod. “Born and bred Southerner, too. I'd like to offer my services to you, if that's alright. Whatever you need."

"I see.” Tonraq examined him a moment, sizing him up, then extended his hand. “Well then, glad to have you. Right now, we could use some help setting up the minefield outside Yue Bay, if you'd like."

"Happy to do it, sir.” Anraq gave his chief a strong handshake, then turned to Azula. “You want to come with me, or will you be okay here for a while?"

She simply rolled her eyes and waved off the comment. "Please, I'll be fine. Go play with your mines."

He chuckled, then leaned close to give a brief kiss before parting. "See you again soon."

Once Anraq was gone, Tonraq folded his arms across his chest and turned a glare towards the remaining woman. "Azula."

She looked at him a moment with curiosity, eyebrows scrunching together. "You're the Avatar's father, correct?"

"Yes. Korra.” Tonraq's glare intensified, burning a hole into her. “You know, the girl you almost killed once?"

"Oh, right...” Azula pursed her lips, then cleared her throat. “Sorry about that.” An awkward moment of silence past between the two before finally Azula decided it best to leave the man's presence. There was no sense in continuing to subject herself to his hostile staring. “Pleasure to meet you again, in any case. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe the president needs me."

She could still feel his eyes on her as she turned around and made her way to the other side of the chamber, but she ignored it. He could glare all he liked, it wasn't going to change anything. Instead, she focused on the President of the United Republic, who stood alone at the other end of the room now that General Iroh had left to take care of other business.

“President,” she stated, planting her hands against her hips.

Asami glanced up from the map of Republic City, pausing momentarily when she noticed Azula's outfit. "Oh, Azula. You look...fit for battle."

"Yes, well best to be prepared,” she said, with a simple shrug. “I highly doubt using Shayu to deter Yula is going to work, so when the inevitable happens and we go to war, I'll be ready."

"We'll _all_ be ready," Asami insisted. “Or at least as ready as we can be.”

"I do hope you've done a good enough job building up your defenses, because otherwise the Dragon Empire will crush us."

"We've done everything we can so far.” Asami looked back down at the map. “Evacuations should finish up by tonight, and after that the only thing left to do is wait for Yula's forces to arrive."

"And prepare what you're going to say to her when she gets here,” Azula said, bringing her arms up across her chest. “If you insist on trying to use Shayu against her, you need to do it right. Your negotiations must be _perfect."_

Asami raised a hand and pinched her fingers against her eyes, tiredly. "I know. We're...working on that."

Azula tapped her fingers against her elbow, watching the president. "When you contact Yula, I should be there to help bargain."

Asami frowned and flicked a glance up at her. "And why would that be?"

"Because you're far too soft,” she said. “The whole lot of you, actually. Yula will know you're bluffing if you try to make threats on her sister's life. But me, on the other hand... She knows what I'm capable of."

"About that...” Asami cleared her throat, then turned fully to Azula. “We're going to try _not_ to threaten Shayu. I discussed it with the other world leaders, and we believe that threatening her sister will only make Yula more likely to become hostile. Instead, we're hoping that Shayu can convince her sister to leave."

Azula recoiled back a step, baffled at the statement. "Are you _serious?_ That will never work.” During their last meeting together, Asami had seemed willing to go with the more forceful method, which was only a good thing; force was the only thing Yula understood at this point. Any other method, Azula knew would only lead to ruin. “Even if you do manage to get Shayu to act against her sister, Yula won't fall for that. She's already come this far; she's not going to turn around because someone asks her to, no matter who it is."

Asami shrugged. “Maybe not, but we have to try.”

"No, you don't _have_ to.” Azula hardened a glare now, taking a step towards the woman. This idiot had no idea what she was doing. “You _want_ to, because you're too passive to do it the way you _should._ If anything, we should be the ones making the first attack and catching her by surprise. At least then we might actually have a chance. But no, instead you're so keen on doing things peacefully that you're setting yourselves up for disaster. You're going to get your people killed, and your city destroyed!"

"With all due _respect_ , Azula, I don't really think you're in a position to judge how I run my nation, or the decisions I make as a leader.” Asami didn't back down. Instead, she took a step closer, and stared directly into the other woman's eyes. “If I recall correctly, you had your chance at being a world leader, and look what happened. Your incompetence is what put us in this position in the first place—Yula was _your_ making. Now we're trying to clean up your mess."

Azula's eyes faltered just a moment at the accusation. There was truth to it, she knew. Those were things she had already scolded herself for many times. Still, she didn't let it show. She kept her glare firm and unyielding. "You're right. I did make Yula what she is. That means I know how she operates far better than any of you, and I'm telling you that nothing you say to her is going to make her back down. You're wasting your time with Shayu."

"I guess that's where we disagree. If there's even the slightest chance to end this without bloodshed, then we have to take it."

Azula scoffed. "Fine then, do it your way. Just don't come crying to me when this blows up in your face.” With a flippant wave, she marched away. “Have fun fooling yourself, President."

Asami watched her leave, then dropped her head into her hands. As if her exhausted headache hadn't already been bad enough, Azula had just gone and made it worse. Why had they ever agreed to work with that woman? She knew the answer, of course—as a favor, not only to Anraq, but also Korra, and Kuvira, all three of whom vouched for Azula. Even still, that didn't make actually being around her any easier to bear.

"So, that sounded...intense."

Asami blinked, looking up again at a new woman standing in front of her; this one was a much more welcome sight. "Oh, Sin, how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough to catch the hostility,” she replied, with an awkward smile. “You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just exhausted.” Asami rubbed her eyes again, then stood straighter. “What about you? I thought you'd have evacuated by now."

Sin nodded. "I will soon. I just wanted to say goodbye first, and...you know, wish you luck."

Asami smiled. "Thanks, you're sweet."

"I guess we'll have to take a rain check on our next date, huh?"

"Yeah, looks like it...” Asami held a hand to Sin's cheek, then leaned in close for a kiss. “I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too,” Sin said. “Just be safe, alright?"

"I will."

* * *

 Kuvira stared down the hospital corridor with a frown. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

Korra sighed, shaking her head. "No, but Asami asked us to try, so we're going to try.” She hesitated a moment, then worked up the courage to start heading down the hallway towards the proper room; it was easy enough to spot, as it was the only one with a pair of police officers standing outside. When she made it halfway, though, she realized that Kuvira hadn't followed. With a puzzled brow, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder. “Aren't you coming?"

"Uh, yeah, no...” Kuvira muttered, with an awkward frown. “Considering I'm the one who put her in a wheelchair, that's probably not a good idea."

"Right...” She hadn't actually thought about that; it was a good point, though. Huffing out a sigh, she turned back to the hospital room and continued on her way. “Guess it's just me, then.” The guards only gave her a brief look before allowing her through; they had already been informed of her eventual arrival. She gave a knock to the door as she opened it, and peered inside. “Shayu?"

The girl sat near the window, gazing outside at the crowded streets below. She didn't so much as twitch at the sound of her name, remaining still and solemn in her chair. "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk,” Korra said, closing the door behind her. “That's all."

"Come to tell me how horrible my sister is, just like everyone else?" Still, Shayu didn't turn from the window.

Korra made her way across the room and pulled up another chair next to the girl to sit. "No, I'm actually here to ask for your help."

Shayu glanced at her, then suddenly paused with lifted eyebrows. Recognition flashed across her face. "Wait...You're the Avatar."

"Yes, I am."

Almost immediately after receiving the confirmation, Shayu looked away and bowed her head, pressing her fingers against her eyes. "Oh... I see."

Korra quirked an eyebrow and leaned closer. "Is everything okay?"

"It's just...” Shayu inhaled a deep breath, fighting back an oncoming sob. “If _you're_ here to see me, then I guess Yula really is the bad guy, isn't she? I thought...I _really_ thought she wanted to help people. But she isn't, is she?”

Korra lowered her gaze momentarily, letting out a quiet sigh. It seemed as though Shayu had already given the situation a lot of thought. "Look, I don't know your sister, or why she's doing what she's doing. All I know is that a lot of people could get hurt when she gets here tomorrow."

Shayu tightened her fingers in her hair, eyes shut tight. In spite of her best efforts to hide otherwise, tears leaked out from behind her lashes. “Did she...did she really kill Lord Zuko?"

"Yes...I'm afraid so."

A wailing groan burst from Shayu's lips. She smacked her hands against the side of her head and sank against her chair. "How was I such an _idiot?_ Why didn't I _see_ it? Why was I... Why did I go along with this?” She hiccuped, and coughed out a sob. Her tears flowed harder, streaming down her cheeks. “I thought... I thought Yula was doing good... She _convinced_ me. And Zaofu... She just _destroyed_ Zaofu. People lost their their homes... People _died_ because of her!"

Korra leaned closer and set a gentle hand against the girl's shoulder. "She's your family. Your sister. I don't know what it's like to have a sibling, but I know what it's like to love someone, to love your family. You'd never want to believe that the people closest to you could do terrible things. No one's blaming you, Shayu."

"But what am I supposed to do now? I don't know what...” A quivering, solemn breath fluttered out of her throat. “I looked up to her. I thought... She was such a sweet person, and kind, and funny, and... But now she's... I don't know what to do!”

“You can help us.”

Shayu sniffled back another sob, tilting a confused stare towards Korra. “What? How?”

“Whatever Yula's done, she's still your family,” Korra said, “and I'm sure she still loves you. I think she'll listen to you.”

Another sniffle, and then she rubbed her eyes in attempts to clear them. “Listen to me how?”

“You could get her to stop her campaign, stop her from invading the other nations. Get her to see that what she's doing isn't helping anyone. Get her to _stop.”_

Shayu stared at her a long moment, eyebrows scrunching with thought, considering the request. Soon, though, she shook her head and looked away, choking down another hiccup. “No, I... I don't think I can. She won't listen to me. She's an empress, and I'm just...me.”

“You're her _sister.”_ Korra reached a hand forward and held it over one of Shayu's in an attempt to comfort her. “You can do this. You can save a lot of lives. Please...will you try?”

Shayu's fingers instinctively tightened around Korra's, accepting the reassurance. With her eyes closed and still fighting to hold her tears at bay, she sucked in a deep breath and slowly nodded. “Okay... I'll try.”

* * *

 The sun had already begun to set by the time the herd of flying bison broke through the clouds. There were dozens of bison in all, each one belonging to a different member of the Air Nation, and atop each bison sat as many passengers as they could carry—specifically, about a dozen metalbenders each, from both the Zaofu security force and the Republic City police, plus the bison's airbender companion. Leading the assemblage were Oogi and Tenzin, and just behind him Pepper and Jinora, Lefty and Kai, and Juicy and Opal. Further back, bringing up the rear of the sky bison fleet, were Ikki and her new companion, Juniper, as well a Meelo and his bison, Comet.

Tenzin guided Oogi slower in the sky, as they neared their targets several hundred feet below them. “We're almost in position, everyone. Get ready.”

Hong Li peered over the edge of the saddle, looking down at the Dragon Empire airships. “Is that... their air fleet?”

“It's massive,” Wing muttered, joining the security force captain at the edge of the saddle.

Wei, too, gazed over the edge, watching with wide eyes. “How many airships do you think are down there?”

“I'm counting... at least fifty transports, another fifty bombers, and at least a dozen smaller cruisers,” Wing said. “Too many.”

Wei frowned, sinking back into the bison saddle. “There's no telling how much damage they could do if they attacked Republic City.”

“That's why we're here, to make sure that doesn't happen,” Hong Li stated. He pulled out a small spyglass and extended it, then lifted it up to his eye for a better look at the air fleet below. They were all flying level with each other, and in neat formation, which made their job easier. “Fortunately, it looks like these particular airships are exactly as General Iroh described them to us. No viewing decks on top, with passenger quarters solely at the bottom of each vessel. Because of their size, they won't be able to see us coming from above.

Tenzin raised an arm and gestured to the other airbenders behind him. On command, every bison began to descend at a steady rate, towards the airships. “Does everyone know the plan?”

“Yeah, we got it,” Wing replied. “The airbenders will guide us into position above the fleet, while we rappel down on our cables and board the top of the airships, two metalbenders to each.”

“Once we're aboard, we sit tight and wait,” Wei added. “If and when the fleet makes an attack when they reach Republic City, that's when we strike. Should be simple enough for a group of metalbenders to wreck a bunch of metal aircraft.”

“Good,” Tenzin said. “We'll start from the back of the fleet and work our way forward. Everyone ready?”

Hong Li stood up as they approached, followed by the other dozen or so metalbenders in the saddle. “We're ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was the chapter that was meant to be out yesterday. I know in the notes I put up yesterday I said that I'd be able to make the chapter much longer because of the extra time I had, and I did. Buuuut, I decided to break it down into two chapters, so the next chapter will be up shortly after this one. I know things seem to be dragging a little right now (could be why I've stopped getting comments lol), but by the end of next chapter things will pick up I swear.


	104. The Battle For Republic City, Pt. 1: The Eve of Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dragon Empire finally arrives on Republic City's doorstep.

“I guess that's it,” Kuvira said, as she gazed out over the shore of Air Temple Island to Republic City beyond. Most of the lights were out, except for street lamps and a few key locations, such as city hall or the police headquarters. It left the city looking eerily dark under the night sky. “Evacuations are complete.”

“Looks like it.” Korra leaned close and held the matriarch's hand, linking their fingers together. “The only thing we can do now is wait.”

“How far out did the last report say that Yula's forces are?”

“About eight hours. Should get here just after dawn tomorrow.”

Kuvira breathed in deep, then turned away from the city. She turned fully to her girlfriend, and brought both their hands together. “Korra, whatever happens tomorrow... I just want you to know, I love you.”

Korra smiled. “I know. I love you, too. I always will.”

“I just can't help but worry...” Kuvira tilted her focus downward. Her eyes became solemn, distant. “If Shayu can't convince Yula to leave, then countless people are going to die. We could lose friends...family. We've already lost so much, I don't know if I...”

Korra lifted one of her hands to Kuvira's chin and raised the woman's gaze so their eyes met. “Hey, we'll get through this. _Together_. I promise.”

“Together...” Kuvira frowned at the statement. “Can you really be certain of that? If something happens to either of us...

“Don't think like that,” Korra insisted. “Everything will be fine. _We'll_ be fine. I'll make sure of it, one way or another. We'll be there to look out for each other, and our friends, and our families.” Her hand left Kuvira's chin, slowly gliding up along her cheek. “No matter happens... we will _always_ be together.”

Kuvira swallowed, and stared back at her a long time before bringing herself to speak again. “You really believe that?”

“ I do.”

“In that case, um...” Kuvira suddenly shifted with an awkward, nervous expression. “There's something I need to ask you.”

Korra blinked at her, lifting a curious eyebrow. "Oh, uh, alright. What is it?"

"Well, um...” Kuvira eased in a deep breath and slowly let it out to calm her nerves. Her heart pounded like mad in her chest as she attempted to force herself through what was about to come. This wasn't exactly a small thing, and it was something she had debated with herself for weeks. If she didn't get it out now, though, there might now be another chance... She _had_ to do this, whatever the outcome. “Korra, my life hasn't gone anywhere close to how I thought it would. I made so many mistakes, hurt so many people...people like you. After I went to prison, I thought that was it. I thought my life was over, that I'd never recover from my shame.”

Kuvira brought both their hands together again, and gave a gentle squeeze. She looked deep into Korra's eyes, curling a loving smile to her lips. “But, amazingly, I was able to find new meaning in my life. I was able to change for the better, I was able to forgive myself, and find redemption... I was able to become the person I always should have been. And so much of that is thanks to you. When I needed a friend, you were there. When I needed someone to reassure me, you there. When I needed someone to push me in the right direction, you were there. You showed me kindness and compassion I didn't ever think I deserved. You helped me heal, and better myself, and now you're the one person I love most in this world. I wouldn't be the person I am today without you. You've...completed me.”

She inhaled another deep breath, this time holding it in a few seconds. As she neared closer to the eventual question, her nerves grew stronger, and her gut churned harder. “Korra, what I'm trying to say is, you mean the world to me, and I...I wanted to ask you if...if you would, uh... Well... See, there might not be another chance to do this after tomorrow, and... If the worst happens, I didn't want to let this go unasked, so...”

It was now or never. With one more deep breath, Kuvira pulled one of her hands back and reached into one of the pockets of her green robes. When her hand reappeared, she clutched in her grasp a blue choker with a metal pendant in the shape of a lotus flower dangling from the front of it. She raised it higher, resting in her palm, and stared back again into Korra's eyes. “Korra... will you marry me?"

Korra uttered a sharp gasp as she saw the betrothal necklace, and lifted a hand to hold over her mouth. The way she stared at it, though, with her eyebrows lifted high and eyes widened, made it impossible to discern exactly how she felt about it. "Oh, Kuvira..."

"I know this more of a Northern Thing,” Kuvira said, her voice coming out as a nervous whisper, “but Kya assured me it's still an acceptable Southern tradition too. I know it's not much, but... See, I made it myself, and..."

Korra silenced her with a kiss, bringing their lips firmly together for a long, passionate moment. When she finally pulled away, she placed her forehead against Kuvira's and smiled. "It's _beautiful_. Yes, Kuvira... I'll marry you."

Kuvira blinked, staring back at the Avatar in genuine surprise—pleasant surprise, but surprise nonetheless. "Okay, wow, that...went better than I expected.” Finally, she uttered a soft chuckle and then pulled the back of the necklace open. “Can I, uh...put it on you now?"

Korra returned a smile of her own and nodded, then turned around so Kuvira could wrap the choker around her neck and latch it into place. Then, with a smile, she looked back to give another kiss—their first as an engaged couple. “It's perfect.”

* * *

 “Harder!” Azula shouted, as she ducked below a sweeping water whip. She countered with a spinning kick of blue flames. “Come on, is that all you got? Give me more!”

Anraq backed off to avoid the flames, then knelt low and shot out a hardened block of ice. The block thudded off Azula's chest, but did little damage through the armor. Instead, Azula used his poor position to leap into the air with a flipping kick that brought down a scorching eruption of fire. The resulting blast lifted Anraq up off his feet and spun him across the ground. He shifted his position immediately and spun himself back up to his feet, heaving in deep breaths.

“Azula, we've been at this for hours,” he said, leaning forward with his hands held to his knees. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he wandered over to the large statue of Avatar Korra and held himself against it. Under normal circumstances, sparring in Avatar Korra Park would probably get them arrested, but right now there wasn't anyone around to stop them. “I think it might be time to stop for the night and get some sleep. Or at least take a break.”

“I _can't_ stop,” she insisted. “Yula _is_ going to attack, there's no doubt about that now. When she does, I am going to find her and end her. To do that, I have to be _perfect.”_

“And you think a few hours of last minute sparring is going to help?” Anraq straightened himself with huff, and lowered his hands to his hips. “Azula, I know you're determined, but you'd be much better off relaxing and getting a good night's rest beforehand. You keep going like this and you're only going to be exhausted tomorrow.”

“You should listen to your boyfriend,” said a new voice, from behind them.

Azula blinked, then turned around to see an older woman approaching them from across the nearby bridge over the pond. “Izumi? When did you get here?”

“Just a few hours ago,” Izumi said. “And just in time, apparently. I hear Yula is almost on your doorstep.”

Anraq nodded. “She'll be here by morning.”

“And you're sure she'll attack?”

“Positive,” Azula replied. With a low scoff, she added, “The idiots in charge here continue to think that they're going to somehow get through to Yula through peaceful methods. I suppose we should be fortunate that they're not completely inept, otherwise they might not have even bothered to prepare their armies.”

Izumi hummed out a deep breath and nodded slowly. “That's what I thought. I'll be joining you, in that case, doing whatever I can to fight back. Yula must pay for what she did to my father.”

“She will,” Azula stated. “I'll make sure of it.”

“I'll see you both tomorrow, then, if not before the attack then on the battlefield.” Izumi gave another nod, then waved to the two of them before continuing on her way out of the park. “Good luck.”

When Izumi was gone, Anraq looked back at Azula. “So, do you still want to keep going?”

“No,” she muttered, with a calm sigh. “You were right. This last minute practice isn't going to change anything. I'm just...obsessing. I need to be calmer. Focused.”

“In that case, you want to get some sleep?”

“Yes, in bit. First, though...” Azula took a step closer and pushed Anraq back against the statue. Then, she leaned in close and brought their lips together, fiercely, passionately. Her hands slipped into his tunic and traveled lower, beneath the waistline of his pants.

Anraq huffed out a pleasant groan when her fingers found what they were after. “Oh, well, I suppose sleep can wait, then. But, uh... are you sure, out here in the open? I mean, anyone could see.”

“There's no one around,” she insisted, moving in for another kiss. She gently bit his bottom lip, then began easing off his pants. “And even if there were, I wouldn't care. Just... do it like we might never see each other again.”

As seductive as her request was supposed to sound, there was also some truth to it. Anraq would be joining his Water Tribe brethren in the Navy tomorrow, while Azula would be keeping close to the Avatar and President Sato. If something unfortunate did happen tomorrow, then the last time they saw each other would be when they woke up in the morning.

Anraq groaned out quietly as his hands moved down to Azula's hips. With a single motion, he flipped them around so that she was pressed up against the statue, her backside pointed towards him. Then, he yanked down the pants of her uniform and leaned in close, bringing his lips next to her ear. “Yes, ma'am.”

* * *

 Yula's army arrived just after dawn the next morning. The air fleet was the first to appear, coming up over the mountains to the northeast. The airships came to within half a mile of the city and then remained in place, waiting. The Dragon Empire's Navy, consisting of numerous battleships and smaller speedboats, was the next to arrive, coming up from the south through Mo Ce Sea and halting just outside of Yue Bay—also, just in front of the aquatic minefield the Water Tribes had set up. Any closer, and the first line would have detonated. Finally, the ground troops marched in from the southeast, around the corner of one of the distant mountains on their approach to the city. They were led by several waves of mechas, with another three rows of battle tanks behind them, and then the foot soldiers beyond. Accompanying them were several airships, the largest of which flew at the front of the procession and bore two large gold dragons painted on its sides—the Imperial Flagship, no doubt where Yula was. The Dragon Empire ground troops came to a stop just a hundred yards in front of the United Forces soldiers stationed outside the city, forces that they dwarfed in number.

Asami gazed out the top story window of Future Industries Tower, which had become their base of operations. Being located near the heart of Republic City, and one of its tallest buildings, it allowed them a clear view on all sides. Right now, she stared out at Yula's Flagship, glaring. It was almost time. With a deep breath, she glanced back at the others behind her—Korra, Kuvira, Azula, Mako, and Shayu. General Iroh had left earlier to lead his troops from the front lines along with Izumi, who had gone to fight with her son, and Bolin, whose lavabending would be an enormous asset on the battlefield, if it came to that. Meanwhile, Anraq, Chief Tonraq, and Chiefs Eska and Desna had joined their tribesmen on their respective battleships in the Navy.

“This isn't going to work,” Azula muttered, folding her arms across her chest. “I'm telling you right now.”

Asami just glared at her, then grabbed her radio and clicked the button. A brief hiss of static followed, until the connection went through. “Dragon Empress Yula, this is President Sato of the United Republic of Nations. Please respond.”

Another brief burst of static came, and then the frequency cleared. Yula's voice bit sharply in response. “President Sato... You have my sister. I want her back.”

“You can have her back as soon as you turn your army around and leave United Republic territory,” Asami replied.

Yula scoffed. “I don't think you understand your position. I have you outnumbered, outclassed, and surrounded. I could wipe you all from this world with a simple command. This _isn't_ a negotiation. Return my sister to me, and then surrender. If you do that, then no one needs to get hurt.”

“You know how to make threats, Dragon Empress, but you won't attack as long as Shayu is here.”

“You're so sure?”

In the pause that followed, Azula turned a critical glare towards the president. “Now is when you threaten Shayu. Let her know you're serious. That is the only way this plan has a chance.”

Asami ignored her. She instead walked to the window and stared out over the city, at the Imperial Flagship in the distance. “Yes, I am. But I think there's another way we can resolve this.”

“Oh really?” Yula said, in a disbelieving tone. “And what might that be?”

“There's someone who wants to speak with you.” Asami said nothing else. She merely passed the radio over to Shayu and then stepped back, waiting.

The girl held the radio to her lips, hesitating a moment before finding the resolve to speak into it. “Yula?”

Anther pause followed, and when Yula's voice returned, it bore a tone of concern and worry. “Shayu? Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“I... I'm fine,” she said. “Really.”

“Everything is going to be alright,” Yula said. “I promise, I'm going to get you out of there.”

Shayu bowed her head and eased out a long sigh, eyes closing. “Yula... can you please just stop?”

“What? I don't understand... Stop what?”

“Everything,” she insisted. “All of this. Your army, your invasion, hurting people... please, just _stop_ it. This isn't you...this isn't the sister I grew up with.”

“Shayu, I don't know what they've told you, but—”

“You killed Lord Zuko,” she said, quickly cutting off Yula's defense. “Didn't you?”

Yula hesitated her response. When her voice came in again over the radio, it was solemn, and cautious. “He and his friends were a threat to me. They attacked me, made attempts on my life... Shayu, I _had_ to stop them. I liked Lord Zuko, too, but he left me no choice.”

Shayu swallowed back a knot in her throat and shook her head. “Yula, I thought you were doing the right thing... You had me convinced of it. I wanted to believe in you, because you're my sister and I love you, and I looked up to you, but this... It isn't right. You _have_ to know that. Destroying Zaofu, killing innocent people, acting like a tyrant, and a bully... This isn't how Mom raised us. We're _better_ than that... Aren't we?”

“Shayu...”

“Please, Yula.” Her voice was desperate, pleading, struggling to retain its confidence in the wake of oncoming tears. “They'll let me go if you agree to stop what you're doing. Just turn around... leave. You don't need to conquer the rest of the world, do you? You already have the entire Dragon Empire. Just leave it at that.”

“But Shayu, I thought we agreed...” Yula uttered. There was confusion and confliction in her tone, as if unable to believe what her sister was saying. “What I'm doing, it's for the benefit of everyone. I'm trying to help the world. I'm tying to protect people, I'm trying to—”

“You're _hurting_ people!” Shayu held a hand to her face as she shouted into the radio, cutting off her sister again. She hiccuped, barely maintaining her poise. “That's all you're doing. Maybe you meant to do good somewhere at the start, but now? There's nothing good about this. Please... I'm tired, I'm scared, and I want to go home... I want to see Mom again. I don't want to be a part of this anymore. _Please_ , Yula? Please, can we just go home?”

There was no response for a long while, nearly two whole minutes. That amount of time didn't sound like much, but in this instance it dragged on for an eternity. Finally, when Yula spoke again, her voice was quiet, almost remorseful. “Alright... Alright, we can go home. Put the president back on.”

Azula pushed her eyebrows together at Yula's answer. Though she remained quiet, she turned a glance around at the others in the room. They appeared relieved, even triumphant over this turn of events. Their plan had worked... or so it seemed. Azula, however, remained unconvinced. Something was wrong here.

“So, do we have an agreement?” Asami asked, as she took the radio back from Shayu.

“Yes...” Yula replied. “Please... Just give me my sister and I'll leave. I give you my word.”

Asami breathed out a soft sigh of relief. “Alright, we'll arrange a transport immediately.”

“Don't bother, I'll send one myself.”

“Fine, we'll be waiting atop Future Industries Tower,” Asami said. “You can send an airship to retrieve your sister as soon as you're ready.”

“Who...else will be with you?” Yula asked, with a subtle hesitance in her tone. “I feel I owe some people an apology... the Avatar, for one. Azula... Kuvira. Too many.”

“They're all here. You can talk to them face to face if you come yourself.”

“I'll do that... Thank you.”

* * *

 When the radio connection clicked off, Yula released an enraged shout and beat her fist against the airship dashboard. A burst of flames erupted from her knuckles, but they dissipated harmlessly before they could do any damage to the controls.

Next to her, Ishida approached with a cautious step. “Empress, are you alright?”

“My sister...” she grumbled, with a seething breath of anger. “They turned my own _sister_ against me. They will _not_ get away with this.” She inhaled another breath in attempts to compose herself, then turned a glance towards her lowly servant. “Ishida... prepare an airship. I want you to pick up my sister.”

* * *

 A half hour later, Asami and the others stood on the roof of Future Industries Tower. A small Dragon Empire cruiser airship lowered into view, hovering just low enough to put it within range of its gangplank. Asami stood at the front of the group, next to Shayu. Korra stood behind the girl, hands grasped on the handles of the wheelchair.

“Thank you for your help, Shayu,” Asami said, with an appreciative nod.

“Yeah, you did a lot of good here today,” Korra added, smiling down at the girl.

“You're welcome...” Shayu said. “I'm just ready to go home.”

A short moment later, the airship lowered its gangplank down to meet the roof. Korra gave Shayu a smile, then wheeled her forward.

Azula narrowed her eyes, as she watched the two ascend the gangplank. “Something isn't right.”

Mako shifted a careful look towards her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, why isn't anyone coming down the gangplank?” she said. “Yula said she'd be here personally to deliver her 'apologies'. So where is she?”

Kuvira hummed thoughtfully, focusing on the airship. “That's actually a good question...”

“I'm sure she's coming,” Mako said.

Azula shook her head. “More than that, you don't think Yula changed her stance just a little too easily?”

Mako paused a moment, scrunching his eyebrows together. “Well... I mean, maybe. But that's just the power of family.”

“No, that isn't it,” she insisted. “I don't trust this, and neither should any of you. Keep on your guards.”

When Korra and Shayu entered into the airship, they were greeted by only empty space—no crew, no guards, and certainly no Yula. Korra's eyes flickered with concern as she wheeled the chair forward another step. “I don't get it. Where is she?”

No sooner than she asked the question, a hiss of static sprang up over the radio, followed soon by a familiar voice. “Shayu, can you hear me?”

Shayu blinked, lifting her gaze up towards one of the speakers on the ceiling. “Yula? Where are you?”

“I'm not on board, but I am watching,” Yula replied. “I saw you and the Avatar enter the airship. And I can see the others on top of the tower.”

Shayu's face twisted with confusion. “But why didn't you come? I thought you were going to meet with everyone before we left?”

“I'm afraid I can't do that.”

“W-what? But why?”

A pause followed, and when Yula's voice returned, it was quiet, soft. “I want you to know, I love you. I always will... But I can't let you stop me, or anyone else for that matter. Goodbye, Shayu... I'm sorry.”

“Wait!” she shrieked, as the radio connection hissed into silence. “Yula! What are you talking about? What did you mean?!”

“Oh no...” Korra's eyes widened with the realization. Now it made sense why Yula had sent the airship, why she had wanted everyone there on top of the tower, and why there was no one else aboard. Korra immediately wheeled Shayu's chair around and rushed for the exit. “Everyone, get out of here! It's a—!”

She never got a chance to finish her words. As soon as she stepped out onto the gangplank, the airship behind her exploded in a fireball so massive that it consumed the entirety of the tower rooftop. The resulting shockwave obliterated the top several stories of the building, ripped the radio antenna clean off the roof, and sent bits of heated metal shrapnel scattering in all directions like a storm of razors. The airship wreckage plummeted seconds later to the streets below, landing with a thunderous crash. A second series of explosions then ripped through the top levels of the Future Industries Tower, and within moments, the entire building erupted in flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I told you things would pick up! And this battle gets started off with a bang (and things literally blew up in Asami's face, as Azula said they would...). But what happened to everyone in the explosion? Hmm.... find out next time!
> 
> On a happier note, we have a Korvira marriage proposal! Which... might have had a wrench thrown into it with the exploding airship and all. Or does it?
> 
> And then there's Azula and Anraq just being...um...well, yeah.


	105. The Battle For Republic City, Pt. 2: Advanced Warfare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for Republic City begins, as the Dragon Empire makes its attack!

When he heard the explosion, Anraq snapped his gaze towards the city. From his position aboard the battleship, he had a clear view of the airship engulfed in a massive fireball, and the destruction to the top of the tower below it. He stared at the scene with wide, horrified eyes, as the realization of what was happening slowly sank in.

"Is that...Future Industries Tower?" he uttered, his voice dry and hoarse. He didn't need anyone to respond to him, though; he already knew the answer. "Azula was up there... Kuvira, and Korra... _everyone!"_

What on earth had happened? They'd received word over their radio just a half hour ago that Yula had agreed to back off in exchange for her sister. The scheduled transport was supposed to take place atop Future Industries Tower, but the airship sent to receive Shayu had...exploded? There was no way that was an accident. Yula had done this. _She_ had made the first attack in this war, by blowing up her own sister, and everyone else on that roof.

"No... No, no, no!" He ran forward to the edge of the deck, grabbing hold of the railing. Briefly, he contemplated jumping over the side and swimming to shore. "We have to get over there! We have to look for survivors!"

A firm hold on his shoulder settled him down, and prevented him from jumping. "Anraq, be calm." It was Tonraq's voice, stern but also understanding. "I know the concern you're feeling, believe me. My daughter was up there too... But we _have_ to believe they'll be okay. We have to stay focused _here."_

Anraq swallowed, slowly looking back over his shoulder. He looked past Tonraq towards the enemy ships out across the water—they were beginning to move. "Right... Right, yeah, they'll be fine. Takes more than one stupid explosion to stop them."

Tonraq nodded to him, then turned around and began waving commands to his soldiers on deck. "Everyone, man your battle stations! We're about to enter combat!"

It took only a few seconds after he gave the commands for the first attack to come. The nearest enemy battleship aimed its main cannon at them and fired off a charged, blue laser—the same kind of focused lightning that the tanks from Zaofu had used, only larger. An instant before the laser plowed into the hull of their ship, a sheer ice wall lifted up out of the water in front of its path. Bits of ice and water exploded upon impact, but the beam did not penetrate.

As soon as the laser flickered into nothing, the ice wall sank back into the sea and their own cannons returned fire—pressurized streams of water that thudded into the side of the opposing battleship so hard that they punctured holes clean through the steel. Within moments, the enemy ship began taking on water and sinking beneath the surface.

"Keep at it, men!" Tonraq shouted, as he positioned himself behind one of the cannons. He waved his arms in a fluid bending mouth, rising a wave of water up from the ocean. The water swirled into the open back of the cannon barrel, then burst out the front as another devastating, pressurized stream. "Show them why you don't mess with the Water Tribe on the open sea!"

* * *

"Are you seeing that?" Wei uttered, looking out over the edge of the airship. Far in the distance, he could just make out a ball of fire consuming one of the buildings on the city skyline.

"Yeah, I see it," Wing replied, holding up one of his hands to shield his eyes against the sun. He then turned his attention to the airship next to them, and cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. "What is it, Captain!"

Hong Li pulled his spyglass down from his eyes, then glanced towards them. "An airship just exploded right on top of Future Industries Tower!" he called back. "Couldn't make out anything else!"

"Future Industries Tower?" Wing said, with a confused stare. He looked back to his brother. "Why would they attack—whoa!" His words cut out as the airship lurched beneath them, causing him to nearly lose his balance before he could steady himself. Moments later, every airship in the fleet did the same, all beginning to fly forward towards the city.

"They're advancing to attack!" Wei shouted, briefly stabilizing his own balance with his metal cables.

Hong Li looked to them again and shouted, "Now's the time! Let's take these things down!"

They needed no second invitation. As soon as Hong Li have the command, Wing and Wei took a firm stance atop the airship, one on either side. In unison, they reached forward and clenched their hands to fists, taking hold of the metal beneath them. With a firm yank, they tore the metal free from the framing below and broke out into a run, sprinting along the entire length of the vessel. The paneling ripped up behind them as they went. By the time they reached the back end of the airship, the entirety of the metal framing beneath the paneling had been exposed. Moments later, small explosions rippled out through the hull, and the airship began to descend.

"Yeah, we got it!" Wing said, with a triumphant fist pump.

"Uh, yeah, that's great," Wei replied, as he turned his focus towards the rapidly approaching ground. "Now how do we get off this thing before it crashes?"

Wing blinked, then he too looked towards the ground. "Uh..."

Seconds after he asked the question, dozens of figures emerged from the mountains behind them and swooped down towards the air fleet—the airbenders and their sky bison, led by Tenzin and Oogi. As soon as the bison flew into range, Wing and Wei fired out their cables to latch onto Oogi's saddle, then reeled themselves up. Hong Li joined them moments later, followed by several more metalbenders. All throughout the air fleet, metalbenders finished sabotaging the enemy airships and hoisted themselves up to safety on the nearest sky bison.

As soon as he was in the saddle, Wing leaned over the edge to watch as the airships began to crashing one by one into the ground. "Ha! Yes, we rule!"

Wei flashed a grin, then gave his brother a high five. "In your face, Dumbass Empire!"

* * *

Bolin nearly fell over as the sound of the explosion ripped through the air. He covered his head out of instinct, then turned around to look back at the city. Even from the front lines on the battlefield, he could still clearly see the top of Future Industries Tower erupting in a fireball. His heart sank as he watched the airship wreckage plummet out of view behind the other buildings in the skyline, and the entire tower soon become consumed in flames.

"That's Future Industries!" he said in a panic, pointing at the towering inferno. "They were supposed to be transferring Shayu up there!"

General Iroh ran next to him and squinted at the distant building. His hands tightened into fists. "Yula must have attacked instead... her own sister."

"We have to go help!" Bolin insisted. "They could be hurt, or...or worse!"

"No time for that!" It was Izumi this time. She pulled both of them back around and pointed across the field. The first wave of mechas were already advancing. "The enemy is attacking!"

"Everyone, prepare yourselves for combat!" Iroh made his way to the front of his troops, glaring out at the approaching mechas; at their current rate, they'd reach the United Forces in under a minute. Then, he turned a glance towards a tall radio antenna that had been set up in front of their forces. "Is that thing ready yet?"

From atop the antenna, Varrick finished coiling the pair of electric wires and then climbed down. "Almost, just give me a second! You can't rush these things." Once Varrick reached the ground, he raced over to the generator attached to the wires and grabbed the switch. "You know this will take out our own mecha suits too, right?"

"Just do it!" Iroh said. "We don't have nearly as many mechas as they do, and we need to level the playing field."

"Alrighty, one EMP, coming right up!" The moment that Varrick pulled the lever, a wide-range electromagnetic pulse surged across the battlefield. Within seconds, the advancing mechas began dropping like flies, crashing to the ground as little more than useless hunks of metal. Varrick let out a triumphant laugh and snapped his fingers. "Ah ha! What are you going to do _now?"_

Shortly after the entirety of the empire's mecha suits collapsed, their hatches popped open, allowing the pilots to get out and regroup in standard battle formation. Varrick blinked, then held a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Huh, right, I forgot there were actual people in there. In that case, time for me to leave!"

"Hey!" Bolin called, as Varrick started to retreat back behind the troop lines. "Where are you going?"

"Getting to safety, where do you think?" he replied. "I'm a lover, not a fighter, kid. Besides, I'm a not a bender; I'd get slaughtered out there!”

“Wait so you're just running away?” Bolin said.

“Hey, their mechas are gone, aren't they? I did my part. Time for me to high tail it out of this mess!"

"But—Wait, Varrick!"

"Good luck defending the city!" Varrick called, with a parting wave. "And try not to get yourself killed!"

Bolin groaned as he turned to face the regrouping imperial forces. Even after their mechas had been rendered useless, they continued advancing in formation. The United Forces stood their ground in preparation for the inevitable clash, but before the two armies could meet, hot lasers pelted the front lines of Iroh's troops. Soldiers screamed and ran for cover, while others put up earth walls in front of themselves and their allies. A second volley of lasers sizzled through the air, though this time most of them met with earthen resistance, rather than frying bodies.

"What on earth _is_ that?!" Bolin exclaimed, as he ducked behind his own earth wall. He didn't need to wait long to find out; soon, the enemy's tank battalions rolled into view, crushing straight atop the downed mechas. "How are they firing lasers? I thought we destroyed Kuvira's spirit vine technology!"

"That's not spirit vine technology," Izumi replied, shielding her face with her hands from exploding bits of stone. "That's Fire Nation technology! The tanks focus a firebender's lightning into a concentrated laser!"

"Oh _come on!"_ Bolin groaned. "Are you serious?"

Izumi ducked lower, as another laser blew apart half their wall. "Deadly serious."

Bolin immediately reinforced the wall with more earth. "Well, why didn't the EMP take out those things too?"

"Because they're mechanical, not electrical," Iroh said. He glanced out around the corner of the wall, noting that the enemy was almost upon them. "Bolin, I need you to give us some breathing room."

"On it!" Bolin sprang up and spread his arms out wide. Within seconds, a wide fissure opened up in the earth in front of them and filled with a deep pool of lava. With another pair of arm motions to either side, he spread the lava as far as he could, stretching it out into a river that divided the two opposing armies, acting as a barrier between them. The Dragon Empire immediately halted their advance, just in front of the lava moat; they would have to find a way to cross, if they wanted to get at the United Forces. Still, though, their tanks continued to fire volleys of lightning.

"First and Second tank battalions, move forward!" Iroh said, pulling a radio to his lips. Moments after he gave the command, two lines of United Forces tanks rolled up in between soldier formations.

"Oh, yes!" Bolin exclaimed, with a relieved laugh. "We have tank, too!"

"Not as many, or with the same kind of firepower," Iroh replied, again looking out at the enemy. "But we should be able to put up a fight for a while."

Once the tanks reached the front lines, they aimed their cannons at the imperial forces and unloaded, releasing a heavy bombardment of fireballs. Dragon Empire soldiers ran for cover, while their own tanks returned fire. For the moment, at least the tanks on both sides were focused on each other, rather than the more vulnerable foot soldiers.

"That should stall them for a little while," Iroh said, looking to Bolin. "But we won't hold them forever. We need some kind of reinforcements. We need the Avatar."

Bolin swallowed, then gave a firm nod. "I'll find her. I'll find all of them." With a parting salute, he raced back through the lines of soldiers towards Republic City.

He just hoped he wasn't too late.

* * *

Kuvira huffed out a pained breath as she threw the mound of concrete and steel off herself. A quick look around told her that the others were generally alright, already beginning to recover next to her. She had done her best to shield them all before the explosion hit, but she had been worried about how effective her partial, last second wall ripped up from the roof would be. Of course, Azula and Mako had done their part, too, bending the flames away from them during the blast. From the looks of it, no one had suffered serious injuries—or at least, those she had been able to protect.

"Where's Korra?" she questioned, spinning around in panic. Her gaze bolted side to side with wild eyes, scanning the burning debris around them. "Does anyone see Korra?"

"She and Shayu were on the airship when it exploded," Mako said, clutching his hands against his head. He squinted his eyes shut, trying to fight through a pounding headache. "They would have... They would have fallen with the wreckage."

Kuvira felt a sharp jolt knife through her chest. She ran to the edge of building and looked out over the side. Even though the roof had been destroyed and they had fallen several stories down, the walls and windows here had all been ripped apart, giving her a clear view of the streets below. There, she could see the remains of the airship, blazing with towering flames—no sign of Korra, though, or Shayu.

"I'm going down!" she said, as she held her arms forward. A pair of metal cables sprang out from her wrists and latched onto the building across from her. Then, she leaped out into open air and began repelling down to street level.

Azula groaned as she clambered back up to her feet. "I _told_ you this would happen!" She directed her ire towards Asami, giving the woman a heated glare. "Did I not tell you this would happen? Your idiocy nearly got us all killed!"

Asami just sat there, hands held against her head, gaze pointed down at the floor beneath her. "I never thought...she'd actually do something like that. To her own sister... What kind of monster is she? Who _does_ that?"

 _"She_ does, as I tried to warn you," Azula muttered, reaching into the collar of her armor. "But did anyone bother to listen? _No_. You'd all rather get yourselves blown up."

"We can't waste time thinking about that right now," Mako said, as he helped Asami to her feet. "We have to get off this building."

"As usual, I'm one step ahead of you," Azula said, with a roll of her eyes. Then, she held up a small gold whistle to her lips—Zuko's dragon whistle. She blew hard into it, releasing the signature, nearly silent tweet. "Everyone get ready to jump."

Mako lifted his eyebrows at her. "Uhh...wait, _jump?"_

“Yes, that is what I said.” She ignored Mako's confusion, instead pushing both him and Asami towards the edge of the building. After a brief look both ways, she noticed an approaching figure soaring through the air towards them, and then she nudged the two closer to the ledge. “Get ready...”

“Wait, hold on,” Mako said, attempting to resist her push. “I don't really think this is—“

“ _Now!”_ Azula lunged out into the air, gripping both Mako and Asami around their collars and yanking them with her. They screamed on the way down, though their voices cut out abruptly when they landed atop the great red dragon that flew in to catch them. Druk gave a mighty roar and then descended down to ground level, a short distance away from where Kuvira was busy searching for Korra and Shayu in the burning airship wreckage.

As soon as they landed, Mako slipped off the dragon and stumbled on his feet. He leaned forward with his hands held against his knees and uttered a relieved huff, head bowing low. “Don't ever do that again. Please.”

Asami, too, teetered on her feet a moment with a hand held to her chest, attempting to calm herself from what had just amounted to the most terrifying yet exhilarating few moments of her life.

“Now that you two are down here, help Kuvira look for the Avatar,” Azula said. Druk flapped his wings and leaped up into the air, taking to the skies again.

“Wait!” Mako called. “Where are you going?”

“Druk and I are going to pay Yula's troops a little visit!” was the reply.

Kuvira worked her way towards them, bending away slabs of metal and broken concrete from the ground. Each new space she cleared revealed only empty ground, instead of Korra and Shayu. Her heart lurched harder and twisted tighter each time. The panic that had begun to flare through her up atop the building now raged fiercely in her chest as she searched the rubble. Every time she thought she saw a little flicker of blue, she turned expecting to see Korra standing there; there was nothing.

“Come on, come on...” she uttered, as she flipped over another section of the broken airship. Again, there was only an empty street beneath it. “Don't do this to me, not like this, I'm not going to lose you like this.” A lump knotted in her throat, and she swallowed it down. They'd only just become engaged. They'd only just decided to get _married._ That future couldn't end this way, not before it had even begun... She _had_ to find Korra.

“Do you see anything?” Mako called.

“No...” she said, her voice squeaking out in a hoarse whisper. “There's nothing.”

Asami cupped her hands around her lips. “Korra!” Her voice cracked and broke as she called her friend's name. A small waft of smoke then drifted across her face, forcing her to turn her head and cough.

Kuvira began wandering around the street, half in a daze. She ran her fingers back through her hair and stared around at the wreckage with wide eyes, hoping that she'd see something, _anything_. Her breaths grew sharper, and uneven as she searched. She bended away another sheet of metal paneling, but again there was nothing—nothing but fire and twisted scrap metal.

Then, just as the worry in her chest felt ready to explode, she heard a muffled cough coming from beneath a pile of concrete. She whirled around to face it, eyes flickering with urgency and ears strained to listen. When she heard a second cough, she raced forward and cast her arms to the side, throwing the concrete away to the side. There beneath the pile was Korra, lying on the ground on top of Shayu to shield the girl with her own body. Shayu's wheelchair was nearby, but had been destroyed, now nothing more than bent and broken metal.

“Korra!” Kuvira knelt at the Avatar's side and helped her upright. “Are you alright? Say something!”

“I'm fine,” Korra uttered, with another cough. She held a hand over her mouth, catching the few drops of crimson that sprayed from her lips. “Just a little banged up. I think... I think I was able to save Shayu, but she's unconscious.”

Kuvira briefly pressed a finger to the other girl's neck, testing for a pulse. When she felt one, she nodded and then wrapped her arms tight around Korra. “I'm so glad you're alright.”

“Korra!” Mako said, as he hurried next to them.

Asami joined him and heaved out a relieved breath. “Thank the spirits...”

Korra chuckled. “Come on, don't you know it takes more than an exploding airship to take me out?”

“Heeeey! Hey, guys!” called another voice. Bolin came running into view around the burning wreckage, waving his arms at them. “You're okay!”

Mako looked to his brother and blinked at him, confused. “Bolin? Aren't you supposed to be on the front lines with General Iroh?”

“Uh, yeah I was,” he said, huffing in a deep breath as he arrived. “But he sent me here to find you. Yula's forces are attacking, and they have us outmatched. If we don't get help soon, we're not going to last! We _need_ the Avatar!”

Korra grimaced as she stood up to her feet. She staggered there a moment, but with a deep breath steadied herself. “Alright, I'm okay, I can help. Mako, Asami, take Shayu and get to city hall. Kuvira and I will head to the front lines with Bolin to help out General Iroh. And Azula...” She paused, glancing around with a furrowed brow. “Where's Azula?”

“Oh, she's already on her way there,” Mako said. “You know...on her dragon?”

“Oh...well, okay then. In that case, let's get moving.”

* * *

Anraq stood his ground at the edge of the battleship deck and lifted his arms. The ocean water in front of the ship lifted skyward and froze into a solid wall, just in time to catch a pair of incoming lightning blasts. He then promptly let the water fall back into the sea, so Tonraq had a clear view to return fire with his water cannon. One by one, the enemy ships began to sink below the surface. The good news was that the Dragon Empire was losing more ships. The bad news was that they had a lot more to lose. Even with as skilled as the Water Tribe Navies were, they were not without their own casualties. Several incoming enemy lasers managed to break through their defenses and sink a handful of Water Tribe ships. As well as they were doing, the Dragon Empire could end up winning this battle on sheer number of forces alone.

“Chief Tonraq!” he called. “Any word on reinforcements yet?”

“Not yet!” the chief replied, as he guided another stream of water into the cannon. Seconds later, the water burst forth from the front of the barrel and struck another distant enemy battleship. “I sent out the radio request a while ago, though, so they should be here shortly!”

Anraq turned just in time to help the other waterbenders aboard the deck block another enemy attack. This time, though, the laser struck in just the right way that the ice shattered and blew apart, forcing them all to duck for cover. At the very least, the laser dissipated before it could continue through to the hull of the ship. As Anraq righted himself again to look out across the water, a loud, shrill buzzing noise reached his ears. He shifted his focus back towards Republic City and squinted curiously, just as a swarm of small dots appeared above the skyline. An excited jolt erupted through him as he realized what they were.

“Sir, reinforcements are here!” he called, with a laugh.

Several moments later, the United Forces biplanes soared across Yue Bay, making their way straight towards the enemy battleships. There was a slight pause in combat, as the Dragon Empire no doubt was taking a moment to adjust to the incoming aircraft. Soon, though, the lasers began firing once again, this time aimed up into the air. Several planes took a direct hit, forcing their pilots to eject, but the vast majority made it through into enemy water. Bombs rained down out of the sky, exploding atop the battleship decks, destroying their control towers, and causing all around mayhem.

“We got them on the run now!” Anraq called, as he ran to the edge of the deck. He grabbed at the railing and leaned forward, straining his eyes to get as clear a view as possible. The biplanes continued beyond the enemy ships and then began circling around for another pass. Several more of the aircraft took hits and fell from the sky, but not nearly enough for the Dragon Empire to make a difference.

Tonraq emerged from behind his cannon and stared out over the water, a look of concern coming to his face. “Easy, Anraq. Don't celebrate just yet.”

Anraq glanced at him, confused. “What do you mean? There's no way they can counter those planes.”

“There's something that's been bothering me since this battle started,” he explained. “The enemy hasn't moved closer at all. In fact, they've stayed just out of range of our minefield this entire time. Unless they knew about the mines in advance, there would be no reason for them to try and keep this fight at such a distance.”

Looking back over the water, Anraq eased out a contemplative breath. “That's...actually a good point. Why _haven't_ they tried moving closer?”

No sooner than he questioned it, a dark shadow caught his attention in the water below. He glanced downward, brow pressed together curiously. Before he could figure out what it was, though, the shadow was gone. “Sir, did you see—”

His words cut out as an explosion rocked the side of their battleship. He attempted to keep his balance, but the vessel lurched just hard enough that he tumbled forward over the railing. The next thing he knew, he was falling, splashing below the surface of the water below. After taking a moment to regain his bearings, he swam himself upright and blinked, gazing through the murky depths of the bay. Another shadow passed by him, and he snapped his focus towards it—when he realized what it was, and that there was more than one of them, he uttered a harsh gasp and swam back to the surface.

“Anraq!” he heard Tonraq call from above. “Are you alright?”

He coughed out a breath of air as he emerged and stared up at his chief with wide eyes. “Sir, we're in trouble! They have submarines! _Weaponized_ submarines! And there's a whole lot of them!”

Tonraq's brow lifted in shock. “Oh no...”

Then, another explosion tore through the ship's hull. More explosions followed across their entire fleet, and within moments, half the Water Tribe battleships began sinking into the ocean depths.

* * *

“Are we almost done here?” Wing asked, as he watched more and more enemy airships plummet to the ground below.

“Looks like we're more than halfway now,” Hong Li said, gazing through his spyglass. “We need to get some more metalbenders over on the eastern side of the fleet for backup, though. They've started catching on to what we're doing, and they're sending up opposition through the roof hatches.”

“We're on our way now. Just hang tight, everyone.” Tenzin guided Oogi towards the designated area of the fleet, where imperial troops had climbed up onto the airship roofs through the maintenance hatches. Before the metalbenders could continue destroying those airships, they needed to get rid of the opposition attacking them.

As they made their way forward, Wei blinked and tilted his head head towards the sky. “Hey, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Wing asked, giving his brother a curious look.

“That noise,” he replied. “Sounds like...buzzing?”

Hong Li shifted his spyglass to the left, towards the mountains. As soon as he did, he nearly dropped it in surprise. “Oh no... Guys, we have a problem. Look!”

He pointed into the distance at the approaching figures soaring towards them through the sky—biplanes, and a lot of them, all with a gold dragon painted along their sides. The planes were on them in seconds, racing through the herd of sky bison and forcing the airbenders to take sharp evasive actions. Several metalbender passengers sprang free from the saddles and plummeted out over open air towards the ground, hundreds of feet below. Then, concentrated blast of fireballs erupted from the planes, raining down upon the bison in a destructive bombardment.

“Everybody hang on!” Tenzin yanked on Oogi's reins, forcing the ten ton animal to shift hard out of the way. In doing so, one of the metalbenders atop Oogi's back let out a yell as he flipped out backwards over the side of the saddle.

“Dad!” Jinora called from somewhere below them, forcing Pepper to spiral out of the way of several fireballs. “They're aiming for the bison!”

The planes came back for another pass, shooting off more fireballs as they went. Several bison took direct hits and began descending rapidly towards the ground as their fur ignited, while even more metalbenders were ejected from the saddles and fell to their inevitable deaths below. Some attempted to fight back, by firing their cables out to latch onto passing planes, but their efforts were ultimately futile. The planes were too fast, and their firepower too much to counter with a bunch of sky bison and passengers.

“Tenzin!” It was Opal this time, as Juicy rose into the air alongside them. “We have to retreat! There's no way we can survive this if we stay here!”

The master airbender took one last look around, eyes wide with horror as he witnessed his people falling victim to the passing planes one by one. He shook himself out of his shock a moment later and hardened himself; now wasn't the time to get caught up in the tragedy of lost lives. He could grieve later. He _would_ grieve later. “You're right. Get everyone out of here, now! Head into the canyons behind the mountains where those planes can't follow!”

“I'm on it!” Opal replied. “Come on, Juicy, let's—”

A fireball erupted against the side of her bison before she could finish her statement. Juicy uttered a pained grunt and flipped around in the air, spinning out of control and throwing out the metalbender passengers from his saddle. Opal, too, fell free—unconscious from the force of the blast and therefore unable to utilize her wingsuit to save herself.

“Opal!” Wing shouted, as he watched his sister fall out into empty space. Without even thinking, he threw himself off the side of Oogi and plummeted towards the ground.

“Hold on!” Wei was right behind him, and soon they both were in a freefall.

Wing reacted first, firing out one of his metal cables at his sister. The cable wrapped tight around her waist, and then he pointed his other arm upward to shoot out his remaining cable. Wei did the same, releasing both his cables at the same time. One shot downward and latched onto Wing's ascending cable, while the other fired upward in attempts to reach Oogi's saddle. As he realized a second too late, though, they had fallen too far, and the cable fell short. His eyes widened with horrified revelation as they continued to fall, with no way to save themselves.

“I got you!” Hong Li jumped out after them not a moment too soon, first latching on one of his own cables to the saddle behind him, and then the other to grab hold of Wei's second cable. When all the cables finally pulled taut, the four of them dangled there from Oogi's saddle, swinging back and forth in the wind as the enemy planes continued to fly past. “Tenzin! Get us out of here!”

“Oogi, yip yip!” Tenzin ordered, guiding the bison back towards the mountains. The other airbenders soon followed, leaving the planes and the airships behind.

* * *

“Third and Fourth Tank battalions, move in!” Iroh shouted into the radio.

It hadn't taken long for the First and Second battalions to fall. While they had done their fair share of damage to the enemy, the Dragon Empire still had far more tanks, and were gradually blowing apart holes in the United Forces defense. Right now, the only thing keeping the imperial troops at bay was the lava moat sitting between the two armies. It forced them into ranged combat, with soldiers on both sides bending their respective elements into the opposition. As hard as his troops were fighting, though, Iroh knew they wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Sooner or later, the enemy would find a way to cross that lava, and when they did, carnage would follow.

They needed backup.

“Come on, Bolin,” he muttered, as he looked back towards the city. The top of the earth wall he hid behind blew to pieces, forcing himself to cover his head to shield himself. “Damn it, where is he?” They needed him to return. They needed the Avatar, or... or _something_.

When he lifted his gaze again to the city skyline, however, his eyebrows raised at the sight of a familiar figure soaring through the air towards them. “Is that...Druk?” He blinked, squinting his eyes in closer inspection. It _was_ Druk. “What is grandfather's dragon doing here?” After Zuko had died, the last thing that Iroh would have expected to see was the old man's dragon charging into battle under its own volition.

“That's not just Druk,” Izumi stated, as she stood next to her son. She watched with careful eyes, slowly curling a smirk onto her face. “That's your Great Aunt Azula.”

Druk dove down from the sky seconds later, flying low over the front of the enemy lines. The great red dragon trailed a jet of fire from his jaws, scorching the ground and the imperial troops with it. Screams of pain and horror erupted from the enemy forces, and their formations scattered. Their tank fire, too, ceased as the flames burned and melted the vehicles into useless piles of molten metal. After the first pass, Azula led Druk back around for a second, once again leaving a blazing line of fire in their wake.

“Well, it's not the Avatar,” Iroh said, with a small grin. “But I'll take it.” Turning back to his troops, he waved his arm forward and shouted out the command. “Everyone! Attack!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo much happening here. As chaotic as writing a big battle is, it's actually pretty fun. Getting to bounce back and forth between different battle scenes with different elements to it (water battles, air battles, ground battles, all with their own unique feel and style) is really neat, and there's a lot of cool moments still to come, I think. The battle is just getting started, folks!


	106. The Battle For Republic City, Pt. 3: Into The Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for Republic City intensifies, as things begin going horribly wrong for our heroes!

Pandemonium. It was the only word that could describe the clash of bending and bodies as the two armies collided. The United Forces struck first, and they struck hard, catapulting one platoon after another across the lava moat. With most of the Dragon Empire's front lines under assault and burning from Azula's passes atop her dragon, the initial charge penetrated deep into their ranks.

Iroh led the charge, with Izumi at his side. Together, they pushed back the first wave of enemy soldiers, while their allies unleashed a barrage of earth, fire, and water. All the Dragon Empire could do was fall back and defend themselves, although their efforts were mostly in vain. With the combined attacks from the United Forces on the ground, and Azula and Druk raining down death from above, the imperial forces were in a poor position. Even though they still vastly outnumbered the United Forces, those numbers made little difference.

"Keep pushing!" Iroh shouted, as he punched a pair of fire blasts at the line of enemy soldiers in front of him. "We have them on the run! We can win this!"

Behind him, the Third and Fourth tank battalions rolled forward, continuing to bombard the enemy with concentrated balls of fire. Moments later, Azula made another pass atop Druk, and incinerated another platoon of imperial soldiers. Screams of pain and horror erupted from the enemy's side, and they fell back farther. Counter attacks of earth and fire began to shoot in towards the United Forces, but those attacks were few, and uncoordinated—easly defended against. Iroh kept his troops in rigid formation, never breaking, never caving. The Dragon Empire forces, on the other hand, fell into a larger and larger mess with each passing moment.

As Iroh advanced his troops forward, however, a violent tremble rippled through the ground. The tremble grew into a powerful quake, and soon the United Forces troops stumbled and tripped, struggling to maintain their balance. Bursts of earth then erupted from beneath the tank battalions, widening deep holes underneath them. Within seconds, every one of their tanks sank into the ground, dragged down as if in a whirlpool of dirt and stone. Nearby soldiers ran in desperate attempts to reach safety; some succeeded, while others fell screaming into the earthen whirlpools and were buried along with the tanks.

They received no respite after the tanks disappeared beneath the surface. Seconds later, giant fissures opened up in the ground, widening rapidly through the United Forces ranks like earthen lightening bolts through the dirt. Those unfortunate enough to be standing directly atop these fissures fell into the resulting chasms and disappeared deep into the dark abyss beyond, their screams fading into silence. The remaining soldiers scrambled away as the growing fissures spread wider, separating them into small groups isolated by wide crevasses on all sides. Minutes was all it took before the United Forces had become completely divided and cut off from each other, unable to advance or regroup.

"What just happened?" Iroh said, as gazed out over the newly formed chasms. _"How_ did it happen?"

"I have a feeling I know..." Izumi muttered, looking out towards the enemy forces. Sure enough, standing there at the edge of the gaping fissure between them was Avan, and at his side a line of more than one hundred Dai Li agents.

Iroh lifted his eyebrows. "The Dai Li? I thought they were disbanded!"

"Yula reinstated them," Izumi said. "Their commander, Avan, is a freak of an earthbender, with more raw power than I've ever seen."

"So...what does that mean?"

As the Dai Li prepared for another attack, Azula flew into view atop Druk. The great dragon unleashed a trail of flames at the Dai Li on its way by, to roast them just as it had the other imperial soldiers. This time, though, the Dai Li were prepared for the attack. Half of them raised defensive earthen walls above their heads to shield against the flames, while the others countered with a bombardment of large boulders. Druk weaved and dodged the stone projectiles as best he could, but one boulder managed to collide with the back of his neck. The resulting impact elicited a pained shriek from the dragon's throat, causing him to spiral out of control and plummet to the ground. Druk crashed with a thunderous impact. Azula ejected wildly from the top of the dragon's head and rolled across the dirt, bouncing and spinning until finally coming to a violent stop; she didn't get up.

Izumi swallowed a tight knot in her throat. "It means we're in trouble."

* * *

Anraq propelled himself through the water, spiraling down into the depths. He kept a clear bubble of air around his head, and when he was deep enough, he widened his eyes to look around—ten submarines, eleven, twelve... There were at least twenty in total, from what he could count. Each of the underwater vessels fired out multiple torpedoes up at the Water Tribe battleships, one after the other. With no defenses below the surface, those ships were little more than sitting turtle ducks.

With a stern glare, he again rocketed through the water, towards the nearest sub. A torpedo launched out the front chute, but before it could go too far, Anraq bended the water around it and guided it on a new path, safely away from any of the ships. Another torpedo fired, and again he redirected it. This time, though, he bended the water sharper than before, guiding the underwater missile around in a circle and right back from where it came. When the torpedo struck the side of the submarine, it detonated, releasing a powerful shockwave through the water. Anraq realized too late that he was too close, as the explosion spun him backwards out of control through the depths. The air bubble around his head popped, and he only barely managed to regain his bearings before sucking a mouthful of sea water into his lungs. Once he steadied himself, he swam back up to the surface.

When he broke the surface of the water, he was greeted with the sound of explosions and shouting. The soldiers aboard the Water Tribe ships scrambled to keep their vessels afloat, bending as much water as they could out of the punctured hulls. With each new explosion, though, came more water, until there was too much to keep out. Gradually, the ships dipped low into the sea and sank below the surface, one after another. Only a third of the entire fleet still remained intact. Turning himself around, Anraq looked out towards the enemy fleet—at the very least, the United Forces planes were still wreaking havoc upon them. If they could just get rid of those subs...

"Anraq!" a voice called.

He shifted his attention to the left, where he noticed a pair of figures surfing across the surface of the water towards him. "Eska? Desna?"

"It is good to see you are unharmed," Eska stated, as the twins arrived.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, as he bended the water beneath himself. He lifted up onto his feet atop the surface to join them. "Did they get your ship?"

Desna exhaled a deep sigh. "Yes, indeed. They sank our battleship."

Anraq frowned, then glanced down at the water below him. He could just make out the dark shadows of the submarines. "We need to take out those subs, or there's no way we win this."

"We have an idea," Eska said. "Just follow our lead."

Eska and Desna spread out across the water. Anraq did the same, distancing himself at an even space with the other two. The twins then began to whirl their arms through the air, with spiraling, circular motions. As the water began to churn between them, Anraq realized what they were doing and followed suit. Soon, the water began to spin, slowly at first, but building faster and faster, until sank low in the form of a raging whirlpool. The three waterbenders skated backwards to put more distance between themselves, allowing the rim of the whirlpool to spread wider. Within moments, the churning underwater cyclone extended deep to the bottom of Yue Bay, reaching the ground below. Still, they spread it wider.

The murky shadows of the submarines began to flow backwards towards the whirlpool, drawn in by its violent pull. One off the subs attempted to fire a torpedo at the surface in desperate attempt to free itself, but the underwater missile made it only a short distance before lurching backwards the way it came and exploding. Anraq counted five submarines spiraling around the whirlpool to the bottom of the bay—not all of them, but hopefully enough to make a difference. Once he and the twins disabled this batch, they could move on and try to take out more.

As the submarines gradually sank deeper into the water, the hum of airplane engines filled the sky. Anraq blinked up at the Dragon Empire fleet in the distance and at the United Forces planes still assaulting them, but he soon realized that wasn't where this new sound was coming from. With a furrowed brow, he glanced back over his shoulder at Republic City. There, coming in over the skyline, was a second fleet of biplanes. He squinted at them curiously as they approached; were they a second wave of United Forces planes?

When they drew near enough for him to see them clearly, his gut lurched and eyebrows lifted high. These planes had gold dragons painted across their sides—the Dragon Empire. "Eska! Desna! We have a problem!"

The twins didn't have an opportunity to react before the first of the planes flew overhead; all they could do was watch as the aircraft dropped a pair of bombs dead center in the middle of the whirlpool. The resulting explosion towered a pillar of water into the sky and lifted the three waterbenders off their feet. Anraq wasn't certain what happened next. The world spun around him, and he was aware of himself shouting, shouts that soon silenced when he plunged below the surface and inhaled a mouthful of sea water.

He floated there for several moments, not knowing which way was up or down, until finally his sense of equilibrium returned. He blinked, then swam back up to the surface, all the while his chest screamed with a dull, throbbing pain. When he broke the surface, he released a harsh breath of air and looked around with frantic eyes. There were so many enemy planes— _too_ many, far more than their own. One swarm began to ravage the remaining Water Tribe ships, while another attacked and overwhelmed the United Forces planes. And still, a third group began dropping bombs in the water between the two fleets, setting of a chain reaction of rippling explosions.

The minefield, he realized; they were detonating the minefield. In just a few minutes, the Dragon Empire fleet would be able to enter Yue Bay and lay waste to what was left of the crippled Water Tribe resistance. A sharp twinge stabbed into his chest, a combination of pain and horrified revelation; they were going to lose this battle. With a panicked breath, he twisted his gaze around the water, searching. Moments later, he spotted what he was looking for—Eska and Desna, floating motionless atop the surface. An urgent jolt raced through him as he propelled himself forward and grabbed them tight. Then, he turned himself around and swam in the opposite direction, towards the city. He had to get these two to shore, at the very least. Then, he could try to figure out...something. _Anything_.

And yet, even as he neared the shore, he knew there was nothing he could do.

The Water Tribe Navy had been defeated.

* * *

 "Oogi, down there," Tenzin said, pointing deep into the narrow canyon.

Ever since they had retreated from the imperial airships, the enemy planes had left them alone and not bothered to pursue. Still, it would behoove them to take cover in an area where the planes couldn't circle back for another attack—better safe than sorry. Not only that, but they all needed to take a while to recover and get their bearings back. The attack had left them in a state of disarray, with nearly half of the initial metalbenders having fallen from the skies, plus several missing bison and airbenders. Further still, there were numerous injuries amongst the survivors that needed to be treated.

When Oogi landed, Wing and Wei hopped out of the saddle onto the ground. Opal stumbled behind them, fluttering down on a gust of wind and nearly tripping when her feet met the dirt. Though she had regained consciousness, her body still throbbed with a dull, lingering pain as a result of the attack on her and her bison. Her brothers helped to steady her, but she shrugged them off, instead falling down to her knees.

"Has anyone seen Juicy?" she asked, turning a hollow glance up to the sky. Of the other bison that lowered into view, Juicy was not among them.

"We'll send a search party back to look for more survivors as soon as we're able," Tenzin said, as he leaped down from Oogi's head and floated to the ground. "I'm sure your bison is alright. They're very resilient animals."

Hong Li poked his head over the side of Oogi's saddle, then joined the others on the ground. “I think those of us that can still fight need to hurry and regroup. We weren't able to take out all of those airships, which means they'll be reaching Republic City and causing who knows what kind of damage any minute now. We need to provide backup to the United Forces as soon as we're able.”

Tenzin gave a slow nod, then straightened himself as he looked around at the other airbenders. Much of them looked tired and distraught, and there were even some faces missing among them. Still, there were a lot of metlabenders here that would be useful in the battle to come, which meant that they needed to make it a priority to get them back to the city. “Alright, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, I want you to organize a search party to return and look for survivors at the sight of the attack. I'll lead anyone who's still able to fight back to Republic City to regroup with General Iroh. Opal, I'm leaving you in charge here to take care of the injured. We'll be back for you as soon as we're able. In the meantime— _aaagh!”_

No one saw the attack coming until it was too late. A spinning bola wrapped around Tenzin's arms and torso, then released a powerful electric shock through his body, leaving him stunned and unconscious on the ground. More bolas followed, bringing down airbenders and metalbenders alike one by one. They attempted to fight back and defend themselves against the assault, but the addition of choking smoke grenades made their efforts futile, as a thick smog enveloped and blinded them. Even with the airbenders working to blow away the smoke, there wasn't enough time to reorganize and put together a proper counter offensive before the source of the attack revealed itself—a platoon of mecha suits, rolling into view through the bottom of the canyon. There were dozens of them, and they were accompanied by entire battalion of foot soldiers dressed in Dragon Empire uniforms.

The battle was over before it even began. Within the first few moments, half the airbenders fell victim to either the knockout gas, the mecha's tasers, or both. The metalbenders fared even worse, as several mechas simply raised flattened slabs of metal attached to their arms. Those slabs soon hummed with the activation of a powerful electromagnet, strong enough to lift the metalbenders off their feet by their armor. They smacked against the magnets like flies caught in a trap, unable to budge. Not even the bison were spared. Although some of the animals were able to flee into the skies, most of them fell victim to the mechas' entangling shock cords. The ten ton beasts howled as electricity surged through them, and soon fell motionless against the ground, unconscious.

“ _No!”_ Opal yelled, huddling close to the ground with her arms wrapped around her abdomen—wrapped around her baby. She could try to fight back, but to what end? There were too many. “Please, just stop! We surrender!”

“Yes, you do,” said one of the soldiers. He approached her, flanked by a pair of mechas. “You are all now prisoners of the Dragon Empire.”

Then, one of the mechas reached its arms forward and fired out an electric bola directly at her.

* * *

Iroh looked out over the edge of the wide crevasse in front of him; it dropped off into dark nothingness. Then, he lifted his gaze to his troops, all of whom had been separated into small groups trapped atop isolated pillars of land, surrounded on all sides by gaping fissures. “We'll never be able to advance like this. We have to figure out a way across, or bring the earth back together, or...something. We can't do anything like this.”

“Look out!”

Izumi dove at him, dragging him to the ground just as an earthen hand-shaped projectile flew above his head. Instead of grabbing onto the general, it grabbed onto the soldier behind him, and then quickly yanked the man over the edge, into the abyss. The man's screams gradually faded on the way down, until there was only silence left. Soon, the same happened to more soldiers, one by one being dragged over the side of the chasm to their deaths. As Iroh returned to his feet, he shot a glare over towards the Dai Li on the other side of the fissures; the agents casually fired out earthen gloves to snatch each of the United Forces soldiers and pull them to their doom.

“Defend yourselves!” Iroh shouted, as he punched a blast of flames to destroy one of the incoming gloves. No sooner than he did, another one appeared in its place, forcing him to lunge out of the way. “Earthbenders, give us a wall! And try to bring the ground back together! Get rid of these fissures!”

The more they attempted to defend, the more intensely the enemy attacked. As soon as their earthebender troops lifted up walls in front of them to block against the glove-projectiles, the Dai Li instead began launching massive boulders through the air. Some boulders crashed directly into the walls, cracking and splitting the defense a little at a time, while others soared in at an arch, falling over the top of the walls into the troops beyond. Matters were only made worse as the Dai Li were joined by another line of Dragon Empire forces.

Soon, the United Forces fell completely on the defensive, only able hunker down and block against the relentless barrage. As long as they were cut off from each other and given no room to move, they couldn't regroup in proper formation and put together any kind of counter attack, and as long as they were forced to concentrate solely on protecting themselves, they couldn't do anything to bring the earth together again and close the fissures. If things kept up like this, the Dragon Empire would obliterate them in a matter of minutes.

“Hold strong, men!” Iroh called, ducking low behind one of their earth walls. “Reinforcements will be here soon!” Of course, he had no idea if that was true. Ever since Azula had been taken out of the equation, they had lost their biggest advantage, and there was still no sign of Bolin or the others. What if they hadn't survived the explosion? What if there was no Avatar anymore? What if—?

A violent rumbling called him out of his thoughts. He stumbled atop his feet as the ground beneath him lurched and moved forward. Seconds later, the enemy attack ceased, allowing him to lean up over the wall to get a better look at what was going on. When he saw it, a sharp gasp burst from his throat and his eyebrows lifted. The ground was merging again, returning the United Forces troops together and closing the gaping chasms. On the enemy's side, the Dai Li and the other imperial forces watched with confusion—some even appeared to be trying to prevent the ground from closing, but their efforts were futile. Soon, the earth fused back together as a single, solid tract of land, and the United Forces were able to regroup into formation.

“Who did that?” he questioned, shifting his gaze over to his mother.

Izumi glanced back at the city and squinted her eyes. Then, a smile broke out onto her face, and she pointed. _“She_ did.”

A whirlwind exploded through the air, racing through the United Forces troops towards the front lines—Korra, her eyes glowing bright white in the Avatar State. She didn't slow down or stop until she reached the front of the enemy forces. The Dragon Empire troops gawked at her momentarily, before finally attempting to make an attack on her. Their efforts were pitiful, as Korra simply held out her hands and unleashed hurricane force winds from her palms. Dai Li agents and soldiers alike screamed as they lifted from their feet and flew like ragdolls through the air. Those farther back in the ranks were sent spinning head over heels, unable to resist the Avatar's might.

“General Irooooh!” a voice called. Bolin came sprinting into view a moment later. When he finally reached the general, he leaned forward with his hands held against his knees and huffed in deep, exhausted breaths. “Ran here...fast as I could...found the Avatar...got help...everything...fine...”

Iroh smiled and gave the lavabender an appreciative pat on the shoulder. “Good work, Bolin.”

Seconds later, Kuvira joined them, making her way through the line of troops. “We're not too late are we?”

“Just in time, actually,” Iroh replied, offering her a firm handshake. “Things weren't looking too good there for a while, but now that the Avatar is here...”

They all turned to watch as Korra raised her arms upward. A spinning cyclone lifted her high into the air, then abruptly dissipated and let her fall. When she landed, she slammed her fists against the ground and rippled out a monolithic tidal wave of earth and stone directly into the heart of the enemy troops. The Dragon Empire forces shouted and scattered, making desperate attempts to get away and protect themselves. There was little they could do, though, as the earth sent them stumbling violently off their feet. As soon as the earth settled down to a stop, Korra floated forward and released another pair of gale force wind blasts into their ranks. The soldiers flew and spun and rolled farther away, creating even more distance between them and the United Forces.

“So, should we...help?” Bolin asked.

Kuvira just shook her head. “We'd only be getting in her way right now.”

In spite of the confidence in her tone, however, Kuvira watched with bated breath. She knew that one false move, or one lucky shot, could put Korra at a disadvantage. Even with her level of power, there were thousands of soldiers that Korra was attacking right now— _tens_ of thousands. While not all of them could get near her at once, sooner or later Kuvira and the others would need to assist her; she couldn't fight them all forever.

As they watched the Avatar wreak havoc upon the enemy forces, though, the sound of explosions split the air. At first, they couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from, but soon they realized it—Republic City. Iroh spun around to face the city, his gaze aimed up at the sky. There, he spotted several large airships drifting in above the skyline, airships with the Dragon Empire seal painted across the sides. Bombs fell free upon the city from the aircraft. Glass shattered and fire blazed at the resulting explosions, and soon buildings began to topple and collapse.

“No, what are they _doing?!”_ Iroh shouted, as he tightened his fingers in his hair. “There aren't any troops in the city! That's just... senseless destruction!”

Kuvira's heart sank as she realized what was happening. “Yula never meant to take over the city... She's doing exactly what she did to Zaofu—she's wiping it off the map.”

“What happened to Tenzin's team?” Izumi questioned. “Were they unable to stop the empire's air fleet?”

“Well it certainly looks that way!” Bolin replied. “Oh man, what do we do? The city isn't completely empty—Mako and Asami are still in there!”

“And Shayu,” Kuvira added. Then, a harsher jolt of panick knifed through her chest. Her voice came out in a pale whisper. “And my father, and Huan...” They would all be in city hall right now. If the airships made it there...

Iroh immediately turned around and raced towards the enemy lines—towards the Avatar. “Korra! Stop!”

Korra released another blast of wind at the enemy troops, then glanced back at the general with a confused stare.

“The city!” Iroh called, pointing back over his shoulder. “Those airships need to be stopped! We'll take care of their main troops!”

Korra's glowing eyes widened when she spotted the airships flying in over Republic City. She gave one more look at the front lines of the Dragon Empire troops, then flew off upon a raging whirlwind towards the city. As she made her way by, her voice boomed with a god-like echo. _“Leave the airships to me! They will all perish!”_

As soon as the Avatar was gone, Iroh set his sights on the recovering imperial soldiers. Fortunately, a good number of them had either been incapacitated or rendered so disoriented by Korra's attack that they were in no position to keep fighting. At the very least, it would give the United Forces an advantage for a while. Moments later, Kuvira, Bolin, and Izumi came to his side. He gave them a firm nod, then pointed his troops forward.

“Attack!”

* * *

“Uhh, guys? We have trouble!” Mako said, as he peered through the front doors of city hall. Another explosion ripped through the building across the plaza, blowing it apart in a shower of broken glass and concrete. “Those airships are headed this way!”

Huan paced back and forth just behind him, holding his hands against his head. “What do we do, what do we _do?_ This is _so_ not good for my creative spirit!”

“Son, try to relax,” Baatar, Sr. said, holding a hand against his shoulder. “We'll be alright. Won't we?” They both turned a look towards Asami, who held the still unconscious Shayu in her arms.

“If we just stay calm, we should be fine,” she said. She took a step back and glanced towards one of the doors along the back wall. “There's a bunker built below city hall, just through there.”

Huan blinked at her, then sprinted towards the door. “Well then what are we waiting for? Get to the bunker!”

“The faster the better!” Mako insisted, as he ran from the entrance. “One of the airships is flying in overhead now!”

Asami hurried as fast as she could with Shayu in her arms, leading the way through the door. A steep set of stairs greeted them on the other side, descending deep below ground into darkness. Mako flipped the light switch at the top of the stairs, but nothing happened. Rather than waste time trying to get the lights to work, he ignited a bright flame in the palm of his hand and then took the lead, guiding the group down the steps.

“It shouldn't be too far,” Asami said. “Just a little more, and—”

She never got a chance to finish her sentence. Just as they made it halfway down the stairs, the entire building shook with an explosion. The ceiling above them blew to pieces and collapsed, raining down a pile of concrete and dust. Mako shouted something that none of them could hear, and made a dive for Asami. He took her to the ground and covered both her and Shayu, just before the weight of the falling rubble crashed upon them, burying them in stone and darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like with the last chapter, there's a lot happening here. There are so many different points to cover in this battle, and going through them all gets a bit exhausting after a while. A few of the different conflicts are just about over, though. We have the Water Tribe Navy being defeated, which means Yula's naval forces will be able freely control Yue Bay, while Tenzin, the other airbenders, and what's left of Zaofu's security force and the Republic City police have been taken prisoner. Then there's the airships bombing the city and taking out city hall, with Mako, Asami, and company trapped inside. The only thing going remotely well at this point is the ground troop battle, after Korra's brief decimation of the Dragon Empire's troops. But now the Avatar has to go take out the airships, while the United Forces are left to contend the rest of Yula's army. Oh, and Azula and Druk are currently incapacitated too.
> 
> From bad to worse, folks... things have to keep getting worse before they get better.


	107. The Battle For Republic City, Pt. 4: Scorched Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for Republic City comes to an end, but which side emerges victorious?

In spite of their superior numbers, the Dragon Empire found themselves at a disadvantage when the two armies clashed a second time. The Avatar's previous attack had left them disorganized and in disarray, with many of them either injured or disoriented, or both. Much of the first several waves were in no position to fight back as the United Republic swarmed them. They were caught out of formation, still recovering. The far more organized and disciplined United Forces troops, led by General Iroh, cut a gaping swath deep into the imperial ranks. The Dragon Empire was forced to fall back and defend, but even then their efforts were desperate and futile.

Avan was the first to properly recover and reorganize his men. The Dai Li gathered around him and fell into tight formation, then began attacking in unison. With their skill, and Avan's raw power, they were able to push back an advancing line of United Forces with a barrage of stone projectiles. For several moments, it looked like they might even turn the tides and allow the imperial troops the time needed to regroup. That hope, however, was quashed when a rippling wave of lava splashed towards them. The Dai Li scattered with panicked shouts, lunging away from the molten earth to safety. They didn't get any respite, though, as the lava soon spread wider and forced them farther apart.

"You guys seriously need to back off!" Bolin exclaimed, bending the lava up into a towering pillar. "I have had just about _enough_ of you creepy jerks!"

He let the mass drop straight down again, causing tiny blobs of the molten earth to spray in all directions. The nearest Dai Li agents reeled back in agony as the lava globs splashed upon them, burning through their clothes and searing their skin. They screamed, and fell to the ground, rolling to clear themselves of the scorching substance. Avan watched them with a scowl, then turned his focus towards the lavabender.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, kid," said the Dai Li commander, as he lifted several massive boulders into the air to hover around himself. "Let's see how your lava handles _me!"_

With a whirl of his arms, he spun the boulders in preparation to attack. Before he got the chance, though, a metal cable zipped towards and flipped him off his feet. The boulders crashed back to the ground as the cable swung him through the air. At the zenith of the cable's arch, it released his ankle and tossed him skyward. A panicked yell burst from his throat as he fell back to earth. Just before he crashed, he was able to bring a floating slab of stone up to catch himself, but still the impact erupted a jolt of pain through his body. When he finally lowered himself to the ground, he staggered atop his feet and turned a glare towards his attacker.

 _"You..."_ he muttered. "You think you can match _me?"_

Kuvira smirked at him, as she reeled the cable back beneath her arm guard. "Trust me, Avan. This isn't going to be much of a match." Then, she held her arms forward and fired out a flurry of metal strips.

Avan raised his own arms in preparation to bend the strips away, but as soon as he made a swipe at one of them, he realized something was wrong. The strip wrapped around his wrist in spite of his attempts to deflect it, and soon the others joined it, latching onto his arms, legs, and over his eyes. _"Platinum?_ You can bend platinum _too?"_

"That's right," Kuvira stated, with another smirk. "You're talking to the world's first platinumbender, though I'm guessing you already ran into Toph. I taught her that."

Avan struggled against the platinum strips, but there was nothing he could do to escape. With a simple swipe of her arms, Kuvira spun the man across the battlefield, into the distance. Once Avan was taken care of, she regrouped with Bolin and bended out another set of metal strips into the air.

"Let's show these Dai Li how _real_ earthbenders fight," she said.

Bolin flashed a grin. "You got it!" With a punch to the ground, he released another lava wave towards the group of Dai Li agents. Again, they scattered, screaming and ducking for cover.

A short distance away, near the front of the United Forces troops, Iroh and his mother stood side by side, attacking the enemy in unison. Together, they led the charge in pushing the Dragon Empire back across the field, farther and farther away from Republic City. As they pushed deeper into enemy ranks, the morale of the imperial troops further fell. At this point, most of the front lines had abandoned their defense altogether, and instead were turning to retreat. The United Forces only pushed harder.

Iroh ducked below an incoming boulder, then countered with a pair of fire blasts. The hapless imperial soldier that had sent the attack scrambled away with a shout. "We're winning," he said, half in disbelief. He paused a moment to look around the battlefield, noting that the Dragon Empire was suffering far more losses than his own troops. "If Korra can just take down those airships, Yula's forces are finished."

Izumi took a step back and swiped a wave of fire through the air, knocking away a stone projectile. "I don't think we'll need to worry about that. She _is_ the Avatar."

"Yeah," he said, glancing back towards the city. "She is."

* * *

Korra stood atop one of the tallest buildings of Republic City, watching the airships drift across the skyline and drop bomb after bomb. The damage they had already wrought sent a furious wave burning through her chest. So many buildings obliterated, homes destroyed, so much senseless destruction... Nearly all of downtown had been reduced to rubble by this point, and half the Spirit Wilds were ablaze. If she didn't stop them now, they would raze the entire city to the ground.

And stop them she _would_.

A raging cyclone lifted her up from the building into the air, and then her eyes ignited with a bright white glow as the energy of Raava fueled her into the Avatar State. She raised her arms as she flew towards the nearest airship, causing the top half of the building to break free and float behind her. When she came within range, she released a mighty yell and swung her arms forward. The chunk of building collided with the back end of the vessel, triggering a sudden explosion as the engines ruptured and blew apart. The airship briefly spun around in an attempt to stabilize itself, but soon it plummeted back down to earth. When it crashed into the middle of the street, another rapid series of explosions rippled through the hull—the remaining bombs still on board, she realized.

With the first airship down, Korra moved on to the second. Just as with the first, she knocked it clean out of the sky with a projectile building. This time, though, she made a point to gently set the massive structure onto the ground to prevent the on board bombs from exploding. Then, she moved on to the next airship, and then the next. There were a dozen in all, and none of them gave her much resistance. They were too slow and bulky, and unequipped for actual aerial combat. These were bombers, built for the sole purpose of doing exactly that—bombing. They could do nothing to stop a rampaging Avatar.

Ten minutes. That was all the time it took to put an end to the airship fleet attacking Republic City. After she set the final vessel down onto the ground, Korra let the light fade from her eyes, coming out of the Avatar State. A sudden sharp twinge stabbed through her chest—through her heart. She grimaced at the pain, knew what it was. It had been so long since her heart had given her problems. Ever since Katara had healed it, she'd only had a single episode, and that had been brief. A part of her had hoped it meant that her heart had fully recovered, a part of her had _believed_ it, and yet now as the pain brought her to her knees, she knew that had been foolish, wishful thinking.

"Damn it, not now," she muttered, clutching a hand to her chest. _"Not_ _now."_

The pain lessened several moments later, enough so that she could return to her feet. Still, every time she breathed, a sharp stab ignited at the center of her chest. She couldn't let it slow her down, though. She had to keep moving, had to keep fighting. With a deep groan, she stumbled down the street, towards the center of Republic City. Before she returned to the front lines, there was one thing she needed to be certain of.

Korra froze when she rounded the street. She stared, blinking at the massive pile of rubble before her—rubble where city hall _should_ have been. The realization hit her a moment later: this rubble _was_ city hall. The building had been leveled, torn apart by the imperial bombers. A sharper pain knifed into her heart, but this one wasn't caused by physical trauma. This one erupted from panic, and only flared stronger as she ran towards the pile of steel and concrete.

"Asami! Mako!" she called, throwing herself atop the rubble. With another worried shout, she began digging.

_Please, let them be alright._

* * *

"Empress!" Captain Han ran to the main bridge of the airship, panic on his face. "The United Forces are pushing our troops back! Your army is starting to retreat!"

Yula gazed out the windshield of her flagship, eyes narrowed into a deep glare. Just as Han had said, the enemy troops were pushing her army back across the battlefield. Bit by bit, more of her soldiers fell, and in far greater numbers then the United Forces. To make matters worse, she could see the Republic City skyline from here—the _empty_ skyline. The Avatar had destroyed her remaining airships, it seemed. The only good news was that her Navy had finally broken into Yue Bay and now converged on the city's shores. Still, if she didn't do something quick, then that wouldn't matter. If her main army retreated, then so too would her Navy, which had already suffered their own heavy losses.

She could still _lose_ this battle.

"So, those naive fools think they could actually win?" she said, retaining a calm demeanor. She turned to Captain Han, her hands clasped behind her back. "Open the lower walkways. I think it's about time I end this."

"Uh, yes, right away," he replied, with a quick salute. Then, he ran for the controls and hit a small red switch.

Down at the bottom level of the airship, a doorway opened, leading outside onto the series of catwalks attached to the underbelly of the vessel. Yula leaped down from the main bridge and marched out the open doorway. She was met with a sudden gust of wind that nearly threw her off balance, but she steadied herself with a firm hold on the railings. Then, she made her way around the walkway onto the prominent extension that stuck out far to the front of the airship. With nothing below her but open air and the battlefield beyond, she stood at the very edge and prepared herself with a deep, heavy breath.

As soon as the flagship floated over the enemy army, Yula extended both arms forward. A large, spinning orb of fire ignited in front of her palms. The flames surged, spinning faster and growing larger, until they expanded to nearly her full height. Then, she exhaled her breath and released the flames in a monstrous, cataclysmic stream. The fiery wave met the ground with a violent explosion and cut a burning swath through the center of the United Forces, leaving behind only scorched earth and incinerated bodies. Screams of terror erupted from the troops below as they scattered, but there was nowhere for them to go.

Yula guided the flames back and forth to further divide the enemy army. With each pass she made, hundreds burned to ash. The screams grew more frantic now, as the United Forces scrambled haphazardly across the battlefield, breaking formations. In that time, the Dragon Empire was able to finally reorganize itself and push back at the front lines. A smirk came to Yula's face; with flames behind them, and imperial troops to the front of them, the bulk of the United Forces army was now trapped and at her mercy.

* * *

"Take cover!" Kuvira shouted.

Exploding bits of fiery stone and dirt rained down overhead, forcing her to shield herself with an earthen wall. Iroh and Izumi took cover next to her, while Bolin reinforced the wall with added earth. As the catastrophic stream of fire swept by them, Kuvira peered up over the top of the wall. Everywhere she looked, she saw towering flames and fried bodies of fallen soldiers. Handfuls of troops ran here and there, doing what little they could to protect themselves or avoid the destruction, but a large portion of the United Forces had already been decimated. To make matters worse, the Dragon Empire forces had regrouped back into formation and were now hitting them with an offensive barrage from the other side. There was nowhere for them to run now, nowhere to hide.

"What do we _do?"_ Bolin questioned. "Yula's _destroying_ us! We can't keep fighting like this!"

Iroh stared wide-eyed at his swiftly falling army, a look of shell-shock stricken upon his face. "She's killing us all..." His voice came out in a hoarse whisper, barely audible over the pandemonium.

"We have to surrender!" Izumi insisted, as she tilted her gaze up towards the airship above them. "Before she incinerates every last man and woman on this battlefield!"

"Does she really look like she's about to take prisoners?" Kuvira countered. A portion of their wall suddenly exploded into dust, and she hurried to reinforce it. "She's bent on destroying us, whatever the cost!"

"Uhhh, guys, it's coming back!" Bolin yelled, pointing at the sweeping jet of fire. This time, its path turned straight at them.

"Everyone down!" Kuvira shouted. "Bolin, let's go!"

Bolin followed the command, joining himself next to the other three. Both he and Kuvira then planted their hands against the ground and broke the earth free beneath them. With a simple flip, they tumbled upside down, burying themselves beneath the surface just as Yula's flames scorched across the land where they had been standing just seconds before.

* * *

“Asami!” Korra yelled, as she lifted up an enormous slab of concrete and tossed it aside. “Mako!” She dug farther, bending out entire piles of rubble at a time. _“Anybody!”_ The more that she cleared out, the more frantic she became. By now she had already removed nearly half the debris from city hall, but still she found no sign of anyone beneath. No survivors...or bodies. Maybe they hadn't been in city hall at all. Maybe they had gone somewhere else. Maybe...

Maybe they were buried deeper, beneath hundreds of tons of rubble. Maybe they were already dead. Maybe she was too late.

 _No._ No, she couldn't think like that. She had to focus, had to keep digging. She had to _find_ them!

A low buzzing interrupted her search. It started quiet but gradually grew louder as it approached. Korra blinked and looked back up at the sky with a curious stare. No, that wasn't buzzing. It sounded more like...humming? Like an engine of some kind. Or rather, a _lot_ of engines. Almost like...

“No...” Her brow lifted with horror as the planes came into view—Dragon Empire planes. Unlike the airships she had taken out before, these aircraft were much faster, and even though they were smaller, there were a whole lot more of them.

More explosions ripped out through the city, as each of the planes dropped one bomb after another. She knew they had to have a much more limited supply than the airships, but with how many of them there were... If she didn't stop them now, they would destroy what was left of Republic City. A remorseful stab knifed through her heart as she glanced back at the remains of city hall. She had to keep searching, and yet she'd never get the chance as long as these enemy planes were assaulting the city.

Turning a furious gaze up to the sky, Korra's eyes erupted with a bright white glow, and then she lifted upward atop a whirling cyclone. A veritable storm of concrete rubble arose with her, hovering and spinning around her body like a belt of asteroids. As soon as she was above the buildings, she settled her attention on the nearest plane and fired out a rapid succession of stone projectiles. They tore through the tail end of the plane and broke it in two, forcing the pilot to eject. A second plane flew by, and Korra directed another attack at it. This one, too, broke apart upon impact and spiraled out of control.

Ten, fifteen, twenty... She counted at least thirty planes. So many... _Too_ many. Still, she never stopped her assault, never slowed down. As soon as she took down one plane, she immediately moved on to the next. Even with the added speed of these aircraft, they were no match for the rage of a pissed off Avatar. One by one, they fell—twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and on. Explosions became less frequent as the remaining pilots gave up on bombing the city. Instead, they turned their focus to the Avatar herself.

The firebending pilots released blasts of flames as they made repeated passes near her. This served only to enrage Korra further. She swatted the fireballs away with ease, and countered with repeated shots of concrete projectiles. Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six—just a few more planes now. Even as they began to retreat, she chased after them, throwing chunk after chunk of debris like missiles through the air. One of the four remaining planes went down, then a second, then a third, and finally...

_Got it._

The last plane broke apart, losing half its wing and trailing a thick stream of smoke behind it. Korra watched it sputter through the air, and then finally set herself down atop the nearest building. The glow from her eyes faded, and soon the stabbing pain in her chest returned. She groaned, clutching her hand over her heart. That was likely the last time she'd be able to go into the Avatar State for a while, unless she wanted to risk causing serious internal damage to herself. She only hoped that the United Forces were still able to hold the enemy without her. Right now, she had to get back to the remains of city hall and...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the growing hum of a plane engine. Blinking, Korra turned her gaze back into the sky to see that the final plane she had struck, the one with half a wing and a smoking engine, had not yet fallen out of the air. Instead, it now flew straight at her, and had no intention of stopping. She made an attempt to leap from the building, but another twinge through her chest caused her to stumble.

That single misstep was all it took. Before she could make another attempt to retreat, the pilot ejected from the plane and allowed the aircraft to continue the rest of the distance like a rocket. The only thing Korra could think to do before the plane collided directly on top of her was to lift up the building roof as a desperate defensive wall. The resulting explosion tore that wall to pieces, and the next thing Korra knew, she was careening out of control through the air, with the world spinning wildly around her.

* * *

Anraq huffed out a pained groan as he dragged himself onto shore, pulling the twins behind him. His chest throbbed harder than before, and the few times he coughed sprayed out a mist of blood onto the sand. The sight of the crimson droplets brought a disgruntled sigh to his lips. Yeah, that was great. Just what he needed now. Apparently, getting hit with several explosive shockwaves was _bad_ for you—who knew?

Once he had the twins safely onto shore and away from the water, he flipped them over onto their backs. Neither seemed to be breathing, but he could tell just by holding his hands above them that they had water in their lungs. With a calm breath, he took hold of the water and bended it up out of their mouths. As soon as the sea water was free from her lungs, Eska coughed and sputtered, pushing herself up to her elbows.

“What happened?” she asked, turning an exhausted stare towards him. “I remember an explosion, and then...nothing.”

“You and your brother passed out,” he said, falling forward onto his hands and knees. “I was able to pull you both back to shore, but... our Navy didn't survive. The Water Tribes have been defeated.”

“I see we greatly underestimated Yula's military capabilities...” Eska muttered. “We should have been better prepared.”

“Yeah, well, little late for that now. We just have to hope the others are having better luck than we are.”

Eska turned her attention to her brother. “Will he be okay?”

Anraq nodded. “Should be. I got the water out of his lungs... he's probably just unconscious still. Give me a second to just...catch my breath here and I'll check his vitals.”

“He...isn't breathing.”

Anraq's gaze snapped over to Desna. “What?”

Eska shot a wild look of concern at him. “He is not breathing!”

The uncharacteristic panic in her voice spurred Anraq into action, ignoring the growing pain in his chest. He crawled next to Desna and then called a bubble of water to his hand. The water began to glow when he pressed it to the twin's chest, and then he concentrated.

“What is wrong with him?” Eska asked.

“I don't... wait.” Anraq furrowed his brow as he began to discern just what the problem was. “His heart isn't beating...but I don't know why.”

“Can you heal him?” Again, Eska's voice was urgent, and afraid. This was one of the few instances she ever showed this kind of emotion, when her brother was in danger.

Anraq swallowed a knot in his throat. The simple answer was 'no', because he couldn't figure out what needed healing. There was no actual damage to Desna's heart, but still it wasn't beating, and he couldn't just make the organ spontaneously start pumping again; he needed to know what to fix. Rather than admit that, though, he tossed his water aside.

“Not like this,” he said, as he placed his hands against Desna's chest.

Even though he had been trained primarily in the waterbending style of healing, he still knew normal medical treatments. He gave a series of firm thrusts against the the twin's chest, thirty in all. Then, he lowered their mouths together and blew out a mouthful of air, while pinching Desna's nose shut. He repeated this process several times, never stopping, never slowing. He wasn't about to let one of the Northern Chieftains die on his watch, not while he could still do something about it.

“Wake _up_ , Desna,” Eska uttered, in a pale, hoarse whisper. She held her brother's hand tight, linking their fingers together. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she did nothing to wipe them away.

Finally, after the fifth series of chest pumps and breaths, a cough surged from Desna's mouth. Anraq pulled their lips apart and huffed out a relieved sigh, then let himself fall back against his hands in the sand. Eska immediately took hold of her brother in a firm hug, arms wrapped around his shoulders. He coughed several more times, and soon he found the strength to sit up straight.

“You are alright...” Eska said, with a deep, pleasant breath.

“Yes, I am fine,” he replied, sinking into his sister's hug. Then, he turned his focus towards Anraq. “I thank you for saving my life. Again.”

Anraq just shook his head and waved off the comment. “Don't mention it.”

“Very well,” Desna replied, with a single nod. Then, he licked his tongue around his lips and hummed out a thoughtful breath. “I feel I must mention, though, your lips taste much saltier than I remember.”

“Uhh...” Anraq cleared his throat, shifting with embarrassment. “Pretty sure that's just...you know, because we were just in the ocean.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose that is possible,” Desna said. “Perhaps I could test them again to be sure?”

This time, Anraq uttered a nervous laugh and frantically waved his hands in front of himself. “Heh, okay, I appreciate the offer, but I'm taken, remember?”

Desna gave a small sigh of disappointment. “Ah, yes. Azula. That is...a shame.”

“In any case, we should try to regroup with Chief Tonraq,” Anraq said, as he finally climbed back up to his feet. “Or at least search the water for survivors. Or...something.”

Eska nodded. “I agree.”

Before they had a chance to move, however, a harsh voice interrupted them from farther along the shore. “You three aren't going anywhere.”

A panicked jolt lurched through Anraq's body as he turned to the sound of the voice. There, just a short distance away, was a large platoon of Dragon Empire troops. He spun around to look for an escape route, but was met with another squad. Upon closer inspection, he realized that during the time he had been saving Desna, the enemy battleships had entered Yue Bay and anchored just off shore. Now, the imperial troops were making landfall to invade the city.

“Don't even _think_ about resisting,” said one of the soldiers.

A team of nearly twenty men surrounded the three waterbenders, while additional troops hung back and waited on standby for them to cause any trouble. There would be no trouble, though. Eska and Desna gave each other a simple look, then lifted their hands up above their heads, surrendering. Anraq, too, felt his resolve waver into nothing. What could they do? Fight? They'd be slaughtered. No, there was only one play they could make here, and the twins had already figured it out. Plopping himself back down in the sand, Anraq hung his head and lifted his arms above his head.

They were Dragon Empire prisoners now.

* * *

Azula blinked. A deep groan exhaled past her lips as she sat up, holding a hand to the back of her head. For several brief moments, she couldn't remember what had happened, but soon the memories came back. Those cursed Dai Li had knocked Druk out of the sky, and her with him. She had hit her head when they crashed, and after that...nothing; she must have been unconscious since then, as the pounding in her skull would indicate.

With a pained grumble, she stumbled up to her feet and turned to look out at the battlefield. It took several moments to realize what she was seeing—the United Forces troops under fire, literally, from the Dragon Empire's flagship. The massive stream of flames scorched the earth below, and anyone who was unfortunate enough to be caught in its wake. Even at this distance, Azula could hear the screams. They weren't just losing; they were being slaughtered.

A closer look revealed the source of the flames— _Yula._ The sight of the woman boiled Azula's blood, and sent a jolt of urgency racing through her. She quickly spun around she swiveled her head back and forth, scanning the field behind her. When she saw the beast she was looking for, she sprinted towards him.

"Druk! Get _up!"_ Azula stopped at the dragon's side and pushed at his head, attempting to stir him. "We need to _attack!_ Right now!"

A deep grumble hissed from Druk's throat. He eased an eye open and slowly, agonizingly, began to sit upright. The dragon was clearly in pain, as he kept his head low and wobbled on his legs. His eyes, too, drooped with exhaustion, barely open.

"Now is not the time to be lazy!" Azula scolded, as she climbed atop the dragon's head. "You know the woman who killed Zuko, right? Well she's right over there! _Get her!"_

At this statement, Druk's eyes snapped open wide. He opened his jaws, bellowed out a deafening roar, and then took to the skies, his pain long forgotten. Azula didn't need to guide him, either; Druk took one look at the airship, and directed himself straight towards it at top speed. They covered the distance in seconds. When they were in range, both dragon and rider attacked in unison, Druk with a mouthful of flames, and Azula with a bolt of lightning.

Yula noticed the approaching pair at the last possible moment, eyebrows lifting wide at the sight of their attack. With a panicked shout, she ceased her own flames and threw herself backwards across the walkway. A single instant after she dove out of the way, the portion of catwalk that she had been previously standing on exploded in a violent display of fire and electricity. She immediately scrambled back to her feet and continued running, just as the dragon's jaws closed on the empty air behind her.

"Why are you _running_ , Yula?" Azula called, as Druk released another jet of fire against the side of the airship. "Come on, _Dragon Empress!_ Show me how _strong_ you are!"

Yula tumbled against the walkway, but just managed to slide around to the other side of the airship before the dragon fire consumed her. She pressed herself tight back against the railing, heaving in deep breaths as she watched and waited. Sure enough, Azula and her dragon flew around into view moments later.

"You killed my brother!" Azula shouted. A look of pure, unbridled rage erupted across her face. Her heart thumped against her chest, her throat went numb, and her nerves burned like fire.

"Yes, I _did!"_ Yula replied, curling a smirk onto her face. "He was nothing but a feeble, pretentious, fool of an old man, and if he were here now I'd kill him again!"

The rage burned hotter, and in the following moments all Azula saw was red. “Well here's the part where _I_ kill _you!”_

On cue, Druk opened his jaws wide and unleashed another stream of fire. This time, though, Yula was ready for it. Instead of running, she held her ground and shifted into a bending stance. Just before the flames engulfed her, she guided them away to the side of the airship, up near the rear of the vessel. The impact detonated the engines, ripping a thunderous explosion through the air. Druk recoiled from the blast, flying backwards to create distance between himself and the airship. Azula held on tight to the reins to keep herself from falling, until the dragon finally steadied himself in the air again.

“Care to try again?” Yula said, holding tight onto the railing. “Maybe this time you'd like to attack yourself, instead of having your dumb animal do it for you!”

Another blind wave of fury flooded through her. She bolted to her feet atop Druk's head and twisted into her signature bending pose, electricity already charged at her fingertips. “Shut! _Up!”_ Thrusting her fingers forward, she released as powerful a bolt of lightning as she could muster, igniting the sky with a bright blue glow.

Yula smirked. Reaching her own arms forward, she caught the lightning and channeled it back through her body. “You just....don't... _learn!”_ With a simple shift of her body, she aimed her other arm forward and guided the lightning out through her fingertips, directly back from where it came.

Azula realized it too late, still caught in the follow-through of her release. There wasn't enough distance between them, not enough time to get out of the way, and even if there were, there was nowhere for her to go. All she could do was watch with wild eyes as the lightning redirected square into her gut and lifted her off her feet. A numbness spread through her body, a feeling of pins and needles from her fingertips down to her toes.

Then, she was falling. Wind whipped at her face and the world rushed by her. The airship above her grew farther and farther away as she grew closer to the ground, and she knew then that there was nothing she could do to save herself. Her body simply wouldn't respond. The last thing she saw before darkness spread across her vision was the massive figure of Druk swooping down to grab her. The world continued to race by, but now she wasn't falling; now, she was flying. The sounds of battle drifted away, faded into silence. Was that because Druk was carrying her away from the fight? Or was it because she was...

Before she could wonder any further, her thoughts disappeared. The darkness spread farther in front of her eyes, her body went limp, and then...there was nothing.

* * *

Yula watched with a scowl as the dragon snatched Azula out of the air. Within a short few moments, both figures disappeared over the mountains, far out of range and far too fast to catch up. No matter. Even if Azula did survive the lightning, there was nowhere she could hide now. Sooner or later, Yula would find her. Then, she would finish the job.

Another explosion tore through the engine of her airship. She steadied herself against the railing of the walkway until the blast subsided, then hurried back inside through the doorway. “Captain Han! Prepare to make an emergency landing on the battlefield!”

Even if she couldn't continue to scorch the earth from above, the damage had already been done. The United Forces were in shambles, while her army still vastly outnumbered them. It was time to end this battle once and for all.

* * *

A deep tremble surged through the rubble. The piles of stone and concrete began to shake and quiver, lifting higher out of the way. Moments past, and then finally the pile exploded upwards in a shower of dust and debris. Huan stumbled out with a cough, nearly tripping over his own two feet as he climbed up onto a concrete slab. When he found his balance, he turned back to reach down into the hole and pull up the others. Asami was next, followed by Mako, and then the still unconscious Shayu. His father brought up the rear.

“I am never doing anything like this again,” Huan uttered, as he shook his green robe free of dirt.

“I'm just glad you're an earthbender,” Mako said, as he crawled his way up to the top of the rubble pile—the only thing left of city hall. “That was some quick thinking. We'd have been crushed if not for you.”

Asami nodded. “Yes, thank you. We owe you our lives.”

Baatar smiled at his son, and held a hand to his shoulder. “I'm proud of you.”

“Well, of _course,”_ Huan stated, as if his efforts should have gone without saying. “Just because I'm an artist doesn't mean I'm less capable. Bending in and of itself _is_ an art form, after all.”

Mako stood up and swept a long look across the plaza. His brow lifted and jaw dropped as he witnessed the destruction. “They...destroyed almost everything.”

Asami joined him, twisting a look of horror across her face. “I don't believe this... Republic City is in ruin. It's just... _gone._ Why would anyone do this?”

“If I learned anything from Zaofu,” Baatar said, “it's that this Yula woman will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Even if that means reducing a city to rubble.”

Mako lowered his gaze from the ruined buildings towards the ground, further examining the damage. When he noticed a familiar blue armband poking up from beneath a pile of concrete, however, he stopped and focused on it. The realization hit him like a train, bolting horror and panic through his chest. _“Korra!”_

He raced towards the pile of debris and began digging, struggling to lift the heavy slabs of earth. Huan approached moments later, though, and cast the debris away with a simple pair of hand gestures. When the rubble cleared away, they found Korra lying there motionless, sprawled out with her eyes closed and mouth hanging open.

“What _happened?”_ Asami questioned, panic quivering in her voice. “I thought Korra was going to help General Iroh! What's she doing here?”

“I don't know!” Mako shot back. He pressed a pair of fingers to the Avatar's neck and concentrated, but he wasn't sure if he could feel a pulse. “She needs medical attention, or... or _something!”_

“I know basic first aid,” Baatar said, coming to Korra's side. “Maybe I can help.”

But before he could attempt to treat her, a voice rang out across the plaza. “Halt right there!”

The group spun around towards the sound of the voice, only to come face to face with several squadrons of imperial soldiers. As the enemy troops surrounded them, Mako contemplated fighting back, igniting a fiery dagger into his grasp. Almost as soon as he had the thought, however, he pushed it out of his mind and let the dagger dissipate into nothing. There were too many.

“Come quietly and nobody needs to get hurt,” one of the soldiers declared. “You are now all prisoners of the Dragon Empire.”

* * *

Kuvira coughed out a harsh groan as she reemerged atop the surface of the ground. She crawled her way up out of the hole, followed soon by Iroh and Izumi, then Bolin bringing up the rear. None of them wasted any time recovering, instead springing straight back up to their feet ready to continue fighting. What they found, though, quashed any hope and determination they might have otherwise had.

What remained of the United Forces—a mere fraction of what they had started with—had been surrounded by imperial troops. They all sat in silence, huddled together with their heads hanging in defeat. They weren't fighting back any longer—they had surrendered, and were now prisoners of war. Now, Kuvira and her team were the only individuals who hadn't yet been corralled and taken captive.

That didn't last very long. As soon as they had emerged back into the open, they had drawn attention from the imperial forces. Already, they too had been surrounded.

“Well, well, look at who we have here.” A horrifyingly familiar woman strolled through the line of soldiers, approaching the the group. “You're just in time to surrender yourselves along with the rest of your army.”

“ _Yula...”_ Kuvira muttered, with a growl in her voice.

“That is my name,” the Dragon Empress replied, with a smirk. “And as you can see, I've defeated you. Your army is in shambles, your Navy has been obliterated, I've captured your friends, the other world leaders, even the Avatar, and Republic City is little more than ruins now. I've _won_. Now, surrender.”

Kuvira opened her mouth to fire back a harsh retort, but General Iroh silenced her with a hand to her shoulder. He simply shook his head, then dropped down to his knees with his hands raised. Izumi did the same, joining her son on the ground. Bolin turned a hesitant glance towards her, but then he too fell to his knees with his arms raised. Kuvira watched the three of them for a long moment, then turned her gaze back to Yula. The resolve wavered from her face as she realized there were no more options. With arms lifted, she hung her head and dropped to her knees.

“The resistance is crushed!” Yula announced, looking out at her troops. She held a triumphant fist up into the air and spread a wide grin across her face. “The Dragon Empire is victorious!”

The cheers that followed were deafening.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it looks like our heroes...have lost. Republic City is in ruin, everyone has been captured, and there's no one left to oppose Yula. Who saw that one coming? I mean, things even started off going pretty well, but then YUla went and pulled an Ozai (though even Ozai only ever burned nature, and not actual people).
> 
> In all seriousness, though, I hope that entire battle was entertaining, because man was it fun (and a major pain) to write. Obviously we haven't quite reached the end of this storyline yet, so there's still some more to come. But who's can stop Yula? Well, there's Azula, right? She was the only one not captured. Except... well she was struck by lightning, so that might cause problems there. Um...
> 
> Well, you'll just have to wait and see.
> 
> On a side note, this is now the longest chapter I've ever written (if we don't count that double chapter I split into two that one time), eclipsing the previous record held by chapter 8 (yeah, chapter 8, go figure). So yay for records.


	108. In the Wake of Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yula confronts her sister for the first time after attempting to sacrifice her, Kuvira and Anraq commiserate over their failure, and Azula resolves to keep fighting.

Yula coughed as a plume of smoke wafted into her lungs. She waved the smoke away, but it quickly returned, thicker than before. This time she let it engulf her, and simply buried her mouth and nose into the crook of her arm. The smoke became so thick and dark when she neared the engine room that she couldn't see the engineers working within—only a dark, billowing haze.

"How long until the engines are repaired?" she asked, calling into the smog.

An engineer emerged moments later, stumbling into the corridor with a hacking cough. "A few hours, maybe less."

Yula lifted a brow, turning a curious gaze into the smoke-filled room. "That's it?"

The engineer nodded, as he wiped a growing layer of soot from his goggles. "Yes, Empress. It looks worse than it is. Should have the smoke problem cleared out soon, then it's just a matter of metalbending everything back onto place."

"Excellent. Keep at it, then. I want to know as soon as we're able to fly again."

"Of course, Empress." The engineer gave a low bow, then disappeared once again into the blackened haze.

When he was gone, Yula turned from the engine room and marched back the way she came—down the corridor, up the maintenance shaft, and back into the main bridge of the airship. There, Captain Han greeted her with a firm salute.

"Dragon Empress, the prisoners have been detained as requested," he said. "The remaining United Forces and Water Tribe troops are aboard our Navy battleships, and are awaiting transport to the Fire Nation."

Yula nodded. "Good. When they arrive, I want you to give them a choice. Those who wish mercy may have it, as long as they pledge their loyalty to the Dragon Empire and assimilate into our army. Those that refuse will rot in prison for the rest of their miserable lives."

"Yes, Empress. It will be done.”

"What of the world leaders and their associates?" she asked, turning her gaze out the airship's front windshield. The sun rose just above the skyline of Republic City, highlighting the ruins with the bright glow of late morning light.

"They've been taken aboard a separate vessel, just as you commanded," he said.

"And the Avatar?"

"Restrained and sedated according to protocol."

A smirk came to Yula's lips. "Very good. Keep them here until we're ready to return with them. I have something special in mind for those fools."

Captain Han nodded. "As you wish, Empress."

"What about Azula?" she asked. "Were you able to locate her?"

"Not yet, but we still have teams searching the mountains where her dragon was last seen."

Yula breathed in a sigh, then gently shook her head. "Don't bother. Call your men back for now and prepare for departure."

Han turned a curious look towards her, raising an eyebrow. "Empress?"

"Azula is of no consequence," she explained. "If she _is_ still alive, she's only one person. She cannot do anything to us." Bringing her hands down to her hips, Yula widened her grin. "The Dragon Empire controls everything now, or at least we soon will. All that's left are the Water Tribes, and we've already decimated half their armies and captured their leaders. Bringing the rest of their people to heel will be simple."

"Of course," Han replied, with a single nod.

"Is there anything else?"

"Just one more thing," he said. "When our troops invaded the city...we recovered your sister. She's in the medical bay now, if you wish to see her."

Yula's brow lifted with surprise. "Shayu is...alive?" She went quiet a moment, holding a hand against her chest. Relief flooded through her. Sacrificing Shayu for the good of her cause hadn't been an easy decision to make. She had never _wanted_ to kill her sister, but in that moment it had presented the best opportunity. Hearing now that Shayu hadn't died in the explosion... Perhaps the spirits were granting her a second chance. "Thank you, I'll see her right away. You're dismissed now, General Han."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll get right to—" He paused abruptly, letting his mouth fall open in shock as he realized what Yula had called him. "Empress...?"

She simply smiled at him. "You've served me and the empire well, Han. I think you're deserving of a promotion, don't you?"

"Y-yes, of course!" he said, holding his hand up in a stern salute. "Thank you, Empress. I won't let you down!"

"You're welcome, General." Yula gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, then marched past him down the bridge. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to pay my sister a visit."

* * *

"Shayu?" Yula eased the door open and poked her head into the medical bay. "Are you awake?"

There was no answer, but she didn't need one; she spotted her sister across the room, sitting upright in one of the beds and gazing out the window. Another flood of relief washed over her at the sight of Shayu, alive and well. Pushing the door open the rest of the way, she stepped inside and approached the bed.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she said, with a loving smile. She waited for an answer, but still none came. Shayu merely stared out the window, at the ruins of Republic City in the distance. With a furrowed brow, Yula leaned closer. "Shayu?"

This time, Shayu responded. "I have _nothing_ to say to you." Her words were sharp, biting, filled with venom

Yula blinked, and recoiled backwards at her sister's cutting tone. "Shayu, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's _wrong?!"_ Shayu snapped a glare towards her, eyes lit with a painful mix of grief and fury. "Are you _kidding_ me? You tried to _kill_ me!"

"Shayu, I wasn't... You have to understand," Yula insisted. "I thought the Avatar had turned you against me. I thought you were lost. I couldn't just let them stop me like that, after everything I've accomplished. I wasn't trying to kill you _just_ to kill you, I was sacrificing you so I could—"

"Would you _listen_ to yourself?!" Shayu retorted. _"Sacrifice_ me? Is that all I am to you? A pawn to be sacrificed for your goals, whenever it suits you?"

"No, of _course_ not. You're my sister, and—"

"No, I'm _not_ your sister!" Shayu's anger ignited to new heights. Her face went red, and tears began to sting her eyes. "If I was a sister to you, you never would have done that to me! The sister I knew, the sister I loved? You're _not_ her! You're a _monster!"_

A heavy knot rose into Yula's throat. She swallowed it back, trying to calm herself; it didn't work, as her gut began to churn with nausea. "Shayu, that's not true. I'm still your sister, I'm still Yula. Please..." She leaned forward and reached out a hand towards her sister's shoulder, but Shayu swatted it away.

 _"No!_ Don't _touch_ me!" Shayu shrieked. She hiccuped out an angry sob, then raised a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Do you really not get it? Do you not realize the things you've done? The people you've killed, the lives you've destroyed, the crimes you've committed? The Yula I knew wouldn't have done those things, not in a million years. She never would have become Dragon Empress, she never would have turned into a tyrant, she wouldn't only care about herself and her own strength..." Her gaze lowered towards the floor, eyes growing distant and solemn. "The Yula I knew was sweet, and kind, and loved her family, loved her friends, was a _good_ person..."

A quivering breath rippled out of Shayu's throat, but she steadied it, and hardened herself. Her glare burned hotter, tearing straight through Yula. "So don't you stand there and try to act like everything is alright, like everything is normal and you're still the same person, because you're _not!_ You're mean, and cruel, and hateful, you don't have any remorse over the things you've done... You've killed people— _innocent_ people! And look at what you did there!" She turned to the window now, pointing out at the remains of Republic City. "People lived there. People _died_ defending it, all because you wanted to flex your own stupid ego! A good person doesn't do those things! You're not a good person anymore, Yula. You're...you're _rotten._ You're just...rotten, and horrible, and evil, and..." She paused momentarily, as a twisted look of disgust came to her face. With her eyes shut tight, she turned her head and added, "...and I _hate_ you."

Yula fell back a step, her chest seizing as though someone had just jammed a knife through her heart. "You don't...you don't mean that." Her words came out in barely more than a whisper, and without any conviction to them. They were more an attempt to comfort herself, rather than to dispute her sister's claims. "I'm still trying to help people, just like I said. This, what I'm doing, it's what's best for the world. But these people... They couldn't see that. They tried to stop me, and I couldn't let that happen."

Shayu shook her head, and wiped her eyes again. "No... No it isn't. This is the worst thing to happen to this world since the Hundred Year War. _You're_ the worst thing to happen. Just....just get out. Go away."

Yula swallowed another knot, then made one more attempt to reach out to her sister. "Shayu, please..."

But again, Shayu swatted her grasp away. The glare that came to her tear-soaked eyes this time could have melted steel. "I said _get out!_ I _hate_ you! _Get away from me!"_

Finally, Yula straightened herself. A harder look came to her face—fierce, unyielding. She couldn't show weakness. _Never show weakness, only strength_. She swallowed down the pain and the grief, and then it was gone, forgotten. There was only coldness left.

"Fine..." Yula said, curling one of her hands into a tight fist. "If that's how you feel, you can join the prisoners. If you ever come to your senses, I'll welcome you back. Until then... You can _rot_ with the rest of them."

* * *

A thick, deathly silence hung over the prison hold. It was a silence of despair, and defeat. Of failure. The Dragon Empire had won, and Republic City was no more. It would be only a matter of time now before the rest of the United Republic fell along with it, with no more capital, president, or army to protect it. The empire would expand and consume the nation, and then the same would happen to both Water Tribes. In weeks, or perhaps a few months, the entire world would be under Yula's control.

Kuvira glanced up at the door of her cell—wood, just like the walls, floor, and ceiling. Even her bindings were simple rope, tied around her wrists and ankles. As a platinumbender, there was no other way to keep her locked up; there was no metal that could hold her. She had long since been stripped of her armor, even her Zaofu jewelry. Even the pendant that Korra had given so long ago. No metal, no earth—no way to escape.

A deep feeling of dread sank like a rock in her gut. It had been hours now since she and the others had been brought aboard this ship and locked up for transport back to the Fire Nation. In that time, no one had told her anything about Korra. As far as she knew, Korra could have been taken prisoner like the rest of them, she could be injured, or she could be... No, she couldn't be _that._ She _had_ to still be alive, Kuvira was sure of it. And yet, if she _was_ alive, and Yula had her prisoner, then Korra couldn't be well. To keep the Avatar down... She had to be injured, severely so. Kuvira shuddered at the thought, knowing there was nothing she could do to help the woman she loved.

Helpless. She felt so damn _helpless._

“Hello? Anyone there?”

Kuvira lifted her head at the sound of the voice, eyes squinted curiously at the narrow slit in the wooden door. She knew that voice. “Anraq?”

“Oh, hey, there _is_ someone,” the waterbender replied. “That you, Kuvira?”

“Yes, it's me.” She hobbled up to her feet and made her way towards the door to look out the slit. All she saw beyond was an empty corridor, with other cells lined along the opposite wall. “Where are you?”

“Judging from the sound of your voice, I'm right next to you.”

Kuvira glanced to her left. Though she couldn't see Anraq from this angle, she could hear his voice coming from the cell right next to hers. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, just dandy,” he said. “Pretty banged up from the battle, though. I'm pretty sure I passed out for a while, too, because I just woke up and now it's dark.”

“I'm just glad you're alive,” she said, with a gentle sigh. “I haven't been able to find out much on that subject. The guards are no help, as you can imagine. Is anyone else in there with you?”

“Not in this cell specifically, but I came with Eska and Desna. They're here somewhere. I think I saw them leading Chief Tonraq into another cell earlier, too, but I haven't seen anyone else.”

Kuvira bowed her head and sighed—still no news on Korra. “I see...”

“What about on your end?” Anraq asked. “You couldn't have been brought here alone.”

“General Iroh, Izumi, and Bolin surrendered with me,” she replied, sinking against the wooden wall of her cell. She remained on her feet briefly, but then let herself slip down to the floor. “I don't know anything about Korra or the others, though.”

“So... nothing about Azula?”

Kuvira held her head in her hands. She knew that kind of worry and apprehension in Anraq's voice; it was the same she felt herself, wondering about Korra. “I'm afraid not, no. I never actually saw her on the battlefield, so I have no idea what happened to her.”

“Oh... alright,” he muttered.

“I'm sorry, Anraq. I wish I knew more.”

“I just...hope she's alright.” His voice came out in a tired whisper, laden with a solemn dread. “I _need_ her to be alright. I can't... I can't lose someone else.”

Kuvira let her head fall back against the wall behind her. She closed her eyes and uttered another long, empty sigh. “I know... neither can I.”

A long moment of quiet drifted between them. The only sound came from outside the ship—waves lapping against the hull as they glided through the ocean. It was a deafening silence. Suffocating. Everything about it made her want to scream.

Thankfully, Anraq broke the silence before that happened. “You know where they're taking us?”

“To the Fire Nation capital, according to one of the guards,” she said. “Should be there in a few days, by ship.”

“Ah, Capital City...nice place, actually,” Anraq said, with a weak attempt at sounding enthused. “You know, if you're not visiting as a prisoner, that is.”

“What I can't figure out is why.” Kuvira bowed her head, squinting at the wooden floor. “Why did Yula take us prisoner? Everything she's done so far points to her not wanting to go through the trouble. She killed _thousands_ of people today... So why not us?”

Anraq hummed a thoughtful breath, thinking carefully. “Way I see it, there's two possibilities. Number one, she wants to keep us prisoner so she can mock us, let us drown in our failure and self-loathing. We're still no threat to her, and she gets to come by and throw it in our faces whenever she wants.”

Kuvira frowned. “That does seem like something she would do...”

“Yeah, well, the other option sounds _more_ like something she could do.”

“And what's that?”

Anraq paused, as if trying to keep from saying it for as long as possible. When he finally spoke again, his tone was grave, and solemn. “She's saving our deaths so she can make a public example of us.”

Kuvira's gut lurched at the suggestion. “You mean...”

“Yeah,” he muttered. “Executions.”

* * *

Azula awoke with a panicked, coughing breath. She shouted, but no sound came out—only bubbles. Wait, bubbles? How were there _bubbles?_ Snapping her eyes open, she found herself confronted with a murky, blurry darkness. As her senses then began returning to her, she realized she was floating, and and couldn't breathe. _Water._ She was submerged in water. Another cough burst from her lungs, this one stinging with a lack of air. A jolt surged through her chest. Which way was up? Which way to the surface?

The answer presented itself when a firm grasp latched onto her shoulders and yanked her upwards out of the water, then plopped her onto the ground. When she broke the surface, she heaved in a deep, frantic breath, desperate to fill her lungs. Soon, her nerves calmed, and sense of awareness returned to her, allowing her to finally take in her surroundings. She saw trees, flowers, a river—from which she had been pulled just seconds ago—and mountains rising up on all sides. It was a valley of some kind, probably not far outside Republic City. The question now was, who had pulled her from the water?

She didn't have to wait long for the answer, as a deep bellow grumbled through the air. Turning a look back over her shoulder, she found Druk looming over her, watching her with careful eyes. A small twinge of disappointment sank in her gut. Of _course_ it had been Druk; the dragon  had been the one who carried her to safety after she'd been struck by Yula's lightning—or rather, her own lightning, redirected back at her. In retrospect, she supposed that should have been obvious, and yet a small part of her had been hoping against the impossible that it was Annie. That was a foolish hope, though. Annie had been fighting with the Water Tribe Navy, out in the bay; he couldn't have been here with her now. No one could.

With a disgruntled sigh, Azula frowned up at the dragon. "Did you throw me in the river?"

Druk tilted his head to the side and uttered a low growl in response.

"Yes, well, thank you for waking me up and all, but don't ever do that again. I much prefer _not_ almost drowning." As Azula went to stand up, Druk leaned close and nudged her with his snout, prompting her to ease out a long sigh and roll her eyes. Giving the dragon a gentle pat, she added, “Yes, yes, I'm glad you're okay, too. Can we quit it with the mushy stuff now?”

Finally, she stumbled back to her feet. A dull numbness still throbbed through her body, but at least she was alive. The tingling seemed to be the worst of her injuries, too—no burns, no shortness of breath, no heart problems. She shifted a glance down at herself in confusion. How exactly could that be, when she had taken a direct hit from her own lightning?

The charred, burnt patch on the front of her armor gave her the answer. The armor had taken the full brunt of the lightning, and must have dissipated most of the residual charge before it jolted through her body. She supposed she could count herself lucky on that. Had the bolt struck her heart directly, then a simple dip in some water wouldn't have awoken her. Removing her gaze from her armor, she looked up at the sky again.

“Night...” she muttered, as she caught sight of the bright half-moon in the sky. Her gut sank further. The battle had started just after dawn, and even by the time Yula knocked her out, it had been before noon. That meant she'd been out for hours. In all likelihood, the battle was over. But who had won? Had the United Forces been able to hold back the Dragon Empire, or had Yula overrun them?

Even as she asked herself the questions, she already knew the answers. It would have taken a miracle for them to emerge victorious over the Dragon Empire, after the state their army had been in before Azula left the battle. That Druk had kept her in the mountains even after so much time had past only reinforced that certainty. She knew it in her bones—Yula had won. Republic City had fallen. The United Forces and the Water Tribe forces had both been defeated. And the survivors...

Would there even _be_ any survivors? Azula wouldn't put it past Yula to simply save herself the trouble and kill them all. Anraq, Kuvira, Korra, Izumi, President Sato, _everyone._.. Were any of them even still alive?

“No, don't start thinking like that,” she scolded, tightening her hands to fists. “You can't afford to think like that. Not yet.”

Druk leaned close again and grumbled, staring at her with piercing eyes. Azula returned the gaze a moment, then marched around to the side of his head and climbed on. The dragon immediately straightened himself back to full height, and she took hold of the reins. Then, Druk took to the skies, soaring up over the mountains. Just sitting around here wasn't going to accomplish anything. Even if Yula had won for now, there was still more that Azula could do. There was more she _had_ to do. No one else was left to stop Yula, no one left to resist her.

There was only Azula.

Alone.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are certainly looking bad for our heroes. Azula is their last hope, but who knows if even she'll actually be able to do anything. As Yula said, she's only one person. How is she going to do what an entire army couldn't? I mean, she does have a dragon, but... Well, it's a long shot. I do like having Azula bonding with Druk though, now that Zuko is gone and Azula has basically become his de facto partner.
> 
> Also, We see just how much as changed between Shayu and Yula. Shayu went from idolizing her older sister right around to hating her...and with good reason. Pretty hard to look past your sister becoming a horrible, mass murdering tyrant who tried to blow you up for her own goals.


	109. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula resolves to go after Yula in one last attempt to stop her. In the meantime, she reflects on how her life has changed, and the person she has become.

The night was not as dark as it should have been, a fact that could be attributed to the bright spirit portal beam stretching up into the sky. It cast an otherworldly glow upon the ruins of Republic City, even Yue Bay and the battlefield beyond. Even in that dead of night, Azula could see clearly the bodies that littered the ground. Some were broken and mangled, others fried to unrecognizable husks, and others still blown to pieces—thousands in all. The scorched earth that Yula had left behind marred the land like fresh, twisted scars, a lingering reminder of her horrific power, and of her victory.

Azula's gut churned at the sight of it. This was a level of destruction, death, and horror that not even she could stomach. When _she_ had been Dragon Empress, when _her_ goal had been to spread her control across the world, she never would have stooped to such grisly, brutish methods. Control through subtly, cunning, manipulation, subterfuge—that was how she would have done it. She may have killed if and when she needed to, but this? This was senseless. _Mindless._ This wasn't leadership, it was madness—not strength, but butchery.

Yula had no sense of tact or grace. No patience, no finesse. She didn't care about consequences, only about flexing her strength and destroying anyone and anything that stood in her way. There were so many different methods she could have used, methods that might have taken longer but could have been bloodless—no death, no ruin. Instead, she had chosen the quick and easy route, the route that led to thousands of bodies littering a battlefield like garbage in the streets. She had chosen _murder._

Azula guided Druk across the battlefield, flying low enough to see the faces of all those who had perished. With each new pair of dead eyes she saw staring back at her, the nausea in her core grew stronger, until she could bear to look no more. She tore her gaze away and squinted her eyes shut, fought down the billowing rage inside her. So many lives lost, so many families that would never see their husbands, or wives, or brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, sons, or daughters again. At one time, Azula wouldn't have cared. She would have scoffed, or rolled her eyes, pretended that it didn't bother her.

That was a lifetime ago. Now, it did bother her. Now, she _did_ care. She was every bit as responsible for this as Yula, she knew. Yula was the fire, and Azula had been the spark that lit it. The blood was theirs to share; it stained both their hands, and there existed no substance strong enough to wash it clean. The only thing she could do about it now was try to set things right. Or least, as right as things _could_ be, after this. That all started with one thing: putting an end to Yula.

"Could have at least _buried_ them," she muttered, tightening her fingers on the dragon's reins. "Instead of leaving them to rot in the sun."

Druk continued on beyond the battlefield, soaring out over Yue Bay. There were more bodies here, floating like drowned ghouls in the water. She gave them only a passing glance on the way by; she didn't want to see anymore, didn't want to chance recognizing anyone she knew. Like Annie... If she was to suffer loss, if she was to grieve, it would be _after_ Yula was gone. She couldn't afford to be distracted before then.

As Druk turned back towards the city and made his way over the shore, Azula caught sight of two small objects lying on the sand. She squinted at them, then urged the dragon to make a landing. "Down there, Druk. On the shore."

Before the dragon even came to a complete stop, Azula leaped down to the soft, muddy ground. As she neared the objects in the sand, her heart lurched. They were exactly what she had thought—a Water Tribe warrior's club, and an old worn waterskin. She hesitated just a moment, then lifted the club into her hands and flipped it over. _Property of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe_ , the engraving read. This was _Annie's_ club and waterskin. He had _been_ here, on this shore.

But then, where was he? He never would have left these behind willingly, and there was no sign of his body. That left only one logical answer: he had been taken prisoner, and forced to disarm, leaving his weapons behind. That meant he was still alive, and if he _was_ still alive, then perhaps so too were the others—maybe even the Avatar. But for how long? And where were they now? There was no sign left of the Dragon Empire anywhere near Republic City; they must have cleared out hours ago.

She needed to find them. She needed _answers._

"Come on, Druk," she said, carrying both the club and waterskin with her as she climbed atop the dragon once again. "We're heading southeast."

Southeast had been the direction that Yula's ground troops had marched from. It only made sense that they would have to leave the same way. It hadn't been too long, either; they would still be in United Republic territory. Azula would catch up with them before long, and when she did, she would get her answers. One way or another.

* * *

Private Gunn shivered, in spite of sitting on front of a blazing fire at the center of their camp. The chills he felt right now couldn't be warmed by simple flames. It had been less then twelve hours since the battle ended, since the carnage stopped. The images were still fresh in his mind—the screaming, the terror, the combat, the death. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it. He'd only joined the army a couple years ago, at the ripe young age of eighteen. The Battle of Republic City had been the first real combat he ever saw. He hadn't been prepared for just how...horrific it would be. Guard duty in Ba Sing Se couldn't _begin_ to compare to what he had just experienced. Most of the time he hadn't even known what he was doing, just running, and scrambling, and ducking for cover, desperately trying to keep himself alive. He had never been so terrified in his life. Now, as he sat there in front of the campfire, staring blankly into the orange flames, all he could think of was how lucky he had been to come out alive, and how unlucky so many others had been.

He just wanted to go home.

A firm pat on his shoulder called him from his daze. "Hey, Gunn, your turn!"

Gunn blinked, glancing up the soldier next to him. He recognized this man—a lieutenant, he believed—but couldn't recall the name. "My turn for what now?"

"Oy, you're really out of it tonight, huh?" The lieutenant thrust a bottle towards him. The smell of alcohol was strong, pungent. "To drink, of course! This is a celebration, after all. For a battle well fought!"

"Oh..." Gunn stared at the bottle, eyebrows scrunching together. Right, now he remembered. After the army had stopped to make camp for the night, some of the squads had broken out the victory drinks. It was the kind of celebration he couldn't bring himself to participate in. Why would anyone want to celebrate death? "No thanks... None for me."

"Hmph, suit your yourself." The lieutenant shrugged and took a swig himself, then passed it on to the next man around the fire.

Gunn huffed out a sigh, then stood up from his seat. "I need some air..."

He wandered through the camp, beyond the tents, and the fires, and the soldiers laughing and drinking. A dull pounding had begun to throb in his head, and right now he needed to be away from it all. He needed peace and quiet, some time to air out his thoughts and collect himself. He needed to be alone. So, he left the camp behind, making his way out into the mountainous wilderness around them. He led his way through the nighttime darkness with a small flickering flame in the palm of his hand. His gaze fell to that flame, watched it, was mesmerized by it. There was a calmness in that flame, a certain peace. He could watch it for hours.

So drawn to the fire was his attention, though, he didn't notice the figure sneaking up behind him. Only when a firm grasp took hold of his mouth, and the cold sting of a sharpened broadsword edge pressed against his throat, did he finally snap out of his daze. He attempted to break free, but the blade to his neck pressed closer, drawing a thin line of blood. Any more, and it would sever his jugular.

"Scream, and I feed you to my dragon," said a chilling, female voice. As if on cue, the large, looming figure of a great red dragon slinked through the shadows and growled at him.

A startled gasp burst from his lips, stifled by the palm against his mouth. Frantically, he nodded his head in agreement, and then the woman finally removed her hand. "P-please don't feed me to your dragon!" His voice came out in a hushed yell, teaming with a deep, gripping fear. "I swear I'll be quiet!"

"Good," the woman replied. Still, she kept the sword to his neck. "Now, you're going to answer me some questions."

"O-of course. Whatever you want."

"What happened after the battle? Did Yula take prisoners, or did she have the entire resistance killed?"

Gunn blinked, and swallowed a tight knot in his throat. "Uh, w-well, the surviving enemy soldiers were taken captive aboard our Navy battleships. They're being transported to the Fire Nation."

The woman paused a moment, then asked, "For what purpose?"

"Um, well, I-I think I heard mention that Dragon Empress Yula is going to have them join our army. A-as a show of mercy."

"Hmph, and to bolster her own forces after the losses she just suffered," the woman muttered. "Let me guess, those that refuse get to rot in prison?"

Gunn gave a quick nod.

"What of the world leaders? Were they taken prisoner too?"

"I-I think so," he stammered. "They were put aboard a separate ship. I think they're being taken to Capital City, but I'm not sure."

The blade pressed tighter against his flesh. "You'd _better_ be sure!"

"I swear, that's all I know!" he shrieked. His legs buckled, turning to jelly over the panic exploding through him. "I'm just a private, they don't tell me anything!"

"What about the Avatar? Can you at least tell me if she's alive?"

"Y-yes, I do know that," he said quickly. That had been a big topic of conversation since the end of the battle, how the Avatar had been defeated. "She's alive, but she's in lockup. And they're keeping her sedated so she can't power out and destroy everything. That's all I know."

A brief silence followed, as the woman eased the sword slightly farther away from Gunn's neck. Then, she removed the blade completely. "I see. Well, I suppose I have no more use for you."

Gunn swallowed, staring up at the dragon in front of him. "S-so...are you going to let me go?"

"You're joking, right?" she said. "I can't have you telling anyone I was here."

"W-what?! No, please, I swear I won't say anything! I don't even know who you—"

A hard thwack to the back of his head silenced his words. He instantly crumpled to the ground, eyes closing as a cold darkness overtook him.

* * *

Druk grumbled, tilting an accusatory gaze towards his partner.

Azula merely rolled her eyes. "What? Don't give me that look. I'm not actually going to kill him. Or feed him to you. But by the time he wakes up, he'll have long since been left behind by the rest of his army. We, on the other hand, have a ship to catch."

That was, of course, assuming this man's information was accurate. He certainly hadn't seemed like he was lying—his fear and panic had been genuine—but he was still just a private. Soldiers that low on the food chain generally weren't privy to many details from their higher ups. Still, it was the only lead she had, and she couldn't waste more time lurking around the Dragon Empire camp waiting to ambush another one. Finding them had already taken her hours out of her way, and would take that much longer to catch up with Yula's Navy.

She had to find Anraq and the others before they reached Capital City. Azula didn't know what Yula intended to do with them there, but she wasn't about to sit around and find out. Judging from what she knew about Yula, though, it was safe to assume the worst. Yula would need to make a statement, now that she was on the verge of conquering the world, a way to illustrate exactly what happened to those who stood against her. In all likelihood, that statement would come at the expense of the world leaders, the Avatar, and everyone close to them.

Azula would _not_ let that happen.

"Come on, Druk," she said, climbing back into position atop the dragon. "Let's fly."

* * *

They flew so late into the night that the sun began to rise behind them, poking up above the horizon and painting the sky a brilliant orange. Azula's fingers clenched tight onto Druk's reins, but her eyes drooped low, exhausted. Given the time she had spent unconscious, she would have thought herself better rested than this. Evidently, she was wrong; she needed rest, and soon. But she couldn't stop, not yet. She still hadn't found the Dragon Empire Navy, only open ocean on all sides of her.

And yet, the longer they traveled, the heavier her eyes became. Her vision blurred and head wavered, bowing low. Just before she drifted off to sleep, she snapped herself awake again, lurching her head straight upright. _No._ She couldn't fall asleep. She hadn't _earned_ sleep yet. In spite of her own insistence, though, her head drooped again. This time, when she shook herself awake, she released a frustrated groan and clawed her fingers through her hair. Druk responded with a deep bellow, and she huffed a scoff at him.

“Alright, _fine,”_ she muttered, slipping down from the top of his head. She eased herself down to his back and held her arms around his neck. With a tired sigh, she set her head against his scales and let her eyes close. “If I fall, you'll catch me, right?”

Another deep grumble in response. She took that to mean a yes.

How had her life come to this? How had she gone from esteemed Fire Nation Princess, heiress to the throne, and become this...what _was_ she now? A hero? No, that term couldn't be applied to her. In fact, it was a laughable thought. She was just...a person trying to right her wrongs, and there were a _lot_ to right. She surely was no hero—even if she was the last hope the world had at being free from a tyrannical empress. Still, her life now was so different than it used to be. Even discounting the time she had spent trapped in the spirit world, even discounting how the world itself had evolved since she died, so much had changed. _She_ had changed.

Back then, she had been nothing more than her father's tool. She had been raised in his image, to believe that cruelty and violence, fear and manipulation, malice and control, were the keys to success and power. She had believed it. She had been _blinded_ by it. Ozai had molded her in his image, made her into a younger version of himself to carry on his legacy when he was gone.

He had created a monster, nothing but a twisted product of his abuse and neglect.

Even at the ripe young age of fourteen, she had been more cunning, cruel, and terrifying than Ozai ever could. She had been a prodigy unlike the world had ever seen before, and had unlocked a skill that no other firebender in history had been able to duplicate—blue flames, a testament of her prestige and power. Had it not been for their inevitable defeat at the hands of the Avatar and his allies, Azula would have become a far more feared and powerful ruler than her father had ever been.

She would have been the worst thing to happen to the world.

How things had changed... She was no longer that person, no longer that hateful, vicious prodigy who lacked care and empathy for others, who was so desperate to live up to daddy's impossible expectations. No longer was she her father's daughter. She was her own person now, and while it might still not be what those more altruistic types would consider 'good', it was certainly 'better'. After all she had done in her life, she doubted she ever could make it all the way to 'good', but perhaps when all this was over, 'better' could be...good enough.

She never would have imagined her life going down this path. She never would imagined being able to care about others, or for others to care about her. She never would have imagined being able to experience _love_ , the one thing that had been most absent from her life, and yet the one thing that, deep down, she had always wanted in her life most of all. It had changed her, helped her heal. It had shown her what she was truly capable of, not physically, but emotionally. It had shown her happiness.

 _Happiness_. That was something else she had never experienced before now. Oh, she had been content, satisfied, pleased, amused, and any other number of similar emotions, but happy? That true, real kind of happy that one could lose themselves to and never want to wake from? Never. Not until recently, not until now. The kind of happy she felt with Annie, that she had felt with Zuko, or with Mai and Ty Lee, or even Izumi, the kind of happy that she felt knowing there were friends and family out there who loved and cared about her? That was new. So very new...and so very wonderful.

The only thing keeping her from holding on to that happiness now was Yula. The irony of it didn't escape her. Azula had been a product of Ozai's upbringing, of his training and abuse, and if given the chance she would have become worse than he ever had been. She would have been the worst thing to ever happen to the world. Yula was a product of Azula's upbringing, of her training and abuse, and now that she _had_ been given the opportunity, she _had_ become worse than Azula ever was. She _had_ become the worst thing to happen to the world. Yet, in spite of that, Yula's betrayal had been one of the sparks that set off the change within Azula. In a way, it had been _because_ of Yula usurping the Dragon Empire from her that Azula had ever found her peace and happiness to begin with.

The world worked in strange, funny ways sometimes. It could take a simple girl, turn her into one of the worst villains the world had ever seen, then spin her right around again into someone trying to better herself and make a positive difference. It could take someone who had known nothing but cruelty, fear, and neglect, and show her love, compassion, and kindness. It could heal her pain. It could show her peace.

It could be wonderful.

 _Heh_.

Funny, indeed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was originally going to be a much longer chapter, but I decided to end it there because I thought it would be good to have a chapter solely dedicated to seeing how Azula has changed as a character, with how she feels about the aftermath of the battle, and reflecting on the changes her life has gone through. Because she really has come a long way. She's trying to do good, or at least better. As she mentions, she may never make her way all the way up to truly 'good', but maybe 'better; will be good enough.
> 
> Also, a couple more bonding moments between Azula and Druk, I think they're making good friends :)


	110. The Blue Spirit Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula arrives at Capital City and makes a desperate attempt to free her friends from prison. When things go awry, she finds herself backed into a corner and forced to make one final, fateful decision to bring a stop to Yula and the Dragon Empire.

"So, I don't suppose you can just swoop down and sink them all, can you?" Azula asked.

Druk grumbled out a disbelieving groan in response.

"No, I didn't think so,” she uttered, with a sigh. “Besides, it's not as though we know which ship they're on, anyway."

Peering over the side of Druk's head, Azula gazed down at the fleet of battleships far below her. There were twenty in all, traveling in even formation. Somewhere down there, her friends were being held prisoner. The problem that faced her now was, which ship? She couldn't very well check them all; she'd be spotted long before she found them. But with no way to determine which one they were being held on, she had no way to free them, and even if she _could_ free them, Druk couldn't carry them all. She needed a new plan.

"Alright, just follow them for now," Azula said, giving the dragon a gentle pat. "And stay up in the clouds so they don't spot us."

Druk bellowed a soft growl, then flew higher into the sky, up past the clouds. The battleships were now mere dots to them in the water below. Azula watched them a moment longer, and then turned her gaze away, straight ahead. Judging from the direction they were traveling in, the fleet was indeed heading towards Capital City. So, if she couldn't do anything here out on the open water, then perhaps she could once they reached their destination. She did know the capital like the back of her hand; it would be simple to infiltrate the populace, so long as she disguised herself. Furthermore, once she was there, she could work on getting close enough to Yula to take her out. If the Dragon Empress fell, then the empire would fall with her.

"How far do you suppose we are from the capital?" she said. "About half a day's flight at your top speed?"

The response she received from the dragon was little more than a long, groaning yawn.

"Ah, well... Yes, I suppose you do need rest first, don't you?" Azula muttered. They had been flying since last night, and now the sun dipped low in the sky ahead of them, as the late afternoon neared evening. "Fine then, head for the nearest island. We can rest up there and continue in the morning. Should still arrive at the capital at least a day before those ships do."

At this suggestion, Druk bellowed an appreciative growl and veered towards the southeast, where a small island chain was visible just on the horizon. With one last look at the enemy fleet, Azula hummed out a deep sigh. Soon, she assured herself. Soon, she would end Yula and free her friends. If she couldn't...then they were all doomed.

* * *

Harbor City was just as crowded and busy as Azula remembered it. She hadn't often left the Caldera during her time here, and this was exactly the reason why—overcrowded streets packed full of people who never slowed down and didn't care who they bumped into on their way by. Granted, this was the main city district, and many of the other districts were quite calmer, but still, it all gave her a headache. In this case, though, the crowds worked in her favor. No one gave her a second look, merely going about their business as usual.

Azula pulled the hood of her cloak—which she had 'borrowed' from a nearby street vendor—tighter over her head. Getting into the city had been easy enough; she knew the surrounding hills of Capital Island as well as she knew the secret passages of the royal palace. All Druk had had to do was drop her off on the other side of the island, and from there she had snuck through the forests and into the city. Since then, she had done her best to lay low and remain unnoticed.

So far, so good.

Now, though, she had to chance coming out into the open. The naval fleet had just arrived in port at the harbor, which meant the prisoners would soon be led out and escorted to prison. What she had to determine was, _which_ prison? There were several throughout Harbor City, and one up in the Caldera. It wouldn't make much sense for them to take the United Forces captives to the Caldera prison—it wouldn't be large enough—but the world leaders and the Avatar were a different story. The Caldera prison was one of the most secure prisons in all the Fire Nation, and housed only the worst criminals. Her gut told her that that was where Yula would send them, but there was still the chance she was wrong.

She had to be sure.

Azula kept her head down as she broke through the crowd and approached the harbor docks. Numerous citizens had turned up to witness the return of the fleet. They were probably curious to see the prisoners taken from the battle, she thought. A different thought, though, fought away the initial one and replaced it. Many of these people probably had family that had gone off to fight—they were here to see their loved ones return...or _not_ return.

She frowned at the realization; it was a reminder that these people were not her enemy. Not even the imperial troops were her enemy, not really. They were just...people, doing their jobs, living their lives. They were _her_ people, born of the same land. No, they weren't her enemy. _Yula_ was her enemy. She would of course still do what she had to in order to get to Yula, and free her friends, but deep down she knew she couldn't hold ill will towards anyone fighting for the empress. They were simply on different sides right now.

Well, except for Avan. She would still gladly roast him if she got the chance.

As the first battleship gangplank lowered onto the dock, Azula sank back behind the first row of onlookers and peered up over their shoulders. A line of imperial soldiers came first, marching out of the ship. Several excited shouts burst from the crowd, drawing the soldiers' attention. Two men at the front lit up with joy and waved; their wives and children waved back. Next out of the ship was a long, double-file line of men held together in chains, each wearing different uniforms than the imperial troops—United Forces and Water Tribe uniforms. The procession continued for several minutes, hundreds emerging from the depths of the ship. That answered the question of where the surviving resistance soldiers were.

Azula's attention was drawn away when another gangplank lowered. Just like the first, a formation of imperial soldiers exited out the main passage, met with joyful reunions from their family. What came next, however, caused her eyes to sharpen—Asami, President of the United Republic, bound in chains. Following the president came Chief Tonraq of the Southern Water Tribe, then Chiefs Eska and Desna of the Northern Water Tribes. Behind them was Kuvira, bound with rope instead of metal, a necessity for a platinumbender. After the world leaders came their closes associates—General Iroh, Izumi, Tenzin, Mako, and Bolin.

When the end of the line exited the ship, Azula's heart jumped—Annie, bringing up the rear with his head held low and wrists shackled in front of him. He _was_ alive. A soft breath of relief hissed from her lips as she made her way farther along through the crowd to keep up with the prisoners. Shortly after Anraq made it down the ganglank, another squad of imperial soldiers followed. They wheeled a dolly with them, strapped to which was a figure garbed in a straight-jacket, platinum chains, and a muzzle—the Avatar. As if her restraints weren't enough, she also appeared unconscious. What was it that soldier Azula interrogated had said? They were keeping the Avatar sedated? That made sense. If Korra was unconscious, she couldn't fight back, and couldn't escape.

“Make way for the empress!” a voice called from the crowd.

Azula froze at the announcement, and turned her gaze quickly towards the front end of the harbor. The crowd parted there, making room for a large procession of imperial guards surrounding a hand-carried palanquin. The servants set the palanquin down upon arrival and then stepped back, bowing as they went. When the curtain on the carriage pulled back, Yula herself stepped out into the open with a smirk on her face. Cheers and applause broke out from the crowd, coupled with shouts of endearment. The Dragon Empress waved at her people to acknowledge their support, but maintained her focus on the prisoners.

An urgent jolt shot through Azula's chest at the sight of the woman. She immediately eased one of her hands beneath her cloak and grabbed at the handles of her swords while working her way around the harbor, closer the imperial procession. If she could get close enough, then perhaps she could end this right now. She could sneak in from the crowd and gut Yula before anyone even realized that she was there. There were only ten guards—a paltry number to avoid for someone like her.

Any hope she had of that plan faded, however, when she noticed strange figures moving within the crowd. At first, she didn't know why they looked so strange to her, so familiar, but soon she realized. It was the uniforms they wore, the wide-brimmed hats in particular—Dai Li. There were dozens of them, all standing at various points in the crowd, watching, waiting, as if they were expecting an attack. A closer look revealed that even Avan was among them. The Dai Li commander stood at the edge of the crowd near Yula, with his eyes closed; he was sensing the vibrations in the ground.

Azula hissed out in annoyance. She'd never get close to Yula like this, not as long as Avan and his cursed Dai Li were watching. Perhaps Yula assumed that Azula was still alive and would come for her, or perhaps she was just being paranoid. Either way, this made things far more difficult. For now, Azula would have to stay back and wait.

“Welcome to the capital,” Yula said, with a mocking grin directed at the world leaders. “Do try to enjoy your stay—not that you'll be here for very long.” She chuckled at them, then snapped her fingers at the man leading the prisoners along. “Take them to the Caldera prison for tonight. Tomorrow will be a very special day.”

Azula's eyes narrowed. What had Yula meant by that? _Not that you'll be here for very long? Tomorrow will be a very special day?_ She had a sinking feeling she knew that it meant...but she hoped she was wrong. Either way, she would have to make her move tonight. If she couldn't get close to Yula, then she could at least free the others. Then, perhaps they could stop Yula together.

As she backed off through the crowd, Azula's mind was already racing to come up with a plan. She knew her way around the Caldera well, and had the layout of the prison memorized to near perfection. The only trouble she'd have would be actually getting up to the crater; with as heavily fortified as the main road was, she'd have to go up over the sides—Druk could help with that, especially at night when he could do so unseen.

She, on the other hand, would need a better disguise than a simple cloak. She couldn't afford to be recognized if she was spotted at any point during the breakout attempt. A random intruder was something the prison guards would likely assume they could handle themselves. If they knew that _Azula_ was there, however, then they would probably alert the entire city, and even Yula. In that event, she probably wouldn't get out alive, let alone her friends.

But where was she going to get a disguise? Some new clothes would be needed, preferably something dark to blend in with the shadows, as well as something to hide her face. She frowned slightly, turning her gaze from side to side at the various street vendors throughout the city. Everything she saw was either too gaudy and noticeable, or impractical for full range of movement—that was until she noticed one vendor in particular selling simple combat suits. She paused to give the garments a look. They were light, practical, made of form-fitted cloth and weren't weight down with any clutter like armor, nothing that would make any excessive noise. Actually, they seemed perfect for a stealth mission. The best part was that they came in a variety of colors; the black one would do nicely. Now, she only needed a way to hide her face...

As she looked to the other side of the vendor's stand, the answer presented itself to her. She stared at the mask a long while, gradually curling a smirk onto her face. Was this Zuzu's way of giving her a sign from beyond the divide? Perhaps it was only a coincidence...but either way, this would do just fine. In fact, it was perfect.

* * *

Lao tilted his head back and let out a deep yawn, arms stretching. Having the night shift patrol outside Prison Tower wasn't exactly his preferred job, but it beat going to war. Fortunately, local prison guards weren't high up on the list of essential military personnel. While most of the Dragon Empire had been off fighting at Republic City, he had been here, bored out of his skull as he walked around, and around, and around the prison exterior. One of these days, something exciting would happen. If he was lucky, anyway.

“So, what do you plan on doing after your shift?” he said, turning a look to his partner.

Ren shrugged in response, then held her hands casually behind her head. “Probably catch up on sleep. Haven't been getting much of it lately.”

“Oh, still? Sorry to hear that. You should try some warm ginseng tea before bed, that always helps me.”

“Thanks for the suggestion, but tea really isn't for me,” she said, with a visible cringe. “Always tasted like wet leaf juice to me.”

Lao lifted an eyebrow. “Well...technically, that's what all tea is, so...”

“Right...” she muttered. “Anyway, I'm a coffee person. I need my caffeine.”

Now it was Lao's turn to cringe. “Uck, how anyone can like that foul drink, I'll never know.”

Ren rolled her eyes at him. “Oh it's not that bad. It just takes some getting used to the taste.”

“Okay, no beverage should ever 'take some getting used to' for it to taste good,” he said. “It should just...you know, taste good.”

“You need to keep an open mind about these things, Lao. Someday, coffee will be big and tea will be a thing of the past, just you watch. It'll be just like—” Ren abruptly paused, shifting her focus sharply to the left, towards the outer wall surrounding the prison. “Did you see that?”

Lao followed her gaze, squinting; all he saw was the empty space of the prison courtyard. For the most part, the courtyard was well lit from the prison's exterior lights, but there were a few areas where the light didn't reach and harsh shadows fell. Still, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. “Nope, nothing. Probably just the light playing tricks on you.”

“I could have sworn I saw something...” she muttered. She kept her gaze pointed at the wall for a long while, until finally she shrugged and huffed a long sigh. “Maybe I'm more tired than I—”

_Thwack!_

This time, Ren's words cut out with a hard crack against her head. She crumpled to the ground an instant later, prompting Lao to recoil away with a shout. Before he could make a move to help her, though, a pair of swords swung around from behind him and crossed against his neck.

“The prisoners that were taken here earlier today,” said a smooth, commanding voice. “Where are they being held?”

Lao swallowed a hard knot in his throat. He made sure not to twitch a muscle, in case the slightest movement prompted his attacker to make further use of those swords. “Th-they're in cell block eight. Second floor.”

“Thank you,” the woman replied. “Now, goodnight.”

“Wait, _goodnight?_ What are you—?”

_Thwack!_

A sharp blow exploded across the back of Lao's head, and seconds later he fell to the ground unconscious.

* * *

Azula pressed herself tight against the wall, just next to the edge of the prison corridor. Breaking into the tower had been easier than she expected it to be—just a handful of guard patrols to take care of, no more than three at a time. Even while withholding her firebending to keep from giving herself away, she was a gifted hand-to-hand combatant, and she could thank Zuko for the added sword lessons. The fact that this mask limited her field of vision didn't even matter, with how better skilled she was than the guards. It was almost sad, really; this was supposed to be one of the most secure prisons in the Fire Nation, and yet security thus far had been lackluster.

Peering around the corner of the hallway, she noticed four guards stationed outside the entrance to cell block eight. They weren't even paying attention, simply standing around and chitchatting. Perfect. With her swords drawn, Azula lunged out and raced towards them. She made it halfway to them before they realized she was there, and by the time they turned themselves to attack her, it was too late.

She slid in low beneath an incoming fire blast and popped up to her feet between them. Two quick blows to the back of the head took down the first two guards. The third guard turned to kick a shot of fire at her, but she spun out of the way. The fireball continued past her and struck the fourth guard, forcing him to reel back in pain and surprise. Drawing the swords at her back, Azula dropped those final two guards with a few quick slashes. As soon as they crumpled to the floor, she cut the lock off the door and kicked it inward.

Another corridor met her, this one lined on either side with dozens of cells. She ran to the first and pulled the window slot open to look inside—empty. With a frown, she went to the next cell—also empty. She ran to the next cell, and the next, and then the next, but they were _all_ empty. Had that little weasel snake of a guard lied to her? No... No, he couldn't have. He had been too panicked, too afraid. But then where were the prisoners?

Just as she was about to give up hope, Azula came to the final cell in the block and slid open the window slot. When she saw who was inside, sitting on the floor against the wall with his head hanging low, a relieved jolt tore through her heart. “Annie!”

Anraq blinked and tilted his head up to see a strange blue mask staring back at him through the slot. That mask, he had never seen before. But the voice... “Azula? Is that you?”

Azula lifted the mask up to reveal her face, and smirked at him. “Who else would it be?”

“Heh, cool mask,” he said, as he hopped up to his feet and approached the cell door. A wide grin spread across his face at the sight of her. “But what are you doing here? _How_ are you here?”

“It's a long story and we don't really have time for me to explain,” she said. “Where's everyone else?

“I don't know.” Anraq huffed out a sigh and folded his arms. “The guards came by earlier and moved them out from this cell block. I guess they figured we'd all work together and come up with an escape plan, so they decided to separate us.”

Azula hummed a contemplative breath, then lowered the mask back over her face. “I suppose we'll have to search for them next, then.”

“Yeah, and we'd better hurry. If don't get them out tonight, then we won't get another chance.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because of what Yula has 'planned' for us tomorrow...” Anraq narrowed his eyes into a stern glare, as a grim expression descended over his face. “She's going to execute us.”

“ _What?”_ Azula's eyes snapped open wide behind her mask. So, Yula _was_ going to make a statement... She had been right to assume the worst. “We need to go then. Now.”

“Couldn't agree more,” he replied. “Now, uh...how about you get me out of here?”

Azula smirked, then slipped off the item she was wearing around her hip. She pushed it through the open slot and held it out for him to take. “Here, brought you something.”

Anraq flashed a delighted smile as he took the waterskin. He slipped it around his own waist, then gave it a gentle pat. “It's like getting a piece of my soul back. Alright, now stand aside.”

Shifting his stance, Anraq popped the cork off the tip of the waterskin and bended out a flowing stream into the air. He guided the water against the door, slipped it in around the cracks, and then with a soft breath he froze it into ice. The door creaked and groaned as the ice expanded around the seams, and within moments it broke free from its hinges and clattered to the floor with a bang.

As soon as he stepped out of the cell, Anraq lifted Azula's mask up and gave her a deep kiss. “Man, it's good to see you.”

“And you, too,” she replied, grinning as she set her mask down again. “Now, let's find the others.”

The pair raced back down the corridor, side by side. If the other prisoners weren't here in this cell block, then they must have been moved to different ones. If it was true that they had all been separated to keep them from working together to escape, then they could each be in a different part of the prison. That only made finding them and breaking them out that much harder.

As they rounded the corner towards the next cell block, they abruptly stopped. Glaring back at them was a team of ten guards standing in front of the entrance, each one already in a bending pose, ready to fight. Anraq immediately bended his water out around himself, while Azula drew her swords.

“I guess they figured out you're here,” Anraq said, as the guards began to advance towards them.

“Probably the bodies I left lying around,” she muttered, with a a sigh. “I didn't really have time to try and hide them.”

“Well, it's a little late to worry about it now. Here they come!”

* * *

The prison warden let out a yawn as he slumped against his desk. Late night shifts had a real knack for being exhausting in the worst way imaginable—boredom. He supposed at least it was an easy job. All of the prisoners were asleep at this hour, which meant he didn't need to worry about any problems, like riots. He could just relax in his office, maybe get a couple hours of shuteye...

As soon as he closed his eyes, the radio at his desk hissed to life. “Warden! We need backup! Alert the rest of prison and send as many guards as you can to cell block nine!”

The warden shot upright with startled gasp and frantically grabbed at the radio. “What? What's going on?”

“We have an an intruder,” came the response, “and they've already broken out one of the prisoners!”

The warden blinked, then rubbed his eyes. “What intruder?”

“Uh... I'm not really sure how to say this.”

“What are you talking about?” he said, glaring down at the radio as if he could see the guard on the other end of the line. “Spit it out!”

The radio paused a moment, and then, “It's...the Blue Spirit?”

The warden narrowed his eyes. “The _what?”_ Was this guard trying to play a poor joke on him? The Blue Spirit was a fairy tale, nothing but a fictional figure out of old folk lore. Some historical events claimed that the Blue Spirit had appeared near the end of the Hundred Year War and caused problems for the Fire Nation, but those were just ridiculous stories.

But the guard on the other end of the radio was insistent. “We're being attacked by the Blue Spirit!”

* * *

Azula spun low and kicked out the legs of one of the attacking guards. The man fell to the ground with a thud, and she knocked him out with a swift stomp to the face. Before she could make a move towards the next guard, though, a blast of fire scorched through the air at her. She crossed her swords in front of herself to catch the flames, then deflected the blast away into the wall. In spite of her defense, another pair of guards forced her to back off around the corner of the hallway. Anraq was already there waiting for her, sending out shots of water to keep the guards at a distance.

“Damn it, there are too many of them!” Azula said.

“Well, just a suggestion, but you _could_ firebend!” Anraq said, as he pulled his water back to form an icy shield in the middle of the hallway.

“If I do that, they'll recognize my blue fire and know who I am,” she insisted. “And if they know who I am, the entire city will be on alert! Do you want Yula showing up here with half her army?”

Anraq glanced back at her a moment and frowned. “Okay, point taken. But that still doesn't help our predicament.”

She rolled her eyes and groaned. “I'm _aware_ of that.”

He stared at her for another moment, then glanced back around the corner. The guards chipped away at the ice wall bit by bit with repeated blasts of fire. Then, shouting erupted from down the next corridor, to their right. Turning his gaze in that direction, he noticed another team of guards running towards them. “You have to go.”

Azula lifted an eyebrow behind her mask. “I what?”

“Look we're not going to find the others now, not like this.” Anraq pulled back just enough water from his wall to send a whipping wave spiraling down the next corridor. The front line of guards took a direct hit and stumbled backwards, slowing the entire group. “If we both keep trying to fight, then we're _both_ going to get captured. But if I hold them off, then you can get out of here.”

“Are you _kidding_ me?” she said. “I _just_ got you out!”

“We don't have time to argue about this!” he retorted, shooting a heated glare towards her. “You're the biggest advantage we have right now. If they catch you, then we're all done for!”

“But if I don't free you tonight, you're going to be executed tomorrow!”

“Coronation Plaza,” he said. “That's where the executions are going to be held, at noon, in front of the public. Some grand statement Yula is trying to make, or something.”

Azula scoffed. “Oh, and I'm just supposed to come up with a plan to rescue all of you in the middle of a public execution, right out from under Yula's nose?”

Anraq breathed out a steady sigh and softened his gaze. “Well, you're going to have to... otherwise we're done for.”

“Annie, this is _stupid_ , I'm not going to leave you—”

He cut off her words by lifting her mask and bringing their lips together. The kiss lasted only a brief moment, but for the both of them it seemed an eternity. When the kiss broke, he pulled her mask back down. “I love you.” Before she had a chance to further protest, he recalled all his water and reformed it into another ice wall, this one between himself and her. Then, he raced towards the advancing team of guards. “Come and get me, assholes!”

“ _Annie!”_ Azula beat her fists against the wall in desperation. If she wanted to, she could have broken through the wall in an instant, but doing so would give herself away. Damn Annie, always having to be the self sacrificing hero. With a frustrated groan, she turned around and raced back down the corridor. This entire mission had gone to shit, and now she needed to get out of here.

* * *

The door to the warden's office burst open. Several guards entered, dragging a beaten and bloodied man with them, a man dressed in Water Tribe attire. They threw him at the foot of the desk with all the care they would take in throwing a sack of potatoes on the ground. Just for good measure, one of the guards added a firm stomp to the back of the man's head. The man groaned and just lied there, motionless.

“This is the prisoner that broke out, sir,” said another of the guards. “We managed to recapture him, but there's no sign of the Blue Spirit.”

The warden stood from his seat and made his way around the desk to stare at the beaten prisoner. “So, you thought you could escape? _Hmph._ Worthless filth.” He gave the prisoner a quick kick to the ribs, eliciting another pained groan from the man's lips. Turning his attention back to the other guards, he said, “Take him back to his cell. And put an alert out for...” He paused a moment to utter a disbelieving sigh. It sounded even more ridiculous as he was about to say it out loud. “For the Blue Spirit.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once the guards left with the prisoner, the warden returned behind his desk and slumped down into his seat. With a heavy sigh, he muttered, “They don't pay me enough for this crap.”

* * *

Azula sat against a tree in a small clearing, deep within the surrounding forests of Capital Island. Druk sat nearby, watching her. She held the Blue Spirit mask in her hands and stared at it, as if it would somehow present the answer to all her problems. Eventually, though, she simply tossed it aside and let her head fall back against the tree. What on earth was she supposed to do now? The prison breakout had failed spectacularly, and she was almost out of time. If she didn't figure out something by noon tomorrow, everyone she even remotely cared for would be executed. And if that happened, then would there even be a point anymore to stopping Yula?

With a soft groan, she pressed her hands over her eyes. She needed some kind of plan. _Any_ plan; it didn't even have to be a good one. There was no way she could just waltz into Coronation Plaza tomorrow, fight through a swarm of imperial guards, including Avan and the rest of the Dai Li, kill Yula, and then free her friends, all by herself. She'd get herself slaughtered if she tried that. She'd never had a chance.

A quiet moment past, and then she snapped her eyes open. Unless... she _made_ that chance for herself. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that there _was_ one way she could get to Yula without interference, one way to goad that tyrannical empress into giving her the opportunity. It would be risky—suicidal even—but there were no other options.

Azula leaped up to her feet and then looked down at her pile of royal armor; it was about time she changed out of this Blue Spirit attire and back into a more fitting outfit. If she was going to face Yula tomorrow, she would do it in the uniform that truly defined her, the uniform that projected strength and gave her confidence. As she removed her clothes to change, a nervous twinge of dread began to spread through her gut. This was it, she realized. This was what it came down to—one last chance, all or nothing. Succeed or fail.

Triumph or die.

* * *

Hundreds, possibly thousands of people had gathered in Coronation Plaza to witness the grand event that their empress had promised them. They awaited eagerly for it to start, standing shoulder to shoulder, pushing and shoving each other to get a better look at the top of the steps in front of the temple. The space was packed so tight, though, that no one had room to move; they could only watch and wait. All around the crowd stood lines of imperial soldiers to provide security, prepared to spring into action at a moment's notice to stop any unruly behavior—or intruders, such as the Blue Spirit the night before. At the top of the steps in particular, Avan and his Dai Li waited patiently, stiff and at attention with their arms clasped behind their backs.

When the sun reached its highest point in the sky, another platoon of soldiers exited the temple at the front of the plaza, flanking a row of prisoners between them—Kuvira, Asami, Tonraq, Eska, Desna, Tenzin, Iroh, Izumi, Mako, Bolin, and a beaten and bloodied Anraq. Korra brought up the rear, barely able to stand on her own two feet as the guards pushed her along; they still had her sedated and weakened. Heading the procession was Yula herself, dressed in her regal Dragon Empress robes and cloak, hands held behind herself, and a pleased grin plastered across her face. The guards led the prisoners towards the top of the steps and set them up in a straight line, off to the side. Once they were in position, Yula made her way to the podium and spoke into the microphone.

“People of the Dragon Empire, I welcome you all here today for this momentous occasion,” she said, her voice booming over the speakers surrounding the plaza. “In a short time, we have accomplished a great deal. We've built up the strongest nation that the world has ever known, created the mightiest military to ever exist, and are so close to uniting the world under a single, solitary rule. When that happens, we will truly enter a new age of peace and balance.

“No longer will any of you have to worry about your safety or security. No longer will you have to fear the possibility of horrors such as those we've seen in recent years. When we are all one people, we will have no more reason for conflict, no more reason to fight, no more reason to worry. All the people of the world are and will forever be better off than ever before. We will grow, and prosper, and help each other become great!”

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Some even screamed Yula's name, proclaiming how much they loved her. In spite of all her evil, malice, and cruelty, her people still supported her.

Turning to the side, Yula gestured towards the line of prisoners. “Standing before you today are the faces of those who tried to put an end to that dream. These so called world leaders and their associates did everything in their power to stand against us, to stop us. But they _failed._ The Dragon Empire faced them and came out victorious! No longer must we fear the tyranny of other nations! No longer are they a threat to us!”

Yula raised her fist in triumph, eliciting another round of cheers from the onlookers. When they quieted down again, she continued, “Now, as an example of what happens to those who would endanger our way of life, those who would keep you from ever feeling safe or happy, they will pay the ultimate price. For their crimes against the empire, I sentence them all to death—here and now.” At this statement, she was met not with cheers, but with murmurs and ripples of surprise and confusion. When they had gathered here today, these people had most likely not expected to be witnessing public executions. It didn't matter, though; none of them could stop it, even if they wanted to. “We'll begin with the Avatar.”

Avan grabbed Korra and pulled her forward. She stumbled briefly, but he kept her upright long enough to drag her out to the front of the line. Then, he forced her down onto her knees.

“The Avatar claims to be a beacon of hope, a bridge between two worlds, and a keeper of balance,” Yula stated, leaning close to the microphone. “That is a _lie._ The truth is that we must bend to _her_ idea of balance. We must follow what _she_ thinks is right. If we don't, then she bullies, threatens, and inflicts violence upon us until we fall in line. Well, no more. She is an antiquated, obsolete idea that has no place in the modern world, and she must therefor be gone from it!”

Yula left the podium and made her way around to the front of the steps. She lined herself up with the Avatar, ten paces away. With a grin spread wide across her face, she shifted her stance and began charging lightning at her fingertips. The Avatar had already been injured and weakened enough—there would be no coming back from this, not for her, not this time.

“ _No!”_ Kuvira shrieked. She made an attempt to break free from the line to protect her fiancee, but the guards shoved her back.

Tonraq made a similar attempt, as did Mako and Bolin, but the Dai Li agents put them down in an instant, in spite of their screaming protests. Just as Yula went to cast her fingers forward, however, a deep roar erupted in the air above her. She glanced up just in time to see a searing jet of flames exploding down at her, forcing her to disperse her lightning and instead bend the fire away to protect herself.

When the flames dispersed, they revealed a massive red dragon diving towards the plaza. Druk landed with a thunderous impact, prompting the onlookers from the crowd to scream and begin fleeing in a panic. Many of them toppled over each other as they scrambled to get away, although some more daring individuals merely ducked off to the sides and then remained behind to watch—including several reporters, with cameras rolling. Within moments, the plaza cleared.

When Druk set himself low to the ground, Azula leaped off his back and took a firm step towards the empress. “You want the Avatar, you have to get through me first.”

“Ah, Azula.” Yula brushed herself off and then held her hands to her hips. “So you _are_ alive...and in much better condition than I would have expected.”

“You should know by now not to underestimate me,” she countered. “And you should have listened to me more. The way you've done things, the path you've chosen—it can _never_ lead to victory. There is always someone or something to stand in your way and stop you.”

“Oh really? Look around you, Azula. Anyone who could stand against me, anyone who could stop me...” Yula turned and gestured towards the chained world leaders, to the beaten Avatar, and to Anraq, who's face was so blackened and bruised that he barely looked like himself. “They're defeated. They're broken. They're _nothing_. Who's going to stop me now?”

Azula scowled and narrowed her eyes. _“I_ am.”

Yula tilted her head back and uttered a boisterous, amused cackle. “Oh, you're _hilarious!_ What exactly do you intend to do here? I give the command, and my guards tear you apart.” She glanced around the plaza, noting the converging imperial soldiers. Already atop the steps, Avan and the Dai Li stood prepared to strike, waiting only for their empress' say-so.

“They're not going to get that chance, Yula. This is between the two of us, one on one, the way it was always meant to be.” Azula eased in a deep breath to prepare herself, then sharply shifted herself into a rigid bending position. This was it, now or never—two simple words. _“Agni Kai.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it folks, we've reached the showdown that has been building up for...what, like almost chapters now? It's come down to Yula vs. Azula, one on one, for the fate of the world. But with Yula as powerful as she is, does Azula stand a chance? Well, it's certainly not going to be easy, that's for sure. Also, Azula as the Blue Spirit, because I liked paralleling her with Zuko. Also it was a cool image, sue me.
> 
> This is the chapter that I couldn't finish yesterday. I'll try to get out the next chapter later today or sometime tonight, but I make no promises.


	111. The Prodigy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Azula vs. Yula in a final Agni Kai to determine the fate of the world!

Yula scoffed. “An Agni Kai? Really? And what makes you think I'd ever give you that opportunity? I think you'll agree, there's no point in me accepting your challenge when I can simply have my guards destroy you.”

“Yes, I suppose you're right,” Azula replied, with a gentle sigh. Now was where her masterful art of manipulation came into play. She _knew_ Yula, and she knew she could play this woman like a yueqin. “That _would_ be simpler. You always did like to take the easy way out.”

Yula lowered her brow into a confused glare. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, you were always afraid of a challenge,” she said. Lifting a nonchalant hand, Azula glanced over her own nails, as if suddenly disinterested in Yula. “Even when I was training you, you never showed any kind of real drive. You were lackluster, if I'm being honest.”

“That's a _lie!”_ Yula retorted. “I pushed myself to my limits when you trained me! I gave _everything_ I had!”

“Yes, but only because I forced you. Honestly, if you hadn't been so determined to get your family back, you would have given up and gone home long before you ever accomplished anything.” Azula gave a simple shrug, then folded her arms across her chest. “You were weak, pathetic, and remarkably annoying to be around. I only put up with you for so long because I had already invested so much effort in you, I couldn't just it go to waste.”

Yula's eye twitched at the remarks, a scowl twisting upon her face. “You're deluding yourself! _Lying._ I'm _not_ weak. Not anymore. I've become greater than you ever were! Stronger, more powerful, a better ruler, and conqueror. You're _nothing!”_

Azula puffed out a laugh. “If I'm nothing to you, then why are you threatening me with so many soldiers? You have your guards, the Dai Li, even Avan over there just waiting to attack me. Seems a bit excessive for one person who you think is so far beneath yourself. If you're so much stronger, then why not accept the challenge? It's not like you should have anything to worry about, and you'd be able to put me in my place yourself. Unless, of course, deep down, you're still afraid of me. Behind all that power you have, behind all the bravado and cockiness, you're still just a pathetic, half-baked amateur firebender who knows she can't beat me.”

“I am _not_ afraid of you!” Yula countered, glaring with wild, almost frantic eyes. Her face began to flush red with ire, arms shaking and chest heaving. “I am _stronger_ than you! I am _better_ than you! Better than you _ever_ were!”

“Then why are you running?” Azula asked, with a mocking smirk. “I thought you were all about showing people how strong you were, letting everyone know that there was no one who could stand against you. Yet, here you are, backing down from an open challenge that should, by your own admittance, be no trouble for you. Doesn't seem like something a strong leader would do. Seems more like something a coward would do.”

With the look that came over Yula's face next, Azula knew she had her. The self proclaimed Dragon Empress clenched her jaw tight and curled her hands into fists, arms quivering with rage. In all their time together, Azula wasn't certain she had ever seen Yula so furious.

“I am not a _coward!”_ she shrieked, her voice shrill and piercing. “You want an Agni Kai, Azula? _Fine!_ You _got_ one! Just remember when I'm beating you into a charred mess, you _asked_ for it!”

In spite of the grin that came across her face, Azula forced herself to fight down her nerves. The first part of her plan had been successful; she had made Yula accept the Agni Kai. Now came the hard part—actually defeating her. As confident as she was in her own abilities, as much of a prodigy as she was and always had been, Azula knew that one misstep would leave her as nothing more than a cindered pile of ashes. Yula had Sen's essence within her, which made her as powerful, if not more so, than a firebender under the effects of Sozin's Comet. Azula, on the other hand, had only her technical skill to her advantage. Her level of power was not that much greater than a normal firebender now, blue flames or not. If ever there was a mismatch, this was it.

“Azula...” The voice that called her name was tired, weak. “What...are you doing?”

She turned a glance back towards the line of prisoners, towards Anraq. He could barely open his eyes, with how beaten and swollen his face was. The sight of him brought a pained knot to her chest. “I'm doing what I have to, Annie. For all of you...for the world..”

“We're not here to talk, Azula.” Yula stood back across the top of the temple steps, already removing the cloak of her Dragon Empress uniform. “We're here to end things between us, once and for all, remember? I'd advise you to prepare yourself.”

Azula breathed in deep and focused on the empress, eyes narrow and stern. “I am prepared. I've been prepared for a long time, ever since you first betrayed me. The reasons for it may have changed since then, but the fact remains—I am going to _end_ you.”

Yula scowled. “You will try.” She took a moment to wave off her guards, urging them to step back—way back. Avan led the way, leading his Dai Li and the other soldiers away to a safe distance. Then, Yula lowered herself into an expert stance. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“Cutting right to the chase, I see.” Azula cracked her neck from side to side, then took her own stance. “Good. Let's get this over with.”

“Azula.” She didn't need to turn around to know who had spoken. She knew the voice—Izumi. “Kick her ass.”

Those words sounded so strange and blunt coming from the usually proper and dignified woman, but they brought a smirk to Azula's face. “That _is_ the plan.”

Azula struck first. She darted in at the other woman with swiftness and precision, leading with a blast of blue flames from her fingertips. Yula swatted the fire away and countered with a searing blast of her own, but Azula slid just below it. Then, she sprang upright with a rising kick aimed at her opponent's head, trailing a hot wave behind her heel. Yula merely sidestepped and pushed the kick away, then attempted to sweep her own leg down around Azula's legs to trip her. Azula jumped over the sweep and punched a fireball square into the empress' chest, forcing her back a step.

Because of Yula's power, Azula knew she had to keep this fight in close. If she tried to hang back and fight at a distance, then Yula would overpower her with ease. She also couldn't afford to hesitate or stop moving. The second that she paused, she would become a sitting turtle duck. So, she never relented in her assault. She remained right up in Yula's face, striking with a repeated barrage of attacks. Yula reeled backwards and struggled to keep up. In spite of her power, the Dragon Empress lacked the kind of instinct and reflexes that her opponent had—the instinct of a prodigy.

For a brief few moments, Azula believed she could win the fight like this, as long as she kept the pressure on and didn't allow Yula a chance to retaliate. That hope was quashed moments later when she overstepped on one of her attacks missed her target by inches. One misstep was all it would take, she had told herself, and so it had. As Yula lurched out of the way of the strike, she thrust a hand forward and released a gargantuan shot of fire from her fist.

The resulting impact lifted Azula from her feet and sent her spinning down the temple steps, all the way to the plaza below. A pained grunt burst from her throat as she landed, and for a brief moment afterward she couldn't bring herself to move. She could already feel the bruises beginning to form, and she suspected that she had cracked at least one rib. Just sitting upright surged a sharp pain through her body, but still she fought through it. She couldn't let something as trivial as a broken bone stop her.

As soon as she made it to her feet, she threw herself backwards with a startled gasp. Yula, having leaped from the top of the steps, came crashing down a second later with full axe kick that exploded a crater into the concrete. The shockwave that followed threw Azula from her feet again and sent her rolling across the ground. This time, she recovered quicker than before, but the pain was no less. She stood with a bend in her back, already sucking in deep breaths. This fight had gone to shit well faster than she had expected it to.

Yula laughed, flashing a smug grin. “What's that, hurt already? And here I thought you might actually make this interesting.”

“This fight's just getting started,” she retorted.

“And yet it's already just about over. How sad.”

Yula shifted her body and thrust a fist forward, releasing a wide, ruinous jet of fire. Azula took off in a run and threw herself across the ground to evade the attack. She hit the ground with a roll as the flames scorched the air above her, and then she scrambled back up to her feet with a kick. A spinning line of blue flames seared across the ground, but the Dragon Empress dispersed them with a simple wave of her hand. Yula followed with another punch, this time erupting a massive fireball into the air. Azula's eyes widened at the sight of it, and again she scrambled to get away.

When the fireball impacted the ground, it exploded like a meteor. A sizzling wave of heat engulfed Azula as she flipped through the air, and the next thing she knew she was lying on the ground staring up at the sky, the world spinning around her. She shook herself out of the daze as quickly as she could and hobbled back to her feet. Her vision blurred a moment, and her legs shook, but with a deep breath she steadied herself and stood straight, firm. In spite of the pain pulsing through her body, she couldn't let herself show weakness here. She couldn't afford to.

Another fireball hurtled towards the air at her. She chanced a counter blast of her own, thrusting out a concentrated stream of fire at the burning missile. The blue flames dispersed into nothing upon impact with the fireball, prompting Azula to again throw herself out of its path. Just as before, the explosion sent her spinning across the ground. She managed to land on her knees and push herself upright almost instantly thereafter, but as soon as she neared her full height a sharp jolt of pain exploded in the side of her torso—definitely a broken rib. She fought through it, forced herself to remain standing.

It didn't last long.

Almost immediately after she stood straight, a rippling wave of flames scorched across the ground and erupted at her feet. She made a desperate attempt at bending the fire away, but managed only to keep it from incinerating her. The resulting impact still tossed her through the air like a rag doll, while the heat burned her hands and singed her clothing. When she crashed to the ground this time, her hairpin popped loose and scattered across the concrete, causing her hair to fall free and loose around her shoulders. She brushed it back out of her face and stumbled up to her knees, chest heaving; each breath she took wheezed inward with a pained hiss.

“Do you remember our first Agni Kai?” Yula said, as she approached with flames burning from her palms. “Because I do. You mocked me. _Humiliated_ me. Made a _fool_ of me. Well now, I return the favor. I'm not going to end this quickly, Azula. I'm going to humiliate you. I'm going to make you _suffer.”_

Azula attempted to stand again, but she got only halfway before the pain forced her back to her knees. Yula kicked out another blast of fire, but it was weaker than the others; she had purposefully held back, just enough to keep her target alive and drag out the fight, as she wanted. The flames exploded across the front of Azula's chest and threw her flat against her back. Again, she tried to get up, body shaking and quivering with pain. She didn't even make it to her elbows before Yula struck a second time, kicking Azula with another sweeping fire blast.

This continued for several minutes, Azula lying helpless on the ground, barely able to move as Yula knocked her around the plaza. The flames burned hot enough to hurt her, strong enough to cause her pain and burn her armor, but not enough to kill her. Yula did just as she had claimed she would do; she was humiliating Azula, and making her suffer.

The entire time, panicked thoughts raced through Azula's head. She had to get up. She had to _do_ something. She couldn't just let Yula continue using her as a punching bag. And yet, struggle as she might, her body didn't want to respond. Every time she made a move to get up under her own power, Yula again beat her with another fire blast. This was pitiful. _Pathetic._ In spite of her best efforts, Azula hadn't provided the least bit of a challenge to the Dragon Empress. Instead, she had been handily dismantled and now lay just a shade near death, unable to defend herself. She had failed, and now she would pay the ultimate price for it. She would die, her friends would die, the world would fall to this madwoman...

It was over.

After what seemed an eternity, Yula finally relented her assault. She let Azula lie there and took several steps backwards, a mocking grin twisted across her face. “Alright, I think that's about enough. Even beating you is getting to be a bore now.”

Azula fought and clawed her way back to her knees. She remained there for several moments, head bowed and chest heaving in weak, desperate breaths. A line of blood ran free from her nose and lips, her vision blurred, and her ribs seared with agony, but still she kept going. Her legs quivered, barely holding up her own weight as she slowly, painstakingly, arose to her feet. Even so, she couldn't stand at her full height, forced to hunch forward with her shoulders bowed.

“Still fighting, even after that,” Yula said, with a shake of her head. “Admirable. _Foolish_ , but admirable. In any case, I think this fight is about over. Enjoy your last few moments,”

Yula held her hands forward, fingers splayed. With a deep breath, she ignited a spinning orb of flames in front of her palms. The flames spun slowly at first, then gathered speed and expanded. When they became as large as the woman creating them, Yula exhaled and let the flames erupt forward in a stream so large and powerful that they spread across the entire plaza. Azula swallowed, only able to stare as the fire raced towards her. The heat grew closer, stronger, and soon all she saw was a solid wall of flickering orange and yellow.

“ _Azula!”_

The voice didn't come from any one person in particular—it came from everyone. She heard Annie's voice, Izumi's, Kuvira's, Iroh's, even Korra's. The other world leaders, too. They were all calling her, all concerned for her, all afraid for her. They all _cared_ for her. More than that, though, they all _believed_ in her. How could she just give up and let herself die like this? How could she _fail_ like this? How could she let everyone down? She had worked so hard to change, to set things right, she had come so far... It couldn't end like this.

She wouldn't _let_ it.

As the flames consumed her, Azula twisted her body and whirled her arms around in a circle. She closed her eyes, eased in a deep, steady breath, and let her chi flow out in a spiraling wave. These flames didn't have to be destructive. They didn't have to be violent, or terrifying. There was another side of fire. It could be beautiful. It could peaceful. It could be _life._

Continuing the whirl of her body, Azula took control of the flames and spun them around herself. They lifted higher, towering into the sky into the form of a blistering cyclone, with her safely in the center. When the flames reached to the sky, they took on a new form, new colors—not just orange and yellow, not just blue, but green, purple, white, and every color in between. Like the great firebending masters Ran and Shaw, she took those flames and turned them into something wonderful, and when they finally faded into nothing, she was left standing there at full height, a look of peace and calm across her face. She lowered her arms steadily, easing out her breath, and then finally opened her eyes again.

“H-how did...how did you do that?” Yula uttered, staring at her with wild eyes. “That's not...possible.”

“Are you forgetting who you're dealing with?” Azula slid one of her legs back and set herself into her signature bending stance. “You are not going to beat me with fire.”

A look of hate and rage erupted across Yula's face. “Is that right? Well that's just _fine._ I don't need _fire_ to kill you!” Lightning sparked at her fingertips. She charged it, let it build as much as she could, until smaller bolts began leaping out around her. Then, with a shrieking yell, she pointed her fingers forward and released the sizzling wave through the air.

Azula narrowed her eyes, remained focused. This was it, one last chance to turn this around, one last chance to set things right. With a single, deep breath, she raised a hand and caught the bolt of lightning against her fingers. She let the energy in her body flow, guiding it along a pathway down her arm and to her shoulder. From there, she sent it farther south in her body. For a brief instant, she panicked, felt the energy begin to build around her heart. No, she couldn't let it go to her heart. She had to guide it to her stomach. What was it that Zuzu had told her?

“ _The stomach is the source of the energy in your body, and is known as the sea of chi. From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. It is absolutely critical that the lightning pass through the stomach on its way out your body. If it passes through your heart, the results could be fatal.”_

Not the heart. Not the heart. _Not the heart_.

Easing her breath outward, she let her energy flow away from her heart and down into her stomach. There, she felt it build, empowering her; it was both exhilarating and terrifying.

“ _Are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your chi flowing in, down, up, and then out?”_

 _Yes._ Yes, she could.

From the sea of chi, she sent the energy back up her other arm. Holding that arm forward, she pointed her fingers directly at Yula, who was still caught in the follow-through of her attack. The whole process took only a single moment, leaving the Dragon Empress with no time to defend herself. The look on her face, though, revealed the shock and horror flooding through her.

As the lightning burst forth from her fingertips, Azula met Yula's eyes with a fierce, hateful glare. _“This is from Zuko!”_

The lightning struck Yula's chest with such force that it lifted her clean off her feet and threw her backwards. She crashed to the ground with a thud and lied there, unmoving, clothes singed and smoking. A pained hissed eased from her lips and her fingers twitched—still alive, but in no position to keep fighting. She made an attempt to sit up, but the only thing she managed was a harsh cough and a weak spasm of her arm.

She was defeated.

“H-help...me...” Yula uttered, turning her head to the side. She stared up at her guards surrounding the plaza, up at Avan and the Dai Li. If she couldn't beat Azula herself, then surely they would step in and assist her.

But not a single one of them made a move to help. They remained standing there, staring at her with indifference. She blinked at them, shifting her eyes back and forth in confusion.

“They're not going to help you,” Azula stated, as she approached. Reaching up over her shoulder, she drew her dual swords into her grasp. “This was an Agni Kai. You _lost.”_ Standing above Yula, she brought the blades down and crossed them over the woman's neck. The sharpened edges pressed so close that they drew a thin line of blood. “You're not the Dragon Empress anymore. _I_ am.”

Yula gazed up at her with fear and terror, eyes quivering and streaming with tears. “N-no... please, don't... it wasn't supposed to be this way! I was just trying to _help_ people! I wasn't... I swear, I... You can't do this! _Please!”_

“You destroyed this world,” Azula countered. “You _broke_ it. You ruined people's lives, you killed countless innocent people. You killed my _brother._ You tore your own _family_ apart! And for what? For _power._ For your own _ego._ You're nothing but a selfish, twisted monster, and you should _die!”_ She tightened her grip on the handles of her swords and acted as though she was about to slice them across Yula's throat. Instead, she stopped herself, and lifted them away. Then, she sheathed them back over her shoulder, all while glaring down at the woman with contempt. “But I'm not going to kill you.”

“W-what?” Yula said, a hiccuping sob bursting from her throat. “B-but...why?”

“Because you're not worth it,” she explained. “And because it would be too merciful a sentence. You don't deserve death, Yula. No. You deserve worse. You deserve to live with the knowledge of your failure. You deserve to live knowing that you lost _everything._ In spite of everything you did, in spite of all the power you gained, in spite of how much you accomplished and assured the world you were strong... In the end, you were still too weak. You were still _nothing._ And no matter how hard you tried, no matter how hard you worked... I was still better than you. In more ways than one.”

Yula coughed out another sob and shook her head from side to side, frantic and panicked. “No, no, no, no! That's not true! I was strong! I _was_ strong! Wasn't I? _Wasn't I strong?”_

“No, Yula.” Azula raised her boot, then let it come crashing downward. The blow snapped Yula's nose and slammed the back of her head against the concrete below her, knocking her out in an instant. “You were vile... And I made you that way.”

With a pained sigh, Azula took several steps away from the unconscious woman and turned a look around the plaza. Everyone was staring at her—guards, Dai Li, prisoners, even the brave citizens that had remained behind to watch the entire event. Several reporters were among them, with cameras aimed at her and recording. The pain in her body surged back tenfold now that the adrenaline of battle began to fade. She lurched with buckled legs, but still held herself upright as she made her way up the temple steps. When she reached the top, she glanced at Avan and pointed at the line of bound prisoners.

“Release them,” she said.

Avan stared at her a long moment, then shifted a look down towards the plaza, at the unconscious Yula. His gaze remained there only for a brief instant before he turned back to the prisoners. With an indifferent scoff, he began undoing their chains and setting them free.

Anraq was the first to be released. He stumbled towards Azula and wrapped his arms tight around her, burying his swollen face against her shoulder. “You did it... Spirits, I don't know how, but you _did_ it.”

“You don't know how?” Azula uttered a weak chuckle and hugged him in return. “Please...was there ever any doubt?”

A soft laugh burst from his lips, and he smiled. “No... No, I suppose there wasn't.”

Azula took a step away from Anraq and heaved out an exhausted breath, her head bowing low. “I think... I need some rest.”

She blinked, and then her vision went blurry again. Seconds later, her legs turned to jelly and she felt herself falling, crumpling to the ground. Somewhere off in the distance, she was vaguely aware of Annie shouting to her and coming to her aid, but she only half-heard it. A warm, comforting sensation drew over her as her eyes closed shut. She felt...satisfied, and at peace, like an enormous weight had just lifted from her shoulders. With a soft, gentle breath, she smiled.

Then, there was only darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh man, and what another wonderfully satisfying chapter to write. Everything finally comes full circle with Azula, and she's able to triumph over the monster she created. I really, really loved this chapter, everything from the grittiness of the battle, to Azula utilizing the lessons she learned from Ran and Shaw, and from Zuko to help her come back and win, even though she was at a disadvantage. You had to know that she would be redirecting lightning at some point, she wasn't just going to learn that skill for nothing. And what a time for her to do it.
> 
> I really hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. I tried to make the fight both interesting and unique from ones we've seen before, so hopefully I succeeded there.


	112. Repair And Rebuild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the Dragon Empire's defeat, the world moves forward and looks to the future.

Azula uttered a quiet groan as she flicked her eyes open. Her vision started blurry, slowly drifting back into focus. A plain tiled ceiling stared back at her, a ceiling that she didn't recognize. Where was she exactly? She tried to sit up to get a better look around, but her body was slow, unresponsive. Her muscles felt so...tired, and sore, not quite recovered from her fight with Yula. It took a great deal of effort just to lift herself up on her elbows, and even then she could barely hold herself there.

"Hey, welcome back."

"You had us worried for a while."

She nearly stumbled back to the mattress at the sound of the voices. Fortunately, she managed to catch herself before falling. When she was steady again, she turned a look towards the side of her bed and squinted her eyes into focus at the two women standing there.

"Avatar? Kuvira?” she muttered, brushing her loose hair back out of her face. “What are you doing here? Where am I?”

"You're in the hospital,” Korra said. “Your injuries were pretty bad, but, well...”

Azula blinked as the Avatar turned a glance to the other side of the bed. There, Anraq sat slumped over in a chair, his head hanging low and fast asleep. The swelling on his face had lessened since the last time she saw him, but he still looked freshly beaten and exhausted. That poor man had probably ignored his own injuries in order to heal her.

“He's been with you all day and night,” Kuvira added. “We tried to get him to rest, but he refused. Wouldn't budge until he was sure you were okay.”

"Oh, Annie...” she said, with a gentle sigh. Sometimes, he really could be an idiot—a wonderful, amazing idiot that she probably didn't deserve. She smiled at him, then looked back to the others. “So...everything is alright, then? Yula's been taken care of?"

Korra nodded. "She's no longer a threat. Right now she's being contained and readied for transport.”

Azula scrunched her brow together, giving the two a curious stare. "Where are you transporting her?"

"The North Pole,” Korra replied. “Eska and Desna said they have a special prison up there that can keep her from firebending, so that's where she'll be held."

"Good. That's....good.” Azula eased out a relieved sigh and then lowered herself to the mattress again, her head resting on the pillow. Just keeping herself sitting upright was exhausting right now. “What about Avan? I can't imagine that weasel snake stuck around."

"Actually, he was taken into custody shortly after Yula,” Kuvira said. “He'll be taken back to his floating prison soon. He didn't even put up any resistance. It was like he just kind of...gave up."

At this news, Azula lifted a surprised eyebrow. Well, _there_ was something she hadn't been expecting. After everything Avan had done, she never would have imagined him surrendering himself like that. She supposed she couldn't complain, though—one less asshole free in the world. "So, what now then?"

Korra folded her arms across her chest and gave an unknowing shrug. "You tell us. After you best Yula, you technically became Dragon Empress. Again. What do you plan to do now?"

"Dragon Empress... _ugh._ That always did sound gaudy, didn't it?” She huffed out a deep sigh and held her hand against her forehead, eyes closing. “The empire needs to be dissolved, and the nations should go back to being separate. _That's_ what should happen."

"And what happens to the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom once they're separated again?" Kuvira asked.

"The Fire Nation will go back to Izumi,” Azula insisted, with a simple nod. “Zuzu left the nation her, so she should have it. The throne...isn't my destiny. It never was. I was just too blind to realize that until now... I'll leave the Earth Kingdom to you—do with it as you please. Make it a republic again, elect its leaders, whatever, I don't care. I just don't want to deal with it."

Korra nodded slowly, pausing a moment before continuing. "And...what about you?"

"What _about_ me? I imagine you'll be arresting me now, too. Spirits know it's probably about time. I won't resist, either... I'm too tired for that. I just want to rest."

"Arrest you?” Kuvira said, lifting her eyebrows. A genuine look of surprise crept over her face, as if she couldn't believe the suggestion. “After everything you just did, all the people you helped, and all the lives you saved? After you just put the world back into balance? Azula, you've more than made up for your past crimes. Take it from someone who knows."

Azula squinted at them with caution, righting herself back up to her elbows. "Are you being serious? Because of you're trying to screw with me..."

"No, we mean it.” Korra breathed a small sigh, then lowered herself into a chair at the bedside, so she was level with Azula. Her expression shifted with a distinct compassion, and sympathy. “Look, Azula, I know you did terrible things in the past to a lot of people. Heck, even to me. But since then, you've changed. A lot. You've shown remorse for your actions, a willingness to make sacrifices to help others, you've done your best to better yourself, and worked so hard to right your wrongs. You've shown that, when push comes to shove, you're someone the world can rely on. You're someone the world _needs."_

Kuvira nodded in agreement. “This is something we've already discussed with the other world leaders. In spite of the things you've done in the past, we've decided to give you a clean slate. A fresh start. We figured it's the least we could do in thanks for saving our lives and the rest of the world.”

Azula stared at them in disbelief, her eyebrows furrowed and mouth hanging partially open. "I'm not entirely sure what to say to that. I'm not even sure I agree with it, but...thank you.” She paused a moment, tilting her gaze down at the sheets, thinking. “And in that case...I just want to go somewhere quiet for a while. Somewhere I can relax and just...get away.” Then, she shifted her gaze over towards Anraq. The waterbender was beginning to stir in his seat, slowly awakening from his slumber. “And hopefully not alone."

"I'm sure he'll follow you wherever you go,” Korra said, with a smile. “You two really are good for each other, you know."

"Yeah...” she replied, watching as Anraq let out a yawn and opened his eyes. “I know."

As soon as Anraq looked towards the bed, his eyes lit up. He immediately bolted off the chair and came to Azula's side, reaching out to hold her hand. "You're awake! Do you feel alright? Any lingering pain I can heal? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine, Annie...” She eased out a soft chuckle, then tightened her fingers against his. “But thank you. Just...come here?" With a firm tug, she pulled him closer to the bed. He needed no second invitation, as he set himself down on the mattress and lied next to her.

Kuvira watched them a moment, then took hold of Korra's hand and pulled her towards the door. "We'll leave you two alone."

Once the other two were gone, Azula traced a gentle finger along Anraq's bruised cheek and pouted at him. "You know, you could have healed your face when you were done with me. You look terrible."

"Eh, I'll get to it,” he said, with a shrug. “Doesn't even hurt anymore, to be honest."

"Oh really? What if I were to do this?" She pressed her finger up against his cheek and gave a soft prod, eliciting a sharp gasp from the man's lips.

"Ow, okay...” he muttered, with a subtle wince. “Maybe a little."

"And if I did...this?" Pulling her finger back, she leaned in close to bring their lips together. She held the kiss a long while, deep and tender.

When the kiss finally broke, Anraq eased a pleasant breath past his lips. With a large smile spread across his face, he held his forehead against hers and said, "No, not at all."

* * *

 "So, what's the next move?" Kuvira asked, as they stepped out into the Caldera City, leaving the hospital behind. At this time of night, with the moon risen high up in the sky, the streets were near deserted.

"Well, first we need to find Izumi and inform her she's been remade Fire Lord,” Korra said, with quiet sigh. “She'll need to make an announcement to the Fire Nation people, let them know the Dragon Empire is gone and that they're a separate nation again. We'll have to see to the separation of the empire's military, too, back to their original nations. Then we need get everyone that was taken prisoner from the United Republic and Water Tribes back home to their families..."

Kuvira flinched at the mention of returning soldiers to their families. A brief flicker of the Republic City battle flashed through her head—the death, the bodies, the horror. It brought a chill to her spine, but she she fought it away. "There are a lot more families who won't be reunited..."

"Yeah...” Korra gave a weak nod and lowered her gaze to the ground as they walked. Only a fraction of the United Forces and Water Tribe troops had survived the battle. So many dead... “We're also going to need to work on restoring Republic City and Zaofu. And figure out how we're going to reform the Earth Kingdom's government...” She groaned quietly and dropped her head into her hand. “Ugh, there's so much to do..."

"None of us will have to do it alone,” Kuvira said, tightening her hold on Korra's hand. “The whole world will help return things to how they should be."

Korra returned the squeeze and leaned close against her fiancee. "Yeah, you're right. Still, it's going to be a lot of work... But that can wait for tomorrow at least.” With no further warning, Korra turned and scooped the matriarch up into her arms, as easily as if she had lifted a pillow. “Right now, it's late, and all I want to do is make love to my beautiful fiancee."

"Well aren't you the flatterer.” Kuvira paused a moment, glancing down at the ground below her. Then, she held her arms around Korra's neck and smiled. “Have I ever told you how much I love that you can pick me up like a bag of feathers?"

"You could stand to mention it more,” Korra said, with a soft chuckle. “Now come on, Matriarch. There's a guest bed back at the palace we need to break."

"Don't you mean, break _in?"_

She flashed a mischievous smirk. "Nope. Just break."

* * *

Shayu wheeled herself up in front of the door and stopped, just sitting there in hesitation. She stared at the door, watched it as it loomed over her, mocking her. A deep knot of dread built up in the center of her chest; it froze her in place, kept her from reaching up to knock. She couldn't go through with this... How _could_ she? It had been months now since they had seen each other, after she had left with Yula to commit countless unspeakable acts. How could she ever be forgiven?

Finally, after sitting there in front of the room for what felt like an eternity, Shayu leaned forward and gave a gentle knock. Several quiet moments past before the sound of footsteps came from the other side of the door. When the door opened, she turned her gaze down to the floor, unable to look the woman in the eyes.

“Hi, Mom...”

"Shayu?” Jaya's eyes widened first with relief at seeing her daughter again after so long, but soon that turned to shock when she noticed the wheelchair. The older woman immediately came forward and held her hands to her daughter's shoulders, concern rippled across her face. “Oh baby, what happened?"

"Mom, I...I'm sorry...” she uttered, keeping her head bowed low. A soft sob coughed out of her throat, in spite of her best attempts to hold herself together. “For Yula, and f-for every...everything...I'm so...so sorry." She squinted her eyes closed shut, fighting the tears; it didn't work. They flowed freely from behind her eyelids down her face, and within moments she broke down into a weeping, sobbing mess.

"Shhh, shhh,” Jaya said, leaning close to hug her daughter tight. She held a hand to the back of Shayu's head, gently running her fingers through the girl's hair. “It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. Everything will be okay. We'll get through this, I promise."

* * *

Bolin groaned out a sigh, letting his head fall back as he and his brother made their was aimlessly through the halls of the royal palace. "Man...this whole empire thing was _intense._ I mean, we almost died. Like, a _lot."_

"Yeah, tell me about it,” Mako muttered, with a shake of his head. “I'm just glad it's over. I can't wait get back to Republic City to help with the rebuilding process."

"I know, me too. I have to find Opal first, though...” A look of worry descended over Bolin's face. “I haven't seen her since the start of the battle. I don't even know if she's alright."

Mako gave his brother a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine. She knows how to look after herself."

"I hope so..."

As they rounded the corridor, a familiar, sweet voice called out. "Bolin!"

Bolin blinked at the sound of his name and lifted his focus straight ahead of them. There, at the end of the hallway, was a large group of individuals dressed in distinct orange and yellow wingsuits—the Air Nation, led by Tenzin himself. At the front of the group, though, was Opal. The moment she saw the two brothers appear, she broke away from the others and raced towards them. An excited laugh erupted from Bolin's mouth as he ran to greet her.

"Opal! You're okay!” He pulled her in for a deep hug, arms tight around her shoulders. “Oh it's so good to see you. How's the baby?"

"The baby's fine,” Opal assured, giving her fiance a gentle peck on the cheek. “We're both okay."

"Oh thank goodness,” he replied, with a relieved sigh. He held his hand tenderly against Opal's abdomen, and stared lovingly into her eyes. “I love you so much."

She smiled at him, then leaned in close for a deeper kiss. "I love you, too, Bolin."

* * *

One week after Yula's defeat and the official dismantling of the Dragon Empire, Asami stood at the center of the mostly-destroyed Republic City, staring at the crumbling buildings and piles of debris. There was so much damage, so much to repair and rebuild... It seemed like every time she helped to restore this city, some new disaster came along just to ruin things again. This time had definitely been the worst of it; they had their work cut out for them.

"This place is a mess...” she uttered, with a disbelieving shake of her head. “From what I saw on the flight in here, Yula's army leveled nearly sixty percent of it."

"Ah, come on there, Madame President. You're thinking with the glass half empty!” Varrick strolled up next to her and gave her shoulder a firm pat. “Try to look in the bright side."

 _"What_ bright side?"

"Forty percent of the city is still standing!” When Asami shot an annoyed glare at him, he took a step back and held up his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Really, don't worry so much. I have connections with the best metalbending construction crews in the Earth Kingdom. If we hire all of them, we can have this place good as new in six months, a year tops."

"That's rather optimistic,” Asami said, with a raised brow. “And it sure won't be cheap."

"Money is no object!” he insisted. “There's not a dime I won't spend to get this city back in order, that's a promise! Although, I'm not exactly expecting to do this all myself here. The United Republic has a budget too, you know."

Asami exhaled a quiet sigh, then turned her gaze back out at the ruins again. “There's a lot of work to do...but I won't rest until we've fixed this place up good as new. Until people have their homes back, their _lives_ back. When we're done here, Republic City will be bigger and better than ever. That's _my_ promise."

Varrick offered an optimistic laugh and then smacked an encouraging hand against Asami's back. “Now that's the spirit!”

* * *

“Do you want any help with this?” Kuvira asked. “It's not exactly a simple task...”

“No, I got this,” Korra replied, with a shake of her head. “Besides, I really need to stretch my Avatar muscles.”

Korra took a step towards the open expanse of land deep in the mountain valley. With a calm, steady breath, she lowered herself to one knee and pressed her palm against the ground, eyes close. She could feel it down there, deep below the surface, deeper than she had expected. This wasn't going to be easy...but she was the Avatar. If anyone could do this, it was her. Returning to her feet, she spread her legs wide, held her arms straight forward, and then snapped her eyes open with a bright white glow.

The ground trembled beneath her, softly at first and then growing into a massive quake. Fissures split across the earth, growing rapidly through the valley in front of her. Within mere moments, those fissures grew wider and burst apart, opening a massive, gaping hole deep in the ground. Then, Korra spread her fingers and slowly raised her hands, guiding the earth upwards. The process was slow, but it was also steady. Soon, the tops of twisted metal buildings began to emerge, surrounded by the cracked and broken petals of lotus-shaped domes—Zaofu.

Gradually, the city arose from the ground back into the open air of the valley. When it finally lifted fully atop the surface, Korra set it in place and closed any remaining gaps and fissures in the earth. Then, once the quaking ceased and everything was calm, the light from Korra's eyes faded and she took a step backwards.

“Well, Zaofu isn't buried anymore,” she said, holding her hands to her hips. Even so, the city was an absolute disaster, looking more like a twisted pile of scrap metal than anything.

Kuvira breathed a tired sigh. “There's a lot of work to do...”

“Yeah, there is.” Korra looked to her fiancee, then reached out to hold the woman's hand in reassurance. “But we'll do it together.”

* * *

Azula stared down at the small shrine, at the framed picture of Zuko looking back at her—at the grave. She sucked in a slow, calming breath to steady her stomach, then lowered herself down to her knees. A moment of hesitation past before she finally pulled out the pair of incense sticks she'd brought with her. She lit them with two simple squeezes at their tips, then set them in the holder next to the picture. It felt silly doing this, and yet it was a tradition. Normally, she didn't care much for traditions, but...Zuzu deserved it.

“I thought it was a nice ceremony,” Anraq said, as he lowered himself to the ground next to her.

She shrugged, still staring at the photograph. “It was fine, I suppose. I've never actually been to a funeral before. Well, except my grandfather's, but that was so long ago I hardly remember it. I do remember it being huge, though. This...this was smaller. It was nice.”

Zuko's funeral had been a small, intimate affair, rather than some grand public spectacle, with only those who had been closest to him in attendance—Mai, of course, Ty Lee, Izumi, Iroh, Toph, and even that Water Tribe woman, Katara. Then, of course, Azula herself, and Anraq by association. Zuko would have preferred it that way, she knew.

Anraq turned a glance to her and held his hand against her shoulder. “You know you made him proud, right?”

She nodded, easing out a heavy sigh. “I know.”

“So, have you thought about what you want to do now?” he asked. “I know you said you wanted to go some place quiet and just get away from everything for a while.”

“No, I'm still not sure,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe go to an island, or some small village in the Fire Nation. Just...somewhere I can relax. Somewhere I can be happy.”

A new voice called her attention away from the grave. “You can take the beach house.”

Azula turned to look over her shoulder, where she saw a familiar old woman standing behind her. “Oh, Mai... I didn't notice you there. What about a beach house, exactly?”

“ _Your_ old beach house, on Ember Island,” Mai said, as she approached the grave. She hobbled down to her old, tired knees next to Azula, while keeping her focus on the framed picture of her departed husband. “I'm going to be remain on Kyoshi Island with Ty Lee for a while... too many memories back home. I need to clear my head, I think, so I won't be at Ember Island for the time being. You're welcome to stay there, if you like. I know it probably wouldn't be your first choice, but...”

Azula stared at her old friend a long while, before finally looking back at the picture again. A pleasant smile slowly curled onto her face. “No, actually... I think that will be perfect. Thank you, Mai.”

The old woman gave a simple nod in response.

“What do you say, Annie?” Azula asked, flashing a subtle grin towards him. “How does Ember Island sound?

“Are you kidding me?” he said, returning a grin of his own. “A beach vacation with the woman I love? Where do I sign up?”

Azula held her smile as she turned again to the picture. “Looks like we have a plan, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I guess you could call this the official "end" of this particular storyline. There are two more chapters coming that aren't a real part of the next story, but aren't quite a continuation of this past plotline either. They'll be more like an epilogue/intermission between the Dragon Empire plot and the next one. Don't think that doesn't meant they aren't important, though. I've actually been looking forward to writing these next couple of chapters for a long time, and all I can say is...prepare your tissues. You may need them.


	113. Brave Soldier Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anraq reunites with someone from his past.

A cold shiver rippled up Azula's spine as she trudged through the ankle-deep snow. In spite of the heavy blue coat wrapped tight around her body, the thick snowpants covering her legs, fluffy white mittens on her hands, the thick boots on her feet, and earmuffs clasped over her ears, she still couldn't fight that deep, biting chill. Even her attempts at keeping her breathing regulated to warm her body with her chi faltered, and instead resulted in tiny bursts of blue flames flickering out of her mouth with each exhale. Why she had ever agreed to come to this barren tundra, she didn't know.

"Are w-we almost t-there?” she asked, teeth chattering. “It's f-f-freezing out here."

"Well, it _is_ the South Pole,” Anraq replied, glancing over his shoulder at her. He was dressed only half as heavily as Azula, and yet the subzero temperatures didn't even seem to phase him. “Cold is kind of its thing. But yeah, we're almost there. Come on, I'm sure she's going to love meeting you."

Oh, right. _That's_ why she had agreed to come here—for Annie. Despite her distaste for the frozen tundra of the Water Tribes, she had followed him here because she loved him, and she knew this was important to him. Still, they could have at least waited for summer, rather than the dead of winter. "You do know I won't _actually_ be meeting her, right? Since..."

"Well, no, not technically...” he replied, with a subtle, distant sigh. “But you will in spirit. That's the important thing."

"Right..."

Azula raised her lips into a soft frown. She still wasn't certain about this whole trip. It had been a month now since they had settled themselves on Ember Island, and for the most part things had been great. She had been able to actually relax for the first time in, well, _ever_. Shutting herself off from the rest of the world in favor of a tropical beach resort, where she didn't have to worry about any kind of drama of world affairs, had done wonders for her. She had never been so...calm, or happy, or at peace with herself. Being able to wake up in the morning next to the most important person in the world to her, and not have anything to do, no schedule, no pressing concerns, no need to push herself... It had been like a dream—a perfect, wonderful dream she never wanted to wake from. So, she had been a little apprehensive when Anraq asked to take a trip to his home village in the South Pole. He had offered to come by himself while she stayed back on the island, but she knew she couldn't do that. She had to at least try to be there for him, even if, in this case, she wasn't sure how.

"There it is,” Anraq said, with a simple point towards the small square of land at the end of the path. Rows of small, polished stone mounds arose from the snow, all placed evenly apart—graves. “Come on, hers is right over here." He led the way towards the third row of snow-covered gravestones, to the fifth from the left.

"So, this is her?" Azula asked, staring down at the stone mound. A distant look came to her eyes, a mix of gloom and uncertainty how to react.

"Yeah...this is her." Anraq took a step towards the grave and wiped the snow off the front of it to reveal the engraving: _Kanna, loving daughter and vibrant spirit. Taken from us far too soon._ He smiled at the grave—a solemn, forlorn smile that bore a heavy grief—and then lowered himself to sit cross-legged in the snow. Leaning forward, he pressed one of his hands against the stone and eased a deep sigh. "Hey, Sweet Pea. It's Daddy. I'm...sorry I haven't visited in a while. Things have been pretty crazy lately. You'll never believe all the stuff I've done. I went back to Republic City, worked as a police officer for a while, made some great friends, and I actually helped the Avatar stop a bunch of really bad people. I even fought in a war.”

Anraq uttered a soft chuckle, as though in some attempt to lighten the mood. All it did was poorly mask the sorrow emanating from is tone. “Then, uh... Well, I went to the Fire Nation for a while. You wouldn't believe how hot it is over there, nothing like here. You probably wouldn't like it much, since it never snows, but I enjoyed it. I even met someone really special. You'll never guess who.”

He paused a moment, as if giving the spirit of his daughter a chance to make a guess. Then, he offered a warmer smile and continued. _“Azula_. Like, the real one from the stories I used to tell you. Now, I didn't think much of her at first. Actually, I kind of hated her. But...” Again, he chuckled, and this time turned a brief glance back up at Azula. His smile eased just a little wider. “Well, you were right about her. There _is_ good in her. A whole lot of it, too. Now she's the most important person in my life.”

Azula watched him with a gentle smile of her own, but hers was one of habit. It hid the shared grief building in her chest as she watched him. She had never seen Annie quite like this, so determined to remain composed in spite of the obvious pain teaming behind those blue eyes of his. She wanted to help him somehow, comfort him... But she didn't know how.

“Well, except for you, of course,” Anraq added as he looked back to the grave. Then, he leaned closer and whispered, “You want to say hi? Go on, say hi." His gaze found Azula again, and he waved her closer.

She blinked at him, then cautiously made her way towards the grave. "Um...hello. Kanna. It's, uh...nice to meet you.” A frown came to her face, and she uttered a frustrated sigh. “Annie, this is ridiculous. What am I supposed to say?"

"Anything, doesn't matter. Just...meet her."

Again, she sighed. Then, she dropped down to her knees and stared at the grave, at the engraving. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, and quiet. "It's...nice to meet you. Figuratively speaking, anyway. Your father has told me a great deal about you. From what he tells me, you sound like a fine child... I think I would have liked to _actually_ meet you. Even if I am terrible with kids... Maybe we could have gotten along, I don't know. I'm sure you were... nice. I'm not sure if I'd live up to what you heard about me in those stories, but to be fair, the history books were probably quite biased against me.” She stopped herself before going off on an unrelated tangent. With another sigh, she fell back on her hands and shrugged. “I don't really know what else to say."

"That's plenty,” Anraq said. “I think she liked it."

"So...now what?"

"You can head back to the village if you want,” he replied, nodding towards the path that led away from the grave site. “I know you're cold. I just...want to sit here a while.”

Azula watched him a moment, and then finally stood up. She knew she should stay, and yet... It didn't feel right, like she was intruding on Annie's time with his daughter. Just something about this place, about this whole situation... She didn't belong here. Shoving her hands back into her coat pockets, she turned and began to walk away.

Then, Annie's voice struck the air in a gentle wave. He sang with a slow, somber tone, laden with a deep and heavy sorrow. “Leaves from the vine, / Falling so slow, / Like fragile, tiny shells, / Drifting in the foam.” He poured his emotions into those lyrics, in a way that Azula had never heard before. Those few moments that the song lasted were some of the most beautiful she had ever experienced. “Little soldier girl, / Come marching home, / Brave soldier girl, / Comes marching home.”

As Azula stood there listening, her heart warmed, and soon she no longer felt the frigid cold of the tundra. Once the Anraq's voice faded and went quiet, she made her way back to his side and again lowered herself next to him on the ground.

“It was her favorite song,” he said, with a deep, quivering breath. No matter his attempts, he couldn't hide the pain in his voice. “I used to sing it to her every night before bed. I know I don't have the best singing voice, but..."

When Anraq bowed his head, eyes squinted shut, Azula leaned close and gave his cheek a gentle kiss. Then, she held her arm around him and set her head against his shoulder. "I thought it was lovely."

* * *

One week later, they had returned to their beach house on Ember Island. Azula lied in bed, wide awake in spite of the late hour. Anraq, on the other hand, was fast asleep, lying against her backside with his arm held around her waist. She stared at the wall ahead of her, vision fading out of focus as her thoughts drifted back to their trip to Kanna's grave. All throughout the past week, she hadn't been able to get it out of her head.

She had hated seeing Annie like that—so saddened, and in a way that she couldn't help him. Ever since they had first been on good terms with each other, he had always seemed so happy all the time, or at least upbeat and optimistic. It was easy to forget the kind of hurt and pain that he still felt deep inside, a pain that could never truly go away, no matter how much he moved on from it.

Azula liked to think that she could be there for him and make him happy, that she could help him through these kinds of things, and yet... She had been at a loss when actually confronted with the chance. What had she ever really done for him? He had been there for her through so much, through her worst moments. He had helped her heal, recover, and change into a better person. He had helped make her life wonderful, and made her happy. He had been a pillar of support when she needed it most.

But what had _she_ done? She had given him a club for his birthday. She had taken him out for dinner. She'd been _nice_ to him. All those things seemed superficial in the face of his dedication to her. She had never done anything truly... _meaningful_ for him. Nothing selfless, or anything like what he'd done for her. Why hadn't she? Was there something wrong with her? She had to _something._ She had to be there for him, she had to help him. There had to be some way she could ease his pain and make him truly happy.

And...perhaps there was. The more she contemplated the matter, the more her mind began to race with a faint possibility. As the plan began to take form, she sat upright in bed and stared out the window, at the moon. What was the date? The second week of winter? Then there was still time, maybe a few days at the most. If she hurried, she could make it there before having to wait another season. But would this even work? She doubted it, and yet she knew she still had to try. Even if it did seem impossible, even if she would likely come back empty handed, she _owed_ it Annie to try.

Azula gently slipped out from beneath Anraq's arm and slid herself out of bed. A subtle chill rippled through her as her bare skin met the night air, but she ignored it. She quickly dressed herself in her casual traveling outfit, then grabbed a pen and paper to briefly scribble out a note. When finished, she placed the note on the bed in the spot she had been lying moments before. She only hoped Annie wouldn't be too mad when he woke up to find her gone.

Then, she opened the drawer of the end table next to the bed and reached inside. When her hand returned, she held an old, folded photograph in her grasp. She gave the smiling figures in the picture a brief stare, then tucked it into her pocket. Without wasting anymore time, she hurried outside and pulled out her dragon whistle. Druk arrived moments after she gave the whistle a fierce blow, and set himself low so she could climb aboard.

Within seconds, they were gone.

* * *

Forgetful Valley. The last time Azula had been here, she had been a completely different person—frantic, panicked, afraid, her mind in turmoil, unsure of herself and her destiny. It had led to her demise, because she just hadn't been able to keep calm. Instead, she had been wild, attacking the forest as she went. The forest fought back, and she had lost. She had died, and moments later her spirit had become trapped in the Spirit World. It had been the catalyst in bringing her to this age, this modern world, and now she faced this valley as a new woman.

The forest seemed much different than she remembered it. No longer was it dark and suffocating, as if reaching out to grab her. The faces on the leaves, too, looked much calmer than the ones that had scowled at her during her last trip here. They seemed almost...inviting of her, welcoming her to their domain with open arms. Perhaps they sense the peace and calm within her, and knew she was not a threat to them this time around.

Still, the faces on the leaves were not why she was here. No, she was looking for something very particular, a guide that would lead her to where she needed to go. Right now, she wasn't certain where this guide was, but she should be able to find it before long. After all, it was pretty difficult to miss a giant glowing spirit wolf running through the forest. Sure enough, only a few hours into her expedition, she spotted it coming through the trees. The great spirit beast gave her only a passing glance before continuing on by her, racing away deeper into the forest.

Azula gave chase, moving as swiftly and nimbly as possible through the trees and vines. The wolf was faster, but still she managed to keep it within her line of sight at all times. She couldn't afford to lose sight of it; she _needed_ to find where it stopped. Ten minutes later, the wolf finally slowed and emerged into a large clearing, at the center of which was a perfectly circular pool of calm, pristine water. She waited there at the edge of the treeline, watching as the wolf bent down to the water to drink. This was it... This was what she had come for.

Soon, the water began to bubble and ripple. The churning grew stronger, until the surface broke with a mighty splash and a great figure emerged into the open air, a towering figure that stood as tall as the trees, with a body made of gnarled bark and a head with multiple faces. Azula's heart jolted at the sight, and finally she ran free from the forest into the clearing.

"Mother of Faces!” she called, staring up at the ancient spirit. “May I have a moment?"

Even though the Mother of Faces' eyes were hidden by the twisted bark atop her head, Azula could still feel the great spirit's gaze piercing straight through. "Ah, so yet another human seeks out my aid. Let me guess, you wish to receive a new face?"

Azula shook her head. "No, actually. That's not why I'm here."

"It is not? Hmm...” The Mother of Faces tilted her head slightly, her expression shifting with subtle curiosity. “Most humans who approach me desire a new face, though I don't understand why. I take so much care into creating each and every face, it mystifies me as to why anyone would be dissatisfied with the one I first gave them. So, if you do not wish a new face, then why are you here? Why have you come to see me?"

"I understand you're a very powerful spirit,” she said. “One of the oldest to exist."

"Yes, that is true... What are you getting at, human?"

Azula swallowed, taking a moment to compose herself before continuing. "I've read about you, about the things you can do. You can create more than just faces. You can create entire bodies, empty vessels devoid of life, just like your son can."

At this assertion, the spirit's tone shifted with confusion. "My son? My son _steals_ faces. He destroys, he does not create."

Azula shook her head. "I didn't mean Koh. I meant Sen."

A long pause followed. The Mother of Faces lowered herself part of the distance between herself and Azula, studying the girl closer. "How do you know about Sen? His name should have been lost to you humans thousands of lifetimes ago."

"Because I met him,” she insisted. “I was trapped in the spirit world once, and he attempted to trick me into releasing him from his prison in exchange for a new body. He didn't know who he was dealing with, though. He couldn't fool me."

"Is that so?” The spirit pursed her lips, as though lost deep in thought. Then, she gave single, gentle nod. “Yes, I see it now. Your body, your face... Sen crafted this for you."

"Yes, he did. Then he placed my spirit inside it, restoring me to life."

The Mother of Faces raised herself back to her full height, still glaring down at Azula. "So, then... What is it you are trying to ask of me?"

"I know you can create empty vessels, but I have another question...” Azula sucked in another breath to steady her nerves. This was where she learned if this entire trip had been just a waste of time. “Can you do the same as Sen? Can you place a spirit into that shell and restore a life that was lost?"

A deep frown twisted upon the spirit's faces. "What you request is no simple task... Reaching beyond the divide to pull back a departed spirit requires great focus and power. This favor is beyond my ability to grant."

 _"What?”_ Azula's heart jolted with disappointment. She had been expecting this response, and yet she still didn't want to accept it. She didn't want to give up. “But you're supposed to be an all powerful spirit! If you're not strong enough to do it, then who is?"

"Allow me to rephrase myself,” replied the Mother of Faces. “This favor is beyond my _desire_ to grant, especially to you, Azula of the Fire Nation."

Azula recoiled back a step, eyebrows lifting. "You know who I am?"

"Of course I do. I never forget a face, and I remember you coming to my forest and confronting me once before. You were most disrespectful then, and selfish.” The spirit's expression altered from mere annoyance into genuine anger. She grew taller, too, and her voice shook with a booming echo. “You humans often abuse my generosity to grant you favors and to change your faces, faces that I put a great deal of effort and care into creating. I put up with it because I am generous by nature, and I take pity on your kind, but what you ask of me now is a blatant display of audacity and arrogance. I would not grant such a request to _any_ human, let alone one as selfish and callous as you! Now, be gone from my forest and do not return!"

When the Mother of Faces finished her tirade, the water beneath her churned and she began to sink back below its depths. Azula's heart grew panicked as she ran forward, closer to the pool. _"No!_ Come _back!”_ Within seconds, the spirit was gone, disappeared into the water. That didn't stop her, though. Azula jumped into the pool and waded out up to her waist, staring downward with wild eyes. “You have to help me! _Please!_ This isn't for me! I'm not trying to be selfish! _It isn't for me!”_

There was no response. Lifting her hands up to her head, Azula grabbed at her hair and shouted a frustrated groan. She had known this trip would likely end in failure, and yet it still hurt. She had been so _close!_ Now she had to return to Ember Island empty handed, and try to explain to Annie exactly why she'd been gone. Without any results to show for her efforts, that was a confrontation she wasn't looking forward to.

As she turned to leave the pool, however, the water began to bubble again. She took a step back and gazed down at the rippling surface. Seconds later, the Mother of Faces once again emerged. The spirit did not grow as tall this time, instead keeping herself small enough to lean close to Azula, their faces just inches apart.

"If you are not making this request for yourself, then for whom?” the spirit asked, as she studied the girl closely.

Azula swallowed an uncomfortable knot in her throat, but didn't pull away. "Someone very close to me...and who I care very deeply for."

"And did he send you here in his stead?"

"No, he doesn't even know I'm here. I'm just...trying to do something good for him. I want to make him happy.” She bowed her head, eyes softening with a distant sorrow. “That's why I'm here... So he can be happy. He deserves it more than anyone."

"I sense you've never performed a selfless act such as this before. Never such a display of kindness and caring...” The Mother of Faces examined her closely just a moment longer and then pulled away, straightening to her full height. “Very well.”

Azula's heart jolted again. “Really?”

“Yes,” the spirit said. “But for this task, I require a form of payment first."

At this statement, she tilted her head slightly and narrowed a curious look at the spirit. "What...kind of payment?"

"The body you have, the face you wear? It is ageless, given to you by Sen and suspended in time. No being, no face, should be unable to grow older and change. Give up that quality to me, give up your physical immortality, and I will grant your wish."

Azula didn't need to think about the demand for long. This face of hers, this permanently young, never-aging face, was one she had grown to despise over time, as the the years passed and her body never changed. At first, the concept of permanent youth had seemed like a blessing, and yet now it only unsettled her. She knew whenever she looked at herself in the mirror that there was something wrong with her, something unnatural. The choice was easy.

"Alright,” she said, with a stern nod. “I accept."

"Now, I should hope you have an image of what you wish the vessel to look like?"

Azula nodded, then reached into her pocket. "I have a picture, here. It's the girl."

The Mother of Faces reached out a hand to take the photo. She gave it a long stare and then nodded. "This will suffice. And to call back her spirit, I will need to know her name."

"Right...her name."

* * *

Anraq paced around the center of the beach house courtyard, running his fingers back through his hair. In his other hand, he clutched the note that Azula had left behind for him. _Will be gone a few days. Something I need to take care of. Had to take your photograph... Please don't be angry. With love, Azula._ What on earth had she been talking about? Why had she just left in the middle of the night without saying anything? And all she had left was a _note?_ It didn't make any sense to him. Ever since then, he had been stuck here worried out of his mind. He had no way of finding her, or contacting her. All he could do was wait there, helpless, until she came back.

A growing shadow caught his attention, bringing his gaze up at the sky. Moments later, Druk came into view and landed in the courtyard with a tired growl. Azula jumped off the dragon's head onto the ground, without even waiting for him to let her down.

"Azula! Spirits, _there_ you are!” Anraq immediately ran to her and pulled her in for a relieved hug. “What happened? Is everything alright? Why did you have to leave?"

"Everything is fine, Annie.” Azula eased out a quiet sigh, then pulled away from the hug. “I just...had something I needed to take care of."

"Something you had to take care of...” He frowned at her. “Yeah, that's what you said in your note. But why on earth did you have to take my picture with you?"

"I needed it,” she insisted. “I...well, I had to use it for something."

"What are you talking about? Why would you...” He paused a moment, brow lowering into a concerned glare. “Where is it? Where's the photo?"

"I don't have it anymore...” she said. “It's gone."

"It's _what?”_ The horror that came upon his face was enough to send a remorseful cringe through Azula. He didn't notice that cringe, though, lost to his panic. “What do you mean it's _gone?_ Gone _where?_ That was the only picture I had of her! I can't _lose_ it! I don't... I don't want to forget what she _looks_ like, Azula! I _can't!”_

Azula swallowed, tilting her gaze towards the ground. “I'm sorry... But, I just thought you might want a new one.”

“A _new_ one? I can't just get a new one!” The panic turned to anger now—pure, unbridled anger. Azula had never seen him this angry with her before, not since before they had come together. “I can't take a new picture with my _dead_ daughter! Why would you _take_ that from me? _Why?_ You had _no_ right! You had—"

"Daddy?"

Anraq fumbled at the sound of the voice. He knew that voice... Even after so long, after so many years, that voice struck a familiar chord. It brought back so many memories—wonderful memories, painful memories. But... that was impossible. It wasn't... It _couldn't._..

With wide eyes, and his mouth hanging partially open, he looked towards Druk. There, climbing down the dragon's backside, was a small three-year-old girl with scruffy brown hair, wearing simple Water Tribe clothing. When the girl landed on her feet and turned to look at him, the sight of her face sent a jolt of emotions through his heart so strong that he crumpled down to his knees, unable to stand.

 _"...Kanna?"_ His voice squeaked out of his throat in a shocked whisper, already broken by the onset of a choked sob.

His daughter giggled and pointed behind herself at Druk. "Daddy look, I rode a dragon!"

"Kanna...” Somehow, he managed to fight his way back to his feet. Tears began to brim in his eyes, but he did nothing to stop them. He let them stream free down his face as he raced towards his daughter, his arms held open. _“Kanna!"_

"Daddy!" The girl laughed and ran to greet him, jumping up into his arms.

Anraq caught her in a hug, and then once again fell back to his knees. He held her tight, buried his face against her shoulder, and then promptly broke down into a sobbing, wheezing mess. Kanna hugged him in return, but unlike her emotionally overwhelmed father, she was all smiles. For five solid minutes, he held his daughter and cried, unable to do or say anything else. Now that he had her in his arms again, he never wanted to let her go.

As Azula approached the two, though, he managed to lift his gaze towards her and, through his tears, asked, "How? I don't... I don't understand... _How?"_

"I'll explain everything later,” she said, with a simple nod. “For now...let's just say I finally put all my knowledge on the Spirit World to good use."

Kanna pulled back a bit from the hug so she could look at her father, and gave him a happy grin. "I missed you, Daddy!"

"I-I missed you, too, Sweet Pea...” he uttered. He stared back at her, his eyes glowing with a combination of disbelief and unrelenting joy. A bright smile curled across his face, followed by another hiccuping sob. “Oh spirits, I _missed_ you."

"Hey, how come you're crying?” The young girl gave him a small pout, tilting her head curiously. “Are you sad?"

"No, no I'm not sad,” he said, with a choked laugh. “I'm crying because I'm happy. So...so happy. I..." Unable to find anymore words, he pulled her back in for another hug and continued crying.

"It's okay, Daddy, don't cry. Here, I'll make it better!” Kanna eased her head back a bit so she could give her father a gentle kiss on the forehead. “There, all better?"

Anraq couldn't help but chuckle through his tears. "Yes, Sweet Pea. Much better."

Kanna grinned again, then looked back towards Azula. "Hey, Daddy, you know who that is? It's Princess 'Zula! Like, the _real_ one. From the stories!"

"You don't say.” Anraq sniffled, then finally began to wipe the tears away from his eyes. Still, he couldn't wipe the smile from is face; he didn't want to. “You really think so?"

"Uh huh! And you know what else?” The girl giggled, as though about to reveal some super important secret. “She's reaaally nice."

Anraq turned his grin up towards his girlfriend. "Oh is she now?"

"I, uh, well...” Azula cleared her throat and then shrugged, arms folding across her chest. “I mean I _had_ to be nice, didn't I? She's three, or whatever."

Bringing his attention back to his daughter, Anraq leaned close and whispered, "Want to know a secret?"

"What kinda secret?" Kanna asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Azula and I...are actually dating."

The girl's brow lifted with delight. "No way! Really? That's so cool!” She paused a moment, then uttered a thoughtful gasp. “Does this mean she's going to be my new Mommy?"

At this question, Anraq raised an eyebrow of his own, and shifted a glance towards Azula. "Well, I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"

Kanna needed no second invitation, immediately spinning around to look up at the woman with a grin. "Princess 'Zula, are you gonna be my Mommy?"

"W-well, I'm not sure if...” Azula stared down at the girl, blinking in confusion. Now this wasn't exactly part of the plan. Her, being a mother? And to Kanna? Would that even work? “I mean, I don't know about... Uh...” The more Kanna stared at her, though, the more she felt herself giving in to the idea. Perhaps it _could_ be possible. “I suppose... I can _try.”_

The young girl gave an excited laugh and lunged towards Azula with her arms spread open. “Yay! _Awesome!”_

The moment that Kanna took her legs in a hug, Azula puffed out a startled gasp and stiffened, as if afraid the child would bite her, or some other manner of horrible thing. The worry lasted only a brief moment, though, and soon she found herself kneeling down so she could be level with the girl. Then, she returned the hug, arms wrapped gently around her. “Yes, well, I can't say I've ever been a maternal figure before, so don't blame me if I'm bad at this."

Anraq brought a hand to her shoulder, smiling. "You're already doing great."

"Daddy, I'm hungry,” Kanna said, looking up at her father. “Can we get something to eat?"

"Absolutely,” he replied, as he reached down to lift his daughter into his arms. “How about I make your favorite? Stewed sea prunes."

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, giggling with delight.

Azula cringed at the mention of the traditional Water Tribe dish, but that cringe soon turned to a smile as she watched Annie hug his daughter tight, still fighting back his tears.

"Welcome home, Kanna,” he said, with a quivering breath. “Welcome home.”

"Daddyyyy,” she said. “Hungry, remember? Let's go eat!"

Anraq laughed, then gave his daughter a gentle kiss to the forehead as he carried her off inside the house. "Sure thing, Sweet Pea. Let's go."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING
> 
> So yeah, I'm probably way more emotional about this chapter than anyone else will be, but still. I've had this chapter planned since forever again and I've been waiting desperately to get to it, and now that it's finally here I'm still broken up about it. If anyone knows me, they know I am a sucker for happy endings... And I couldn't think of anything happier for my personal favorite OC than reuniting with with his daughter. It made sense to me, too, that with all Azula's knowledge about the Spirit World (the Mother of Faces in particular) that she acquired at the Spirit Library, she would know some way to accomplish this, and after how much she's changed, she would actually want to do that for Anraq. So, yeah. There you have it.
> 
> Welcome home, Kanna.


	114. Comes Marching Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joined together as a new family, Anraq, Kanna, and Azula spend a carefree day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this chapter of pure fluffy cuteness.
> 
> Notes, at the beginning of the chapter? Blasphemy! But yes, there are a few things I want to say. First of all, yes this chapter is complete and utter filler fluff, but I really, really don't even care. I had to write this chapter, to fit together their new dynamic as a family, especially with Azula starting to learn where she fits into it as Kanna's new mother. Plus it was just so freaking cute, and I make no apologies for that. 
> 
> Now, though, these epilogue/intermission chapters are over and with the next chapter we'll be getting back to a new main plot. And for those concerned we're spending too much time with Azula and Anraq, not to worry, because we'll be getting some good Korvira in the next few chapters as the new plot gets going. Also, I have an important announcement to make, which you can see in the notes at the end of the chapter.

Anraq hummed out loud the entire time he spent cooking in the kitchen, and not once did the smile leave his face. Kanna sat patiently at the center table, resting her chin in her hands and kicking her legs back and forth in the air beneath her. Her attention locked onto the food that her father was preparing with a hungry glare, her mouth beginning to water as the scent grew stronger. Azula, meanwhile, stood in the doorway with her arms folded, just watching them. There was a certain simplicity and joy in seeing these two interact that warmed her heart in a way she would be hard pressed to openly admit. Perhaps she wasn't the best with children, but Annie seemed born to be a father. It brought out an even more caring and tender side of him, and if Azula were being honest, he had never been quite as attractive to her as he was right now.

"There we go,” Anraq said, as he slid a steaming bowl of food towards his daughter. A second later, it was joined by a small plate of sandwiches, with the crust cut off the bread. “One bowl of sea prune stew, and a side of cucumber sandwiches, with no crust."

"Awesome! Thanks, Daddy!” Kanna wasted no time digging in, plopping a big spoonful of the stew into her mouth. She immediately grinned wide and, without even taking the time to swallow, said, “Mmmm... Phis if rlly gurd."

Anraq's smile grew wider. “Thanks, Sweet Pea. But remember, try not to talk with your mouth full."

Kanna took a moment to chew and swallow her bite. "Right, sorry."

"It's okay,” he said, giving the girl a gentle kiss on the top of the head. “Just eat up, you must starving."

While Kanna promptly went about chowing down on her lunch, Anraq returned to the counter to clean up the mess he'd made cooking. As he did, Azula finally approached him from the doorway and wrapped an arm around his waist. She briefly glanced back at Kanna, and then said, "So, I suppose she _is_ a cute kid. Not sure how I feel about this whole mother thing, though. I'm really not good with kids."

"Hey, you'll do great,” he assured. “You're willing to try, and that's what matters. Besides, she seems to like you so far."

"Yes, well...” Azula turned another glance to the young girl at the table and eased out a quiet sigh. “I guess I kind of like her, too."

Anraq watched her a moment, slowly curling a grin across his face. "You're smiling."

She stiffened, blinking back at him with a small look of surprise. "Oh, am I?” She then cleared her throat and shifted awkwardly atop her feet, trying to act casual. “Hmph, well... I suppose I am."

With a small chuckle, Anraq placed his dirty dishes in the sink. Then, he looked back at her again, this time meeting her eyes with a serious, appreciative gaze. "I still haven't thanked you yet, for this. I... I don't even know how to. What you've given to me here, I...” He looked to his daughter, watching her eat. The smile returned to his lips, stronger than ever. “I can't ever repay you for this."

There it was, Azula thought, as she gazed into his eyes—that spark, the one from the photograph that she had yet to see for herself. That real, true, happy spark that she had wanted to give him once again. It had returned to him, and seeing it now brought a warmth to her chest the likes of which not even her own bending could. With a smile, she leaned close to him and whispered, "You already have, Annie."

"Thank you...so much." Anraq's smile softened to one of a tender love, and then he moved in closer to bring their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss.

This elicited an over dramatic groan of disgust from the three-year-old at the table. "Ewwww, you guys are _kissing._ Groooss."

"Oh, well excuse us,” Anraq said, pulling away with a mock bow of apology. “We didn't mean to gross you out. Should we get a room?"

"Well if you're gonna do stuff like _that,”_ she insisted, as she stuffed a big bite of her sandwich into her mouth.

Azula smirked at the two of them a moment, then brought a hand to her chin in thought. Looking to the young girl, she said, "Kanna, have you ever seen a beach before?"

After swallowing her bite, Kanna shook her head. "Ummm, nope."

"Then finish up your lunch and we'll take you,” Azula said, turning her smirk back to Anraq. “I think you'll enjoy it."

* * *

Shortly after eating, the trio arrived down at the beach near the bottom of the hill. They had all since changed into swimsuits, with Kanna wearing what they assumed was one of Izumi's old ones, a simple red one-piece with a little skirt attachment around the waist. As soon as they arrived, the young girl approached the edge of the water and stared out with amazement at the ocean.

"Wooow, it's so biiiig,” Kanna uttered, her eyes open wide with wonder. She had seen the ocean before, of course, but back in the South Pole it seemed smaller, always filled with icebergs. Here, the ocean was empty, open, and expansive. “And we can _swim_ in that?" There could definitely be no swimming back home—doing so would leave a person frozen in a matter of minutes.

"Yup, and we'll get there,” Anraq said, giving her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “First, how about we let our food digest for a while and build some sand castles?"

Kanna turned a quizzical gaze up to her father. "What's a sand castle?"

It was then that Anraq glanced towards Azula, who carried a pair of small hand-shovels and pails. "Why don't we let Azula show you?"

Azula blinked at him, then looked down at the beach supplies in her hands. She hadn't exactly expected to be using them herself, but now here Annie was putting her on the spot. "Oh, uh, very well... It's quite simple, really.” Getting down on her knees, she began filling one of the pails with wet sand. “Just fill the bucket with wet sand, pack it in nice and tight, then you...flip it upside down like so, and..." Once the bucket was filled, she promptly flipped it upside down and plopped it against the ground. With a few wiggles, she lifted the bucket up off the sand and then...watched as what should have been a perfect sand castle crumble to pieces.

Kanna stared at the pile of sand a second and then said, "It fell apart."

"Wait, that wasn't supposed to happen,” Azula muttered, giving the sand a glare. “Maybe I need more water.” She took a moment to refill the bucket, and then made another attempt at creating a castle. Just like before, however, the sand crumpled into a useless pile. “Oh come on! Why isn't this working?"

"How about you try, Kanna?” Anraq said, passing the other pail to her. “Maybe you have the magic touch."

Kanna took the bucket and quickly filled it just like Azula had showed her. Unlike Azula, however, when she flipped the bucket over and pulled it up, the sand remained together in the form of a perfectly shaped castle. She immediately broke out into an excited grin and pointed at it. "I did it! Daddy, Daddy, look! I _did_ it!"

Anraq grinned at his daughter. "Very good, Sweet Pea."

"Wait, what?” Azula got down on her hands and knees and leaned close to the girl's castle, studying it. “How on earth did you do that? Why isn't yours crumbling like mine?"

Kanna just giggled and raised her hands. "Magic touch!"

"That's it, I am going to get this right if it's the last thing I do,” Azula muttered. She continued her attempts at forming a sand castle, with each new try coming closer to actually getting it right. After nearly a dozen attempts, she finally managed to create a sand castle that remained standing, except for a few crumbling pieces around the base. With a victorious grin, she turned to the other two. "Ha! You see? I told you I could—"

As she looked over to them, however, Anraq guided his arms through the air to bend the water in the sand. By starting with much more water than necessary, he was able to form the sand into desired shapes, and then, when satisfied with them, take out enough water so that it would remain standing. Within mere moments, he had turned Kanna's little castle into a veritable fortress.

"Are you _kidding_ me?” Azula groaned, throwing her hands up in disbelief.

"Ours is bigger!" Kanna announced, with a delighted giggle.

"Yours is nice too,” Anraq said, giving his girlfriend a reassuring smile.

Azula just rolled her eyes. "Oh don't patronize me.” She then looked back towards her sand castle and pointed a finger at it. A jet of blue fire leaped from her fingertip and engulfed the castle, and when she finally dispersed the flames, the sand left behind in its wake had turned to glass. “Stupid sand.”

"Oooh.” Kanna stared at her with wide eyes. “Your fire is so pretty."

At this compliment, Azula raised an eyebrow and glanced back at the girl. "You think so?"

"Uh huh! Can I see it again?"

Azula gave the request a brief thought, then held her hands out, palms cupped together. A small blue flame ignited at the center of her palms and then began to morph into different shapes, everything from a simple diamond to a running ostrich horse.

Kanna giggled again and clapped her hands together. "That is sooo cool!"

"Yes,” Azula replied, growing a pleased grin across her face, “yes, I suppose it is, isn't it?"

* * *

Some time after they had had their fill of building sand castles, Anraq and Azula finally led Kanna out into the ocean. After a short while of normal swimming and lazing in the water, Anraq brought down a long surf board from up in the beach house. Now, all three of them were positioned atop it, with Anraq sitting at the front, Azula in the rear, and Kanna standing in the middle with her arms wrapped around her father's neck to hang on. The water churned beneath the board, as Anraq bended them along at a steady pace, hitting the waves every now and then to lift themselves up into the air.

"This is fun!" Kanna said, with an excited laugh.

"You know what would make it more fun?” Azula said. “If we were going faster."

Kanna's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Yeah! Can we go faster, Daddy?"

Anraq glanced back at her a moment, then gave in with a simple nod. "Alright, but not too much." He brought his arms forward and then swung them backwards, causing the water beneath them to speed up just a little.

"Oh come on, Annie, that's child's play,” Azula said, with a disappointed sigh. “Let me handle this."

Azula cracked her knuckles, then pointed her arms backwards with her palms open wide. A pair of large fire streams ignited behind her, propelling the surf board forward like a rocket. Within seconds, they took off across the water more than twice as fast as they had originally been traveling. A wide grin curled across her face as they went, while Kanna laughed excitedly the entire way. Anraq, on the other hand, hung on for dear life and screamed.

"This is awesome!!" Kanna yelled.

"Too fast!” Anraq shouted. _“Too fast!"_

Moments later, the board hit a wave at an awkward angle and flipped over, sending all three of them splashing into the water. They briefly disappeared beneath the surface, but soon floated upward again as the wave pulled them back to shore. Anraq crawled out on his hands and knees, coughing to get his breath back, while Azula simply flipped up to her feet and started wringing out her wet hair. Kanna floated in on her back, caught in a fit of giggles.

"Let's do that again!" the girl insisted.

"No, no,” Anraq uttered, as he flopped onto the sand. “I think that's enough of that for now."

Azula reached down to pick him up, then turned a smirk over towards Kanna. "Now I _really_ think I'm starting to like her."

* * *

Following their beach adventure, the three cleaned themselves up and decided to head into the nearest town. At first, the plan had been just to take a walk around and see the sights, but shortly before leaving, Anraq had insisted that they wear more formal attire. While confused at his request, Azula didn't question it, and instead dressed herself in a neat red and gold tunic with high collar, combined with black leggings and undershirt. Rather than the simple topknot she normally wore, she instead did her hair in a half-knot style, with the rest of her hair flowing free down past her shoulders.

Anraq, while still dressed in Water Tribe blue, had taken to wearing a more formal suit and coat combination, rather than his casual tribal tunic. His hair, though, he kept in his traditional wolf tail style. Kanna was the only one who wore her usual clothes, since she didn't have a proper wardrobe yet; that was something they could take care of later, though. For now, Anraq seemed rather excited to get them into town. Shortly after they arrived, Azula discovered why.

“A photographer?” she questioned, raising her eyebrow up at the small building.

“Yeah,” he said, reaching down to hold her hand. “You did say I needed a new picture, right? So...now's as good a time as any.”

Azula paused a moment, then looked down to Kanna, who was busy looking around at all the passing townsfolk as she held her father's other hand. “And...you want me in it with the two of you?”

“Of course I do,” he said, flashing a smile at her. “Kanna and I may have always been a family, but you're a part of that family now too. That means you belong with us in this picture. I mean, you did say you'd try to be a mother to her, right?”

“W-well yes, but...” Azula swallowed, then instinctively tightened her fingers around his. “I suppose saying it and actually doing it, actually...having a family of my own like this, are two different things. I'm still not used to this.”

Leaning close, Anraq grew his smile wider and met her with a gentle kiss. “You'll get used to it. Now come on... Let's get ourselves a family portrait.”

* * *

 

The photographer was a kind old man with a bushy mustache and a twinkle in his eye. After briefly meeting with them to discuss what kind of picture they wanted, they decided to have the portrait taken back in front of the beach house. While Anraq had insisted otherwise, not wanting to take the man too far out of his way, the photographer had countered that shooting on site usually made for a better end result, and so they had obliged.

"Alright, you just stand here like this,” he said, moving Azula to the right side. Then, to Anraq he added, “You stand next to her there. And put your arm around her, show some affection.” Anraq obeyed, standing straight next to his girlfriend and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Like that, good. Have the little one crawl on this here seat, get her up in view." The photographer took a moment to move a small pedestal he had brought with him in front of Anraq and Azula, so that Kanna could stand more level in the middle of the shot.

Kanna reached her arms up to her father with a smile. "Lift me up, Daddy."

"I gotcha, Sweet Pea." Anraq returned the smile and then pulled her up so she could stand atop the pedestal. The then held her arms behind her back and smiled at the camera.

“There we go, good.” The old man then moved back to the camera and looked through the lens. A warm smile came to his lips. “This will make for a fantastic portrait, if I do say so myself. Everyone ready? Smile and say spirits!"

"Spirits!" the three of them said together.

The photographer took several shots, and when he was done he gave them a wave so they could finally break their pose. "Alright, that's great. I'll have my assistant print it out and frame it for you. Should be ready in a few hours, so you can come by later and pick it up."

“That's great, thank you,” Anraq said, as he handed over a small bundle of yuans for payment. Then, he looked back to the other two. “Okay, let's look around town a little more, see what we can find.”

* * *

As they passed through the center of town, Anraq spotted a poster pinned to a bulletin board. At first, he gave it only a passing glance, but then abruptly stopped to give it a closer look. On the poster was an image of Azula—or rather, an actress dressed as Azula—against the backdrop of a larger cast. "Hey, what's this?"

Azula paused a second to give the poster a careful look. Her eyebrows soon lifted with surprised recognition. "Oh, the Ember Island Players? They're a theater group. My parents used to take Zuzu and I to visit them every year when we were little. I can't believe they're still in business after all these years."

"Hmm...” Anraq narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to read the type. “'The Ember Island Players now present _The Rise and Fall of the Dragon Empire'_... Huh, well that didn't take long."

Kanna stared up at the poster with her mouth hanging partially open. Tugging at Azula's sleeve, she pointed at the central actress and said, "Hey, Mommy, that looks like you!"

The moment that the words came out of the girl's mouth, Azula faltered, breath catching in her throat and heart lurching against her chest. She stared down at the girl with a blink, unable to find a proper response. Sure, she had said that she would try to be a mother to Kanna, but actually hearing the girl call her that, and so casually... It billowed a calming mix of warmth and peace within her. It...actually made her happy.

"Yes... Yes, I suppose it does," she said, with a subtle smile.

"From this description, it sounds like you're the lead part,” Anraq said. “The whole third act is about your infiltration of the Fire Nation and defeating Yula."

"That sounds suuuuper awesome,” Kanna said. “Can we see it? _Can_ we?”

Anraq hummed out a quiet breath and nodded slowly. "Well, looks like it starts in a little bit. Should we buy some tickets?"

Kanna grinned. "Yeah!"

* * *

Three hours later, the play ended and they exited the theater—Kanna in the middle, with Anraq and Azula each holding one of her hands. Every now and then, the young girl pulled with her arms to lift herself into the air and swing back and forth.

“That play was sooo awesome,” Kanna said, looking up at Azula with giggle. “I liked the part with the big battle, and when you were flying on the dragon, and then when you beat the bad empress, and saved everyone! Did all that really happen?”

“More or less...” she replied, with a small shrug. “Some of the details were a little...off, though.”

“You mean like the part where Yula _literally_ turned into a dragon?” Anraq said, with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I was going to say they couldn't even get something as simple as Druk's scale color right—honestly, he's _red_ , not blue—but yes, that too. And my portrayal, _ugh.”_ Azula rolled her eyes with disgust. “Since when have I ever been that...sickeningly goody-goody? You'd think I was the embodiment of kindness or something.”

“At least you were _in_ the play. I didn't even get mentioned.”

“With how poorly put together that play was, I'd say you should count yourself lucky.”

Kanna pulled herself up to swing back and forth again. “”Well I liked it!”

“So did I, Sweet Pea,” Anraq said, with a soft chuckle. “And hey, at least the effects were decent.”

“I suppose that _is_ something,” Azula sighed. “Anyway, we should probably go see if our portrait is ready.”

* * *

“Here you are,” the photographer said, carrying out the large framed portrait. "What do you think?"

Anraq took the portrait and gave it a long, close look. The quality was remarkable, especially for the price he had paid, and seeing the three of them there together, all smiling, filled him with a peace of mind that he hadn't experienced in a long, long time. "It's perfect, thank you."

“Mommy, you look really pretty,” Kanna said, as she stared at the picture.

“Wha-” Azula blinked at her, again caught off guard by being referred to as 'Mommy'. That would, undoubtedly, take some getting used to. “Yes, um... thank you, Kanna.”

The photographer gave them a friendly smile, lowering his hands to his hips. "You know, you two have a wonderful daughter. Special girl, she is."

"Oh, no she's—” Azula stopped herself before she corrected the man by saying that Kanna wasn't her daughter. What would be the point? Besides, now she _was_ the girl's mother, in a way, whether through birth or not. It hadn't exactly been a role she had expected to find herself in, yet here she was thrust into it nonetheless. She would be damned if she didn't try her hardest to get it right. “I mean, yes, thank you. She really is."

 

* * *

By the time they finally returned to the beach house, the time was near midnight. In spite of Kanna's insistence that she wasn't tired, Anraq had to carry her the rest of the way back from town, leaving Azula to carry the portrait. Somehow, the girl manged to drag herself to the bathroom to get cleaned up before finally making her way to one of the guest bedrooms that they had set up to be her room. Even then, her father had to help her up beneath the covers. Azula, meanwhile, watched them from the doorway.

“You know, for someone who didn't want to go to bed, you sure look sleepy to me,” Anraq said, giving his daughter a smirk.

“Nuh uh,” she said, shaking her head. “I'm not t-t-tiiiiiii—” Her words cut out in the midst of a lengthy yawn, prompting her to rub her eyes and settle her head down on the pillow.

“Just get some sleep, Sweet Pea.” Anraq leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead, then turned to leave the room. “I'll see you in the morning.”

“Wait, wait!” Kanna insisted, sitting upright again. “You gotta sing the song!”

Anraq looked back at her, growing a bright smile. Returning to the bedside, he sat on the edge of the mattress and brushed his daughter's bangs back. “Glad to.”

With a deep breath, he prepared himself for the lyrics, this time adding a couple slight, yet fitting alterations. “Leaves from the vine, / Falling so slow, / Like fragile, tiny shells, / Drifting in the foam. Little soldier girl, / Came marching home, / Brave soldier girl, / Came marching home.” Unlike when he sang in front of Kanna's grave, this time his voice came out in a happier, more uplifting tone. The smile never left his face, either.

Kanna grinned at him, then let her eyes close so she could sleep. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, Kanna,” he replied, leaning down to give her forehead another kiss. “I love you, too.”

* * *

Several minutes later, Anraq stood with Azula at the center of their room, staring up at the portrait now hanging above their bed. He looked at it a long while, then turned a gentle smile towards his girlfriend. “You were right, I did need a new one. It's perfect. This entire day...” He paused a moment, sucking in a deep breath and closing his eyes. “I keep thinking that maybe this just a dream, that I'll wake up from it at any moment and it'll all be over. If it _is_ a dream...then I don't ever want to wake up. I don't want it to be over.”

Azula took a step towards him and held her hands to his waist. “It's not a dream, Annie. I promise you that.”

He offered a small chuckle and opened his eyes again. “Care to pinch me, just to be sure?”

“How about I do something a little more than pinching...?” she suggested, as her hands worked their way into the front of his pants.

A soft gasp eased out of his lips as Azula's fingers found what they were looking for. “Oh, well... I suppose there will be some scratching, then. And biting.”

A mischievous grin widened across her face. “Don't pretend like you don't enjoy it.”

“Mmm...” he muttered, leaning in kiss her. “Never said I didn't.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so up until now, I've been working tirelessly to pump out new content every single day. As you might imagine, that is absolutely exhausting and mentally draining. Plus it pretty much takes up all of my free time. So, moving forward with the next plot, I'll be slowing down a bit. I'll still make frequent updates, but chapters will probably come out only every other day now, instead of every single day, which will probably be better for my sanity. At the very least, I'll have new chapters out no more than three days apart. I do still want to really get into the new story, so I won't be slowing to a crawl or anything. I really hope you guys all enjoy it as much as I am thinking about it.
> 
> Next time: a wedding, a festival, and evil afoot!


	115. One Year Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year since the fall of the Dragon Empire, the world has healed and is moving forward towards a new age. What better way to celebrate than with the Avatar's wedding?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: minor sexual content

Kuvira huffed an exhausted sigh as she threw open the door to the Beifong mansion. For a moment, she just stood there in the open doorway, staring into the main foyer, until finally she forced herself to enter. Her legs dragged behind her as she went, and her mouth dropped open with an involuntary, lengthy yawn. It had to be well past midnight now, and she could hardly keep her eyes open. She was so out of it that she didn't notice the figure lurking behind her. It wasn't until she felt a strong pair of arms wrapping around her and pulling her backwards that she realized she wasn't alone.

"Hey,” said a soothing voice in her ear. The voice was followed by a pair of gentle kisses at her neck. “Welcome home."

"Mmm...” she muttered, with a pleasant groan. She didn't bother trying to squirm or move in Korra's arms, instead falling back against her and letting herself be held. “Well, hello there, Avatar.”

Korra chuckled, resting her chin against the back of Kuvira's shoulder. "Long day?"

"That's putting it lightly. Between ten meetings, dance rehearsal, power disc practice with Wing and Wei, and a late night workout, I haven't had a moment to stop and think since I woke up this morning.” Kuvira eased another tired breath, then glanced back to look at her fiancee. “What about you? Did you just get back?"

"Yeah, about an hour ago,” Korra said. “Things in the new United Earth States have finally started settling down, and President Dao has been officially sworn in. Which means _I_ am officially done spending half my time in Ba Sing Se."

Kuvira smirked at the news. It had been a little more than a year since the fall of the Dragon Empire, and in that time the world had been working nonstop to rebuild itself. Zaofu's reconstruction had finished only a few months ago, and Republic City, while largely restored and perfectly habitable now, still had some minor repairs to complete. The Earth Kingdom had needed the most effort, though. As a nation that had gone through total governmental upheaval several times within the past decade, restoring order had been no simple task.

Korra had been working closely with Ba Sing Se, spending a good deal more of her time there than she would have liked. Only now was her work finally done. The Earth Kingdom had been renamed, again, as the United Earth States, led by an elected president. The individual Earth states, on the other hand, would be run on a local level by elected governors. This time, hopefully, would be the last the Earth people ever had to experience this kind of turmoil.

"Well good,” Kuvira said, as she turned around to give her fiancee a kiss. “That means I get you all to myself now."

Korra returned the kiss with fervor, holding it for a long few moments before pulling away. "I can't wait to have the next couple weeks off."

"You and me both.” Kuvira stroked her fingers along her fiancee's cheek, then lowered her touch down to the betrothal necklace at the Avatar's neck. “I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

"I almost still can't believe we're actually getting married,” Korra said, with a grin. “It seems so...surreal. And adult."

"I know what you mean. Seven years ago, I thought my life was over. Now, I'm marrying the most beautiful woman in the world...” She paused a moment to offer an embarrassed laugh, then added, “A woman who used to be my most bitter enemy."

Korra chuckled. "Funny how life works out sometimes, isn't it?"

"You can say that again.” Kuvira smiled, then leaned in for another kiss. When she pulled away, she gave a thoughtful sigh and said, “You don't think people are too upset that we're having it in the South Pole, do you? I know some of our friends aren't exactly big fans of the cold."

"I'm sure they'll survive.” Korra said. “Besides, it'll be during the Glacier Spirits Festival, so if anything they should at least be able to keep themselves entertained."

Kuvira lifted an amused eyebrow. "As if our wedding wasn't entertainment enough?"

Korra smirked, reaching down to grab her fiancee's arms. With a simple push, she guided Kuvira back against the wall and pinned her there, leaning close with their lips just a hair's breadth away from each other. With a sultry whisper, she said, "Well, that _is_ the main attraction."

A hot breath eased out Kuvira's throat. She made no resistance against the hold, instead allowing herself to sink back against the wall, completely at the Avatar's mercy. "Feels like you're after a different sort of attraction right now."

"Hmm...maybe I am"

Korra's lips came forward and kissed gently along the side of Kuvira's neck. When she reached the collar of the matriarch's robe, she reached up to undo the top and slide it downward. With a simple tug, the robe fell free down Kuvira's body, exposing her bare chest to the open air. The kisses continued south, each one eliciting a soft gasp from Kuvira's lips and an instinctive squirm of enjoyment. Her pants were the next to go, and soon the kisses reached her lower abdomen and beyond.

When Korra's lips finally found their way between the matriarch's legs, Kuvira hissed out a sharp gasp, hips bucking forward in response. She let her head tilt backwards against the wall and closed her eyes, mouth hanging open with repeated moans of enjoyment. A subtle quiver shuddered through her legs as her balance wavered, but she was able to steady herself by holding her hands atop Korra's head.

She tried to say something, tried to insist that they probably shouldn't do this in the middle of the main foyer, but words never found her lips. All she could do was gasp and moan, louder and sharper as the pleasure built higher. When that bliss finally reached its peak, she uttered a shrill scream that she could do nothing to silence, and her legs finally gave out.

“W-we should...probably...go back to our room before someone wakes up,” she gasped, heaving in deep puffs of air.

“Good idea,” Korra said, tossing Kuvira's robe back at her with a grin. “There's a lot more I want to do to you tonight.”

* * *

Asami stood at the center of the newly restored Avatar Korra Park, staring at the long flat wall of polished obsidian that had become known as the Republic City Memorial. Engraved upon the face of the stone were names—thousands of names—each one belonging to a brave soul that had fallen in the battle against the Dragon Empire. During the city's rebuilding process, she had made certain that there would be a dedicated place for people to come remember those they had lost. Now, the memorial received hundreds of visitors a day.

They laid flowers and pictures and ribbons and all sorts of offerings at the base of the wall, in memory of the dearly departed. Some stopped to read the names etched into the stone, others knelt in front of it in silent remembrance. Then, there were those who stood in front of one specific name and sobbed with a grief that had yet to fade, and likely never would. It had only been a year since that horrific day; that kind of pain required much more time to heal.

In that past year, Asami had worked herself to near total exhaustion in overseeing the city's reconstruction. The entire infrastructure had had to be gutted and reformed, which, while an incredible amount of work, gave a chance to build better roads and transportation. No longer did the city compete with the Spirit Wilds. Rather, now the streets and neighborhoods were built _around_ the Wilds. Now, drivers didn't have to worry about taking a wrong turn and crashing into an errant vine, or running over a family of spirits.

Keeping to her promise, Asami had built Republic City bigger and better than ever, expanding the neighborhoods farther into the surrounding landscape. There was still a lot of minor construction to complete in those newer areas, but the main city had been finished nearly a month ago, allowing all of its former citizens to move back in once again. So much work... At least now Asami could finally take a breather.

"Hey,” said a sweet voice.

Asami blinked out of her daze and looked to her side, where she noticed Sin standing. A loving smile came to her lips, and she leaned in close to give a gentle kiss. “Hey.”

Sin held the kiss a moment, then turned to look up at the memorial wall. "So many names..."

"I know,” she muttered, with a deep sigh. “It's easy to forget sometimes just how many died, but seeing this memorial really puts things back into perspective."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm...I'll be fine.” Asami held a hand to her forehead and shook her head, eyes squinted shut. “It's been a year, but I can still see the horror from that day whenever I close my eyes. And in my dreams. My nightmares..."

Sin brought a tender hand to her girlfriend's shoulder. "You know I'm here for you."

Asami nodded, and turned another a smile to her. "I know, thank you.” Then, she focused on the wall again. “I just feel like everything that happened was my responsibility, my fault. I'm the President of the United Republic, and I led our capital into ruin."

"Hey, no, don't you think like that,” Sin insisted. “That was _Yula's_ fault, nobody else's. You did everything you could to help Republic City, and even after it was destroyed, you helped rebuild it. You're a _great_ president, who puts the lives of her people first."

Asami didn't respond, but her smile strengthened. She reached down to take Sin's hand in her own and laced their fingers together, squeezing tight.

"Hey, you two."

At the sound of the new voice, Asami looked to her left to see a familiar man approaching them, a man dressed in Republic City Police armor. "Mako, hey, thanks for meeting us.” Her eyes flicked down at the armor he wore, settling particularly on the badge pinned to the chest. “You look good in your new uniform."

"Thanks.” Mako shifted a little on his feet, then turned an uncomfortable glance down at himself. “Still feels a little odd to me, especially since I'm not a metalbender, which I'm pretty sure is supposed to be a requirement to be Chief of Police. But after that whole Uhara debacle, Beifong said she wouldn't trust the station to anyone else when she retired. So, here I am."

"Well, I think you'll do a great job,” Sin stated.

"Where is Lin now, anyway?" Asami asked.

Mako gave a simple, unknowing shrug. "Oh, she's off with her wife somewhere, traveling the world."

Asami offered a small chuckle. "Never would have pictured her as a world traveler, but I guess that's what happens when you're married to Kya."

"Hey guys!" called another voice. They turned a glance at the bridge over the pond to see Bolin hurrying towards them, with Opal at his side.

"Sorry we're late,” Opal said, as the pair arrived. She then gave a small sigh and looked down at the four-month-old baby boy in her arms. “San was being a little fussy this morning. Took a while to get him ready."

"Don't worry about it,” Asami said, giving baby San smile. The child let out a tired yawn and squirmed in his mother's arms. “It's so good to see you both. How have things been, being married now and all?"

"Crazy,” Bolin said, with a tired huff. “You know, they tell you that raising a kid is a lot of work, but man, it is _really_ a lot of work."

Opal let out an awkward chuckle and nodded with agreement. "Yeah, I don't remember the last time I've had a good night's sleep.”

"You know, if you ever need a babysitter, we're happy to help,” Asami said.

"Yeah,” Sin added, turning a smirk towards the new Chief of Police. “I'm sure Mako would love to take his nephew off your hands some day."

Mako blinked back at her with a confused stare. "Uhh, what?"

"What?” Sin said, lifting her brow. “You _are_ his uncle."

"Well, yeah, but...me? With a baby? _Alone?”_ Mako swallowed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I think I'd rather conduct a sting on the triads."

Opal chuckled, while rocking San back and forth in her arms. The child let out a soft coo in response. "Don't worry about it, really. It may be hard, but we wouldn't trade the time with our son for anything."

"Except, you know, maybe like just _one_ night alone sometime,” Bolin said, with a hopeful nod. “That would be nice."

"Anyway, should we get going?” Asami said. “I'm starving."

Mako nodded. "Yeah, I only have an hour before I need to get back to the station, and I shouldn't be late, considering I already have the next week off for Korra's wedding."

Opal uttered a surprised gasp at the mention of the wedding. "Oh, right, that's next week! I completely forgot about that. We have so much to do before we're ready to leave."

Bolin gave a thoughtful nod, bringing a hand to his chin. "Mhm, and you know, gotta say, I'm a little concerned about it being during the Glacier Spirits Festival. You remember the last Glacier Spirits Festival we went to? Attacked by dark spirits!"

"Relax, Bolin,” Asami said, with a teasing smirk. “We're not going to be attacked by dark spirits again."

"Hey, you never know!” he insisted. “These things tend to happen to us!"

Opal leaned in close, giving her husband a brief kiss on the cheek. "Tell you what, if dark spirits attack you again, I'll protect you."

"Oh, okay good, yes,” Bolin replied, with a nod. “That is very reassuring."

Sin let out a gentle laugh. “Anyway, come on, we should probably get going now. The restaurant awaits.”

* * *

Several days later, Korra and Kuvira sat around the table in the dining hall of the Southern Water Tribe Royal Palace. Across from them were Korra's parents, Tonraq and Senna. While under normal circumstances, the dinner would have been prepared and served by the palace cooks, this had been a more intimate affair, with Senna having taken the time to cook and serve the entire meal for her family. Now that the meal was over, both engaged women slumped in their chairs, stuffed full. It would take some time to recover and digest.

"Thanks for dinner,” Korra said, as she slowly straightened herself, with a hand pressed against her stomach. “You really didn't have to."

"Honey, of course we had to,” Senna insisted. “You're our daughter and you're getting married. What kind of parents would we be if we didn't at least treat you to dinner?"

Kuvira offered an appreciative smile to the older woman. "It was delicious, Senna, thank you."

"I just want to say how happy we are for the both of you,” Tonraq said. “After everything that happened in the past, I never would have imagined welcoming you into our family, Kuvira. But the past is just that—in the past, where it belongs. Now, I think of you as another daughter, and I couldn't be prouder that you two are getting married."

"As am I,” Senna said, with a beaming smile. “You two are so good together, and I'm so happy...” Not two moments after she began her words, tears started building up at the corners of her eyes. She sniffled and wiped them away before they could fall, but still shook her head with embarrassment. “Oh spirits, there I go."

"Thank you, Tonraq, Senna...” Kuvira said, offering another warm smile. “That means more than you know."

Korra stood from her seat and made her way around the table to embrace both her parents in a hug. "Thanks Mom, thanks Dad. I love you."

"We love you, too, Honey,” Tonraq replied.

* * *

Four days before the wedding, guests began to arrive. Korra and Kuvira stood down by the docks of the Southern capital, watching as the ships came into port and docked. One of those ships in particular had come from Republic City, and it was that one they waited patiently in front of as the gangplank lowered. The first to appear out the exit was Bolin, who immediately gave an excited shout and ran down the gangplank to greet them.

"Korra!" he announced, lifting his friend up on a tight embrace.

“Whoa, it's good to see you, too,” Korra said, with a laugh.

Mako joined them a moment later, stopping in front of Kuvira first to give her a handshake, and then to Korra for a hug of his own. "It's been way too long."

“It really has been.” Korra smiled at them both, and then looked past them as three more arrivals appeared—Opal, Asami, and Sin. "Thank you all so much for coming."

"Well of _course_ we came,” Asami said. “This is the biggest day of your life. Both of your lives.” Her glance then shifted towards the matriarch. With a clear of her throat, she extended a hand in greeting. “Kuvira."

"Asami.” Kuvira shook the president's hand and gave a simple nod. “Good to see you."

"You, too.”

Kuvira's gaze lowered a moment towards Asami's other hand, which was latched firm around the fingers of someone else's hand. When her focus lifted to the owner of that other hand, she widened a smirk. “And Sin, it's great to see you. I hear you two are getting pretty serious?”

"Well, uh, we just moved in together,” Sin replied, with a nervous chuckle. “So yeah you could say that."

"Well, congratulations.” Kuvira gave the couple a nod, then turned her attention towards Opal, in particular the baby held in her arms. She leaned close, smiling at the child. “And this must be my nephew. Sorry I haven't been out to see him sooner, things have just been so crazy lately between restoring Zaofu and preparing for the wedding.”

“Don't worry about it, really,” Opal said. “Believe me, I know a thing or two about crazy these past few months.”

Korra joined them a moment later, beaming a smile at San. “He's adorable. And he has your eyes."

Opal chuckled. "Thanks, although you wouldn't think he's so adorable when he's crying at two in the morning. Trust me on that."

"Ha, I can imagine.” She gave San another smile, then returned her focus to Mako. “And I hear _you're_ the Chief of Republic City Police now. Congratulations.”

"Yep, just took over a month ago,” Mako said, with a nod. “Beifong actually seemed really eager to hand over the job... I guess she'd just had enough."

"From the sound of it, yeah,” Korra said. “She and Kya actually arrived a couple days ago. I don't think I've ever seen her so happy."

"Anyway, we'd better get settled in.” Asami gave the pair a wave, then pulled Sin along farther down the dock. “We'll see you later, Korra."

The others left with them, and once they were all gone, the next group appeared on the gangplank, making their way down onto the dock—Tenzin and his family. Even Kai was with them, walking hand-in-hand with Jinora. As soon as they made it down to the dock, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan all ran to Korra with excited laughs, ending in one massive group hug.

"Thanks for coming, everyone," Korra said, giving the Air Kids a powerful squeeze.

Tenzin smiled at her, with a firm nod. "Of course, Korra. We wouldn't have missed this for the world."

"Come on kids,” Pema said, trying to pry them away from Korra. “Let's find where we're staying."

Shortly after the Air Family left, another ship pulled into the harbor. This one was much larger than the one from Republic City, and much more elegant. Even a quick glance told them that this was the Northern flagship, leaving no doubt who was on it. Sure enough, as soon as the gangplank lowered, a line of guards exited through the front, followed closely behind by the Northern Chiefs, Eska and Desna. Korra and Kuvira promptly made their way around the docks to meet them.

"Greetings, Cousin Korra,” Eska said, as they approached. “We are here to wish you a happy wedding. I certainly hope yours goes better than mine. You know, the one you ruined."

Kuvira lifted an eyebrow at her. "You're still bitter about that?"

Desna met her raised eyebrow with one of his own. "She was wishing you a happy wedding. I fail to see how that is being bitter."

“Never mind...” Kuvira muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you both for coming,” Korra said, leaning in to give them both a hug. They remained standing stiff and rigid, but did each offer a single arm around their cousin in response. “It's great to see you again."

"Indeed.” Eska pulled her arm away from Korra, then led her brother down the dock. “Come, Desna, I am hungry. We should acquire sustenance."

Once the twins were gone, Korra gave a curious look out at the ships in port. "So, is your family arriving today too?"

"No,” Kuvira said, with a shake of her head. “But they should be getting here in the next couple days. I think Varrick and Zhu Li are getting here tomorrow, though. Izumi and Iroh, too.”

"Who else are we waiting on, then?"

Kuvira squinted up at a shadow approaching in the sky. She shielded the sun from her eyes with one hand, watching as the shadow grew larger. Then, she pointed at it. "Them."

Druk swooped down into port, a short distance away. After he landed, he lowered his head so Azula could jump down onto the ground and work on untying the the travel bags lashed around his neck. Meanwhile, Anraq slid himself down off the dragon's back and then reached up to help down the young girl behind him.

"Easy does it, Sweet Pea,” he said, as he took hold of his daughter's waist. “I got you."

"Daddyyy, I can do it myself.” Kanna shrugged off her father's hands and then promptly slid down off the dragon's back. She landed with a plop on her rear end, then climbed back to her feet. “See? I'm a big girl."

"Ohhh, of course, I forgot,” he said, with a nod. “You're four now."

She pouted at him, hands coming down to her hips. "Four and a _half.”_

Anraq chuckled, then brought a hand to her head and ruffled her hair. "My mistake."

“Kanna, sweetie,” Azula said, glancing up over the side of Druk's neck. “Don't forget your earmuffs.”

“I knooow, Mommy.” Kanna uttered an exasperated groan as she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a pair of fluffy white earmuffs. “I got 'em.”

Azula lifted a bemused eyebrow at the girl. “Oh, well, excuse me. Clearly I've underestimated you.”

“Yuh huh!” Kanna grinned as she put the earmuffs atop her head. Then, she took a look around the dock, gazing with wonder at the icy landscape. However, her gaze stopped abruptly when she noticed two women staring at them a short distance away. One of those women in particular she recognized from the newspapers that her father liked to read. With a surprised gasp, she quickly tugged on her father's sleeve and pointed. “Daddy, Daddy, look! Over there! Isn't that the Avatar?”

“It sure is,” he said, with a grin. “You want to meet her?”

 _“What?”_ Kanna stared up at him with wide eyes of surprise. “You mean I can actually say hi to her?”

“Sure you can. We're good friends, you know.”

Kanna spread a giddy smile across her face and squealed with excitement. “Yes! Let's go!”

In spite of her eager insistence, by the time they made it over to the Avatar, Kanna was hiding behind her father's leg and peering around with nervous eyes. Even as Korra knelt down, coming to eye level with her, the young girl lifted her eyebrows and stared, anxiously.

“Well hello there,” Korra said, with a welcoming smile. “You must be Kanna.”

A shocked gasp burst from the girl's mouth. “You already know my name?”

“I sure do,” she replied. “Your dad's told us a lot about you. It's really great to meet you.”

A look of pure joy sparked over Kanna's face. She beamed a smile and finally came out from behind her father's legs. “It's super awesome to meet you too! You're so pretty!”

Korra chuckled. “Well aren't you a cutie. Thank you.”

“Oh, oh! Wanna see what I can do?”

“Sure, what can you do?”

“Okay, okay, stand back, 'cuz you might get wet.” Kanna took a few steps off to the side and then breathed in deep. Shifting into as firm a stance as her little legs would allow, she guided her arms through the air. Seconds later, the snow at her feet lifted into the air and came together in the form of a quivering, dripping ball of water. She immediately broke out into a fit of laughter. “See, look! I'm a waterbender, just like you!”

“That's amazing!” Korra said, giving the girl a congratulatory grin. “Keep practicing and I'm sure you'll become an incredible waterbender, just like your father.”

As Kanna continued to show off her waterbending to the Avatar, Kuvira took a step towards Azula. At first, she said nothing, instead simply watching the young girl with a smile. She hadn't believed it when Anraq first sent word about how Azula had returned Kanna to life by visiting the Mother of Faces, but the proof came in the form of a small picture he sent them through the mail, a portrait of himself, Kanna, and Azula—one of many copies he'd made to send to his friends. And now, seeing the girl in person brought only joy to her heart.

Finally, she turned her attention away from Kanna towards Azula. “So, what about you? How has this past year been for you?”

“Honestly?” Azula gave a subtle smirk to the matriarch, then shifted her focus to her daughter. The smirk soon widened into a more genuine smile. “It's been the best year of my life. I've never been so calm and at peace before...so happy. I never could have imagined myself being a mother before, either, but now I can't imagine my life without Kanna in it. I know I didn't give birth to her, but... I love her like my own. She's a wonderful child, and seeing how Annie is with her, it's...” Her words trailed away into a blissful sigh.

Kuvira held a gentle smile of her own, then she too shifted her focus back to Kanna. “Yeah, I get it. I'm happy for you.”

Azula nodded. “Thank you, Kuvira. And congratulations, too, I suppose. For the wedding and all.”

"Thanks,” she replied. “And speaking of weddings... Will there be one in your future?”

“Wh-what?” Azula stiffened at the question, eyebrows lifting high. “N-no, why would... Annie and I have never even discussed... I mean, me, a _wife?_ Please, Matriarch, you're being...ridiculous. Yes, ridiculous.”

“Mhm...” Kuvira muttered, giving the other woman a suspicious glare. “Whatever you say.”

Kanna let out a groan as the water she streamed through the air finally fell apart back to the ground. "Well, um, that's all I can do now, but I'm gonna get better!"

“That's really good, especially for someone your age," Korra said, bringing a hand to the girl's shoulder. "Tell you what, how about you come by later and I'll give you some lessons?”

Kanna's eyes lit up. “Really?"

"Absolutely," Korra replied. "I'd be happy to teach you."

"Awesome!" The young girl immediately looked to her father with a hopeful gaze. "Can I, Daddy?”

“Of course, Sweet Pea," Anraq said, giving his daughter an affirmative smile. "But right now let's go get settled in, alright? We had a long flight.”

“Kaaay," Kanna huffed, with a disappointed sigh. Then, she turned to Azula and held her arms up. "Mommy, carry me?”

“Yes, yes, up we go.” Azula eased out a gentle sigh, as if trying to feign indifference at the girl's request. Try as she might, though, she couldn't hide her smile as she reached down to lift Kanna into her arms. “On the shoulders, right?”

“Yup!" Kanna giggled, as she sat atop Azula's shoulders. “Let's go!”

Kuvira smiled as the watched the family make their way down the dock. “You know, it really is.”

Korra raised an eyebrow at her. “It really is what?”

“Funny, how life works out sometimes.”

* * *

A hard shiver rippled up Yula's spine. She huddled in a ball near the back of the icy prison cell, trying to get whatever warmth she could from her own chi. This cursed place was just cold enough to keep her from being able to bend, but just warm enough for her to keep herself from freezing to death. She had tried numerous times to unleash any amount of firebending she could, but the most she had ever managed was a dim ember from her fingertips, and that had been ages ago. How long had she been in here now? Six months? A year? Longer? She didn't know. Time had no meaning in this place, no purpose; she'd never be getting out. No one had come to visit her in that time, either—not her mother, not Shayu, not the Avatar, not even Azula to rub it in her face.

An angry growl surged in her throat at the thought of Azula. If it hadn't been for that horrid, horrid woman, _none_ of this would have happened. Yula would still be Dragon Empress, she would still be in power, she would be the ruler of the entire world... Instead, she was sitting in this frozen prison, hundreds of feet below the ground. If she ever managed to get out of this place, Azula would be the first to suffer her wrath.

“Hello, Yula.”

Yula blinked at the sound of the voice; at first, she thought she might have been imagining it. When she looked up to the prison door, however, she saw a figure standing there, staring back at her. As hard as she looked, though, she couldn't see the man's face, hidden as it was behind the hood of a cloak. “Wh-who...who are you? You're not o-one of the r-r-regular g-guards.”

“No, I'm not,” the man replied. She thought his voice sounded somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place it. “It's taken me quite some time to get myself down here, but now that I am, I'm going to let you out.”

“Wh-what?” Yula sat upright and narrowed a glare at the man. “L-let m-me...out? W-why?”

“Because, Yula, you still have unfinished business to take care of.” The man wasted no time, as he slid a key into the lock and opened the cell door. Then, he stepped to the side and gestured for her to follow.

She hesitated at first, unsure if she should trust this man. Who even was he? One of her former supporters, perhaps? Why would he risk so much infiltrating this prison to help her? Her apprehension soon lost out to her desire to be gone from this prison, to be free and get her revenge on those who had put her here. Fighting down her freezing shivering, she climbed up to her feet and shuffled forward, out of the cell. “S-so wh-who are you? Why have you c-come to f-f-free me?”

“Oh, you misunderstand,” the man stated, as he stepped behind her. “I'm not freeing you. I merely need you for something.”

Yula scrunched her eyebrows together, confused. “W-what?”

She received her answer when a sharp prick stabbed into the side of her neck. She screamed at the pain that raced through her body like fire, and in seconds she collapsed to the ground, unable to move. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't so much as twitch her fingers. Paralyzed, she realized; she was paralyzed.

“N-no...” she uttered, glancing upwards with wild eyes—her eyes were all she could move. Without being able to turn her head, though, she couldn't see any higher than his knees. “W-what are you...why?”

“Because, Yula...” The man lowered himself just enough so that he could meet her gaze. From beneath his cloak, she could see his eyes—dead, white-burned eyes. “You have something that doesn't belong to you, and it's time to give it back.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are a year later, and so much has happened! Zaofu and Republic City have been restored, the Earth nation has been reformed -again-, this time into the United Earth States, Bolin and Opal are married now and are raising little baby San, Mako is the new chief of police after Lin retired, married Kya, and those two went off the travel the world together, Korra and Kuvira are getting ready for their wedding, Kanna has discovered her waterbending talent, and Azula has come to fully accept her role has Kanna's mother... there's just so much moving forward. Gosh I love when characters evolve and grow and move on and have changes in their lives.
> 
> Oh, and then there's what happened to Yula. Probably weren't expecting to see her again so soon, but, well... She does still have something that doesn't belong to her, as we see the return of another character we haven't seen in a while and who you all probably thought I forgot about. Or, you know, forgot about yourselves, but hey. Can probably guess where this is going, in any case :P


	116. The Glacier Spirits Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the eve of Korra and Kuvira's marriage, the wedding guests spend a frivolous night at the Glacier Spirits carnival. Elsewhere, a new evil arises.

At one time, the Glacier Spirits Festival had been a solemn time of fasting and meditation. That, however, was long ago, and now it had since evolved into a time of celebration and fun. Just as in the years previous, the Glacier Spirits Carnival had come to the Southern Water Tribe, filled with rides, amusement booths, games, music, and all manner of assorted and exotic foods. While certainly not the meditative and reflective event it used to be, ever since Korra had opened the spirit portals and solved the Vaatu incident, people no longer needed to worry about upsetting spirits with their frivolity. Even now, the spirit lights continued to dance in the sky, painting the night with a brilliant, colorful glow.

Korra and Kuvira sat watching these lights, cuddled together in one of the passenger cars of the large, rotating Varri-Wheel at the center of the carnival. Down in the car in front of them, Asami and Sin sat together, and in the car after that, Bolin, Opal, and baby San. In spite of the nighttime chill of the South, a distinct warmth flowed through the both of them, a warmth brought on by the comfort of holding each other in their arms. They had gone around on this wheel now for the past twenty minutes, not bothering to get off or do anything else. For right now, they were more than content watching the sky above, and the carnival below, each time they reached the wheel's pinnacle as it went around.

“You see?” Korra said, resting her head on her fiancee's shoulder. “I told you having our wedding during the festival would be a good idea. Gives everyone something to do in the meantime.”

Kuvira eased out a gentle breath, then turned her gaze over the side of the car as the wheel rotated them up to the top. Down below in the carnival, she spotted Varrick, Zhu Li, and their four-year-old son, Iknik, Jr., sitting outside a food cart eating fried dough balls. A short distance away from them, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Rohan, and Kai, stood outside a game booth, firing water guns at targets. On the other side of the carnival, Azula, Anraq, and Kanna watched a performance of dancing otter penguins. Kuvira smiled, as she brought her attention back to Korra.

“Yes, you were right,” she said, with a soft chuckle. “The atmosphere is lovely, too. Everything is so...festive.” Then, she glanced up at the dancing colors in the sky. “The spirit lights are particularly beautiful tonight.”

“Mmm, they are,” Korra said, as she leaned closer to give her fiancee a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Not as beautiful as you, though.”

A warm blush burned across Kuvira's face at the unexpected compliment. “Korra, please.”

The Avatar grinned. “What? It's true.”

Kuvira only blushed further, doing her best to force away the pleasant smile growing across her face. “Is your plan here to be as disgustingly flattering as possible?”

“Oh you like it,” Korra insisted, slipping her arm farther around Kuvira's waist.

“Do not,” she retorted.

“You're blushing.”

“I am _not.”_

Korra chuckled, then pulled Kuvira into her lap. “Come here, you.”

Kuvira pretended to resist, but promptly ended up square in the Avatar's lap, leaning back against her. “Korra...”

The only response she received was a series of kisses trailing down her neck. The kisses stopped when they reached the collar of her winter coat, then returned upwards until they found her lips. There their lips remained, locked together in a long, drawn out kiss, tongues infiltrating each other's mouths with fervor. Shortly after they began, the Varri-Wheel rotated around once more, bringing them to the very top, and then came to a gentle stop.

Kuvira gradually pulled away from Korra's lips to look over the side of the car again, noting now that they weren't moving. “We're up pretty high...”

“And we're alone,” Korra said, as she slipped off one of her mittens. Without warning, she lowered her hand down between her fiancee's legs. When her fingers made it into Kuvira's winter pants, they immediately elicited a surprised gasp from the matriarch's lips.

“Korraaa,” Kuvira groaned, struggling to keep her voice down so no one in the cars below would hear her. “Someone will _see.”_

“Not as long as we're all the way up here,” she replied, with a mischievous grin. “Just try to keep it down.”

Another shrill gasp burst from Kuvira's throat. “Korra, I'm not sure if— _mmph.”_ Her voice silenced as the Avatar's other hand clamped over her lips.

“It's our last night as an unmarried couple,” Korra whispered, while her fingers continued their work. Again, Kuvira squealed, but this time her voice was muffled enough to remain quiet. “Just enjoy it.”

* * *

Kanna giggled as she lifted herself up between her parents, holding onto either of their hands so she could swing herself back and forth. She had been nothing but smiles since coming to the carnival. The music, the lights, the rides, the games, the fun—she had never seen anything like this before, and it filled her with excitement. She looked around eagerly as they walked through the carnival, taking in the sights and wondering what other fun things they could do next. There was so much to choose from, it all seemed so overwhelming to the young girl.

“So, did you like the otter penguins?” Anraq said, glancing down at her with a smile.

“Yeah!” Kanna replied, with a grin. “They were _really_ cute.”

“And what do you want to do next?” he asked.

“Umm...” She thought a moment, again looking around the carnival. As she did, a low grumble bellowed out from her stomach. “I guess I'm kinda hungry.”

“Alright, Azula can you get her some food?” Anraq said, as he let go of Kanna's hand. “I, uh... need to go find a bathroom. I'll be right back.”

Azula raised an eyebrow at him as he started to hurry off, but she didn't stop him. “Well don't be gone too long.” Once he disappeared through the crowd, she glanced down at her daughter and gently pulled her along by the hand. “Come on, let's find you something to eat.”

Their search for food didn't last very long. As soon as they passed by one of the game booths, Kanna forgot her hunger. Instead, her interests were immediately replaced when she spotted the bundle of stuffed animals hanging down from the prize wall. She stopped walking so she could stare at them, her mouth hanging open and eyes wide with wonder.

“Oooh! Mommy, Mommy!” she called, tugging at Azula's hand. “Look at the stuffed bison! Can I get one?”

Azula paused to glance back at the game booth. She gave the stuffed bison a curious look, considering the girl's request a moment. Then, with a quiet sigh, she shrugged and said, “Well, I suppose I don't see the harm in it.” When she approached the booth, she raised a hand to grab the man's attention behind the counter. “Excuse me, how much for one of those bison?”

The man raised an eyebrow at her, then looked back at the prize wall. “Oh, those aren't for sale. You gotta win them.”

Azula frowned, narrowing a glare at the stuffed animals. “Oh, I see... And how exactly do you play?”

“Simple,” the man said. He took a step off to the side and gestured back at the table behind him, on which was set a stack of ten glass bottles. “You get three balls, and you throw them at those bottles there on the table. Knock all the bottles off and you win a prize.”

“Well that seems silly and stupid,” Azula muttered. “Why can't I just buy one?”

“Those are just the rules, Miss. You wanna play or not?”

Kanna gazed up at her mother with a pleading, almost desperate look. _“Pleeeease_ , Mommy?”

Azula stared back at her daughter for only a few moments before giving in. With a sigh, she reached into her coat pocket, pulled out the required fee to play, and then slapped the coins down on the counter. “Very well. Give me the balls.” The man snickered as he passed her a trio of small rubber balls, prompting a disgusted groan from her lips. “Oh what are you, twelve?”

The man simply took another step off to the side, allowing Azula a clear target. She grabbed one of the balls and took a moment to size up the bottles. Then, she wound up and tossed it as hard as she could. The ball smashed into the top level of the bottles, but only a couple toppled over and fell off the table. She frowned at the poor effort, but reassured herself that she still had two more opportunities. So, she took the second ball, wound up, and threw it. Just like before, only a couple of the bottles budged upon impact, leaving six still on the table. Azula grumbled and quickly grabbed the third ball. This time, the bottles barely budged as the ball bounced away after hitting the table.

“Ohhh, so close,” the man said, shaking his head. “Care to try again?”

Azula gave a quick glance back at Kanna, who looked up at her with a hopeful pout. Sighing, she reached back into her pocket for the required fee again. “Fine. Another try.”

Her next attempt didn't go much better than her first, though. She did manage to knock off a couple more bottles than before, but the majority still remained in place, almost unmoved despite taking a direct hit from the balls. Azula huffed out in annoyance at her continued failure, planting her arms angrily over her chest.

“Mommyyy, you gotta do better!” Kanna said.

“This is _stupid,”_ she retorted, glaring at the man in the booth. “The game is obviously rigged. Those bottles on the bottom are weighted down, aren't they?”

“Miss, the odds are the same for everyone,” he said, with a shrug. “Some people just aren't skilled enough to win, no shame in that.”

Azula's brow twitched at the subtle insult. She plunged her hand back into her pocket to pull out another bundle of coins, and again slapped them down on the table. “One more try.”

The man just shook his head as he placed the three balls back on the counter. Azula ignored him, though. She grabbed the first ball, tossed it up and down in her palm for a moment, then glared at the bottles. As she wound up her arm this time, the ball ignited with a bright blue flame, and when she threw it, it trailed through the air like a comet. The entire table exploded upon impact, in a shower of splinters, sparks, and flames, causing the man to scream and duck for cover. Moments later, after the dust cleared, all that was left in place of the table was a smoking crater in the icy ground.

Azula flashed a triumphant grin. “Oh look, I've knocked all the bottles off the table. I guess that means I win.” She then reached into the booth and plucked one of the stuffed bison off the wall. “I'll be taking my prize now, if that's alright?”

“Uh huh...” the man uttered, slowly poking his head above the counter. “Sure thing... It's yours.”

“There you go, sweetie,” Azula said, handing over the prize to her daughter. “One stuffed bison.”

“Yaaaay!” Kanna squealed, as she wrapped her arms around the fluffy toy in a tight hug. “Thank you, Mommy!”

Azula smirked, ruffling the girl's hair with her fingers. “You're quite welcome.” Then, she reached down to hold one of Kanna's hands, as they continued their walk through the carnival.

* * *

Eska and Desna stood off to the side of the amusement booths, watching with disinterest as the crowds passed them. Every now and then, they would glance at each other with a silent stare, then return their attention straight ahead. They made no attempt at moving or interacting with the carnival. Rather, they simply remained motionless, with a slight slouch to their postures and indifference painted across their faces.

“Why on earth did we ever decide to attend this carnival?” Desna said. “It's just as dull as I remember it.”

“Because, Desna, there is nothing else to do here in the South,” Eska replied. “At the very least, watching the people go by intrigues me.”

“I suppose it _is_ better than simply sitting in the palace doing nothing,” Desna sighed. Then, he turned a look towards the young man standing just next to him. “Don't you agree, Hari?”

“Oh... um, yes,” Hari said, with a quick nod. “Of course, Chief Desna.”

One wouldn't think much of Hari when they first looked at him. His features were rather fair and feminine, and combined with his long straight hair and skinny frame, he carried a somewhat androgynous look. Combined with his soft spoken voice and naturally shy demeanor, one might write him off as just some frail kid not worth a second glance. Yet, Eska and Desna had hired him as their bodyguard for a reason.

As a former White Lotus guard, Hari was quite adept in combat, especially given his unique style. Even as an earthbender here on the frozen tundra, he carried a large stone jar on his back, a jar that he had filled with sand from the Si Wong Desert. By continually bending the jar, he could carry it with little effort, and it gave him a rather effective weapon to utilize no matter where he was, even in the South Pole, where there was no other earth. Hari's looks, which admittedly were not intimidating, tended to be quite deceiving. He was, by nature, a fierce combatant, and sedulous about his work.

Eska turned a look towards Hari as well, studying him closely. “I must say, you look very nice tonight, Hari. I am pleased.”

“Indeed,” Desna added. “You look even more appealing than usual.”

“Oh. Um... Thank you.” Hari shifted awkwardly on his feet and turned an embarrassed gaze down towards the ground. “I... didn't really do anything different than usual.”

“Hmm, perhaps it's the way the light is hitting you,” Eska said. “You have a certain...glow about you.”

He raised confused eyebrow at her. “A glow?”

Eska nodded, then turned more fully towards the fair man. “Indeed. Tell me, Hari, have you reconsidered my offer?”

Hari stiffened at the question, his eyebrows lifting further. “You mean...to give you children?”

“Yes, precisely,” she said. “I will be in need of heirs, and sooner would be more preferable than later. You are a fine specimen, and quite a powerful bender. You would give me strong children. It is only fitting.”

“Yes, that...makes sense. I think.” Hari again shifted his weight atop his feet, turning a nervous look down at the icy ground. “But... I'm not really sure I'm... _comfortable_ having kids with someone right now. I still don't really know you that well, and I'm still young... I don't think I'm ready for that.”

“I see.” Eska watched him a moment longer, then hissed out a disappointed sigh. “Well, the offer remains, whenever you feel you are ready. In the meantime, you may continue to satisfy yourself with Desna.”

At this statement, Hari practically jumped out of his boots. He even nearly forgot to continue bending the jar on his back, and the weight of it almost took him to the ground. “Wh- but... you...” With a confused blink, he glanced to Desna. “You told her about that?”

“Of course,” Desna replied, with a simple shrug. “Eska and I share everything. It was only natural that I would tell her about our physical relations.”

“Indeed,” Eska said. “Which is why I do not mind what you two do together while considering my offer. Although, even if you do not wish to have children with me, we may still do other things... if you wish.”

Hari's face flushed a bright red at the comments. He swallowed, glancing quickly back and forth between the twins, then looked away in attempts to hide the embarrassment glowing across his face. “Oh... okay... I'll, um... remember that.”

Shortly after the twins turned their attention away from the blushing earthbender, a familiar figure came through the crowd nearby—Anraq. Although they did not make an attempt to get the man's attention, he spotted them a moment later and made his way towards them with a wave.

“Oh, hey Eska, hey Desna,” Anraq said, as he approached

“Greetings, Anraq,” Eska replied. “Are you enjoying the festival?”

“For the most part, yeah. What about you two?”

Desna shrugged. “Not really, no.”

Eska turned a quick look towards her bodyguard. “Hari, I'm thirsty. Please bring me a beverage.”

“Oh, of course, Chief Eska. Right away.” Hari bowed, then scurried off to find a food cart.

Anraq watched Hari leave, then returned his focus to the twins. “So who was she?”

“That is Hari,” Desna said. “And he is male, actually, despite his feminine qualities.”

“ _Oh,”_ Anraq said, as he stiffened with embarrassment. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean...”

“It is fine,” Eska said, with a simple shrug. “To answer your question, Hari is our bodyguard.”

Anraq narrowed a curious gaze at the two chiefs. “Bodyguard... is that code for 'plaything'?”

Eska's lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk, in unison with her brother. “Perhaps.”

“Right...” Anraq muttered, flicking his eyes back and forth between them. He knew them well enough to know what they meant by that.

“We heard that your daughter has returned to you,” Eska said. “We are very pleased to hear this.”

“Indeed,” Desna added. “Kanna seems like she will be very strong, much like her father.”

At the mention of his daughter, Anraq offered a pleasant smile. “Oh, well thank you.”

Eska nodded. “You are most welcome.”

“Tell us, have you and Azula produced anymore children?” Desna asked.

“Uh, no...” he replied, with a lifted lifted brow. “No more children.”

“Perhaps in the future, then?”

“Well, uh, maybe...” He glanced back and forth between the twins again, and gave an awkward clear of his throat. “We haven't really discussed...that.”

“I think you two would produce very powerful children,” Eska stated. “You should strive for as many as possible.”

“Uh, right...” Anraq narrowed his eyes, glaring at the two of them. “I need to go now, in any case.”

Eska smirked. “Farewell, my fearsome turtle duck. It was most enjoyable to see you again.”

Shortly after Anraq disappeared through the crowd, Hari returned, carrying a large container of juice. “I have your, uh, beverage.”

“Thank you, Hari.” Eska took the drink in one hand and sipped at the straw. With her other arm, she wrapped it around one of Hari's and began to guide him through the carnival.

Desna, too, came to Hari's other side and took hold of his other arm. “Come, let us find something more entertaining to do.”

* * *

Lin huffed out an annoyed grumble as she sat down at the table next to the snack booth. “I don't even know what we're doing here, Kya. I don't really _do_ carnivals.”

Kya set down their tray of food at the table and turned a grin towards her wife. “You didn't really do world traveling either, and now you're practically an expert.”

“I have _you_ to thank for that,” she muttered, as she grabbed for her plate of fried vegetables.

No sooner than she went to take a bite, one of the other individuals at the table shoved a roasted hen on a stick in front of her face. “Arctic hen?” Bumi said. “Bet you can't fit the whole thing in your mouth.”

Lin frowned, shifting a glare towards the airbender. Bumi wasn't the only other one at the table—Tenzin, Izumi, Toph, and Katara were there as well. “I am not shoving an entire arctic hen in my mouth.”

“Ah, come on, Lin, lighten up and have some fun!” Bumi laughed, and gave the former police chief a friendly smack on the shoulder. Then, he made his own attempt at shoving the roasted hen into his mouth. “Let me show you how it's done.”

“Bumi, no, you're going to choke!” Kya said, trying to yank the stick away from him. “Remember what happened last time?”

“Oh, don't be too quick to intervene,” Tenzin said. “After all, we're here to have fun, right? Let him have his.”

Kya raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her brother. “This coming from the biggest stiff of the bunch.”

Tenzin returned the frown, stroking a hand along his beard. “Please, Kya, I am not a stiff. At least, not as much of one as Lin.”

“Hey, I'm sitting right here,” Lin muttered, as she finally got started on her plate of vegetables.

Izumi watched them a moment, eyes narrow behind her glasses. Then, she gently sipped at her drink and said, “You four can argue all you like, but we all know that _I_ was the fun one growing up.”

“Oh sure, when you weren't busy being the prim and proper one,” Bumi said, with a roll of his eyes. “Which was _all_ the time, I might add.”

“Excuse me, but I liked to break the rules every now and then,” she countered.

Kya scoffed. “Or tell on _us_ for breaking the rules.”

Izumi thought a moment, then offered a simple shrug. “Well, yes, that too.”

“Ha!” Toph slashed a grin across her face and smacked her palm down atop the table. “As if any of you were big rule breakers. None of you had anything on Su. Oh _man_ , she drove me crazy!”

“Well, that certainly is true,” Lin muttered, with an affirmative nod. “No one knew how to cause a headache quite like her.”

Katara folded her hands atop the table and offered a small chuckle of her own. “Let's not forget Zuko, Toph. Even after his turning over a new leaf, he could still cause a little trouble now and then.

“Hmph, you said it,” Toph replied. “Honestly, Izumi got her level-headedness from her mother, if you ask me.”

“I certainly did...” Izumi said, with a wistful sigh.

A brief pause descended over the table. Then, Tenzin raised his drink. The others soon did the same, joining theirs against his. “To Suyin, and to Lord Zuko, loved ones we may never see again, but who will never be forgotten.”

* * *

Anraq scratched his head and exhaled a heavy breath, as he continued looking around the carnival. He'd been gone much longer than he had intended, and no doubt Azula and Kanna would be wondering where the heck he was by now. Not his fault, really—he had intended to find what he was looking for much sooner than this, but he had greatly underestimated just how huge this place was. At this point, he contemplated giving up for now and trying again later. As he gave the surrounding area one final sweep, however, he finally spotted them—Korra and Kuvira, walking hand-in-hand through the carnival. With a relieved smile, he ran towards them through the crowd.

“Oh, hey, there you guys are!” he called. “I've been looking everywhere for you.”

“Anraq, hey,” Korra said, greeting him with a smile. “What's up?”

“Uh, nothing much, really. I just, uh... Can I borrow Kuvira for a second?”

Kuvira raised an eyebrow at him, then turned a glance towards her fiancee. “Oh, sure. I'll be right back then.”

Korra leaned in to give her a quick kiss, then pulled away. “Go ahead. I need to find a restroom anyway.”

Once Korra was gone, Kuvira looked back to her friend and gave him a curious look. “So, what do you need?”

“Well, I just... sort of need your advice on something,” he said, clearing his throat. “You're the one who proposed to Korra, right?”

At this question, Kuvira's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Yes...?”

“Okay, well... see, the thing is... I've been giving it a lot of thought lately, and, well...” Anraq huffed a sigh to steady his nerves, then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. When he flipped open the top of it, he revealed a small gold band inside, etched with a dragon design along the sides, and with a brilliantly cut garnet gemstone set on the top. “I've sort of been thinking of asking Azula...”

“ _Oh!”_ Kuvira's eyes brightened when she saw the ring. “Anraq, that's wonderful.”

Anraq flipped the box closed again and shoved it back into his pocket. “Yeah, yeah, I know, it's great and all, but... I'm just not exactly sure how? Like... I know what I should say, or what I _want_ to say, but just thinking about that moment makes me so nervous...” A heavy, anxious groan burst from his lips. “What if I screw it up? Or look like an idiot? I mean, I love her, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and she's _amazing_ with Kanna, but I just... I don't know. Help me out?”

Kuvira curled a warm smile, and set a comforting hand atop her friend's shoulder. “Just be sincere, and tell her exactly how you feel about her. If it comes from the heart, then you can't do it wrong.”

“But what if she says no?” he countered. “I mean, we've never discussed this before, and I don't even know if she _wants_ to be married...”

“If she says no, then she says no,” Kuvira said, with a simple nod. “It won't change anything between you. But in any case, I don't think you need to worry. I have a pretty good feeling about it.”

“You're sure?”

“Positive.”

Anraq stared at her a moment, then finally brought a smile of his own to his lips. “Well... okay, then. I guess now I just need to figure out _when_ to ask her.”

“Just do it when it feels right,” she insisted. “Whether you plan it, or it's spontaneous... You'll know.”

“Right...” He smiled again, then gave her a wave as he departed back through the crowd. “Thanks, Kuvira.”

“My pleasure,” she replied.

* * *

Yula uttered a weak groan as her eyes flickered open. In spite of her attempts to move, she soon found herself still paralyzed, only able to twitch her eyes back and forth as she stared upward from her backside. At first, she saw nothing, only darkness and the occasional wisps of pale fog. Then, a frighteningly familiar face appeared above her, staring down with his seared, dead eyes—Shin Tsang.

“You...” she uttered, with a panicked gasp. The last time she had seen him was just after she had stolen Sen's essence during his ritual to remove it from Azula. She had gone back to look for him, only to find him vanished from the temple. Even after that, she'd had teams scouring Spirit Island, yet they never found him.

“Yes, me,” he replied. “You didn't think I was just going to forget about you, did you? After what you did, double crossing me, betraying my master...”

She blinked, and made another desperate attempt to move, or even just bend fire at him; her efforts ended in futility. “How...how did you get off the island?”

“I have my ways,” he said. “You might say, the spirits guided me.”

“And...where are we?”

“The Spirit World.” Shin Tsang crouched low so he could grab Yula by the shoulders. Then, he lifted her up and turned her around to face the towering stone pillar before them, a pillar with a large round door etched with glowing glyphs. “Particularly, we're in the presence of someone who would very much like to meet you.”

“Hello, Yula,” said the echoing, smooth-as-silk voice. It was of a haunting tone, and rushed in around her as if from all directions at once. “You have something of mine.”

Yula stared with wild eyes. Her heart sank in her chest like a stone in water, as she realized who the voice belonged to. “Sen...?”

“Correct,” the spirit replied. “You stole my essence and took it as your own, something which Azula did before you. Just like her, you betrayed me, insulted me, and mocked me with your human arrogance. Now, though... That all changes. Now, I will have my essence returned to me.”

Shin Tsang tugged Yula along, dragging her towards the stone door of Sen's prison. Try as she might to resist, she still couldn't move a muscle.

“No... No, please, you _can't!”_ she shrieked. _“Stop!”_

Her pleas went ignored. Shin Tsang yanked her up in front of the door, then grabbed her palm and placed it flat against the prison. As soon as her flesh met stone, a searing, white-hot pain surged through every facet of her being.

“ _NOOOO!!!”_

Her eyes opened wide, as did her mouth, and shortly thereafter beams of light erupted from them. Two glowing wisps emerged from Yula's mouth. The first was larger and brighter—Sen's essence. The second was smaller, and weaker, paling in comparison the one belonging to the Spirit of a Thousand Faces—Yula's essence. Within seconds, those wisps absorbed into the stone door. Yula immediately crumpled motionless to the ground, her now blank eyes still wide, and her mouth gaping open in frozen horror.

The glyphs along the stone door glowed brighter, surging with a blinding light. A shrill hum followed, filling the air with an incessant ringing that drowned out all other sounds. A tremor rumbled through the ground, and soon the entire spire shook. Long, spidery cracks ripped throughout the structure, small at first but growing larger by the second. Another rumble, another quake, and then the entire prison burst to pieces, nothing more than a shower of stone and dust. From that storm emerged a great spirit, with the body of a giant gejigeji, its long twisted legs skittering along the ground as it went. An echoing cackle of triumph followed, booming throughout the air.

“At last!” Sen exclaimed. “After so long, I am _free!”_

Shin Tsang gazed up at the ancient spirit and took a knee out of respect. “Now, all that remains is for you to return to the physical world and carry out your will.”

“Yes,” the spirit replied, coiling around the man with a whispering hiss. “Although, I will be weaker in the physical world for a time. I will have to regain my strength, after being trapped for so long. And I will need a vessel.”

“I offer myself to you,” Shin Tsang said, with a simple bow of his head.

Another booming chortle erupted through the air. “You have served me well, Shin Tsang.” The process took only a moment. Sen's body faded into a glowing wisp, then coiled down through the darkened sky straight into Shin Tsang's chest. An explosion of light followed, and then all was silent. When the figure stood from his kneeling position, no longer was it Shin Tsang behind those dead, blank eyes—now, it was Sen. The Spirit of a Thousand Faces grinned, and flexed the arms of his new, human body. “Ah, that is much better... Now, where are those spirit portals?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, so much happening in this chapter lol. As much as slowing my pace down to every other day slows down the updates overall, I think it's letting pack more into the story. Maybe. At the very least, it's been better for my time management. In any case, there are a few important things happening here, aside from the obvious happy fluff going on with the carnival, and the impending Korvira wedding.
> 
> We have a new character introduced in Hari, the twins' new bodyguard/plaything. He's not just a one off character, he'll be around a bit, as will Eska and Desna in this plot, so I hope you like them :)
> 
> I really wanted to get in that scene with Lin, Bumi, Kya, Tenzin, Izumi, Toph, and Katara, too. Just all those legacy characters from the first show. It was nice having them all together and seeing them interacting with each other, even if Su and Zuko are no longer with them.
> 
> Then we have Azula showing off her A+ parenting skills! I really loved that scene xD When in doubt, just nuke the game to win a prize. Kanna wanted that stuffed bison, and Azula made damn sure she got it.
> 
> Plus, Anraq working up to asking Azula to marry him. Who knows when he'll get to that, or what Azula will say, but it's coming sometime in the future.
> 
> What else...
> 
> Oh yeah. Sen, the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, who everyone just apparently forgot about, is now free after being reunited with his essence, at Yula's expense. Poor Yula... you reap what you sow. Thins are really going to get intense in this plot, so get ready folks.


	117. I Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Korra and Kuvira's wedding is finally here! All are gathered in excitement, but an earth shattering surprise awaits to change things forever.

Korra eased in a deep breath as she gazed at herself in the mirror of her dressing room. The reflection that stared back at her hardly looked familiar. Sure, she had dressed up for formal affairs before, but never something this big—never her own wedding. The gown she wore was elegant and flowing, blue in color with a crisp white trim, and an intricate pattern of laces along the back. Her hair, when it was finished, would be tied up in the back with a traditional Water Tribe headpiece, while the sides had already been tied together in a pair of short braids. The betrothal necklace clasped firm around her throat, the platinum lotus pendant gleaming in the light. Familiar or not, the reflection that stared back at her was more beautiful than she had ever been before.

"I can't believe this is happening," she said, with a shuddering inhale. "I'm getting _married_ today. Oh wow am I nervous..." She brought a hand to her stomach and cringed slightly, then turned her gaze to the other women in the room—Senna, Pema, and Katara. "Were you all this nervous when you got married?"

"Nervous, excited, sick to my stomach..." Pema mused, watching from her seat off to the side. "Really, I almost threw up before I went out there. Fortunately, Katara was there to help settle my stomach."

Katara offered a chuckle, as she worked to tie all the laces on Korra's dress in place. "I haven't seen anyone that nervous since I got married. Only difference was, I didn't have a master healer on hand to ease my nerves. My brother tried to calm me with some bad jokes, but I'm pretty sure that just made it worse."

"Your father and I had a much smaller wedding, so I can't say I was that nervous," Senna said. She looked up from her work on Korra's hair to give her daughter a smile in the mirror. "I think I was more afraid than anything. I came from a small family, I was only child, I had no idea what else I was going to do with my life, and my parents didn't approve of Tonraq at the time, so it was a pretty terrifying."

Korra raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Wait, are you saying you and Dad eloped?"

"More or less, yes," her mother replied, with a soft laugh.

"Ooh, how romantic," Pema said. "Good for you, not letting anything get on the way your love."

"Oh, my parents came around eventually," Senna said, "but they were furious for a while. It certainly made family holidays intense."

Korra chuckled. "Ha, I can imagine." She watched herself in the mirror a moment longer, then turned a glance back towards Katara. "How's the dress coming?"

The old woman hummed a quiet breath. "Almost have it finished. You had to go with the complex laces, didn't you?"

"Heh, sorry. I just really liked this gown."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Katara assured, flashing a gentle smile. "Just giving you a hard time."

A knock came on the door a moment later, and when it opened, Zhu Li poked her head in. "Are we almost ready in here? We start in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, we'll be ready," Korra replied. "Thanks for helping to organize everything, by the way."

Zhu Li nodded and offered a soft smile. "Just doing my part." Then, she ducked back out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Senna finished her daughter's hair, then made her way around front to give Korra a loving smile. "I think the real question is, are _you_ ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," she said, growing her lips into an excited grin. "So, so ready."

Senna breathed deep, then came forward to wrap her arms around her daughter. "I love you, Honey."

Korra hugged her mother warmly in return. "I love you, too, Mom."

* * *

Kuvira sucked in a deep breath to steady her nerves. Ever since waking up this morning, she had been jittery and on edge. That anxiety had only increased when she put on her gown and stepped in front of the mirror. Staring back at herself now, she forced a hand against her gut and cringed; her stomach was fighting her now, churning as if to taunt her. This was the biggest day of her life, and she couldn't settle herself no matter how hard she tried. She could prepare herself for speeches in front of thousands of people with little trouble, and yet getting ready for her own wedding brought her to a nervous mess.

"It's a rather simple dress, isn't it?" said a voice, calling her from her thoughts. Azula, herself wearing a short red and gold dress of a distinct Fire Nation style, lounged against the couch on the far side if the room. She was one of three others present, along with Baatar, Sr., Opal, and Toph. "If it were me, I'd have gone with something more elegant and regal. Not something so...plain. And red, too. Definitely red."

Kuvira quirked a brow into the mirror. Her wedding gown, while not extravagant, was of a deep Zaofu green, and embroidered with an intricate flower design along the bodice. It flowed down past her ankles, but hung tight around her legs to show off her figure, before finally billowing outward at her feet. Her gaze soon shifted from her gown over towards Azula's reflection. With a smirk, she asked, "Are you planning for the future, by any chance?"

"What?" Azula stiffened upright on the couch. "N-no, don't be ridiculous. I was just _saying."_

Kuvira's smirk grew wider. "Sure you were."

Azula folded her arms tight over her chest and looked away with a huff. "I don't need this."

"I think the dress looks wonderful," Opal said, giving her sister a smile in the mirror. Her fingers worked delicately to wrap Kuvira's hair in a long, elegant braid, complete with white flowers stuck in the back. "It's perfect."

"You look beautiful," Baatar said, with a warm smile of his own. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," she replied, lips curling brightly. "Dad."

"Well, I think she looks great too," Toph declared, with a firm nod. "And the dress."

Azula shot her a quizzical glare. "What are you babbling about? You can't see at all."

"Well gee, thanks for reminding me," the old earthbender muttered, with a roll of her eyes. "I'd completely forgotten." A harsh scoff followed, bursting out her mouth with annoyance. "I _know_ that, obviously. That's the whole point of the joke! I see finding a heart didn't necessarily lead to you finding a sense of humor."

"Excuse me," Azula shot back. "I have an excellent sense of humor."

"Oh really? Then say something funny. Go ahead, I'll wait."

"Wha-" Azula flinched slightly, shifting awkwardly on the couch. "Okay, I _will._ Um..." She paused momentarily, scratching her head in thought. When she at last came up with something, an eager smile came to her lips, and her tone shifted with excitement, certain she would blow them away with her joke. "Okay, who can shave thirty times a day and still have a beard?" She allowed a brief pause to linger, and then, with a humorous laugh, she blurted out the punchline. "A barber!"

Toph deadpanned, her blind stare pointed in Azula's general direction. "Hilarious."

Azula's expression darkened with frustration at the old woman's clear distaste. "You just don't appreciate a good joke! Kanna told me that one, and I'll have you know that she has a remarkable sense of humor."

"Hmph, well clearly none of it rubbed off on you," Toph muttered.

Azula gripped the arm of the couch tightly as she sat up further, eyes glowering at the old earthbender. "Why you..."

"You really love her, don't you?" Kuvira said, quickly interjecting herself into the conversation before things got out of hand. "Kanna, I mean."

Azula glanced at the matriarch, then calmly settled herself back into her seat. "Well, yes, of course I do. She's a wonderful child."

"Alright, I'm almost finished here," Opal said, as she set down Kuvira's completed braids. She then made a grab for a pair of pins and began pulling up a little on the back of the gown. "Just a minute and that problem we had with the back sagging down shouldn't happen again."

"Thank you, Opal." Kuvira heaved out another anxious breath and again held a hand to her stomach. "Wow I am nervous..."

"I remember how nervous I was before my wedding," Baatar said, with a wistful sigh. "Sweaty palms, my stomach doing flip flops... But when I saw Suyin walking down that aisle, it all went away. After that, I was just...happy."

Kuvira smiled. A deep, dull feeling of sorrow twinged in her gut at the thought of Suyin not being here for this wedding, or for Opal's before that, but she fought it away. This was a day for joy, not for grief. Spirits knew, Suyin would only scold her if she started sulking now.

A knock on the door called her attention away from the mirror. The door then opened, revealing Varrick on the other side. "Knock, knock, people! You almost ready in here or what? We got a schedule to stick to, and as it stands we're already two minutes behind!"

"Almost," Opal assured. We'll be out in a minute."

"Well make it thirty seconds!" Varrick countered. "We don't want to keep the guests waiting. Oh, and uh, you got a visitor out here. But make it quick!"

Varrick stepped out of the doorway, making room for the 'visitor' that he had mentioned. When Kuvira saw who out was, her eyebrows lifted, and an audible gasp burst past her lips.

"Hello, Kuvira," said Baatar, Jr. He stood there awkwardly, tugging at the sleeve of his suit as he waited for her to respond.

"Baatar?" It was all she could manage to say at first. After everything that had happened between them, and especially after the last time they'd spoken, Baatar was the last person she would have expected to attend her wedding. "You...you came?"

"Yes, I did," he replied. "Can we... Can we talk?"

"Uh...yes, of course," she said, still rooted by her shock. Turning to the others, she added, "Could you give us the room for a minute?" She waited patiently for the room to clear out, leaving only herself and her former fiance. Once they were gone, she brought her focus to Baatar and inhaled a deep breath. "I have to say... I didn't expect to see you here."

"Honestly, I didn't expect to  _be_ here," he replied. "But...there are some things I wanted to get off my chest."

"What kinds of things?"

"Kuvira, I..." Baatar closed his eyes, head bowing in shame. "I'm sorry for what I said, the last time we spoke. I was angry, and it came out harsher than I meant..."

Kuvira eased a soft sigh. "It's not like I didn't deserve it. I hurt you more than I can ever make up for, and just saying I'm sorry will never make it better... But I _am_ sorry. For everything."

"I know..." Baatar lifted a hand to his forehead, eyes still closed, and with a visible expression of regret painted on his face. "After my... _our_ mother died, I tried to blame you for that, too. I tried to tell myself it was _your_ fault, even though I knew it wasn't. I was just looking for more reasons to hate you, to be angry at you... But it's been _seven years_. I don't have the energy to be angry anymore, not at you, or anyone.” He took his hand away and huffed a deep sigh, finally shifting his gaze up to meet Kuvira. “What I'm trying to say is...can we start over? I'd like it if we could at least be friends again."

Kuvira slowly brought a smile to her face. In that moment, she felt as though one final weight had lifted from her shoulders, one final regret had at last been relieved. "I'd like that too. Thank you, Baatar."

The door burst open again a second later, and Varrick poked his head back in. "Come on, folks, let's go! We're four minutes behind schedule now!" He disappeared again a moment later, slamming the door shut behind himself.

Baatar gave a quick look back at the door, then focused on Kuvira again. "So... are you ready?"

"Yeah,” she said, with a firm nod. “I am."

* * *

The grand hall of the Southern Water Tribe Palace had been carefully rearranged for the wedding ceremony, with rows and rows of chairs set up on either side of a single aisle cutting down the center of the chamber, complete with a long blue carpet. In these seats, the wedding guests sat in eager anticipation of the ceremony about to begin. The exceptions to this were those standing up at the front on either side of the ice-carved archway, beneath which Korra and Kuvira would be joined together. On the left of the arches stood the bridesmaids—Asami, Opal, Azula, Eska, Jinora, and Ikki—while to the right of the arches were the bridesmen—Mako, Bolin, Anraq, Wing, Wei, Huan, and Desna. Standing at the center of the two lines, directly beneath the archway, awaited the wedding's officiant—a smiling, and patient Katara.

After a wait that seemed to draw out just a shade too long, the music finally hit and the guests all turned to watch the rear entrance of the hall. The first to appear was Korra, with her father at her side. Tonraq took his daughter by the arm, gave her a loving smile, and then led her down the aisle towards the archway. From the moment that she appeared, Korra beamed a bright smile that refused to die away, even as her father gave her away at the end of the aisle and joined the other guests. In fact, the smile only grew warmer when the music hit a new note and her bride appeared at the end of the hall. Again, the audience turned to watch as Kuvira arrived, led along down the aisle by Baatar, Sr. For the entire length of that walk, neither she nor Korra took their eyes off the other, or removed the smile from their faces. Even as they stood across from each other beneath the arches, they gazed deep into one another's eyes, and reached out to hold each other's hands. Not once did they look away.

Soon, after the both brides were in position and the music settled down, Katara cleared her throat and looked out into the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Avatar Korra, of the Southern Water Tribe, and Kuvira Beifong, matriarch of Zaofu, in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided dedicate themselves to each other and spend the rest of their days as loving wives.”

Korra tightened her fingers against Kuvira's, and their gazes deepened into each other's. A flutter came to their hearts, and a tingling to their guts, but they both stood ready and eager to move forward.

“When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment,” Katara stated. “Such is an impossibility, and even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its change. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity, in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.”

Katara smiled as she shifted her focus back and forth between the two brides. “Avatar Korra, Matriarch Kuvira, today you choose each other before your family and friends, to begin your life together as two separate halves of a greater whole. For all the tomorrows that follow, you will choose each other over and again, in the privacy of your hearts. Let your love and friendship guide you, as you learn and grow together. Experience the wonders of the world, even as patience and wisdom calm the restless nature. Through your partnership, triumph over the challenges in your path. Through the comfort of loving arms, may you always find a safe place to call home.”

Kuvira squeezed Korra's hand and shuddered out a nervous breath. This was it; the moment drew nearer now. These would be her last few seconds as an unmarried woman, and spirits be damned if she wasn't both excited and terrified at the same time. Of all the things she had ever done in her life, this was by far the biggest and most important. In spite of her nerves, though, she knew she was ready to face it. As long as she had Korra there with her, by her side, as her wife, she knew that she could triumph over anything.

“Now, for the vows.” Katara pulled out a small slip of paper to read from, then turned to Korra. “Do you, Korra, take Kuvira to be your wife, in equal love, as a mirror for your true self, as a partner on your journey to honor and to cherish, in sorrow and in joy, till death do you part?"

Korra breathed in deep and widened her smile. "I do."

Then, Katara looked to Kuvira. "And do you, Kuvira, promise to always be there for Korra, to shelter and hold your love as the most precious gift in your life? Do you promise to be truthful and honor her, to care for her always and stand by her in times of sorrow and joy, as her beloved wife?"

"I do." The words came out of her mouth before she even realized she had said them, and as soon as they were, any nerves still tingling in her body eased gently with relief.

"Then I now pronounce you lawfully wedded wives,” Katara said, as she took a step to the side. “You may kiss the bride."

Korra came forward and raised her hands, cupping them against Kuvira's cheeks. They gazed at each other just a moment longer before finally coming forward and joining their lips together in their first kiss as a married couple. The joy that flooded through Kuvira's heart was enough to lift her spirit to the sky, and she held that kiss for as long as possible. Somewhere in the background, the audience broke out with applause and excited whistling, but she barely heard them. As far as she was concerned, right now there was only Korra.

There was only her wife.

* * *

In the following week, Korra and Kuvira would be able to take their honeymoon. For right now, though, the newly married couple simply enjoyed the aftermath of a passionate wedding night together. They both lay on their side, Kuvira with her back pressed up against Korra's front, and Korra with her arms wrapped around her wife's waist. Both were fast asleep. Although the night was still relatively young, the couple had retired early from the reception in order to spend some time alone with each other, and they had certainly utilized that time as much to their advantage as possible.

Even deep in her slumber, Kuvira heard the knocking at their bedroom door. At first, she thought it part of her dream, but it came again and soon it stirred her, drawing her out of sleep with a tired yawn. She flicked her eyes open and muttered softly to herself as the knock came a third time. Confusion billowed within her; who in spirits name could be disturbing them at this hour? Granted, it wasn't _that_ late, but still, it was their wedding night. Anyone with any sense would know well enough to leave them be until tomorrow.

The knock came a fourth time, and then Kuvira finally eased herself away from Korra's hold. “I'm coming, hold on.” She yawned again and threw on her robe, then made her way to the door and pushed it open. She wasn't entirely sure who to expect on the other side, but she did fully expect to send them away in annoyance, regardless of what they wanted. "Do you have any idea what time—?"

"Hello, Kuvira,” said a sweet, familiar voice.

Her words caught dead in her throat as she recognized the figure standing across from her. The woman looked different than how she remembered, though. No longer was the woman's hair gray, instead a deep, dark black, and most of her age lines had vanished. _Younger_ , Kuvira realized. The woman was younger than she remembered, perhaps only in her late twenties or early thirties, rather than her fifties. Still, there could be no mistaking who it was.

 _"Su...?"_ Kuvira uttered, her voice coming out in a shrill squeak.

Suyin Beifong cocked her hips to the side and offered a smirk. “I'm not too late for the wedding, am I?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cues dramatic music*
> 
> Oh goodness, what is going on? Suyin is back? But how? How could this be? What's going on?
> 
> Well, the answer to that will come...but for now, I'll leave you with that. Now I know this chapter is a bit on the short side compared to most of the previous ones, but I had to cut it there to leave a proper cliffhanger. I actually was working on a whole wedding reception scene, but it just wasn't coming together properly, and nothing important was going to happen with it anyway, so I just ultimately cut it out. That's just how writing works sometimes.
> 
> Oh, and so Baatar, Jr. FINALLY makes another appearance haha...it only took like 90-something chapters.
> 
> Also, for anyone who doesn't follow my tumblr and might not have seen, here is an official design for both Anraq and Kanna: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/131583614738/anraq-kanna-by-yleyn-posted-with-artists
> 
> Aren't they just adorable?


	118. Shades of Torment's Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suyin has seemingly returned from the dead, but how could this be possible? Is this a miracle, as Kuvira wishes it to be, or are there more sinister forces at work?

Kuvira stared at the other woman for what felt an eternity, stunned by a disbelieving shock that gripped her to her core. Her heart fluttered, her head spun, her mouth hung open, and her lips seemed unable to form words. There were so many impossibilities about what she saw in front of her, and yet there it was—Suyin Beifong, alive and well, and twenty years younger than before she died. If ever there were a time that Kuvira was sure she had to be dreaming, this was it.

"Su?" she uttered, taking a cautious step forward. "Is...is it really you?"

"Well of course it's me," Su replied, with that signature smirk of hers. "Who else would it be? I know I look a little different, but hey, I'm not about to complain about another chance at youth."

Kuvira swallowed a hard knot in her throat and continued to stare. Her heart thumped wild against her chest, and a deep churning raged in her gut; it was a churning of wonder and elation, but pushed down by caution and uncertainty. "I...I don't understand...how?"

Su gave a simple shrug. "Who knows? And honestly, who cares? I suppose the world just saw fit to give me another chance. Whatever the reason, I'm back now, and that's all that matters."

Again, Kuvira swallowed. She shook her head, still unwilling to believe what she was seeing—not because she didn't _want_ to believe it, but because she was afraid that of she _did_ believe it, she would realize that it was merely a trick, a dream that she would wake up from, or some kind of hallucination. She couldn't take that kind of crushing revelation. "This is impossible."

"Oh hardly," Su countered, with a flippant wave of her hand. "The same happened with that friend of yours—what's her name? Azula?—and with Anraq's daughter. I don't see why you'd question it happening to me."

Kuvira paused a moment, lifting a confused brow. "How...do you know about that?"

"What, just because I was dead doesn't mean I stopped paying attention to what went on in the world." Su flashed a loving smile, then reached forward and held a gentle hand to her daughter's shoulder. "It doesn't mean I stopped watching over you."

That touch was what finally made Kuvira give in and accept the reality. A quivering, almost sobbing breath surged out her lips as she lunged forward and pulled Su in for a tight, warm embrace, face buried against the woman's shoulder. "I... I don't believe this."

"Well, believe it," Su said, holding her own arms around Kuvira in return. "I'm back now."

Kuvira held her mother for a long while, until finally she brought herself to pull away again. "Korra..." The word hissed from her lips as little more than a pale whisper, as she looked back over her shoulder to the bed. "Korra!"

But Suyin silenced her with a gentle finger against her lips. "Oh shush, let her sleep. How about we take a walk for now, maybe catch up? Would you like that?"

"Yes..." Kuvira uttered, with a smile. She briefly wiped the corners of her eyes dry, and gave an eager smile. "Yes, I really would."

* * *

The dining hall of the Royal Palace had nearly emptied by this hour, long after the wedding reception. Only a handful of guests still remained, some sitting and chatting in late night conversation, others stealing a last bit of wedding cake and other desserts, and even several having passed out from one too many drinks. At the far end of one of the many tables, Anraq sat back in his seat, munching on the final few bites of his cake. Next to him, Azula sat straight and proper, sipping from a wine glass, and in the seat beyond her, Kanna slumped against the table with her head held against her arms, exhausted and nearly asleep.

Anraq swallowed the last bite of his dessert, then turned an amused glance towards his daughter. "Looks like someone got a little tuckered out."

"Nuh uh..." Kanna mumbled, as she broke out onto a deep yawn. "I'm not...tired."

Azula eased a soft sigh and set her now empty glass down on the table. Then, she reached over and lifted the tired girl into her arms. "Come on, sweetie, let's get you to bed."

"Kaaay..." Kanna said, holding her head against her mother's shoulder, eyes closed.

"You two go ahead," Anraq said, as he stretched his arms up over his head. "I'll stay a while and help clean up here."

"Alright, but don't stay too long," Azula said.

He smiled, then stood up to give her a brief, parting kiss. "I won't. See you soon."

The guest wing of the palace wasn't far from the dining hall; the walk back to their room took only a few minutes. When they arrived, Azula made her way straight over to the bed and set Kanna down upon it. Then, she reached for the stuffed bison on the floor and placed it next to the girl. Kanna immediately grabbed the toy and hugged it tight against herself with a smile.

"Now, I know I _should_ make you wash up before bed," Azula said, as she reached up to undo the half-knot in her hair. Her long dark locks soon fell free down past her shoulders. "But I can see how tired you are, so I suppose we can skip that for tonight. Just don't tell your father."

Kanna giggled. "Kay."

"Now, just lie down and get some sleep, while Mommy changes out of this horrid dress." Honestly, the dress had seemed appropriate for the wedding, but now that she had been wearing it all day, she _needed_ to get out of it and into something more comfortable.

Again, Kanna giggled. She slid under the covers and snuggled herself in the sheets, stuffed bison held close against herself .

Once she was sure that her daughter had settled in for bed, Azula made her way over to the dresser and slipped out of her dress. A shiver rippled up her spine as the nighttime chill seeped deeper into her body. She really wasn't fond of the Water Tribes, cold as they were, and took solace in the fact that they would be leaving in just a few days.

With a tired sigh, Azula wrapped her red and gold robe around herself and tied it shut with the sash. When she looked back up into the vanity mirror, she noticed Kanna in the reflection and immediately huffed a groan. The girl had seemingly forgotten that she was supposed to be sleeping, and instead now was bending a quivering ball of water above her head.

"Kanna, what did we say?" Azula folded her arms and glared at her daughter in the mirror. "No bending in the bedroom. It's time for bed."

"Sorry, Mommy..." Kanna sighed, then gently placed the liquid back inside Anraq's waterskin on the bedside table. "I just wanted to practice."

"Well, you have lessons with Avatar Korra and Master Katara in the morning. You can practice then."

"Fiiiine." With a huff, Kanna flopped back against the mattress.

"That's alright," Azula said, with a soft shake of her head. Shifting her attention away from the girl, she then made a grab for the nearby hairbrush on the dresser. As she looked again into the mirror to make use of the brush, however, she nearly dropped it at the sight of another reflection behind her, a new reflection.

"So, you went and had yourself a waterbending brat..." Ozai stated, with a disgusted scoff. "How _disgraceful."_

Azula swallowed a hard knot in her throat as she stared at the image in the mirror. Her hand trembled, soon shaking so much that she had to place the brush back on the dresser. "No... No, this isn't possible... You shouldn't be here. You _can't_ be here. I'm _over_ you."

This didn't make any sense. She had been rid of her hallucinations ever since Anraq helped her through her last breakdown, a year and a half ago. Why was she seeing them again now? She had no cause to. She wasn't paranoid anymore, she no longer suffered delusions, she was _happy_ with her life... So then why had the shade of her father come to torment her again? And why did his presence cause such a shudder, such fear, within her? The answer came moments later, when Kanna sat up in bed and gave a curious stare across the room.

"Mommy, who's that?" the young girl asked.

 _"W-what?"_ Azula stammered, with wild eyes glaring into the mirror at her father's image. A panicked jolt stabbed into her chest. "You can... _see_ him?"

"Of course she can," Ozai said. "You didn't think I was just one of your hallucinations, did you? No, dear daughter..." The former Fire Lord stepped closer and leaned forward, bringing his mouth just inches away from Azula's ear. With a sinister whisper, he said, "I'm really here."

Azula bolted away at the sound of her father's hissing tone, retreating towards the bed. She stared back at the dresser, and panic erupted inside her chest when she finally saw him—not a reflection, not a hallucination, actually, physically _there._ "No, no... How?"

"What does it matter? It makes no difference." Ozai scowled at her, and took another step forward. Azula instinctively stepped back away, keeping herself between him and Kanna. "What a disappointment you turned out to be, just like your brother... I raised you to be my prodigy, my _legacy_ , and what do you do? Abandon your claim to the throne, ally yourself with the new Avatar, cavort around with some filthy, Water Tribe peasant man, and have a pitiful, worthless, _waterbending_ child!"

Azula's heart jolted at his words, and her panic abruptly shifted into something stronger, something fiercer,. Soon, a scowl of her own descended upon her face. "You don't _talk_ about them that way!" The mere thought of Ozai insulting the people closest to her ignited a rage inside Azula the likes of which she hadn't felt since facing Yula. "Say whatever you like about me, but my family is off limits to you!"

"Your _family?"_ Ozai spat. "What a  disgrace! _I_ am your family, the only family you ever needed! You served me, you _lived_ for me. Now, you're nothing but a weak, pathetic, useless little girl!"

 _"Shut up!"_ Azula shrieked. Fingers gripped at hair and eyes clenched tight as she shook her head back and forth, as if trying to shake away the chiding of her father's voice from her mind. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Kanna let out a frightened cry of her own, pressing her hands over her ears. "Stop yelling!"

"I see your mind is still as feeble as I remember it," Ozai scoffed. "What a waste of a daughter. But don't worry...I'm going to give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Azula hissed out a shuddering breath and eased her eyes open. Her gut still churned with a growing dread, but she fought it down. "What are you talking about?"

"Leave this paper family of yours," he said. "Come with me, _join_ me, and help me end these miserable fools. We'll pick up where we left off and take our rightful place as rulers of the world, together as father and daughter!"

"Mommy, what's the bad man talking about?" Kanna asked, with a scared whimper. "He's loud, make him stop!"

Azula held a hand back to reassure the girl, but kept her eyes locked onto her father. "Just be quiet, Kanna. Everything will be alright, I promise."

"Such softness... Such weakness." Ozai twisted his lips into a deeper frown, eyes glowering. "It really is unbecoming of Fire Nation royalty. You need to make a decision now, daughter. Me, your father, or them, your meaningless lie of a family."

"You don't _get_ to force me into a decision like that," Azula shot back. "Not after everything you did to me."

"They're a lie, Azula. _Meaningless._ They're nothing but a facade that you hide behind, in desperate attempt to convince yourself that you can be normal."

Azula glared harder at her father. Her fear and dread were beginning to sift away now, replaced instead by an adamant resilience. "You abused me. You... _used_ me. My whole life, I was just a tool to you, nothing more."

Ozai ignored her remarks, continued with his chastising. "You can't ever be normal. You can't hide from what you are—cruel, heartless, manipulative, merciless. You are my _daughter."_

"I was _never_ a daughter to you! You never loved me, you never _cared._ I could have died and the only thing you'd have been sad about was losing an asset. A _weapon_."

"Forget these simple people, Azula," he urged. "Forget this worthless daughter of yours, that mangy boyfriend, the Avatar... Embrace who you truly are and destroy them all!"

She shook her head, expression darkening further into deep seeded hate. "You don't get to do that to me anymore. You don't get to tell me what to do. You don't get to abuse me."

"Make the right decision, daughter!"

Azula's jaw clenched tight. Her following words seethed from her mouth, hissing from between clenched teeth with an ire that could have slain a dragon. "And you do not...get to threaten... _my family!"_

With no further warning, blue flames erupted from her palms and scorched through the air. A surprised groan burst from Ozai's throat as the flames lifted him from his feet and threw him backwards. The dresser behind him splintered to pieces upon impact, and buried him beneath the debris. Azula wasted no time, immediately running to Kanna. She couldn't fight her father here, not now, not with her daughter to protect.

"Mommyyyy!" Kanna yelled, on the verge of tears. "What's going on?"

"Nothing sweetie, don't you worry," she assured, as she lifted the girl into her arms and took of towards the door. "We just have to leave now."

"Wait, my bison!" Kanna pleaded, making a futile reach towards the bed, where her stuffed toy remained behind.

"We can get it later. We have to go!"

Azula took one last look into the room. There she saw Ozai bursting free of the broken dresser in a whirl of flames and a furious scream. A knot twisted into her gut as she finally tore her gaze away and fled down the hallway. She could waste time worrying about fighting him or wondering how he was alive later. Right now, she needed to make sure Kanna was safe.

* * *

Eska awoke with a cold chill tingling down her spine. She sat straight upright in bed, staring out into the darkness of the bedchamber—nothing but shadows. By all accounts, she should ignore this feeling and lie back down to sleep. Still, this was not some ordinary chill brought upon by a too-cold night. This was something she hadn't felt before; it was creeping, tingling, like gentle fingers tickling along her flesh. It...unnerved her, and that was not an emotion she often felt.

With a heavy sigh, she glanced to her right, across the wide bed. On the far side of the mattress, Desna lied beneath the blanket, turned on his side with his arms wrapped around another figure—Hari. The two were joined closely together, Hari with his back pressed to Desna's front. Both were calm, quiet, deep in slumber. She hated to disturb them, and yet...

"Desna, wake up,” she stated.

Almost immediately, a tired groan eased from her brother's throat. Although normally a heavy sleeper, their twin connection awoke him with little difficulty. “What is it?”

“I sense something,” was her simple response.

"What do you mean, you 'sense something'?" he asked, pulling away from the sleeping Hari so he could sit upright.

Eska frowned, then shifted a glance towards the bedroom door. "I am uncertain, but it feels...spirity."

Desna raised an eyebrow at her. "You sense a spiritual presence? But you do not possess any connection to the spirits. Neither of us do."

"I know. But the feeling is there... We should investigate.”

“Very well,” he muttered, with a reluctant sigh. Looking back towards the mattress, he reached a hand out to Hari, to awaken the younger man.

No, let him sleep,” Eska said, as she slid out of bed and grabbed her robe. “This is probably nothing."

Desna obeyed, leaving their bodyguard alone and getting out of bed. He did the same as his sister and pulled on his chieftain robes over his pajamas, then followed her outside into the palace corridor beyond. They found nothing there, only an empty hallway darkened by the late night hour. Any wedding guests or normal palace residents would have long since retired to bed, leaving the twins to stand there alone in silence.

"Nothing, indeed,” Desna sighed. “You were simply imagining things."

“I suppose I was,” she replied. In spite of their fruitless endeavor, that tickling quiver continued to crawl along her spine, stronger now than before. Something was not quite right here, no matter how it seemed otherwise. “Perhaps we should return to bed.”

"Hello, children."

The twins turned around in unison, both stricken with a genuine, uncharacteristic moment of shock. They stared down the corridor behind them, at the lone figure now standing there, watching them. The man was straight and rigid, his arms held casually behind his back, and with a smug, almost disdainful leer upon his face, a face that they hadn't seen in over ten years—a face that, in spite of its familiarity, also seemed younger than they remembered, and closer to its prime.

"Father...?" Desna uttered.

Eska blinked, her mouth hanging partially open. "You are...alive?"

"Yes, I am,” Unalaq replied. “No thanks to the two of you."

The twins shared a brief look, one in which they communicated an entire conversation to each other without words. Eska then turned her stare back to her father, confusion wrought deep in her expression. "We don't understand. How are here? You were destroyed after Cousin Korra—"

"I _know_ what happened to me,” Unalaq countered. “That is of no consequence. With my connection to the spirits, is it really a surprise that I found a way to return? Just as Vaatu will again be reborn from Raava, so too was I reborn into the world."

"No...this isn't right,” Eska said, with a quick shake of her head. The tingling in her spine had turned to a shuddering quiver now; it shook her down to her core. “This feels...wrong."

Unalaq scoffed, then began a slow march towards his children. "The only thing wrong here is you two. If not for your treachery, I could have achieved my goals. Instead, the Avatar stopped me, _destroyed_ me, and you two didn't even care."

At this accusation, a stern scowl formed across Eska's face. An anger began to burn within her, the kind that she had seldom ever felt before. "You mean like how you 'cared' about us? Like when Desna was injured? You would have let him die."

"Indeed,” Desna chimed, lowering his brow into a glare. “Why would we have cared about the fate of the deplorable man you became? We looked up to you. We _believed_ in you, with everything we had, but you turned to madness and attempted to end the world."

"Worthless, the both of you,” Unalaq muttered, as he shifted himself into a fluid waterbending stance. “Unambitious, useless, traitorous children! I made a grave mistake ever placing any trust in you. Now, I rectify it!" With an angry shout, the former Water Tribe Chief cast his arm forward and tore the ice up from the floor, rippling it outward in a wave of razor spikes directly at his children.

* * *

Anraq stretched his arms up over his head and yawned as he made his way down the palace corridor. As much fun as he'd had at the wedding, and as much extra dessert as he had managed to eat before leaving the dining hall, it was long past time for him to get some sleep. They had only a few more days of relaxation to spend here in the South before returning to Ember Island, and he intended on making the best possible use of it. The Glacier Spirits Festival would still be going for another few days; perhaps they could visit the carnival again tomorrow night. Kanna did love those otter penguins.

When he entered the bedroom, though, he paused with a brief moment of confusion. While expecting to see Azula and Kanna already asleep in bed, he instead found an empty mattress with the covers thrown back, and a lone stuffed bison sitting next to the pillows. The bathroom door was open, too, and the lights were off, so they weren't washing up or making any last minute before-bed adjustments, nor was anyone sick and unable to sleep. So then where were they? Had they taken a detour along the way back?

His confusion soon shifted into outright concern when he glanced towards the dresser, or at least what was left of it. A pile of charred wood and glass was all that remained, littered across the far side of the room. As soon as he saw the mess, panic ignited in his chest and he turned to race back towards the exit. Something had happened, obviously, and whatever it was, it could not be good. He had to find them and make sure they were alright. He had to—

"Hello, Anraq."

The voice and the appearance of a shadowed figure in front of the doorway to block his path brought him to an abrupt halt. It took him a moment to register exactly who it was that stood before him, so long had it been since he'd last seen her. Yet, with a squint of his eyes and a second to think, he recognized the woman—well, closer to a girl, really, as she still appeared the same age as she last saw her, no older than eighteen: Megumi, Kanna's birth mother, who had died more than twelve years ago shortly after giving birth.

"What... Megumi?” he uttered, taking a slow step backwards. The now odd mix of panic, concern, confusion, and apprehension surging through him shook his legs with a weakness he didn't expect. He stumbled a moment, only just catching himself before falling. “I don't...What are you doing here? _How_ are you here?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter,” she insisted, as she approached him. The grin she gave was the same as he remembered, the same one he had fallen so hard for all those years ago. “It's been a while, hasn't it? Tell me, how's our daughter? She should be about twelve now, right?"

"Kanna, she...” Anraq blinked, unable to form the words. His mind still struggled to grasp the reality of what he was seeing—Megumi, returned from the dead. “She's...I mean..."

"Oh, that's right. She's _not_ twelve...” And then, Megumi's expression darkened from one of playful intent to one of disgust and anger. “Because you let her _die."_

Anraq froze, his heart lurching in his chest. "What? No, I... I didn't _let_ her... She's _alive."_

"Oh sure, she is now, thanks to that Azula girl,” Megumi scoffed, with a roll of her eyes. “If not for her, Kanna would still be dead."

"How... how could you know that?" he asked, narrowing his gaze with caution. Even aside from the fact that Megumi should be dead, something wasn't quite right about this. Something felt...off.

Megumi took another step forward and deepened her glare. Her eyes lit with a burning ire, a hate that Anraq had never before seen on her face. "I know many things. Like what a savage, vile woman Azula can be. How can you let her around our child, Anraq? How can you let her _raise_ our child?"

"No, you don't...You don't know what you're talking about,” he shot back, finally finding his resolve. He pushed back with an adamant insistence, took a step towards the woman—no matter how this was happening, he wouldn't sit there and allow someone who knew nothing about Azula to insult and belittle her. “She has been nothing but wonderful with Kanna. She _loves_ Kanna. She—” And yet almost as soon as he started, he shook his head and uttered a disbelieving scoff. “Why am I even arguing with you? You're not...real. You can't be. You're _dead."_

"Oh, Anraq...” Megumi hissed out a gentle sigh, then calmly shook her head back and forth as if disappointed with him. “If I were dead, could I do this?"

She gave no further warning as she slid a step back and swept her arm forward. Before Anraq had a chance to react, a spike of solid ice shot up from the floor and skewered through the side of his chest. He didn't even hear himself scream as the pain ripped through him, didn't even feel himself react. The only thing that he was aware of in the following moments were the floor beneath Megumi bursting upwards and throwing her backwards across the corridor into the opposite wall, then the frigid spike liquefying and draining out of the wound.

That had been his instincts defending himself, he realized, as his senses returned to him. He staggered atop wobbly legs for just a moment before steadying himself. A thick stream of blood gushed out of his wound, but he knew he couldn't let that slow him down. With a simple wave of his hand, he called up a bubble of water against either side of the puncture through his chest, then froze those bubbles into ice to stop the bleeding. Wasting no more time, he hobbled as quick as his legs could carry him through his pain, leaving Megumi behind.

 _"Shit,”_ he muttered, with a cough of scarlet mist. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit."_

He had to find Azula, had to find Kanna. Maybe then he could figure out what in spirits name was going on in this place.

* * *

Korra squeezed her arms tight, expecting to pull Kuvira closer to herself. When instead she felt herself grabbing at only blankets and empty air, a tired grumbled worked its way deep out of her throat. With a powerful yawn, she blinked her eyes open and pushed herself up onto her elbow. Just as her fruitless grasp had indicated, Kuvira was nowhere to be found, leaving only rumpled sheets next to Korra in bed.

“Kuvira?” she said, as her mouth parted for another lengthy yawn. When she settled down again, she rubbed her eyes and then slid out of bed. Where in spirits name had her new wife gone? And on their wedding night?

_Spirits._

The thought of spirits sent a powerful shiver shuddering down her spine. The sensation stiffened her upright on her feet, and brought a sudden dread to her chest. It was a feeling she couldn't explain, one that had no reason to be there. Or so she thought.

_Korra, be wary. There is something...strange happening within this palace._

“Raava?” she said, with a lifted eyebrow. It wasn't often that her own Avatar Spirit spoke to her like this, and certainly not for idle chitchat. No, Raava only connected with her in dire situations. “What's wrong?”

_I am not sure, but I sense something...sinister. An ancient presence that I do not recognize. And it is powerful._

Korra immediately steeled herself. No longer confused and cautious, she instead worked her way into the hallway with a stern, hardened demeanor. If there was some kind of powerful, ancient presence here, some kind of spirit, then she needed to deal with it, and fast, before it hurt anyone.

Like Kuvira.

She made her way swiftly through the palace, but found nothing but shadows and empty corridors—certainly no dark spirits. The farther she went, though, the stronger that tingle along her spine became, until it brought a bubbling nausea to her gut. As she worked her way towards the guest wing of the palace, a sudden shift occurred in her body. Her legs ceased moving and her limbs lurched violently to the side, twisting under some invisible, iron-like hold. A cry burst from her lips as her arms wrenched around and threatened to snap. Her legs followed, and soon the force brought her down to her knees. By now, she knew this feeling well enough to recognize it.

_Bloodbending._

And there was no full moon tonight.

“W-what.... what is this?” she gasped.

The answer presented itself in the form of a harsh, gravelly voice. “So, we meet again, Avatar.”

Korra's eyes widened at the figure that stepped out of the shadows, a figure that didn't need to so much as twitch his fingers in order to bring her to his mercy. All he needed were his eyes, eyes that glared at her from behind a painfully familiar mask and hood. _“Amon?_ No... what are you... doing here?”

The last time she had seen Amon had been when he had made his escape after his defeat in Republic City, over a decade ago. After that, no one had seen or heard from him, or his lesser known identity of Noatak. Had he been waiting all this time for the perfect moment to strike, just to get his revenge on her?

“You may have defeated me before,” Amon stated, as he stepped closer. “You may even have destroyed my revolution. But I told you once that I would destroy you, and now I'm here to make good on that promise. This time, I take your bending away _permanently.”_

Korra's limbs twisted harder, eliciting a scream from her lips; it was the last moment that she would ever let this deranged man have control over her. With a surge of white light, her eyes glowed with Raava's energy and fueled her into the Avatar State. Amon's bloodbending grip instantly vanished, allowing her to stand upright and then cast a vicious whirlwind from her palm. The air blast thudded into the man's chest and sent him rolling across the floor.

“ _You are no match for me,”_ Korra declared. _“You cannot win!”_

Amon groaned as he pushed himself back up to one knee. His gaze narrowed at her from behind his mask, and bore a distinct caution. Still, his eyes never lost their confidence. “Same old tricks, Avatar. Unfortunately for you, I have some new ones.”

Korra prepared herself as Amon arose and held his hands out in attempts to bloodbend her. She knew it wouldn't work, though; no matter his power, no one person could manipulate a fully fledged Avatar. To her shock, though, she soon found her limbs slowly, gradually disobeying her own will. Even empowered by the Avatar State, resisting Amon's bloodbending proved to be...impossible? No, no that couldn't be. That wasn't right. With a sharp, violent lurch of her body, Korra again fell to her knees. The pain returned to her, and a scream erupted from her lungs. So too did the glow leave her eyes, no longer able to maintain the Avatar State.

“ _W-what?”_ she uttered. “No... How... How are you doing this?”

“Because he's not alone.” The voice belonged to a different man, this one also familiar. Another figure appeared from the shadows, walking around the side of Korra with his own hands raised in a vice-like bloodbending grip. “Hello again, Korra. How have you been?”

“ _T-Tarrlok?”_ A litany of questions flooded through her mind, not the least of which was, how could Tarrlok be bending again? The last she knew, Amon had taken his bending away. “Why... why are you... working with Amon?”

“Noatak is my brother,” Tarrlok stated. “We are a team, and together we will accomplish what neither of us could by ourselves. You can't resist us both, not when we're more powerful than ever.”

Panic flickered through Korra's eyes as her limbs twisted harder. “N-no!”

“Yes, Avatar,” Amon stated. “Today, we end you!”

Before the two bloodbenders could get a chance to finish their work, however, they were interrupted by a flying clay pot that exploded in front of them and then seconds later melted into globs of lava, forcing them to scrambled backwards out of the way. “Not on your life, creep!”

From the other end of the corridor, Mako and Bolin appeared, racing towards them. Mako led with several blasts of fire, while Bolin attacked with the only source of earth he had available to him—the aforementioned clay pots that lined the hallway atop icy pedestals. Each of those pots liquefied into molten globs for added threat. For several moments, Amon and Tarrlok were forced to play on the defensive against the relentless barrage, dodging the attacks with little effort.

“We got your back, Korra!” Mako said, as he arrived at the Avatar's side.

“Of all the times for these two to show up again, they just _had_ to pick a wedding, didn't they?” Bolin groaned. “They don't have _any_ decency.”

Seconds later, both Mako and Bolin seized up in a violent, twisted manner, bodies under the spell of the two bloodbenders. However, with their efforts concentrated on three individuals, instead of just one, Korra felt their hold over her weaken. A bright glow erupted from her eyes again, and this time she was able to resist even their combined efforts. Thrusting her arms forward, she released a pair of spiraling wind blasts that sent them airborne down the other end of the corridor.

“It seems the Avatar has some help,” Tarrlok muttered, as he arose to his hands and knees.

Amon grunted, lifting a glare down the hallway. “So it does. We might not be able to take all three of them, as long as she can resist our bloodbending.”

“Then perhaps we should have help, as well.” A grin snaked along Tarrlok's face, and his eyes shifted towards a separate corridor branching away from them, to the Avatar's left. Any moment now...

Korra almost didn't register the familiar _pop, pop, pop_. Seconds before the explosion followed, though, she realized what it was and shielded herself and her friends with a whirling dome of air. Even with her defense, however, the force of the blast still threw them off their feet and into the opposite wall. They recovered as quickly as possible before another attack could catch them off guard, and looked down the next corridor to find the new assailants.

“Hey, remember us?” A mustached grin came with the question, framed by long dark hair and bushy eyebrows—Ghazan. He was only one of three standing there, though. At the center of the group towered the third-eyed woman, P'Li, and on her other side, the water-armed woman Ming-Hua, all former Red Lotus members.

“Oh _come_ on!” Bolin cried, staring wide-eyed at them. “How is this fair?”

“How is this even _possible?”_ Mako added. “They're all supposed to be dead!”

Korra turned a glance from the Red Lotus group to Amon and Tarrlok. How in spirits name were they supposed to fight all these enemies at once?

“You think Zaheer would mind missing out on this?” Ming-Hua asked, as her water-arms hardened into icy scythes.

“Who cares?” P'Li replied. “We don't work for him anymore.” She then leaned forward and concentrated her chi at her forehead, once again releasing a combustion blast down the hallway.

_Pop, pop, pop... BOOM!_

* * *

The palace courtyard was quiet as Kuvira and Suyin made their way outside. The night was calm, cool, and lit up by the brilliant display of spirit lights in the sky. During the entire walk from the bedroom, side by side with Su, Kuvira had felt as though she'd been wandering in a dream. That was no different now. Her heart continued to flutter and her stomach tingled; it all seemed so impossible. She had to forcibly remind herself every few moments that this was real, that it was _actually_ happening.

Su really _was_ alive.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Suyin said, as she gazed up at the sky.

Kuvira watched the spirits light with a smile. “It really is.” She could focus her attention on the sky for only so long, though, before looking again at the other woman, at the mother she had lost so long ago, and who had now returned to her. “Su, I don't even know what to say right now. I never imagined I would see you again like this. It's... amazing... impossible... _wonderful.”_

A soft chuckle eased past Su's lips. “It is, isn't it? To think, I was actually _dead._ Now, here I am, better than ever, even back in my prime.”

“I just wish you could have gotten here a day sooner. You could have been here for the wedding.”

“Well, I guess you can't have everything,” Su replied, with a simple shrug. “Besides, it's not as though your wedding was worth seeing.”

Kuvira went to respond, but stopped herself with a sudden moment of confusion. “What was that?”

“Your wedding,” Su repeated. “It wouldn't have been worth seeing, even if I had been here. I mean, imagine, _you_ getting married? As if you deserve to be happy, after everything you did. And to Korra?” She hissed a disappointed sigh and shook her head. “I can't even begin to wrap my head around that one. Why she would ever forgive you, let alone fall in love with you. And over Asami? Goodness, it's like a bad joke.”

“Su, I... what?” Kuvira felt her gut sink like a rock. This wasn't right... this _couldn't_ be right. Su wouldn't say these things... would she?” “I don't understand, what are you talking about? What do you mean?”

“I mean, you're a horrible woman who doesn't deserve to be running around free, let alone enjoying a happy life with the Avatar.” Su turned a glare towards her, expression darkening with hate, the same kind of hate she had shown back during Kuvira's time as the Great Uniter. “And becoming Matriarch of Zaofu? Taking over _my_ former role? Well, I can't imagine a better way to spit on my legacy.”

Kuvira balked at the declaration, feeling as though a knife had just been thrust into her heart. “Su, you don't mean that... you _can't_ mean that.”

“Of course I mean it. You're a disgrace, Kuvira, and a waste of my efforts. How I ever put up with for as long as I did...” Suyin uttered another sigh, head shaking. “I'd have been better off—the _world_ would have been better off—if you'd just died on the streets after your parents abandoned you, if I'd never found you.”

“No... Su, please... don't say that. Don't...” Kuvira hiccuped a sob and took a step backwards, legs shuddering. She stumbled briefly before catching herself, but her entire body felt like jelly, unable, or rather unwilling, to remain standing. Seconds later she finally collapsed to her knees, slouched forward and staring at the ground.

“Look at you. Pathetic. You don't deserve to be in this world any longer.”

Kuvira almost didn't sense the metal, too lost in grief and despair. She did eventually feel it coming, though by the time she did it was too late to avoid it completely. Even as she made a desperate attempt to throw herself backwards, the blade cleaved across her backside, spilling blood and opening a deep, crippling gash. She screamed and crumpled to the ground, body quivering with a paralyzing pain.

“Don't try to resist,” Su urged. The individual plates that composed the blade along her arm spread farther and lengthened, becoming flexible and whip-like. “It's time I finally do what I should have done when I first found your miserable eight year old self huddled in the street—put you out of your misery!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo.... I said that the plot was going to explode soon, and boy did it ever. So much happening, so many characters back from the dead to torment our poor heroes, so much WTF. What is going on?! I'm not going to say too much about this, because there isn't much to say (other than "well oh shit"), but I should mention that it isn't over yet--there are more surprises still yet to come.


	119. Just A Guy With A Boomerang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chaos in the Southern Palace continues, as our heroes are attacked by enemies that are supposed to be dead.

Katara hummed a pleasant breath as she lifted the steaming glass of tea to her lips. The warm beverage soothed her old body, and would make getting to sleep easier on a night when her joints were flaring up even more then usual. Across the table, Toph sat with a cup of her own. The old earthbender hunched close over the cup, letting the steam hit her face for added warmth. As unused to the Southern cold as she was, Toph had bundled herself in a heavy coat, even as Katara remained quite comfortable in a much lighter robe.

"So, what did you think of my officiating speech?" Katara asked. "I like to think it well, but I worry it might have been a little too complicated for people's tastes."

"Oh quit your worrying, it was fine," Toph replied. "Those two couldn't have asked for a better wedding. At least, as far as from what I could hear. Can't exactly rate the decorations."

Katara smiled and took another sip of tea. "I wonder now how they'll proceed with their lives. They have a lot still to do for the world, and for each other."

Toph have a shrug, then gulped down the last of the tea in her cup. "I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually. Right now, I get the feeling they just want to concentrate on their honeymoon."

"Now that I know they'll enjoy," Katara said, with a soft chuckle. Memories of her own honeymoon danced through her head, and warmed her smile even brighter.

As Katara raised her glass to take another sip, the door to the small guest bedroom burst open with a bang. A small figure dressed in a red and gold robe came running through, then turned to close the door shut again. The figure was a woman, Katara realized, who held a young girl tight in her arms. That was when she recognized exactly who it was that had just barged into the room.

"Azula?" she said, giving the firebender a curious stare. Kanna, the poor girl, was nearly in tears, clutching tight onto her mother with her face buried against Azula's shoulder. "What's going on?"

Before Azula could answer, Toph set her cup down on the table and gave a blank stare towards the doorway. "What's the big idea, barging in here like this? Don't you have any manners?" The old woman paused a second and then scoffed, adding, "I know I'm not one to talk, but still."

"I just needed a place to hide for a minute." Azula finally turned around and crept farther into the room. There was a wild look in her eyes, the kind someone like her seldom showed. "To get away from him."

"Get away from who?" Katara questioned. "What's wrong?"

Azula hesitated a second, swallowing a knot in her throat. Then, she said, "It's my father. He's back."

Toph raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Come again?"

"My father," Azula repeated. "You remember him. Powerful, crazy ex-Fire Lord you fought 80 years ago? Well he just showed up and tried to attack me. And Kanna."

"You mean Ozai?" Katara shifted straighter in her seat, as straight as her old back would allow. "He just...showed up?"

"Yes, that's what I said."

"Now hold up a second," Toph said, with a disbelieving chide to her tone. "Ozai died fifty years ago, still in prison. Even if he hadn't, he'd be over a hundred and twenty years old today."

"I _know_ that," Azula said. "Don't ask me _how_ he's here, he just _is._ I know I can handle him if I have to, but not with Kanna in the crossfire." She glanced down at the young girl in her arms; Kanna held on tight to her, face still buried against her shoulder in fright. With a fearful look of her own, Azula focused her attention back on the other two women. "Katara, Toph... I know we don't get along, and I know we'll never be friends, but please... Protect my daughter."

Katara gave the two a long look. Although her feelings about Azula remained wary, and there was still much bad blood between them that had never been resolved, the sincerity and earnest in which her former enemy now pleaded spoke to her softer side. Even if it hadn't, she wasn't about to let an innocent child fall into harm's way. "We will. You have my word."

"Okay, Kanna," Azula said, as she set the girl down. "You're going to stay with Master Katara right now."

"Mommy, I'm scared..." Kanna whimpered, wiping back her growing tears.

Azula offered a reassuring smile and brushed her fingers gently through Kanna's hair. "I know, sweetie, but don't worry. Everything will be fine, I promise. Mommy will be right back." With one final look, Azula gave Kanna's forehead a gentle kiss and then hurried out the door, closing it shut behind her.

Kanna sniffled, then glanced up at Katara. "Mommy won't get hurt, will she?"

"Of course not," Katara replied. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Hmph, you got that right," Toph muttered. "If Azula has anything going for her, it's that she's one tough bender, and if you ask me, she was always more dangerous than her father. She'll kick his ass."

* * *

Azula made her way cautiously through the empty palace hallway, hands raised already in a firebending pose. As confident as she was in her abilities, her heart still pounded against her chest. For so long, so many decades, the only place her father could haunt her had been her own mind. He could scold her there, insult her, bring her to the edge of breaking down, but that had been _all_ he could do—nothing but a memory, a ghost. She had been able to conquer him in that way, able to move past the pain of his abuse. She had beaten him, in that regard.

But now? Now he was here _physically._ Now he could hurt not only her all over again, but also those closest to her. Deep down, that thought frightened her far more than anything he could do to her. If she had to face him alone, she would; she knew she _could._ Still, it would have been nice to have some insurance as backup. For a palace full of powerful benders, including the Avatar, it seemed surprisingly empty—no guards, none of her friends, only quiet, empty corridors.

The sound of a far off explosion drew her attention. Had that been her father? If so, then where in spirits name was he, and what was he doing? Her questions proved pointless seconds later, as the wall behind her cracked outward and erupted with a violent burst of fire. Azula shifted instantly at the attack and bended the flames away to clear the air, but as soon as she did, her father came leaping through the blaze to greet her with a kick to the chest. She slid backwards across the floor, but managed to keep her balance before righting herself and sinking into a defensive stance.

 _"Father,"_ she spat, venom in her tone.

"Azula." Ozai scoffed, lips twisted into a frown. "You chose poorly, Daughter. Now you suffer the consequences."

Azula's eye twitched at the words. "You mean like the consequences I faced whenever I didn't live up to your expectations? Whenever you thought I wasn't perfect enough, or devoted enough? I still have the scars." She wasn't referring to physical scars, of course. No, he had never abused her like that. The emotional scars, though... Those cut deep, and as much as she had been able to move past them, there were still times when they hurt. "You've done so many horrible things to me... I could never see it before because of how blindly devoted to you I was, but my eyes have long since opened. It's about time I return the favor."

"As if you have what it takes," he countered, with a smug cackle. " You were always afraid of me. I can see it now, too—you still are."

Azula flinched at accusation, but only for a moment. With a steadying breath, she took a firmer stance and glared at her father. "No, now it's _your_ turn to be afraid of _me."_

"When I'm through with you, I think I'll teach your brat a lesson too." A vicious sneer curled across Ozai's face as he ignited flames in the palms of his hands. "The same kind of lesson I taught your brother. A _permanent_ one!"

Azula wasted no more time with words. The threat to Kanna burned a fire within her, and with a lunging kick that fire erupted out of her body and scorched the air. Ozai countered with a blast of fire his own, meeting Azula's in an explosion that shook the entire corridor.

* * *

Eska and Desna attacked in unison, sliding backwards atop the ice and firing a pair of frozen blocks at their father. Unalaq swatted both the projectiles away with a cutting whip of water, then coiled the stream around himself. With a push of his arms, he snaked the water through the air and wrapped it around Desna's ankle. Before he could tug his son off balance, however, Eska broke his connection to the stream with a slicing arc of her own water. Then, she spun her water around both herself and her brother. Together, they rapidly slapped their hands against the liquid to expel a storm of icy blades.

Unalaq took a step backwards and lifted a frozen wall in front of himself to absorb the barrage. Without waiting for them to stop, he then slid the wall down the length of the corridor, forcing the twins to scatter on either side to avoid it. As soon as they made their dodge, Unalaq crossed his arms in front of himself and raised his hands up; both twins were met with a rising pillar of ice that thudded square in their chests and slammed them against the walls. Eska and Desna crumpled to the floor thereafter, struggling to get up.

"The both of you are pathetic,” Unalaq chided. He swept one of his arms through the air, unleashing another cutting arc of water. “To think I ever had faith in you. You fight together and yet still you are weak!"

Eska threw herself away from the slicing liquid, but received a grazing cut along her left arm as she was unable to completely avoid it. "Father, stop this!"

Desna countered with a frozen spear through the air, but Unalaq dodged it with a simple sidestep. "Do not attempt to reason with him, Eska. He wishes only to hurt us. Again."

"I can't hurt either of you more than you've already hurt me,” Unalaq said, as he shifted his stance. “But I can certainly try!"

With a whirl of his arms, the former Water Tribe Chief created fissures along the walls of the palace. The ice shifted outward, broke apart at the ceiling, and then exploded straight downward at Eska. She spun herself across the ground to avoid being crushed, but in doing so she left herself wide open. Unalaq added an immediate followup attack, projecting a ice block with pinpoint accuracy to the center of her chest. At the exact moment of impact, he spread his fingers and split the block apart in a shower of icy shards that cut through her flesh like knives through ribbons. She hit the ground with a pained shout and curled inward into a ball, coughing blood on the floor.

 _"Eska!”_ Desna ran to his sister in a panic that he seldom ever showed. He needed only to give her injury a quick look to realize how severe it was, and in that moment his panic morphed into a deep anger. Bolting forward across the ice, he blasted a torrent of water at his father. “You do not get to hurt my sister!"

Unalaq waited for the attack, and with a simple swipe of his arm he parted Desna's water into two separate streams. From there, he coiled the streams around his body and then bended them straight back from where they came. The impact lifted Desna from his feet and sent him tumbling back next to his sister. "The both of you are _finished."_

Just as Unalaq approached to deliver what would be the final blows, however, a hazy mist sifted through the air. He blinked at the haze a moment, uncertain of what it was; it looked like dust of some kind, and a whole lot of it. The dust grew thicker in the air, concentrating near his face, and then in an instant it all converged into his eyes. He shouted as the earthen grains blinded him and forced him to stumble backwards—sand, he realized. This cursed mist was _sand._

A far greater amount of sand soon followed, streaming through the air as though made of water. It morphed together and took a noticeable shape, the shape of a massive earthen hand. The hand reached forward and wrapped its fingers around Unalaq, squeezing tight, and then with a single swipe it threw the man clear down the entire length of the corridor. Unalaq hit the ground hard and slammed into the far wall, where he remained slow to recover. The grainy hand then became shapeless once again, as the sand floated back into a stone jar strapped to the shoulders of the young man standing in the open bedroom doorway.

"Hari!” Desna proclaimed. “What are you doing?"

"Protecting you both,” Hari replied, as he made his way towards the twins. “I am your bodyguard, aren't I?"

Desna offered a slight smile, then snapped his attention towards his sister. Eska lay sprawled out on the ground bleeding from the wounds on her chest, and her breathing had faded. "Eska is hurt... we need to find a healer."

Hari gave a simple nod, then guided the sand back out of the stone jar. The sand floated beneath Eska and became solid, forming a soft cushion for her to lie upon as it lifted her into the air. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Another explosion ripped into the side of Korra's ice wall, shattering the outer layer into little more than frozen splinters. She immediately reinforced it again, only for the same thing to happen moments later. Mako and Bolin kept their heads down, huddled low behind the wall. Every now and then they attempted counter attacks, but their efforts were futile. As long as P'Li rained down combustion explosions upon them, there was little they could do aside from defend. This proved to be nearly impossible, however, as both Mako and Bolin suddenly lurched upright, their bodies controlled by Amon and Tarrlok's bloodbending.

“Oh come on!” Bolin exclaimed. “This is _so_ not fair!”

With a simple tug, they were both yanked out from behind the earth wall into the open. Ming-Hua was already there to greet them, lunging towards them with her icy scythe-arms pulled back and ready to cleave them to pieces. Korra acted as quickly as she could. She leaped over the wall and thrust her palm forward to release whirling blast of wind that knocked Ming-Hua back out of the air just before she could strike.

A spinning lava disc followed, aimed directly at her chest. She twisted her body to the side seconds before it cut through her, then countered with another pair of wind bursts fueled by the rage of her Avatar State. The first pushed both Amon and Tarrlok head over heels backwards, allowing Mako and Bolin to break free from their grip, while the second slammed both Ghazan and P'Li through an ice sculpture along the side of the corridor. Just as P'Li lifted from her feet, though, she managed to release another popping combustion blast from her forehead.

Korra spun a dome of air around herself to block the brunt of the explosion, but the impact still knocked her clean off her feet. She tumbled back over her ice wall and landed with her head smacking against the floor. A groan hissed out her lips and the glow faded from her eyes as the Avatar State left her. Mako and Bolin returned to her side moments later.

“We can't keep fighting them like this!” Bolin said. “We have to retreat!”

“Retreat to _where?”_ Mako questioned. “They're just going to follow us!”

“I don't know, but we can't just stay here like sitting turtle ducks!”

Korra groaned again, holding a hand against the side of her head. “Bolin's right, we have to get out of here.” As much as she wanted to fight back, and as much as she knew they needed answers about what on earth was going on here, the odds were far too stacked against them. The Red Lotus group would be bad enough, but throw in a pair of bloodbenders and their chances became minuscule.

They never got a chance to make their retreat. As soon as Korra made it back to her feet, the ice wall shattered against the force of a combustion explosion. She made an attempt to shield them from the blast with another wall, but a second explosion erupted directly in front of her just as the ice went up. All she saw was colors as she hit the ground, and a ringing seared through her ears. She was vaguely aware of Mako and Bolin landing somewhere next to her, but she couldn't concentrate enough to help them. The only thing she managed to do was roll onto her side and stare up at the now spinning corridor.

“I told you, Avatar,” Amon stated. He and Tarrlok approached from one of the branching corridors, while the Red Lotus advanced from the other. “We will destroy you. Even you cannot match all of us.”

“Yeah, well maybe she just needs some help!”

Before anyone could turn to locate the source of the new voice, a spark of electricity surged through Amon's body. He screamed, standing stiff and rigid until the electricity ceased, then crumpled unconscious to the ground. Tarrlok made a move to look behind himself, but seconds later the same electrical burst zapped him screaming down to the floor as well. When both bloodbenders were down, a new team emerged from behind them—Asami, with her Equalist glove clad over her hand, Sin, Tonraq, Tenzin, and a swarm of palace guards.

“Push them back!” Tonraq shouted, as he led the guards towards the second corridor.

Ghazan lifted his eyebrows and took a step backwards. “Well shit, that's probably not good.”

P'Li concentrated a combustion blast at the front line of guards to slow them down, but there were too many to hold off for long. The Red Lotus were forced to remain on the defensive, backing down the hallway.

Tenzin looked to Asami and Sin, then pointed to Korra and the others. “You two, get them out of here! We'll hold them off for now!”

When Sin approached them, she took a knee at Mako and Bolin's side. Both brothers lay unmoving on the floor, barely conscious. “They don't look so good. We need to get them out of here.”

“Asami?” Korra uttered, as she pushed herself up to her knees.

“Hey, we're here for you.” Asami offered a reassuring smile as she assisted Sin in lifting Mako and Bolin up to their feet.

Korra was able to get herself back to her feet, though her gaze focused on Asami's hand. With a lifted eyebrow, she said, “You...brought your shock glove to my wedding?”

Asami chuckled. “Never leave home without it. Now come on, let's get you guys out of here.”

* * *

Kuvira gripped the cold, hard ground in an attempt to drag herself forward. She made it only a few inches before the pain in her backside burned too hot to resist. She fell limp seconds later and screamed, curling up into a ball. Blood gushed from the gash; she could feel it draining out of her body as though a free flowing river, and her life along with it. Each passing second, she grew weaker. Dark spots began to form in front of her eyes, and her fingers tingled numb.

Was she dying?

She was dying.

“Su...please... _stop,”_ she uttered, with a wheezing, hissing breath. “This isn't you...isn't you... _can't_ be you.”

“Of course it's me,” Su said. “What's the matter, can't accept the truth? The reality of it is, you never deserved a second chance. Oh I went along with it, sure, but that's only because I felt guilty. Well, guess what? I don't feel guilty anymore. Now I just feel disgusted. I should have have put you down _ages_ ago.”

Kuvira glanced up just in time to see Suyin standing over her with the whip-like blade poised back for another strike. She mad a desperate attempt to protect herself, but her efforts were futile. No matter how hard she tried, her body wouldn't respond. All she could do was watch as the blade slashed down at her. Just before the sharpened steel could find her body, though, a metal cable darted through the air and wrapped around it, yanking it off course. A second cable lashed out seconds later and coiled around Su's wrist. With a firm tug, Su stumbled backwards, away from Kuvira.

Confusion flickered through Kuvira's clouded mind as she turned her gaze to follow the cables. They were attached to the wrists of a familiar woman, a woman who's own face was wrought with shock—Lin, and at her side, Kya. While Lin held Su in place, Kya rushed forward to Kuvira's side to check her injury.

“Su...?” the former Police Chief uttered, eyebrows lifted high. “Is that...is that you?”

Suyin huffed out a sigh and glared back at Lin with a quickly waning patience. “Well, if it isn't my stuck up, overachieving sister. So good to see you, Lin.”

Lin swallowed a hard knot deep in her throat, and kept the metal cables taut. “I don't understand... How is this possible?”

“I don't know,” Kya said, as she called a bubble of water around her hands. She immediately pressed against Kuvira's gash, and the water began to glow. “But she really did a number on Kuvira. I need to treat this immediately.”

“No, I... I'm fine,” Kuvira uttered. Even as she said it, though, her voice faded, weakened. “Really, I...”

“Shh, take it easy,” Kya urged. “Don't move.”

Lin glanced briefly at the injured Kuvira, then focused again on her sister. “Su, what is this? What... _happened_ to you? I know you well enough to know you wouldn't hurt Kuvira like that if you were in your right mind.”

“Really? _That's_ what you're going with? How well you _know_ me?” Suyin rolled her eyes with a scoff. “And how well _is_ that, exactly? You spent more time ignoring and hating me than you ever did as my sister. You barely know _anything_ about me, let alone how I feel about Kuvira. Or _you.”_

“No, this isn't you talking,” Lin countered, lowering her brow into a stern glare. “Whatever brought you back, it must have changed you. Or...something.”

“Think whatever you want,” Su sighed, “it doesn't change anything. I still have a job to do. Now, let me go.”

“ _No.”_

“So, that's how it's going to be, huh?”

Lin's glare hardened, like steel. “I guess so.”

The exchange was quick, over nearly as soon as it started. Suyin yanked her blade free from the cable and whipped it towards her sister. Lin ducked, and in the same motion reeled the other cable around Su's wrist inward. Suyin stumbled forward off balance, and Lin ran to meet her with a vicious left hook that dropped the former matriarch like a brick, unconscious. As soon as her sister was down, Lin removed all metal and threw it across the courtyard, as far away as she could. Then, she sunk down to the ground and sat with her legs crossed, and a hand pressed against her forehead.

“You okay?” Kya asked.

“I... I don't know,” Lin replied, as she stared at the unconscious Suyin. “I just... I need a minute.”

* * *

A loud bang came against the door—not a violent bang, or an alarming one, more of an aggressive knock. Still, Katara eyed the entrance with skepticism. She had heard the explosions from deeper within the palace; whatever was going on, they needed to be cautious. If it was true that Ozai had somehow returned from beyond the divide, there was no telling who else could be out there.

“Who do you suppose that is?” Toph muttered, as the knock sounded again.

“I don't know... But we shouldn't take any chances. Kanna, dear, come here.” Katara led the girl over to a small storage box underneath the bed. She opened it, emptied out the folded blankets within, then ushered Kanna inside. “I want you to hide in here where it's safe. Just be quiet and everything will be alright.”

Kanna gave the box a long look. Then, with a reluctant sigh, she climbed inside. “Kay...”

Once Kanna was safely in the box, Katara closed it behind her. Then, she made her to the door. The knock rang out a third time, but before she answered she grabbed the waterskin hanging from a hook on the wall. It had been a long time since she had done any serious bending, but she would be ready if she needed to. With one final, cautious breath, she reached forward and pulled the door open.

As soon as she saw the face staring back at her from the other side, a jolt of shock raced through her. That face... It looked so much younger than she last remembered it, and it had been so long since she'd seen it, but there could be no mistaking who it was. The man looked to be in his twenties, maybe thirties, hair tied back in his signature wolf tail... and a boomerang on his back.

“Well hey there, Sis. Been a while, hasn't it?”

Katara dropped the waterskin. _“Sokka...?”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, things are getting really intense, huh? There's so much to keep track of, which is what makes writing this kind of chapter so difficult for me. I don't like cutting away from certain scenes early (such as Azula vs Ozai), but if I spend too much time on each scene then I can't devote any time to the other ones, so it's a lot of give and take in trying to decide which events to show and when. But we're getting there.
> 
> How about that cliffhanger though, huh? Huh? Probably guessed it from the chapter title, but hey, it's Sokka!


	120. Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a chaotic attack on the Southern palace, Korra and the others finally get a chance to recover and regroup, but there's no telling how long they have before things get out of hand again.

Katara stared with wide eyes at the man in front of her. "Sokka? Is that...really you?"

"Of course it is," he replied, with a grin and a thumbs-up. "Who else would it be?"

"But I don't understand..." She stared a moment longer, then took a step forward and reached out a tentative hand. When her fingers touched Sokka's shoulder to affirm that he was really, physically there, a soft gasp burst from her lips. "How...?"

Sokka pursed his lips and shrugged. "I don't know, beats the heck out of me. Really, if you think about it, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But hey, I'm not about to complain. I mean look at me!" Turning towards the mirror on the nearby wall, he flashed a smile at his reflection. "Young again and gorgeous as ever."

"Wait, is that really Sokka?" Toph asked, as she took a few steps closer. Her brow scrunched together, and blank eyes became as skeptical as they could be. "I mean, it _sounds_ like Sokka, but... That shouldn't be possible."

"I know, I know, it's crazy," Sokka said. "But it's true, I'm here. Boomerang and all."

Katara finally closed the rest of the distance between them and threw her arms tight around her brother. "Oh, Sokka!" When he returned the embrace, she felt tears come to her eyes. It had been nearly twenty years since she'd last seen him, since he'd died. To actually see him again, to _hug_ him again... It was beyond surreal.

"I wish I had some earth beneath my feet so I could see you," Toph said, flashing a grin across her face. Then, she approached the other two to join them. "But I guess I can settle for a hug instead."

"Aw, you guys, making me feel all special." Sokka squeezed them tight for a long moment, then finally pulled away to smile at them. "Anyway, the reason I'm here is because my boss wants to see you. He's looking for powerful benders to meet with him, and hey, you two were some of the best."

Toph folded her arms and scoffed. "What do you mean, 'were'?"

Katara, on the other hand, paused a moment and gave her brother a curious stare. "Sokka, what 'boss' are you talking about?"

"Oh, great guy, really," he said. "You see, you two have really strong spirits, and that's something my boss really needs. He's a little weak right now and needs time to regain his strength. You could help him with that."

Katara took a cautious step backwards. As much as she wanted to be blinded by the fact that her dead brother had returned to life, she had been around long enough to know when something was wrong. "What are you talking about? Sokka, you're not making any sense."

"Ah come on, don't be stubborn," he insisted. "It'll be good for you."

Katara paused again, giving a brief glance back to the box in which Kanna was hiding. Then, she focused again on her brother. "I'm afraid we have to stay here. Why not just sit down and have some tea with us?"

Sokka's gaze darkened, and became more aggressive. "You really need to come with me now."

"No." Something was _definitely_ wrong. Whatever had brought back Sokka... It wasn't of this world, nor could it mean anything good.

With a disappointed sigh, Sokka closed his eyes and shook his head. "You just had to be stubborn, didn't you? Guess we have to do this the hard way then..."

Katara should have seen the attack coming. She _did_ , in fact, but her reflexes were far from what they used to be. By the time she reached a hand out to bend the water from her dropped waterskin, Sokka had already pulled the boomerang from his back and swung it at her head. The blow cracked against her skull and flashed bright colors in front of her eyes. Seconds later, she collapsed to the floor.

"Sokka, what are you—" she heard Toph say. But the words cut out at the sound of another cracking blow from Sokka's boomerang. Then, everything went quiet, and dark.

* * *

Azula ducked low beneath a burst of fire. The flames scorched the air above her as she twisted her body and spun a kick at her father's face. Ozai recoiled backwards away from the blue fire and stumbled briefly, allowing Azula to continue her assault and knock him off balance with a burning stream from both her fists. Even as Ozai bended as much of the flames away from himself as possible, his daughter never let him regain his poise.

She whirled her leg along the ground to send a fiery wave racing at his feet; it forced him to jump away, breaking his root in the process. Azula countered instantly with a jab of her fingertips. A concentrated jet of fire burst forth and erupted against Ozai's chest, sending him spinning across the ground with his clothes singed and smoking. He flipped himself back up to his feet as quickly as he could, but Azula was already on him again. Once more, he was forced on the defensive.

This continued throughout the fight. In spite of Ozai's boasts and cockiness, he found himself clearly outmatched by his daughter. No matter what he threw at her, she had an answer. Even in the combat-inappropriate attire of a bathrobe and bare feet, she displayed a far superior skill than the former Phoenix King. He grew angrier as the fight went on, more frustrated and desperate. His attacks became wilder, and his defense less precise. Within a short few moments, Azula broke through his guard completely and blasted him back against the wall with a vicious fireball.

"I told you, it's _your_ turn to be afraid!" Azula said, as she shifted her stance. This time, she prepared to charge lightning.

Ozai pushed up to his knees and glared at her, brow low over his eyes. "If you think I'm afraid of my own daughter, then you are delusional."

"Well you certainly don't seem as confident as you were a few minutes ago," she countered. A blue spark crackled from her fingertips. "You're just as pathetic as you are cruel. How I _ever_ looked up to spineless weasel snake like you..."

"You don't know what you're doing Azula," Ozai chided. "What this _means_. You're a fool of you think you're going to live a happy, normal life. No matter what you do, you will always be the monster that I created. Sooner or later, you'll hurt the ones you claim to love. Sooner or later, they will pay for ever trusting you."

_"Shut up!"_

Lightning sparked through the air as Azula thrust her fingers forward, releasing the sizzling bolt straight at her father. Whatever had brought him back, whatever his reason for being here, it would all be over now. He had tried to torment her again, but he he had failed. She had triumphed over him, and now she could be free of him once and for all. Just as the bolt was about to strike, however, another figure ran in front of its path and caught it against his own fingertips. Then, he pointed one of his arms down the other end of the corridor and released the lightning harmlessly into the far wall, burning a hole clean through the ice.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that," the man said.

Azula found herself staring with wild eyes at the new figure before her. The man did not look the same as either the times she had known him, neither as the kid and teenager she'd grown up with, or the old man she just most recently known him as. Rather, he looked to be in his late twenties, or perhaps early thirties, with longer hair done up in a half-knot. In spite of the difference in appearance, though, she recognized him instantly; there could be no mistaking that burn scar across his left eye.

"What...?" she uttered, her voice catching hoarsely in her throat. A sick knot twisted in her gut. "Zuzu?"

"Hello, Azula," he said. "It's been a while."

"Zuzu, how...how are you here?"

"Does it matter? Same as our father, I would imagine."

"But...but why are you _helping_ him?" she questioned, shifting a glance towards Ozai. "After everything he did to us, to you..."

"Because he's right," Zuko replied. "You _are_ fooling yourself, with this delusion you've built up of being normal and happy. People like you can't be happy. You don't _deserve_ to be happy."

 _"What...?"_ she said, squeaking out her voice in a weak gasp. "Zuzu, what...what are you saying?"

Zuko sighed, and shook his head slowly in pity. "You think you've changed, but you haven't. One of these days, you'll break down again. You'll lose it and you won't get any better. And all the people you love? Anraq, Kanna? They'll leave you. They'll take you back to the only place someone like you belongs and they will abandon you there, alone and institutionalized, to suffer in your own despair just like you deserve."

 _"No!"_ Azula squinted her eyes shut and clasped her fingers in her hair, head shaking. "Stop it! You wouldn't say that! Zuko wouldn't say that!"

Again, Zuko sighed. "You see? It's already started. Your mind is damaged, Azula. No matter how much you bandage it back up, it's only a matter of time before it falls to pieces again."

Azula shrieked out a desperate cry and shrank down to her knees, still clutching her hair. Zuko couldn't be saying these things. He _wouldn't_ say these things. He loved her, cared about her... He wasn't cruel like this. He didn't want to hurt her. This wasn't him. It _couldn't_ be him.

"Shut up and let's just finish this already," Ozai muttered. "I'm tired of playing games. And for the record, I didn't need your help."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Right, because it looked like you had everything under control."

"Zuzu, please just... just _stop,"_ Azula said. She stared up at him with pleading eyes and trembling hands. "This isn't you. You wouldn't hurt me. You wouldn't."

"And why not? You hurt me plenty." Zuko raised his fists and snapped himself into a firebending stance. "I'm only returning the favor."

Just as he moved in to attack, however, a fireball careened through the corridor and erupted at his feet, forcing him back a step. When he looked up again, he noticed two figures racing towards him, putting themselves in front of Azula. A sigh left his mouth when he recognized them.

"Get _away_ from her," Izumi said, with a stern glare.

Iroh attempted to retain an equally fierce demeanor, but faltered when he realized who their opponents were. "Mom, is that...Grandfather?"

"Yes...and mine," she replied. "Or at least it _looks_ like them."

"Hello, Izumi," Zuko said, with a simple nod of his head.

Azula blinked up at her niece, still half frozen in her grief. "Izumi...? What are you doing?"

"Helping you," she insisted. "Now get out of here. We'll hold them off."

"But, Izumi..."

Izumi turned a quick glare back at her. "Go. Get your daughter and get out of here. We can handle them. "

Ozai was the first to strike, leaping forward with a spiraling blast of fire. Izumi met him with a blast of her own, and then both Iroh and Zuko joined the fight. In seconds, the corridor filled with flames. Azula knelt there a moment, just watching. She could help. She knew she _should_ help, and yet... Something deep in her gut pushed her away, a sick trembling knot that shook her to her core. Zuko's words, she realized, still haunted her, so fresh they were in her mind. Rather than fight, she scrambled up to her feet and fled down the other end of the hallway, heart pounding and head racing.

* * *

P'Li poked her head up over the ice wall that she, Ghazan, and Ming-Hua took cover behind. She focused as quickly as she could on the approaching guards, each of them keeping up their own defenses of ice in front of themselves. There were a lot, and they were well trained. Each time she unleashed another explosion, the guards doubled up their defense around the point of impact and kept coming, all while several attackers in the back launched a continual barrage of icy projectiles, which forced the three former Red Lotus members back into cover.

"Well this wasn't part of the plan,” Ghazan muttered. “We were supposed to take the Avatar, not get pinned down by every guard in the damn palace."

"Oh would you relax?” Ming-Hua said. “We can get the Avatar later. I'm sure the rest of these morons will be appreciated. Especially those two." Leaning out from the side of the wall, she focused on Tonraq and Tenzin in particular.

"And how exactly do you expect to capture them all?” Ghazan countered. “Would be a heck of a lot easier to just blow them to smithereens."

P'Li expelled another combustion blast down the corridor to slow the advancing guards, then dropped back into cover again as another storm of icy blades pelted the wall. "We just need to hold out a little longer."

At the other end of the corridor, Tenzin approached at the rear of the guards. He whirled a spinning dome of air around both himself and Tonraq for defense. "What on earth are these three doing here? And alive?"

"I don't know, but they have to be stopped,” Tonraq said. “Even without Zaheer, they're exceptionally dangerous.”

“Especially if they're working with Amon and Tarrlok,” Tenzin added, as he glanced behind his shoulder. Both bloodbenders still lied unconscious from Asami's earlier attack. “I don't know what's going on here, but it can't be good.”

Tonraq nodded, then shielded both of them with another ice wall as one of Pli's explosions went off nearby. When the blast ceased, they continued forward. “Well, we have them where we want them right now, so if we just keep pushing we should— _aaahhh!"_

Both Tonraq and Tenzin abruptly twisted under an invisible hold, limbs twisting and contorting in violent manner. The same hold soon spread to the other palace guards, as each one of them crumpled down to the floor in screaming agony. As they went down, both Amon and Tarrlok sat upright and glared at them, each with a hand raised and fingers clenched.

“Did you really think that would keep us down for long?” Tarrlok said. “How very foolish of you to leave us unattended.”

Within seconds, Tenzin, Tonraq, and every one of the guards ceased moving and went silent, forced unconscious by their bloodbending. Then, Amon gave his fingers a twitch and the entire group hovered up into the air, fit for transport.

"Well it's about time,” Ming-Hua stated, as she stood up from behind her ice wall. “I was beginning to think you two were enjoying your nap."

Amon glared at her from behind his mask. "You're welcome."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever.”

* * *

Anraq stumbled along through the palace, hunched forward with his arms held around his chest. While the ice he had placed over his wound had stopped the bleeding for now, it certainly did nothing to stop the pain. Every step he took felt like being stabbed all over again. He couldn't stop to heal himself, though. That would take time he didn't have, assuming that Megumi was still in pursuit of him. In his state, it probably wouldn't take long for her to catch up.

The thought of Megumi twinged a feeling of confusion and dread through him. How could she possibly be back? She was dead. He had _watched_ her die. And yet, even as he wondered, he knew he shouldn't be that shocked. He had watched Kanna die, too, and yet his daughter had been back for over a year now. It could happen, he knew, but the question was why? Why was she back now, and why did she seem so...different? Why had she attacked him? What was going on?

And where was Kanna? And Azula? Were they alright? Had something happened to them? Was he too late? What if they were hurt? Or worse?

A pained groan burst from his lips as his legs gave out. He hit the floor hard and lied there barely able to move as the pain from his wound exploded to new levels, leaving him near crippled. Just a minute... He just needed a minute to recover, then he could get up again and keep going. Just a minute...

Somewhere through the haze of his physical agony, he heard a voice call out to him. “Anraq?” He knew that voice.

"Azula!” With another groan, he forced himself upright and looked up at his girlfriend standing above him. She reached down to help him back to his feet, a process that made his head spin and nearly lurched his stomach over the edge of vomiting. “Oh thank goodness. Where's Kanna?"

"I...left her with Toph and Katara.” Azula blinked at him, half in a daze. Something seemed off about her, as though her mind were somewhere distant and not quite there. “What happened? Are you alright?"

"Oh, sure, fine,” he muttered. “And uh, this is going to sound crazy, but... Remember how I told you about Kanna's birth mother, Megumi? Well...she just showed up out of the blue, alive. She did this to me."

Azula blinked again, still trapped deep in a partial daze. She didn't even answer at first, instead lowering her head to look away from him, as though she didn't want to meet his eyes. “That's not...so crazy. My father just showed up too. And...and Zuzu. They both attacked me.”

 _"What?_ Are you serious?"

She gave a slow nod. "Yes... I've heard sounds of battle coming all throughout this palace, too, so... I'm guessing there's more than just them."

"Oh man...” Anraq grumbled out another pained breath as he held his arm around Azula for support. “This is insane. What in spirits name is going on?"

His question was answered by a new voice, further down the corridor. "The same thing happened to us, as well. Our father returned from the dead to attack us.”

Anraq turned a glance to see Desna standing there, accompanied by his bodyguard, and an unconscious Eska lying atop a floating pillow of sand. "Desna! Good to see you alright. And you, too... uh, Hari, was it?"

Hari gave a single nod, bowing in greeting. "That is correct."

“Eska was hurt...” Desna said, giving a worried look to his sister. “We're on our way to Katara now to heal her."

"That's where we're headed now, too,” Anraq said. Not only was he in serious need of healing himself, but he needed to get to Kanna. “I can help too, when we get there."

Desna nodded. "Good, let us proceed together."

* * *

“Katara!” Anraq called, as he shoved the door open. He briefly stumbled atop his feet, but Azula caught him and held on tight. “We have injured here! We need—” His words ceased in his throat when he realized that he was yelling at an empty room. This was the room that Katara and Toph had been staying in, and yet...they were nowhere to be found.

“I don't understand,” Azula said, as she shifted her gaze around the room. All she saw were two empty beds, a pair of teacups on the table, and a fallen waterskin on the floor. No sign of Katara or Toph. Or Kanna. “I left them right here. They should _be_ here.”

“They're not here...” Anraq uttered, as he broke away from Azula and fell towards the table. “They're not... Kanna? Kanna!”

“Daddy?”

The voice was quiet and muffled, but it caught their attention. Anraq immediately twisted himself around, trying to find where it had come from. “Sweet Pea? Is that you? Where...?”

A brief second later, the door on a small storage box beneath one of the beds opened up and Kanna crawled out into the open. As soon as she was free, she ran over to her father with her arms outstretched. “Daddyyy!”

“Oh Kanna...” Anraq wrapped his arms tight around his daughter, hugging her close. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“I'm okay...” she said, with a sniffle. “Master Katara made me hide so I was safe. Then someone came and took her.”

Anraq blinked, eyebrows furrowing together. “Someone came and...”

“That is not good at all,” Desna said. “We need a healer. Eska is getting weaker, and she's already lost a lot of blood.”

Anraq pulled away from Kanna and forced himself towards one of the beds. “Here, put her down. I'll help her.”

Desna raised an eyebrow, with a subtle hint of concern. “But you are injured just as badly. You need to heal as well.”

“I'll be fine,” he insisted. I stopped the bleeding, at least. Sure it stings like a mother, but... Eska needs help. Let me see her.”

“Very well... Thank you.” Desna nodded to Hari, who guided the floating sand pillow through the air and gently set Eska down atop the bed.

Azula watched with unblinking eyes, her thoughts muddied and distant. It wasn't until she felt a tight grasp around her legs that she pulled out of her daze and looked down to see Kanna hugging her.

“Mommy, I'm glad you're okay,” the girl said. “I was so scared...”

A soft sigh exhaled from Azula's lips as she knelt down to meet Kanna with a hug. “Thank you, sweetie... I'm glad you're okay, too.”

Several minutes later, the door to the room opened again, giving way to a veritable parade of new arrivals. Asami was the first to enter, supporting a barely conscious Mako with his arm around her shoulders. Sin came in behind her, helping along Bolin. Bringing up the rear was Korra.

“Got room for a few more?” Asami asked. She helped Mako down on the other bed, while Sin guided Bolin into one of the chairs at the table.

“Spirits,” Anraq said, lifting his eyebrows. “What happened to you guys?”

“Probably the same thing that happened to you,” Korra said, as she sat in another chair at the table. “We were attacked.”

“...By people who are supposed to be dead, by any chance?”

Korra blinked at him, then gave a slow nod. “Yeah, exactly.”

“Great...” Anraq hissed a soft groan, then turned his attention back to Eska. The water around his hands glowed brighter as he doubled his efforts to heal her. “What on earth is going on here?”

“I can't say for sure...” Korra said. “But Raava says she felt a powerful spiritual presence that she doesn't recognize. It could be that whatever that presence is, it's what's brought these people back. And it could be controlling them, too.”

Desna glanced towards her with a frown. “That sounds...troublesome.”

“The question is,” said Sin, “what is this spirit, or being, or whatever , that's doing this?”

“I don't know, but I know who we can ask.” The voice came from the doorway. Standing there now were several more arrivals—Lin, Kya, and Kuvira. Lin took a step forward into the room and dragged an unconscious figure behind her, a figure bound with strips of cloth around the wrists and ankles. “Whenever she wakes up, that is.”

Korra nearly bolted upright out of her seat. “Su? I don't believe it...”

“I'm not sure I believe it either...” Kuvira said. She stumbled into the room atop quivering legs, only able to steady herself after grabbing hold of the table. “Whoever, or... _whatever_ that is, it can't be Su. The Su I know would never act the way she's acting. Would never...say the things she said...”

“Honey...” This time, Korra did get up out of her seat. She threw her arms around her wife and held tight. “I'm so glad you're alright.”

“Me too,” Kuvira muttered, with a heavy sigh. “I was in pretty bad condition a while ago, but Kya patched me up.”

Kya crossed the room and sat at Anraq's side to look at his wound; it wasn't exactly easy to miss, with the bloodied hole that had been ripped through his shirt. “Here, let me see that.”

“ _Ow,”_ Anraq groaned, as the older woman pressed her hands against his chest. The ice plugging the puncture liquefied a moment later and then began to glow and heal him. “Thanks.”

“So...what do we do now?” Asami said.

“We patch ourselves up and get moving,” Korra replied. “We have to see if we can help the others still in the palace. Then we find whatever spirit is causing all this and put a stop to it.”

“Are we sure that's a good idea?” Sin asked. “I mean, half of us aren't in fighting shape right now, and we have some crazy powerful enemies running around out there.”

Lin nodded. “She's right. We'd probably just end up getting ourselves killed.”

“But my father is out there!” Korra insisted. “We can't just leave him. Or Tenzin.”

“Or Izumi,” Azula added. “And Iroh.”

“Or, you know, the palace guards, the other wedding guests, Katara, Toph...” Anraq said. “Everyone, _really._ ”

Lin huffed a deep breath and glanced back towards the still partially open door. She took a step towards it and poked her head outside to look both ways down the hall. Then, she returned inside and closed the door behind her. “Maybe for now, we find a safe place and wait for Su here to wake up, get some answers from her... We'd be much better help if we knew exactly what we're up against.”

Korra sighed, bowing her head. “Yeah, alright. I suppose we can do that. We _should_ have all the information we can... There's no telling what we're up against.”

* * *

Just outside the main entrance of the palace, Sen stood with his eyes closed and a smirk curled across his face. The rush of emotions he sensed coming from within those walls was nearly overwhelming—the confusion, the despair, the grief, the shock, the horror, all of it... Oh, this was fun. It had been far, far too long since he had been free to torment anyone like this, playing on their fears and their grief. It almost made the thousands of years locked away in prison worth spending. Almost.

A quiet cackle surged from his throat. Soon, he would regain his full strength, and no longer would this physical form hinder his power. When that happened, not even the Avatar would be able to stop him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answers are coming soooon, I promise. I know things seem slower now that I'm updating every other day, but it's coming. From this chapter's ending you can probably start to guess how and why these characters are all back from the dead, but definitive answers will come with the next chapter. Just know that that any previously 'good' characters (Sokka, Suyin, Zuko) that have returned are acting like villains for a reason, which should be pretty obvious. They didn't just suddenly decide to be evil or anything. There's so much coming in this story I wish I could just get to it all now, but we'll get to it eventually!


	121. When Doubt Creeps In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While recovering from the recent attack, both Kuvira and Azula begin to doubt themselves and their place in the world. Meanwhile, the newly resurrected Suyin reveals dire information about the spirit who brought her back.

Korra raised her arms and then swung them down in a single motion. The ice wall in front of her lowered into the ground to reveal a long passage beyond that descended deeper into the ground. With no lights to guide them, both she and Azula took point and led the way with flames blazing in their palms. The others followed closely behind, keeping watch over their shoulders just in case anyone tried to ambush them; they had been fortunate enough so far not to run into any enemies on the way here through the palace. Once they had all made it into the passage, Anraq turned around and raised the ice wall back into place, sealing the entrance.

The path led deep underground, below the palace. It finally emptied out into a long chamber made of metal—no ice or water here, only sheer iron walls. A dozen cells lined either side of the chamber, the bar-fitted doors of each open wide. Korra waved everyone to follow inside, and then quickly shot off several bursts of fire to light the torches along the walls. Even as old as they were, the torches still burned bright.

"Are you sure we're safe here?" Lin asked.

"We should be, for a while at least," Korra said. "This place used to be a jail, but they closed it off decades ago. Only a few people still know it's even here."

Lin hummed a skeptical breath, then made her way towards one of the cells. She carried the still unconscious Suyin atop her showers. "Alright, well let's rest up while we can. As soon as Su wakes up, we can start asking questions."

The group separated into separate cells. Desna and Hari went together, with Eska floating on another hovering pillow of sand. Kya went with them, to further heal Eska's injuries; although now in stable condition, the wounded chief still required more treatment if she was to properly recover. Asami and Sin led Mako and Bolin into another cell. Neither brother had been in as dire condition as Eska, but they still both needed rest, not yet able to walk fully under their own power. Anraq, Azula, and Kanna went together into one of the rear cells, while Korra and Kuvira made their way into the opposite one.

Kuvira lowered herself to the ground and flopped back against the wall, gaze staring up at the ceiling. Korra watched her a moment, then sat next to her and held an arm around her.

"Are you alright?" Korra asked. "I mean, with Su coming back like this, what she did to you... That couldn't have been easy."

"No, it was nothing," Kuvira said, with a shake of her head. "I'll... I'll be fine."

"Okay..." Korra gave her wife a skeptical frown, but didn't push the matter. "If you need anything, though, I'm here."

A long moment of quiet passed between them. Kuvira didn't look back at her wife, instead keeping her focus on the ceiling above. Even when she at last brought herself to say something, her attention didn't shift. If anything, it only intensified, as if trying to burn a hole through the metal. "Korra, do you...think I should still be in jail?"

Korra shot a confused look towards her wife. "What? No, of course not. Why would you ask that?"

"It's just..." A long sigh hissed from Kuvira's lips as she bowed her head. "After everything I did, I was only in prison for five and a half years. That's a fraction of the time I was supposed to spend."

"Because of everything you did _after,"_ Korra said, holding a tender hand to her wife's shoulder. "Kuvira, you did so much to help people, to help me, to help the _world._ You earned your freedom."

"But you don't think I still got off too easy?" Kuvira finally looked to Korra. There was a worry in her eyes, an uncertainty. "Sure, I helped people, but it doesn't erase the ones I hurt. I... maybe I shouldn't have been given a second chance. Maybe I didn't really deserve one."

"You got a second because you _proved_ you deserved one," Korra insisted, with a stern gaze. "Don't think for a second that all the good you've done doesn't matter, because it does. That's the _real_ you. All the bad you did, all the misguided decisions? That wasn't the real you. Those were mistakes, mistakes that you've already paid for. You don't need to keep suffering for them. We've moved past that."

"But..."

"No buts," she said, with a quick snap in her tone. "Kuvira, if I didn't think you'd changed, if I didn't think you'd earned a second chance, if I didn't think you had become a better person, then I wouldn't be with you. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you, I wouldn't have put this necklace on, I wouldn't have walked down that aisle, and I wouldn't have said 'I do.' But I did, and I meant it." Her gaze softened, and she curled an affectionate smile across her face. "I love you, and I always will."

Kuvira stared at her a long moment, as of unable or unwilling to believe what Korra was telling her. Finally, she eased out a gentle sigh and held herself close against her wife. She felt...safe, and warm. "Thank you, Korra. I... Thank you."

* * *

"Daddy, I'm tired," Kanna said, with a weak pout and droopy eyes.

"I know, Sweet Pea," Anraq said. He held her tight in his arms and leaned her down so she could lie against him. "Just lie here, try to get some rest."

"But I'm cooold." She shivered as if to punctuate her point, but no sooner than had she complained, Azula held out a hand and ignited a large, hot flame for warmth. A pleasant sigh exhaled from Kanna's lips, and she finally closed her eyes to get some rest. "Thank you, Mommy."

Azula gave an absent nod, staring into the flickering blue fire. "You're welcome, sweetie..."

Kanna soon drifted off into a deep sleep, snuggled against her father. Anraq gently brushed her hair with his fingers, then shifted his attention to his girlfriend; Azula still seemed trapped in some kind of daze, lost in distant thoughts.

"Are you alright?" he said.

"Hmm?" Azula glanced up from her fire and blinked at him. "Yes... yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've just seemed... I don't know, not all here," he said. "Like you're distracted. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"No, I don't need to talk," she insisted, looking again to the flames. "I'm fine...perfectly fine."

"Alright... if you say so."

A long quiet lingered between them. Azula kept her focus intently on the deep blue fire, entranced by it. The more she stared, the cooler the flame became, until finally it dimmed and extinguished in her now empty grasp. "Annie, do I..." Her words paused briefly as she looked to him. "Do I make you happy?"

"What?" Anraq met her gaze with his brow lifted in surprise. "Yes, of _course_ you do. Happier than I've been since... well, as long as I can remember. Why would ask that?"

She paused a moment, swallowing a growing knot in her throat. "You know I'm not... I'm not _well_ , right? I mean, not completely. I know I've been good for a while, I've been healthy, but... I could break down again. I could have another episode." She shuddered briefly and grabbed tight at the sides of her head. "Sometimes, I... I'm not sure if my mind is quite right."

Anraq reached out to comfort her, but his touch to her shoulder caused another shudder to run through her, so he pulled his hand back again. He could see that she still had more to say, words fluttering on the edge of her lips, so for now he didn't say anything; he just let her talk.

"I still have nightmares on occasion," she said. "I can never remember what they're even about, but I always wake up afraid, paranoid, and...and confused, like I know I don't belong there. Sometimes I can get back to sleep, but usually I just lie there...crying." As soon as she said at, she smacked her hands against her forehead. It was shame that she felt, shame for showing this kind of vulnerability, even if it was in front of Anraq. "Crying because I don't know what's _wrong_ with me or if I'll ever get better, or if I even deserve any of this, and I... I'm _afraid_ , Annie. I'm afraid I'll just get worse."

"Azula, hey, come here." Anraq reached out to her again, and this time he pulled her in close, arms wrapped around her. She made no attempt to pull away, only leaning closer against him. "Why haven't you told me this before?"

"Because I was embarrassed..." she uttered, voice quivering out her throat. _"Ashamed_. I hate being weak, you know that, and I just thought... admitting that would make me weak. That you'd pity me, or... or be disgusted with me."

"Azula, look at me." Anraq pulled away from her just enough so that they could see each other eye to eye. "I could _never_ think that about you. Admitting your fears, your struggles... That isn't weakness. That takes a strength that I wish I had. Whatever you're going through, no matter how hard it is, I _will_ be there to help you. _Always._ I love you for everything you are, and that won't ever change."

"But what if... What if I get _really_ bad?" Her eyes shifted now with a genuine fear and worry; the thought terrified her. "You wouldn't just leave me in an institution somewhere and forget about me? I can't go through that again."

"Never," he said, staring deep into her eyes. He could see the brimming of tears beginning to form, so he raised a hand to cup her cheek and reaffirmed his sincerity. "I will _never_ leave you, Azula. Not for anything."

"But what if I _hurt_ you? Or Kanna? What if I can't control myself? What if I..."

"That won't happen," he assured. "I know you, Azula. I know how much you care. You've been nothing but a wonderful mother to Kanna. You could never hurt her."

"But how can you be so sure?" The distress in her voice shook Anraq for a moment. She stared at him, eyes wild, distraught. "Annie, I don't want to lose you, or Kanna. Please, I... I can't lose you. I _can't."_

"You won't, not ever." He pulled her in again and held her tight, one arm around her shoulders and one hand gently against the back of her head. She sank against him, face buried against his chest; he could feel her sobbing. "I love you, with all my heart, Azula. I always will."

* * *

Suyin grumbled as conscious slowly returned to her. She blinked her eyes open and sat upright, but when she tried to stand she found her ankles and wrists bound in ice. She frowned, tugging at the frozen shackles to loosen them. Before she made any progress, however, a figure loomed over her.

"Don't bother trying to free yourself,” Lin said, glaring with her arms folded tight across her chest. “Unless you're suddenly a waterbender now, those aren't coming off.”

Su huffed in annoyance and gazed upward. "Lin, really, is that any way to treat your sister?”

"If you _are_ my sister. Judging from what I've seen so far, I'm not so sure about that."

"Oh, it is me, I can promise you that,” she assured. “The only difference is that now I'm not playing nice anymore. I'm not submitting myself to make other people happy. That's what got me killed the first time around. This time, I'm going to look out for myself and only myself. The rest of you can rot for all I care."

Lin deepened her frown and then lowered herself to one knee, so she was level with her sister. "I don't believe that for a second. If you really wanted me to believe you're Su, you'd act like her. The sister I knew wouldn't say those things. She cared about others. She wasn't cruel or heartless, and as far as I'm concerned, you're spitting on her memory with this damn facade!"

"It is her." The voice came from the cell doorway behind them. “Sort of.”

"Korra?” Lin looked over her shoulder to see the Avatar standing there, watching them. “What do you mean?"

"I mean, that really _is_ Suyin,” Korra said. “Or at least it's her spirit, in a new body made to look like her as she was in her prime. That's what Raava says, anyway."

Su grinned. "You see? I told you."

"What?” Lin swallowed, head lowering in thought. She didn't want to believe that this was Su, or at least a part of her didn't. She would be thrilled to have her actual sister back, but not like this. This wasn't the Su she remembered. “But then...why is she acting like this?"

"I can't say for sure,” Korra said. She entered into the cell and came closer, squinting her eyes at Suyin as if to study her. “It feels like there's a strong spiritual energy inside her, one that isn't her own. It's like it's...corrupting her somehow, bringing out her worst qualities and amplifying them."

Lin's eyes flickered with understanding. “So then whatever brought her spirit back, whatever revived her, it's forcing her to do its bidding."

Korra nodded. "That would be my best guess."

"Can she be fixed?" Lin's tone shifted to one of desperate hope. “If it's true she's being made to act this way, then curing her... Su really _would_ be back, right? The real Su.”

"I don't _need_ fixing,” Suyin said. “I'm perfectly fine as is."

Korra glanced at Su a moment, then offered an unknowing shrug. "Honestly, I have no idea. This isn't something I've seen before. It's not even something Raava has seen before. To do something like this, bringing people back from the dead? That requires an exceptionally powerful, ancient spirit. This could be the biggest thing we've faced since Vaatu."

Lin frowned. "That's saying something, considering Vaatu literally almost destroyed the world as we know it."

"For now, we should just try to get answers from her,” Korra said, with a nod. She looked to Su again and lowered herself down to one knee, at eye level. “Who is the spirit that brought you back? What are we up against?”

Su scoffed. “As if I'd tell you anything."

"Su, please.” Lin's eyes softened as she gazed at her sister— _really_ her sister. She just...needed to get through to her somehow. “You don't have to let this spirit control you. You're stronger than that... You were always strong. You can _beat_ this."

"Do you really expect that to work?” Suyin tilted her head back and laughed. “You really were stupid when we were kids. I see that hasn't changed much. If you think you're getting through to me with a few tender words, then you're delusional."

Korra narrowed her eyes in thought, then stood up and made her way towards the rear wall of the cell. "Let me try something."

With a quick motion of her arms, she peeled away the metal of the cell to get to the ice beneath. Once the ice was exposed, she bended out a flow of water and split it into two separate streams, spiraling upwards around Suyin. Then, she began rotating her arms around in a steady, whirling pattern.

"Wait...what are you doing?" Su questioned.

As the water began to glow a bright yellow, Korra offered a stern glare. "I figure since your body was artificially created and your spirit was forcibly called back, you might be susceptible to spiritbending.” Shortly after Korra started, Su let out a shout and her eyes glowed the same yellow as the water. “Looks like I was right. Do you know what this does? It forces you back to the Spirit World. You'll lose your new body, and your new life. Unless you answer our questions."

Su's eyes glowed brighter, and she screamed louder. "No... stop, you can't... you can't do this! Lin, are you going to let her do this? To your own sister?”

Lin said nothing. She only watched, and waited. And hoped that Korra knew what she was doing.

“Stop! Please!” As the light in Su's eyes began to dissolve into tiny flecks of light she gave one last scream and finally gave in. “Alright, alright! I'll tell you what you want!"

Korra immediately ceased the motion of her arms and allowed the water to fall back to the ground. The light in Su's eyes vanished seconds later. "Who is the spirit that brought you back?”

Su slumped forward with her head bowed, heaving in deep breaths. “I don't know... None of us do. He didn't give us his name or anything. All I know is that one moment I'm dead, nothing but a spirit floating in the void, and then the next I'm being ripped back into the physical world and shoved into a new body.” She swallowed, finally getting her breath back, and looked up at the Avatar. “Then I get told to pay Kuvira a visit and break her down, however I can. We all got similar orders. Whoever this spirit is, he enjoys the despair and distress that kind of drama causes. It's fun to him.”

“That can't be the only reason he's doing this,” Lin said, scrunching her eyebrows.

“It's not,” Su replied. “He also needs to steal as many of your essences—your spirits—as possible, the stronger the better. They give him strength, which he's in short supply of since coming to the physical world. No one in this palace is safe, or the world for that matter.”

Lin's eyes widened, and she shot a tentative glance towards Korra. “What would having your spirit ripped out of your body do to a person exactly?”

“Nothing good...” Korra twisted a look of concern onto her face. “This is bad. Really bad. We need to find this spirit and stop him right now.” Seconds later, she was on her way out the cell door. “Gather anyone who can still fight and follow me!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a shorter chapter than normal but I didn't want to drag it out any longer than that. I wanted to focus on the parallels of both Kuvira and Azula being affected by their recent confrontations, both wondering if there's some truth to what Suyin, and Ozai/Zuko said to them, respectively. What's interesting about that, I think, is that they're both doubting themselves, but in different ways--Kuvira in not believing she really earned a second chance, and Azula believing that she can't live a normal, happy life, and might degrade back into the paranoid mess she used to be. The important thing though is that they both have people there to support them.


	122. Spiritless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar seeks to stop the new spiritual threat. Meanwhile, Anraq and Azula make new friends.

The palace courtyard was quiet, and darker than it should have been. Even in the dead of night, the moon and the spirit lights should have offered a bright glow in the darkness, and yet here there were only deep, hard shadows. They had no physical source from which they were cast, brought upon only by the presence of the figure sitting cross-legged at the center of open space, between a grouping of ice sculptures. He held his eyes shut tight, palms flat against his knees, and concentrated his mind deep into the palace beyond. So much pain, so much misery, so much fear and shock and confusion and horror he sensed within. His heart raced, and his lips curled—how wonderful it was to be causing so much anguish once again, after thousands of lifetimes locked away in a hapless void.

Sen breathed in deep and flinched as the cold air stung his lungs. He hated having this human body, this need to entrap himself within a physical vessel to enter the material world. If he only had his full power, he could break free and enter this world in his true form, limitations set forth by his mother be damned. For now, though, such a prospect was a far off goal to work towards. He first needed to regain his strength, as weakened as he was in this body. Even with his essence returned to him, the limitations of this human form were great. The most he could manage was to call back spirits from the void and place them into newly created bodies, which did at least make for adequate servants.

Of course, he didn't call back just _any_ spirits, oh no. By reading the fears and memories and doubts from people's minds, he knew all the right ones to bring back, the ones that would cause the most turmoil and distress. That made for the most fun. After all, if he couldn't enjoy himself throughout this process, then what was even the point? Sure, he could still simply steal the essences from anyone he came across, which he would for many, but watching his victims break down and deteriorate in the meantime was where the _real_ pleasure came from, especially those who were otherwise so strong willed. The strongest essences gave him the most satisfaction in destroying.

The sound of footsteps across the ice drew Sen's attention away from the palace and back into the courtyard. When he opened his eyes, he noticed one of his resurrected servants standing there, dragging a pair of bodies behind. He calmly arose to his feet and glanced down at the two unconscious figures. “Ah, Sokka. I see you were successful.”

“Sure was,” Sokka replied, as he tossed both old women to the spirit's feet. “We have here Toph, the greatest earthbender in the world, and Katara, my sister and wife of the previous Avatar.”

Sen nodded. “Well done.”

“Eh, it was easy.” Sokka offered a quiet chuckle, arms folding across his chest. “Should have seen their faces when they saw me. Priceless. Completely let their guards down, too.”

“I know, I could sense their shock and confusion from here. And their despair when you turned against them.” Sen managed a subtle grin. The essences that he sensed within these two were quite powerful. They were two of the strongest benders of their time, making their value indispensable to him. For a brief moment, he considered stealing those essences for himself, but instead he shook away the thought. Patience was a virtue that he needed to place in high regard. Regaining his full strength through the absorption of human essences would take time, and there would be many more to be had. For now, he could use these two for other purposes.

Shortly after Sokka's arrival, another group arrived down the steps of the palace, into the courtyard—the Red Lotus members he had resurrected, as well as the two bloodbenders, both former enemies of the Avatar.

“We got a few surprises for you here,” Ming-Hua said. “The Avatar's father, the Air Nation leader, and then a whole bunch of guards for you. We figured you'd find a use for them.”

“Yes...their essences will do nicely,” Sen replied. These ones he had no greater use for; these ones, he could absorb directly. “Were you able to acquire the Avatar, as well?”

“No, she got away,” Amon said.

“But she can't have gotten far,” Tarrlok added. “We'll find her.”

At this statement, Sen's eyes darkened. “You had better... Hers is the most important essence of all.” Of all the individuals he had hoped to acquire here tonight, the Avatar was his highest priority. Aside from his own mother, the Avatar was the only one with the power to stop him; or rather, that cursed light spirit, Raava. If he allowed her to oppose him unchecked, then it could spell his disaster. If he were able to destroy her, on the other hand, if he could steal her essence... His power would be greater than it had ever been before.

From the eastern side of the courtyard, a lone figure approached, his arms clasped tight behind his back. “I'm afraid my children were able to get away. I'm still not sure why you're bothering to waste your time with them, though. They are weak.”

“Oh, Unalaq, you underestimate your twins,” Sen said. “It is true, alone they are unremarkable; but they do nothing alone. Even their essences are tied together, just the same as all twins, and together they are...how do I put this? Delectable.”

Unalaq gave a disinterested sigh and shook his head. “As you say.”

“And now, a more important question.” Sen turned to look over his shoulder, where three new arrivals now stood waiting for him to acknowledge them—Ozai, Zuko, and Megumi. These three were tied together in their tasks, all meant to break down and destroy the one individual that Sen most wanted to suffer. “What about Azula?”

Ozai scoffed. “My daughter fled like the coward she is.”

“But we did manage to snag these two in the meantime.” Zuko took a step to the side to reveal a pair of unconscious figures behind him—his daughter, Izumi, and grandson, Iroh. “Their interference allowed Azula to escape, but we made short work of them.”

“I suppose that will suffice for now,” Sen said, with a sigh. He didn't yet _need_ to capture Azula. No, that could wait for now. After all, he had no intention of ripping out her spirit just yet. She had to suffer first, to break down and drown in misery. That required certain other objectives first. “Megumi, you were able to end that boyfriend of hers at least, I should hope?”

Megumi hesitated, then bowed her head in shame. “I was not... I did injure him, but he didn't let his guard down around me as much as we had expected. He was able to get away before I could finish the job.”

Sen frowned, as a gentle twitch of annoyance raced through him. So far, this night had not been nearly as successful as he had hoped. “I want to see Azula _broken_ , do you understand? Ozai and Zuko were meant to place doubt in her, and in that they succeeded. You were supposed to continue things by destroying the people closest to her, first her boyfriend and then her daughter.”

“ _My_ daughter.”

“Excuse me?”

Megumi cleared her throat. “Kanna is _my_ daughter. _I_ gave birth to her... and I want her back. She shouldn't be with Anraq or Azula... _I_ should be the one taking care of her.”

Sen raised an eyebrow, glaring at the defiant woman. These servants of his shouldn't have been able to question or refuse his orders, yet it seemed his current power was weaker than he had thought. Here, this Megumi was not just outright refusing to kill that useless girl, but asserting that she should take possession of her instead. It both infuriated and intrigued him at the same time.

“Is that so?” Sen replied, with a quiet, thoughtful exhale. He gave the request genuine consideration. In the end, he supposed it didn't matter what became of Kanna, so long as Azula lost her; the result would remain the same. “Very well... if you want your daughter so bad, you may have her.”

Megumi bowed her head in appreciation. “And what would you have us do in the meantime?”

“For now, nothing.” Sen gave a quick glance at all the victims that his servants had brought him. “I have plenty to occupy myself with at the moment, and day is nearly upon us—I won't be able to operate then. With these new essences come new possibilities. I'm certain the Avatar and her allies will be looking for them soon... So let's leave them where they can be found.”

* * *

Korra led the way through the palace. Behind her, Kuvira, Lin, Anraq, Kya, and Hari followed. As few as they were, they had been the only ones able to leave the safety of the jail. Eska was still recovering, and Desna had refused to leave her side. Mako and Bolin were in no condition to fight yet either, still resting from their previous battle, while Asami and Sin had remained behind to stand guard over Su. Then there was the need for someone to stay and watch Kanna. Given Azula's current emotional condition, she and Anraq had agreed that it would be best if she took it easy for now, and tried to calm her mind.

Still, Korra had hoped they would have run into someone else by now in the palace. There were a lot more guests that had come for the wedding, not to mention the palace guards and other workers. So far, though, all they had found were empty, silent corridors. While her initial reaction was to fear that they had already been attacked and taken captive, the palace was enormous. The others could be hiding, or fighting in another wing, or perhaps the attacks hadn't even reached them yet and they were still sound asleep. Whatever the reason, Korra knew they had to find and defeat the spirit causing this as soon as possible. She didn't want to think of the damage that might be caused otherwise.

“Keep your guards up,” she said, peering around the corner of the next hallway. When she saw that all was clear, she waved them along and continued. “There's no telling who we'll run into."

"So what exactly is the plan if we _do_ get attacked?” Anraq said. “I mean, you said two of the people this spirit brought back are bloodbenders who don't need a full moon. That seems like it would be a little one sided."

"Well they can't bloodbend me if I'm in the Avatar State and they have to focus on all of you, too,” Korra replied. “So if Amon and Tarrlok do attack, at least one of us should always be free from their grip. The key will be to keep them under assault and break their focus, separate them if possible. Then I can spiritbend them. As for the others... Well, just prepare for a tough fight."

"I suppose the good news is that these corridors aren't that wide,” Kuvira said. “They won't be able to surround us."

Lin folded her arms and grumbled. "They can sure as heck still cause a lot of damage, especially if that combustionbender is raining explosions down on top of us."

"Just be diligent,” Korra said. “We have to find them first. Or anyone."

As the group continued into the next wing of the palace, Anraq gave a glance towards the earthbender carrying a stone jar atop his back. While his first instinct was to remain quiet and ignore the man, his curiosity and compassion soon got the better of him. He knew so little about this Hari, and he imagined that Hari knew an equally small amount about any of them. At the very least, he could break the tension and try to lessen any awkwardness that the young man might be feeling.

"So, Hari, right?” Anraq said, in as casual a tone as he could muster. "Where are you from?"

Hari blinked, straightening his posture as he looked to the waterbender. The surprise in his eyes seemed to indicate that he hadn't expected anyone to strike up a conversation with him. “Oh, uh... Well, I grew up in a sandbender commune in the northern Si Wong Desert. I left when I seventeen."

Anraq raised an eyebrow. “The desert, huh? Guess that explains the sand. But how does a Si Wong native end up working for the chiefs of the Northern Water Tribe?"

"Well, a few years after I left the desert, I joined the White Lotus," Hari explained. "Just a year after I joined, I ended up stationed at the prison holding former Dragon Empress Yula, where Eska and Desna met me during one of their monthly inspections. I guess I intrigued them, because they offered to make me their bodyguard right there."

Anraq pursed his lips. "Right...bodyguard."

"You say that as though you don't believe me."

"Well, it's just, I know those two,” he said. “Nothing is ever that simple with them. If they made you their bodyguard, I'd suspect that that's not _all_ they wanted. Am I wrong?"

"Oh. Uh, w-well...” Hari cleared his throat and quickly turned his head away to hide the embarrassment flushing across his face. “No, no I guess you're not wrong."

Anraq couldn't help the chuckle that eased out his throat. "Heh, thought so. I know from experience what that's like."

Hari glanced back at him again, lifting his eyebrows. "Wait, you and they used to...?"

"Oh, uh...briefly,” he admitted, with a quick clear of his throat. “And it was mostly just... you know, physical. But yeah."

"I see..."

Anraq scratched the back of his head a moment as he tried to think of what next to say. So much for lessening the awkwardness; if anything, he had doubled it. "You know you don't have to do anything with them you don't want to, right? I know those two aren't exactly the most...tactful, and they can be pretty forward, but they'll still respect your wishes if you refuse them."

"What?” Hari blinked at him again, this time with a genuine look of surprise. “Oh, yes, but... You don't understand. I _like_ them. I like...well, you know. They haven't forced me into anything at all.”

“Oh,” Anraq said. “Right, I mean... of course. I wasn't trying to imply you didn't, or that they were... Sorry.”

Hari exhaled a deep sigh and glanced down at himself. “You can probably guess from how I look, I've never been that desirable to anyone before. Most of my life I've been mistaken for a girl, so I was always overlooked for more, well... masculine guys. Eska and Desna were the first ones to show any real interest in me before, and I really do enjoy my time with them. Desna even says I'm cute.” He paused a moment, turning his head away to hide the blush growing on his cheeks. When he composed himself again, he added, "Not sure about Eska's proposal for children, though... But she hasn't tried to force it."

"Oh man, she's trying to get children out of you too?" Anraq huffed a groaning sigh. "At least she's not being as aggressive this time around. Maybe she actually learned something."

Hari shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, I'm not saying it's something that couldn't happen in the future... It's just not something I'm ready for."

"I hear you," he said. Then, he held out a hand. "In any case, any friend of the twins is a friend of mine. It's nice to officially get acquainted with you, Hari."

Hari smiled, and shook his hand. "You, too, Anraq."

"Also, Desna's right. You _are_ cute."

"Oh!" Hari's eyes widened, as another intense blush returned to his cheeks. "Th-thank you."

As the group neared the main atrium of the palace, Korra held up a hand for them to stop. She peered around the corner of the next hall, eyes narrowed. “Hold on, I see something."

After taking a moment to make sure there were no enemies ahead, she waved them along to keep going and continued into the corridor. Strewn about its entire length were multiple bodies—half a dozen, all palace guards. They all lay sprawled out on their backs, eyes open wide and staring blankly up at the ceiling. They were motionless, lifeless.

“Dear spirits..." Kuvira uttered, as they approached. "Are they dead?”

Kya knelt down next to the nearest guard and held a finger to the man's neck. Then, she called a bubble of water to her palm and swept it gradually across his body, ending at his forehead. A frown deepened across her face. “No, they're alive...sort of.”

Lin raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, 'sort of'?”

“It's hard to say," Kya replied. "I sense life in them, and yet...no one's home. It's like they're caught somewhere between life and death.”

“It's their spirits..." Korra said. "Their essences have been removed, just like Su said.”

Anraq knelt beside one of the fallen guards and looked deep into the man's wide open eyes. There was a pain there, an abject horror staring back at him. “So what does that mean?”

Korra swallowed, hands tightening to fists. Seeing these men like this, with their spirits rent from their bodies... It simultaneously disgusted and infuriated her. A person should ever have to suffer such a fate, and certainly not for the benefit of some dark spirit. “It means they're in serious trouble. If they don't reconnect with their spirits soon, then they _will_ die.”

Hari tilted a worried look towards the Avatar. “How long do they have?”

It was Kya who answered him. “It's impossible to say. A few days, a few weeks... it's different for everyone."

"We have to keep moving," Korra said, as she hurried farther down the corridor. "We need to stop this spirit before this happens to anyone else.”

Kuvira frowned, following close behind her wife. “If it already hasn't...”

* * *

Azula shuddered as she stared into the flame in her palm. In spite of the warmth that fire gave, a distinct chill rippled up and down her spine. It continued on and on, never quite disappearing no matter how small it became. Just as soon as she thought the chill would disappear, it came back stronger and forced her to scrunch up closer against herself in attempts to keep herself as warm as possible. It didn't work. Not even her breathing techniques were helping. Instead, her breathing became shorter and raspier. Her vision blurred, her heart pounded, and her fingers tingled. It became so bad that the flame in her hand disappeared; as soon as it was gone, she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged herself, face buried down between them. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she calm herself?

A soft groan grabbed her attention. She immediately lifted her head to see Kanna lying next to her, shivering now that the fire was gone. The young girl curled up into a ball, arms clutched tightly together, teeth chattering, breath misting in front of her lips. Within seconds, the anxious chill in Azula's body vanished. Her mind focused on a solid, tangible purpose—keep Kanna warm, keep her safe. Scooting closer to the sleeping girl, she raised her hand again an reignited a flame between her fingers. Soon after, Kanna settled down and ceased shivering.

With a relieved breath, Azula huffed a sigh and lowered her head into her other hand. What was _wrong_ with her? How could she be that disconnected that she'd forgotten about Kanna? How selfish could she be? Her own troubles and concerns didn't matter, not when compared to her daughter's well-being. She just needed to find a way to settle her mind, to calm herself... She could do that, couldn't she? She could find a way.

She _had_ to.

“Excuse me, Azula?”

Azula blinked, and glanced back towards the entrance of the cell. Desna stood there, carrying his unconscious sister in his arms. Eska had curled up against him in his grasp much the same as Kanna had curled up when the fire had disappeared—cold, shivering, breath misting.

“Oh, Desna...” Azula shifted awkwardly on the metal floor, uncertain what exactly to say. She had never had much interaction with either of these twins outside of world meetings, when she had been Fire Lord and Dragon Empress. “Can I, uh...help you with something?”

“Yes, well, I do not wish to bother you,” Desna said, holding up his sister higher in his arms, “but as Eska is still unconscious right now, she cannot regulate her body temperature, and I've noticed her shivering. Since you are the only firebender here, I was wondering if you might be able to warm her?”

Azula blinked again. “Oh... well, there are torches, aren't there?” She was hesitant, to say the least, about sitting in anyone's company right now. She still felt a little jittery and on edge, and feared she might only get worse if she had to put up with idle chitchat.

“The torches have already started to die,” Desna said. “And quite frankly they would not supply a significant enough amount of heat.”

A disgruntled sigh brushed past Azula's lips as she glanced back to the flame in her palm. She _could_ be rude and refuse his request, allowing Eska to freeze...but that wasn't her anymore. She wasn't cruel. “I suppose you can sit her here near the fire.”

Desna nodded, finally approaching. “Thank you.” He set Eska down gently on the floor, as close to Azula's fire as possible, then seated himself next to her.

A long silence passed between them. For the duration of that quiet, Azula kept her focus on her fire, not wanting to inadvertently start a conversation she might regret. Soon, though, the overbearing knowledge of the twins just a couple feet nearby grew too strong to ignore, as if an invisible force were pushing her to say something. With a quiet grumble, she glanced up from the fire and focused on Eska.

“So...is she going to be alright?” Azula asked.

“Yes, she is stable now,” Desna said. “She merely requires rest.”

“That's...good.” Azula exhaled quietly, then shifted her gaze towards Desna. “You're fortunate to be so close with your sibling.”

“We are twins,” he said, with a shrug. “We've always been close.”

“I wish I could say the same about myself and Zuko...” Azula's thoughts drifted far back away from present time, to an age she had tried so hard to forget. She saw a much younger Zuko, and her much younger self, saw herself tormenting him, laughing at him, making his life miserable. How foolish she had been, how awful. “We never got along when we were kids, and even less so when we were teenagers. I even tried to kill him on several occasions.”

She held her free hand against her forehead and sighed, eyes closing. “I only got a chance to really know him for a brief time before he...before I lost him again. Now he's back under the control of some dark spirit, but he's not really himself, and I don't know how to help him, or if he even _can_ be helped.”

Azula had no idea why she was saying so much, why she was opening up to who was essentially a stranger to her. Some deep pull in her heart pushed her to do it, gave her a need to let out her emotions. It didn't matter who was listening, only that someone was. “And then to top it off, he's working with our father, as if I needed to see that bastard again. This entire night has been one long nightmare that I just can't wake up from, and I can't even _do_ anything...”

“Are you...alright?” Desna asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Azula blinked, suddenly realizing that she was staring blankly into the fire in a partial daze. She hadn't blinked since she had begun speaking. “Yes, yes I'm fine...”

“I am sorry to hear about your brother,” Desna said. “And your father. Our own father returned, as well. We looked up to him for our entire lives, believed in everything he did. But in the end he went mad for power and proved he never cared for us. We were not sad to see him go.”

A scoff left her lips. “Sounds exactly like me and my father.”

“Parents...” Desna muttered.

“Yes...parents.”

Another silence lingered between them, though this one was shorter than the first, before Desna finally broke it. “So, how are things with you and Anraq?”

“Hmm?” Azula blinked up from her fire again, caught off guard by the question. Neither he nor his sister would have struck her as the type to ask about relationship gossip. “Oh, things are fine. We care very much for each other and we're both very happy. And Kanna...” She glanced over at the sleeping girl again and gave a long, gentle look. A smile gradually curled across her face, and her fire burned a little brighter. “She's wonderful.”

“That is good to hear,” Desna said. “Anraq always seemed so distant underneath his easygoing nature, even when we were together. I am pleased that he has found a way to be happy. And you, as well. You both deserve it, I think.”

With a furrowed brow, she stared back at the Northern Chief and tilted her head sideways in confusion. “Wait, when you were... You and _Annie?”_

Desna nodded. “For a brief time, yes. A few years ago.”

Again, Azula blinked. “Huh.”

“Is something the matter?”

“No, I just...” She paused a moment to rub her eyes, trying to process this new bit of information. “...never would have thought Annie to... _go_ that way.”

“Yes, I believe he said he 'has no preference',” Desna stated. “To the best of my recollection.”

When Azula's eyes opened again, she focused on the twin, watching him intently, unblinking. “I see...”

Desna gazed back at her, lowering his brow. “You're staring.”

“I'm just trying to _picture_ it,” she blurted, still not having blinked. “Which one of you was the...?”

“He was.”

And at this admission, a sudden, boisterous laugh burst out of Azula's throat. She let her head fall back and held a hand over her mouth to stifle herself, not wanting to awaken Kanna, though her laughter still echoed throughout the metal cell. “Oh my, Annie... I never would have thought.” When at last she settled down, she looked to Desna again and smiled at him. “Thank you. I needed a laugh.”

“And thank you,” he replied, with a nod. “For the fire, I mean. Eska already appears more comfortable.”

“Yes, well... you're welcome,” she breathed. She turned a glance towards Eska, noting that the woman had stopped shivering. “I could hardly just let your sister freeze.”

Shortly after their conversation finished, Eska stirred with a soft groan. She shifted across the floor and blinked her eyes open, staring up at the first thing she saw, her brother. “...Desna?” Her voice was weak, exhausted.

“Eska!” Desna was at her side in a moment, reaching down to clutch her hand in his own. “You are alright.”

“Yes... I am fine,” she replied. She made an attempt at sitting upright, but her effort lasted only a brief second before she collapsed flat against the floor.

“Just rest,” Desna insisted. “You still need to recover.”

Eska eased out a sigh and allowed her eyes to close again. “Very well... I suppose I _am_ tired.”

Azula watched the two siblings closely. As she did, a painful twinge stabbed at her chest. Her thoughts flowed back to Zuko again. He had helped her so much, and yet she had never done a thing to return the favor. As close as they had become in the end, before his death, they had never really had a chance to be model, loving siblings to each other. What she wouldn't give to get that chance, to actually help him. Perhaps now that he was back, she would be able to do just that.

She only needed to find a way.

* * *

Korra hurried down the corridor in a steady jog, followed close behind by the rest of her team. The trail of bodies led out of the palace, towards the main courtyard. Along the way, they had passed another dozen guards, all in the same state as the first group—unmoving, blank stares upon their faces, spirits removed from their physical shells. Each person she saw, each life potentially destroyed, Korra grew angrier and more desperate. Her pace quickened into a full sprint. They needed to find the one responsible for this and they needed to end him. _Now._

As she ran out the front entrance of the palace into the courtyard, Korra abruptly slid herself to a halt. There at the center of the courtyard, between a ring of four ice sculptures, was another group of spiritless bodies, identical in state to the others. These ones, however, were not palace guards. These ones were familiar to her, frighteningly so. Izumi was the first she saw, followed by Iroh, then Katara, and Toph. Her heart thudded like mad at the sight of them, a thudding that then exploded when she noticed Tenzin lying there next to them. And then...

“ _Dad!”_ A bolt of panic and horror raced through her like fire as she ran to her father's side. She lowered herself to her knees and held him, tried to shake him awake. Her efforts were fruitless, of course; Tonraq's essence had been removed, just the same as everyone else. Tears began to flood her eyes, followed by a cold numbness that started at her chest and spread out through her fingertips. “No, no, no... This  isn't happening... This _can't_ be happening!”

Her cries of agony were soon joined by another pair, these from Lin and Kya. The two women raced towards their respective mothers, Toph and Katara. The same as Korra, they knelt at their mothers' sides and held them. Pain, fear, despair—all prevalent emotions amongst them, and exactly the kind that the dark spirit responsible for this so enjoyed.

“ _Mom!”_ Kya cried, pulling Katara up against her lap. She made a desperate attempt at healing the old woman, but her efforts yielded no results. All she could do was hold her mother's body tight and try to fight back her tears; even in that, she failed.

“We're too late...” Lin uttered. Her voice shook beneath its usual sternness, unable to hide her own emotions in spite of her best efforts. “We're too damn _late!”_

“We can get them back, can't we?” Kya shot a pleading, hopeful look towards Korra. “There has to be a way to get them back!”

Korra just shook her head, unable to tear her gaze away from her father's blank eyes. “I don't know... _I don't know.”_

Kuvira came to her side a moment later and held a comforting arm around her. Korra sank against the embrace. “We'll figure out a way to save them. No matter what... I promise.”

Hari watched them a while, then turned a worried glance towards Anraq. “This spirit, whoever he is, must be stopped.”

“I know...” Anraq kept his own gaze focused on Izumi and Iroh. Those two had saved Azula earlier, allowed her to escape... Now they had paid the price for it. They were also some of the only family she had left. His heart seized a bit at the thought of having to break the news to her. “We should at least transport their bodies into a safer location. All of them.”

“But what if that spirit is still in there?” Hari said. “What if all his... minion are still in there?”

“Then we _stop_ them. One way or another...this spirit will pay.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost thought I wasn't going to get this one out today... I am exhausted and feel like crap right now (yay being sick), but here it is. So there's not much I'm going to say about this one. Just... hope you enjoy it. I thought it would be a good chance to learn a little more about Hari, and for Azula to make an unexpected 'friend' (sort of) in Desna. Okay, passing out now.


	123. On The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and friends make continued attempts at locating the spirit responsible for the recent attacks.

A somber air lingered over the healer hut. Those that had been discovered the night before, drained of their spirits, now lied all throughout the small space, each on a single mat on the floor and covered with a blanket. Some of the city's best healers had been brought in to treat them, though there was little that could be done. In the state that the patients were in, the only thing the healers could manage was to make them more comfortable and keep their chi flowing in attempts to extend the time they had left. Unless they were reunited with their spirits soon, though, each one would eventually perish; it was only a matter of when.

Kneeling at the side of one of the mats, Kya drew a glowing hand of water across her mother's head. The hopeful look in her eyes had faded throughout the day, as every technique she tried ended in the same failure as the last. With a frustrated sigh, she hung her head and pinched her fingers against her eyes, exhausted.

“I don't believe this...” said Bumi, who stood next to his sister. His gaze passed over Katara one moment, and then the next shifted over to his brother, Tenzin, whose family knelt close by. “I should have been there. I could have done something to help.

“Don't beat yourself up,” Kya replied, with a subtle frown. “I _was_ there, and we couldn't do anything to stop it. Whatever spirit orchestrated all this, it's powerful.”

“Well, when I get my hands on this spirit, I'm going to make him wish he'd never been born!” Bumi punched his fist into his open palm, lips deepening into a frown. Then, he paused a second, eyebrows pushed together. “Are spirits even born? Or do they just sort of appear? Bah, it doesn't matter, I'll make him pay!”

Meelo looked up from Tenzin, gaze shifting to his aunt and uncle. “They'll be alright, won't they? They'll get better?”

Jinora gave him a doubtful frown. “Their spirits are gone, Meelo. This isn't just some injury they can heal from. Their bodies are still alive, but there's no telling for how long. A person's spirit can only be separated from their body for so long before...”

“Don't say that!” Ikki fired back. “Dad and Grandma will be fine! Right, Aunt Kya?”

“I...” Kya stared back at her niece with as positive an expression as she could muster. Even so, she knew her attempts at encouragement failed; the forced nature of her smile revealed as much. “I hope so, Ikki.”

Kneeling next to her husband, Pema gave his hand a tight squeeze and held it against her cheek. “Honey...just hang in there. Please? No matter what happens, I'm here for you, just like always... I promise.” She tried to smile, but instead a steady stream of tears trickled out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

Rohan came to her side and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. “Don't cry mom... it'll be okay.”

“I'm sorry, I just...” Pema sniffled and wiped her eyes, but could think of nothing else to say. She remained there at Tenzin's side, doing her best to stay strong, if not for herself then for her children.

On the other side of the healer hut, the entire Beifong family had gathered around Toph. As old as she was, none of them had ever imagined this kind of scenario for her—'too stubborn to die', was how Lin had once referred to her. Yet, here they were, at the old woman's side, watching her lie there motionless, spiritless, and almost lifeless.

“I don't understand...” Opal said, with a solemn shake of her head. “How could this happen?”

“I was there and I'm still not sure,” Lin muttered. “Whatever spiritual nonsense this is, I don't like it. We need to find this spirit and stop it.”

Bolin, now mostly recovered from the previous night's conflict, shifted baby San in his arms and leaned close against his wife. “We'll figure this out, I promise. Somehow.”

“Do you think she'll be okay?” Huan asked.

Almost immediately after he said it, Wing elbowed him in the ribs. “Dude, of _course_ she'll be okay.”

“Yeah,” Wei added, with a pointed glare. “What are you even saying?”

“Grandma Toph has always been a fighter,” said Baatar, Jr. “She'll be fine.”

Baatar, Sr., meanwhile, gave his family a long look and then grabbed Lin gently by the wrist to pull her aside. When they were out of earshot from the others, he shifted back and forth on his feet a moment and then stared expectantly at his sister-in-law. “So... is it true? About Suyin? Korra told me earlier, but I'm not sure if I can believe...”

Lin eased a sigh, eyes closing. “Yes... but we still don't know the extent of what we're dealing with. She's come back, that's for certain. Younger than she was, but still. Being controlled by this spirit, though...” When she opened her eyes, her look was regretful, mournful even. She wanted so badly to be able to tell this man that his wife was back, that Su was fine and that they could all be happy again...but she knew that was only a dream. “She's not how you remember.”

Baatar frowned, expression drooping. Even with his disappointment, though, something in his eyes revealed that he had already been expecting that response. Turning a glance back at his family, he said, “I haven't told them yet, because... well, you know. I don't want to get their hopes up. Mine are already too high.” His gaze softened further with grief, then shifted again towards his sister-in-law. “Lin, please, if there's any way you can help Su, any way you can make her _her_ again...”

“I'll do everything I can to help her,” Lin said, holding a reassuring hand to the man's shoulder. “She's my sister, after all. I want her back just the same as you do.”

In another corner of the hut, Korra knelt next to her mother with a comforting hand held to the woman's shoulder. Senna had said very little since arriving, only able to stare down at Tonraq with tears brimming in her eyes. A shattered look had befallen the woman, a certain brokenness descended across her face that made Korra flinch with remorse every time she looked at her.

“Honey...?” Senna managed to say, her voice cracking with a pained hoarseness. “Can you hear me? I just want you to know I love you... No matter what happens, I...” Her words caught again in her throat, cut out by another round of choked sobbing.

“Mom, we'll fix this,” Korra assured, though the lack of conviction in her own voice did not escape her. She briefly scolded herself and added a more confident reassurance with her next words. “I promise. Whatever it takes.”

Kuvira looked down at her wife with a worried frown. “I don't suppose you have any ideas?”

Korra glanced up, but said nothing at first. Instead, she stood up and led Kuvira away by the hand so they could speak in private. Only then, when she was sure her mother couldn't hear, did she reply. “No... I've been trying to think of something, _anything_ , I can do to find this spirit, but so far I have nothing. He left behind no trace of himself last night, and talking to Su is pointless. She doesn't know anything more than what she already told us.” With a frustrated groan, she ran her fingers back through her hair and closed her eyes. “I hate this, not knowing what to do. My dad, my friends, they're all in danger and I can't do anything to help them. I mean, I'm the _Avatar!_ I should know what to do!”

“Maybe I can help?”

Korra blinked her eyes open and turned towards the new voice. “Oh, Jinora... What do you mean?”

“Well, with as strong a connection as I have to spirits, I might be able to pick up a trail,” Jinora said. “As strong as this spirit is, he can't have left no trace of himself. No spirit can, not in the physical world.”

“But I've already tried that,” Korra insisted. “I haven't found anything.”

“Maybe not, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I am the Air Nation's spiritual leader, remember.”

Korra paused a moment, then gave in with a simple shrug. “Well, I suppose it's worth a try.”

“I just need to meditate in a place where we know the spirit was,” Jinora said. “Somewhere he could have concentrated his spiritual energy.”

After a moment of thought, Korra nodded. “I know just the place.”

* * *

Azula turned her head and stared into the darkness. Nothing there, only shadows. And fog. A lot of fog. No matter which way she looked, all she saw were those pale white wisps floating adrift within the dark and empty void, a void that sent a spine tingling chill throughout her body. The longer she wandered through that fog, the more her heart pounded, and the stronger the chill became. This wasn't real, she knew this wasn't real. It couldn't be. The last thing she remembered, she had gone to sleep after a long, exhausting, and horrible night. So that would make this...a dream. Yes, a dream.

Why couldn't she just have normal dreams like everyone else? Instead, she had to have unnerving ones. Nightmarish ones.

"Azula..."

She jumped at the sound of the voice, stiffened in place with her eyes flying open wide. She knew that voice, had heard it before, yet for some reason she couldn't quite place it. "Who is that? Who's there?"

 _"Azula,”_ the voice called again. It sounded so damn familiar to her, but she just couldn't figure out where she knew it from.

"Show yourself!" she yelled, into the void

The fog in front of her soon began to clear, just enough to reveal a stern, rigid figure standing there with his arms folded behind his back. “Hello, Azula.”

At first, she almost didn't recognize the man, but when she noticed his dead, white-burned eyes, everything clicked into place—Shin Tsang, the man who had pledged himself in service of Sen, the Spirit of a Thousand Faces. _"You..._ What are you doing here?"

"You've gone unpunished for your crimes for far too long, Azula,” he said. “It's time you pay for them."

"No,” she countered, taking a step backwards. “You have no reason to torment me anymore. I don't _have_ Sen's essence anymore. _Yula_ does, and she's locked up in a secret prison. You'll never get it."

The man sneered at her. "Who is it you think you're speaking to?"

"You...?” she affirmed, with a quizzical stare. That response had been...an odd one, she thought. “You're Shin Tsang. Aren't you?"

"You're so sure?” He quirked a brow at her, and deepened his smirk. “Look closer."

Azula did look closer. She blinked and narrowed her gaze, focused intently on him. For a long while, she noticed nothing out of the ordinary, but soon it hit her. There was a certain gleam in the man's eyes, a gleam that shouldn't have been there, not in his dead eyes. That gleam hadn't been there before, not from what she remembered. It was...a mocking gleam, a sinister one. A powerful one.

That's when she knew. This wasn't Shin Tsang at all; this was Sen.

"No... no, no that's _impossible.”_ Her body went cold and her heart skipped a beat at the revelation. Again, she took another step back, staring wild eyed at the spirit, with a cold fear beginning to spread through her body. It took hold of her, panicked her, jolted a shudder through her. “This is a trick. You're trying to _fool_ me!"

"Oh no, Azula, no tricks. Just me.” Sen took a step closer, slinking his way through the fog like a viper poised to strike. “You've done a great deal to spite me, you know. I don't forget that."

"No, you're _lying!”_ she shot back. “You _can't_ have done all this. You can't be _free._ You're not... you're _not_ free."

"Oh, but I am. And I did."

Azula shook her head hard back and forth, fingers gripping the sides of her head. "No, no, you're not. And even if you were, why would you..."

"Be doing this? Well, because I can, for one.” Sen crept closer, circling her now. “But that's oversimplifying it. Now that I'm free, I have much to accomplish. My goals only _start_ at stealing human essences. Once I have enough to break free of my physical vessel, the material world will fall to me. In the meantime, I am having so much fun watching you pathetic humans twist like leaves in the wind.”

The spirit chuckled and brought his face close, near Azula's ear. She shuddered at the sound of his voice and fell down to her knees, still grabbing at her head as though it might explode at any moment. “So simple it is, to break you down, especially when faced with ghosts from your past. The pain, the fear, the distress, the absolute despair... It is to _die_ for. But you, Azula...”

Sen morphed his form as he spoke, no longer taking the appearance of Shin Tsang. Now, he took his true form, his spirit form. From human vessel to monstrous gejigeji, he coiled around her with a chortling laugh. “You, most of all, I will see _shattered_. Your fall will be slow, excruciating. I will take everything from you, everything you hold dear in this world, everything that holds your fragile mind together. Your boyfriend...your daughter...your sanity..."

"No, no, no, no! _Stop!_ This isn't real! _It's not real!”_ Azula shrank downward, forehead pressed against the ground, fingers clawing at her hair. “Just a dream again...a nightmare. Just...my mind playing tricks on me. This is just in my head. Just in my head. _It's just in my head!"_

She had thought herself free of this nightmare, free of Sen and his torturous hauntings. Yet here he was, in her mind, tormenting her once again. And that laugh... oh that laugh. Over and over it cackled in her ears.

That horrible, disgusting, bone chilling laugh.

* * *

Azula awoke with a scream, bolting straight upright in bed. A cold sweat poured over her, and tears had already wet her eyes. She tried to inhale deep to calm herself, but her breaths came out in short, rapid bursts, uncontrollable. For a short while, she panicked in fear of not being able to breath properly at all, feeling her lungs start to throb and burn at the lack of oxygen. At the feel of a gentle touch against her arm, however, she finally managed to settle herself down and steady her breathing. Even still, her heart thudded with violent fervor in her chest, unable to calm.

"Mommy, are you okay?” Kanna asked, giving the sleeve of her mother's robe another tug. “You were yelling in your sleep."

"Kanna...” Azula looked over to see the young girl sitting next to her there in bed. At first, she just stared, eyes wide and unblinking. Then, as the memory of her nightmare came back to her, the memory of Sen's threat against Kanna, she reached forward and hugged the girl close against her. She buried her face against Kanna's shoulder, unable to prevent herself from sobbing.

Just a dream, she had to remind herself. It had been just a dream.

Even so, she never wanted to let Kanna go.

"It's okay, Mommy, don't cry.” Kanna hugged her tight in return for several long moments, then gently pulled away. She turned to grab the stuffed bison next to her, then pushed it firmly into her mother's grasp. “Here, Juno well help you feel better."

Azula blinked at the stuffed bison. A sobbing chuckle then burst from her throat as she hugged the silly toy with one arm. With her other arm, she continued to hug Kanna. "Thank you, Kanna... thank you.” After what seemed like ages, she finally let go and slid herself out of bed to get ready for the day. “Come on, let's get up and find your father.”

Kanna grinned and hopped out of bed to follow her mother. "Kay!"

Ten minutes later, Azula led her daughter out into the palace corridor. From what she could recall when Anraq had awoken her briefly earlier that morning, he had gone to help out in one of the healing huts in the city, where they had brought those individuals who had been drained of essences. She had wanted him to stay with her and Kanna, but he insisted on helping. There were only so many healers in the city, he had told her, and he needed to do his part while he could. At the very least, perhaps she could steal him away for a while so they could get lunch together.

As they neared the main entrance of the palace, Azula noticed Eska and Desna standing nearby, speaking with what looked like a White Lotus sentinel. Hari stood with them, though he waited off to the side in silence while the chiefs discussed matters with the sentinel.

"How did this happen?" Desna asked.

"We were assured that security had been improved,” Eska said.

"It was!” the sentinel replied. “I don't know how it happened. One day she's there, the next she isn't. It's like she just... evaporated right through the walls."

Desna gave an unconvinced glance towards his sister. "Well since such a thing isn't possible, we're going to assume that you White Lotus were simply inept."

Eska nodded in agreement. "This problem must be rectified immediately."

The White Lotus bowed his head. "Y-yes, Chiefs. Of course. We already have a team out looking for her. She must still be somewhere in the tundra."

Azula approached the group, eyes narrowed curiously. "What's going on?"

"Oh, Azula.” Desna glanced back at the White Lotus and gave a simple nod, prompting the man to hurry off. Then, he looked to his sister again. “I suppose we can tell her."

"Indeed, we'll have to tell everyone eventually anyway,” Eska replied. With a quiet sigh, she turned to Azula and added, “It appears as though Yula has escaped her prison in the North."

A knife of shock twisted in Azula's chest. It froze her, stiffened her. "W-what?"

"The situation is not as dire as it sounds,” Desna assured. “Yula is still a firebender in the frozen tundra, with no way to leave. We will find her."

But the twins' assurances did little to quell the pounding in her chest. Her mind raced with a panic she hadn't felt in ages, a panic that burned her nerves like fire and twisted her gut so hard she felt ready to vomit. "Kanna, come. _Now."_ Lifting her daughter into her arms, Azula ran off out of the palace without even giving the twins a second glance.

"What's wrong?" Kanna asked, tilting a confused look at her mother.

“We have to find the Avatar right away."

* * *

Jinora looked around at the ice sculptures at the center of the palace courtyard. "This is the place?"

"Yeah, this is where we...found everyone,” Korra replied. Just saying it brought a chill to her. “So, the spirit who did this had to have been here."

"Alright, let me give this a try." Seating herself at the center of the sculptures, Jinora positioned herself cross-legged and pressed her fists together, eyes closed. Several moments later, a second image of Jinora, this one blue and transparent, flickered into existence above her—an astral projection.

At the sight of this, Kuvira's eyes shot open wide and her mouth fell open. "Uh, okay, wow. That's...a little freaky."

"It's just a high level airbender technique,” Jinora stated, now with an echo to her voice. “With some spirity stuff thrown in for good measure. Nothing to be alarmed by."

"What? Who's alarmed?” Kuvira uttered a nervous laugh and took a noticeable step away from the ghost version of Jinora. “I'm not...not alarmed."

"Do you sense anything?" Korra said.

"I think so...” Jinora floated a little higher into the air and twisted herself around, looking off into the distance. “There's a large amount of spiritual energy coming from that direction. I'll check it out."

Jinora's spirit flickered and faded into thin air again. When she reappeared, she found herself halfway across the city. The spiritual energy she sensed seemed stronger here, and pulled her onward. Again, she flickered and reappeared, this time somewhere outside the city, partway across the tundra. Over the years, her spiritual projection ability had grown stronger. No longer did she need to remain in close proximity to her body; now, she could send her spirit miles away. Here, she stretched every bit of that distance to the max, as she continued deeper and deeper into the tundra.

The spiritual energy permeated the air now, so much so that she felt it weighing down the very air around her, as if physically pulling her down. She grimaced slightly at the feeling. For her spirit to be affected physically like this, the energy had to be massive. Jinora made one more attempt at getting closer to the source, but this time when her spirit flickered away, a dark presence exploded around her. She screamed as she felt the tug, ripping her towards it out of her own control. Before it could get a firm enough grip on her, she let her spirit fade and float back to her body in an instant. When she opened her eyes, she found herself still screaming, with Korra and Kuvira both poised over her in concern.

"What is it?” Korra asked. “What happened?"

Jinora sucked in deep breaths to calm herself. When she finally managed to settle herself down, she said, "I tried following the energy, but... There was a presence. I don't know how to describe it, but it...it _saw_ me, or felt me, or...something.” She swallowed, then turned a horrified glance up to Korra, eyes wide. “Korra, it almost took me. It almost took my spirit."

"Avatar! Avatar!"

Korra furrowed her brow and looked away from Jinora, back over her shoulder. There, she saw Azula racing towards them across the courtyard, Kanna held in her arms. "Azula? What is it?"

"Avatar...” Azula panted in a deep breath and set Kanna down on the ground. “We have to go to the Spirit World right now. We need to check something."

"What? Why?"

"Please!” she said. “Just come with me to the Southern Portal! We have to leave right now!"

The look Azula gave was one of terror and fear, the likes of which she rarely portrayed. So panicked was her stare, in fact, that Korra flinched at the sight of it. The panic in this woman's eyes was powerful, and genuine; it couldn't be ignored. "Azula, calm down. We don't have to go all the way to the portal, I can just meditate there."

"No, I have to _show_ you the way,” she insisted. “You'll never find it on your own, but I've _been_ there before. _Please."_

Korra stared at her a moment longer, not quite sure how to react. Something about Azula's desperate pleas perturbed her in a way that made her gut twist. "Okay... Kuvira and Jinora will go with you. But I have to stay here in case that spirit decides to attack again. I can take Kanna to Anraq too, if you like."

Kanna gave a questioning look towards her mother, and Azula nodded in response. "It's okay, Sweetie, go on."

With a soft shrug, Kanna hurried alongside Korra and followed out of the courtyard. "Kay, I'm coming."

"Alright...” Kuvira muttered, folding her arms across her chest. “I guess we're going to the Southern Portal then. Care to explain why?"

"On the way,” she said. “But we have to leave _now._ There's something we need to be sure of."

* * *

Jinora squinted into the empty void, waving her hand through the wisps of fog that coiled and entangled around them. “So... is this the place?”

"It's...somewhere around here,” Azula said, with sharp, quick glances left and right. Being back in the Spirit World did little good for her anxiety. It brought her heart rate to new heights, and threatened to set her breathing into uncontrolled gasping yet again. The sooner they were done here, the better. “Yes, we're almost there. I remember... this way."

"It feels so...gloomy her,” Jinora said. “Like there's a sadness in this fog."

Kuvira shuddered as she followed. "Tell me about it. I'm just glad we're not here for long."

They continued for another few minutes, until Jinora noticed something through the fog. She narrowed a look at it, head tilted to the side. "What is that?"

“What's what?” Kuvira said.

“That figure there, in the fog.” Jinora pointed, then led the way closer. “It looks like...a person?”

As they drew nearer, Kuvira took the lead. The metal plates on her bracer extended into a solid blade along her arm—a precautionary measure, just in case. As the fog cleared, though, and the figure came into focus, her brow lifted with recognition. "Is that... _Yula?"_ There was no mistaking that face, nor those familiar round glasses. The figure that they saw lying in the fog _was_ Yula, on her backside with eyes wide open, staring blank and empty up at the sky.

Jinora knelt at the fallen woman's side, studying her closely. "Same condition as the others. Her essence is gone."

Azula paid no attention to them, though, no attention to Yula. Her focus instead was on the pile of rubble that lay just beyond—the remains of what used to be a towering stone spire that had loomed up into the shadowed sky. A stone spire that had bore a round door with glowing glyphs upon its surface. A stone spire that had once served as a prison to one of the most ancient spirits in existence. A stone spire that now was nothing more than broken piles of rock and dust. She stared at it with eyes spread wide, her brow lifted in horror. "No..."

Kuvira finally looked past Yula to notice the shattered spire. "What is that?"

"That was Sen's prison...” Azula's heart seized at the revelation. It all made sense now—the stolen essences, the dead come back to life, the nightmarish torment... It was Sen. It had always been Sen. “He's free. H-he...he's... actually free."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, sorry this chapter took so long to come out... I don't even know how long it's been. Three days? Four? I've kind of lost track of time. Still sick, still blah... Hopefully I feel better soon so I can get back on track. Hope you've all been enjoying the plot so far. Or you could be hating it, I don't know lol. I'm kind of out of it right now.


	124. Who is Sen?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra learns about Sen's history, and what caused him to originally be imprisoned thousands of years ago.

"Are you sure?" Korra asked.

Azula absently nodded her head, staring blank at the floor. "Yes... It's him."

Azula, Kuvira, and Jinora had only just returned from their trip through the Southern spirit portal to inform what they had learned—Sen, the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, was free. It did make sense, from what they had seen so far, given Sen's admitted penchant for stealing essences. Plus, he had been the one who returned Azula to life, by placing her spirit into a newly created body with her face; there was no reason to doubt he could do the same with anyone else he wanted, specifically those that would have the most emotional or physical impact on his victims.

"So what do we do?" Kuvira said. "We know what this spirit is and what he's after—to a degree, anyway. We can stop him now, can't we?"

Jinora shook her head. "It isn't that simple. Spirits aren't normal enemies. You can't just punch them into submission. Each spirit is different and requires a different approach, and for one as old and powerful as this Sen, there's no telling what might happen if we face him."

"He'll destroy us all," Azula said, as a shudder ran through her. She held her arms around herself, still staring at the floor. Of those present, only Annie had ever seen her in such a state of despair and fear. She couldn't focus, couldn't calm herself. She could only sit there in a growing panic that bled deeper into her soul with each passing moment. The shudder in her spine grew stronger as she tilted a horrified stare to her left, where Anraq sat next to her. "He's after me, Annie. Whatever else he wants, he... He wants to see me suffer for what I did. He threatened you, and...and Kanna. He gave me this body... He'll take it away and trap me in the Spirit World again. I can't do that... I can't go back to that place again, not like that. I won't."

Anraq looked briefly towards the far side of the healing hut, where Kanna sat playing with Iknick, Jr. Varrick and Zhu Li had arrived some time ago, and had since introduced the young girl to their son. She had then introduced him to Juno, her stuffed bison, and the two were now taking turns making the toy fly. When Anraq returned his attention to Azula, he held one hand to her shoulder and the other to her cheek, turning her head so their eyes met.

"That won't happen," he assured. "I promise. No matter what it takes, I will _never_ let that happen."

Korra paced a few steps with her hand held to her chin. "There has to be _something_ we can do..." When she finally stopped pacing, she glanced to Azula and asked, "Is there anything you can tell us about Sen? Anything that might give us an advantage about him?"

Azula swallowed, turning her focus to the Avatar. "There isn't much... Everything I know about him I learned from the Spirit Library, or from his brother, Koh. But that information was...limited. It was like the spirits were trying to remove all knowledge about him from existence." With a hissing sigh, she bowed her head and grabbed at her hair, eyes closed, thinking. "The only thing I can think of is that, in order to enter our world he had to possess a human vessel. He can break free of that vessel if he gains enough power, which he acquires by absorbing people's essences, but until then he's weakened and vulnerable."

Jinora lifted her eyebrows. "Of course. _That's_ why he resurrected so many dead spirits under his control, to do his dirty work while he's weak."

"That and because he enjoys watching us squirm," Azula muttered. "That's why he brought back the ones he did, to torment us in the process. I doubt he's done there, either... There will probably be more."

"So then we need to take care of him as soon as possible, while he's weak," Kuvira said. "Take him out before he has a chance to gather more power and grow his personal army."

Korra pinched her fingers against the bridge of her nose and sighed, head shaking. "Easier said than done. We still have to find him first, and so far any attempts at locating him have turned up nothing."

Jinora frowned. "He didn't attack again while we were away?"

"No, fortunately it was a quiet night," she replied. "I don't know if he didn't have the strength to attack again so soon, or if he just wants to watch us panic, but there was no sign of him."

"Well there must be _some_ way we can find him," Kuvira said.

"Perhaps I can help with that." Varrick approached the group with a grin, hands held against his hips. Once their attention was on him, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small electronic device with two antenna atop it. "Ta da! I call it a Spirit Detector."

"A...Spirit Detector?" Korra gave the device a skeptical look, raising a single eyebrow. "This isn't like your Airbender Finder, is it? Because...honestly, that was pretty useless."

"Yeah, no offense, Varrick, but this is a serious situation," Kuvira added.

"I _am_ being serious!" he stated, with a frown. "This baby detects high levels of residual EMF in the air, and _that_ is the key to finding your missing spirit."

Anraq squinted curiously at the man. "Um...EMF?"

"Electromagnetic frequency, or electromagnetic radiation," Jinora said. "He's referring to the radiant energy released by certain electromagnetic processes, both naturally occurring and man-made."

An impressed smile lit up across Varrick's face. "That's right!" Then, he leaned closer to her, holding up a hand in front of his mouth as if trying to keep the others from hearing him. "You know, kid, if this whole Air Nation Spiritual Leader thing doesn't work out, I could use a smart individual like yourself at my company. I could get you a position in research and development, no problem."

"Um...thanks?" Jinora said, with an uncertain smile. "I'll...consider that."

"Okay, so does anyone want to explain what exactly this electric magnet frequencer thingy has to actually do with spirits?" Anraq questioned.

"Right!" Varrick pulled away from Jinora and cleared his throat. "You see, during the past few years, I've been studying the spirits and spirit vines in Republic City—" He paused abruptly when he noticed the glares pointing in his direction. After all, the last time he had studied spirit vines, he led to the creation of Kuvira's destructive spirit canon. With an innocent clear of his throat, he added, "—purely for curiosity's sake of course. In any case, I discovered that all these spirits give off a very specific frequency of electromagnetic radiation that tends to linger for a while in areas where they've been. Since then, I've been working on developing a prototype device to detect that frequency. That led to the creation of this!" Again, he held the Spirit Detector towards them, as if showing off a priceless treasure.

Anraq blinked at the explanation, now finally understanding the significance of the device. "Oh, well, that... might actually be useful.

Korra took the detector and gave it a quizzical look, turning it over in her hands. "And...you brought your prototype to my wedding?"

"Well no, of course not," Varrick affirmed. "I actually whipped this one up last night out of some spare kitchen appliances, after I found out about your spirit problem—speaking of which, I owe you a new toaster oven, send me a bill. Anyway, all you need to do is turn on the switch here and then twist this dial like so..." He reached out to the detector momentarily to turn it on and set it to the proper frequency, causing a high squealing to emerge from the speaker. "And there you go!"

Korra held the device at arm's length and slowly turned. As she did, the electrical squealing quieted to a crackling static. Returning to her original position, the squealing returned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that there's a strong EMF signature in _that_ direction," Varrick stated, pointing out the door of the healing hut. "The signal will only get stronger the closer you get to the source, so just follow it and it should lead you to this spirit of yours.

"Huh, thanks, Varrick," Korra said, with a grin. "This could be the breakthrough we need." As she turned the device the other way, however, the squealing grew louder. It reached its highest pitch when she pointed it at Azula.

"Wait, why is doing that to me?" Azula questioned, leaning away from the device as though it was about to bite her.

"It's probably because you were resurrected the same as the others," Jinora said. "Your spiritual signature is stronger because you're technically a spirit artificially placed into a physical form. You probably give off the same frequency as any other spirit."

"Well I don't _like_ it," she spat. "Make it _stop."_

Korra moved the detector back towards Kuvira and Jinora. The squealing continued, but not as strongly as it had with Azula.

"Uh, wait, it's doing it to us, too," Kuvira said. "Why's it doing it to us?"

"Probably because we were just in the spirit world," Jinora said. "We're _covered_ in spiritual energy."

“Hmm, yeah I'm probably going to have to work on that,” Varrick muttered, with a thoughtful stare at the device. “For now just try to keep that thing pointed away from these guys while you're searching.”

Korra gave a nod, then turned off the device and tucked it into her pocket. “Alright, well since this is the best lead we have, we'll go with it. We need to gather a team, use that detector to find the spirit, and then take him out while he's weak.”

“And hopefully figure out a way to restore the spirits to the people he's stolen them from,” Jinora added. “That's the most important thing.”

“Right,” Korra said. “For now, everyone get some rest, or try to relax...as much as you can, anyway. Raava keeps telling me she needs to talk, so I'm going to meditate for a bit. I'll meet up with you later.”

“Alright, then in the meantime I guess I'll assemble the team,” Kuvira said. “We're going to need everyone we can get when we go against Sen.”

Jinora turned a glance over to the far side of the hut, where her mother and siblings still sat nearby Tenzin and Katara. “I need to be with my family for now, but count me in for your team.”

“And _I_ am going to scrub my callouses,” Varrick said, with a subtle grimace. “Those things have been working double time lately, and _boy_ are they a killer. Good luck everyone!”

When they were gone, Azula leaned close to Anraq and held him tight, arms wrapped around his shoulders. At first, he seemed surprised by the sudden embrace, but soon sank back against it. She said nothing for a while, simply enjoying the closeness, until finally she uttered, “Annie... I want you to take Kanna and leave.”

Anraq pulled back and raised an eyebrow at her. “What? Why?”

“Because I can't lose you,” she insisted. “Sen has already stated he means to make me suffer more than anything, and that makes both of you targets. I'm going to join the Avatar's team, because I _need_ to. I need to face Sen and I need to protect you... But I can't have you here. I don't want... I don't want him to come after you. One of us is going to have to stay with Kanna anyway, so just...do it as far from here as you can. Go to Kyoshi Island, stay with Mai and Ty Lee for a while, just... _please_ , get away from here.”

Anraq stared back at her for a long while, and ever so gradually his gaze softened and he gave in to her plea. With a deep sigh, he let his head bow and gave a slow, affirmative nod. “Alright... I'll take Kanna to safety. Just please be careful. Sen already has you rattled, and I don't want to lose you anymore than you want to lose me.”

“You won't,” she replied, with as reassuring a nod as possible. She managed to steel her demeanor, and bring an adamant strength to her eyes that had been absent in recent days. “I promise.”

* * *

Korra breathed in deep as she sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, eyes closed and fists pressed together. Within moments, she felt that connection to her inner Avatar Spirit, and she traveled deep within herself. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in a field of grass as far as her eyes could see, with a cloudless sky above and a bright yellow sun hanging high. There before her floated the massive white form of Raava, who, if she had a face, Korra was sure would be smiling.

“Hey, it's good to see you again,” Korra said, with a smile of her own.

“And you as well,” Raava replied, with a slight bend in her kite-like form—her version of a bow. “It has been quite some time since we've spoken together like this.”

“Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about that. Things have been, well...you know.”

“That they have.”

Korra took in a deep breath and closed her eyes a moment, just enjoying the feel of the cool breeze on her face. Even if she was only within her own inner mind, the brush of air against her skin still seemed real, and it was soothing. Finally, she sat down in the grass and leaned back on her hands, staring up at the great Light Spirit. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

“It's about this Sen,” Raava said. “I have information that you must know.”

“Oh, you know about him?” Korra sat up straighter, now intrigued. At this point, they needed all the help they could get. What better than her own ancient, powerful spirit?

“I do,” Raava replied. “It has been many thousands of lifetimes since we crossed paths, since before the lion turtles, since before humans first wielded the power of the elements, but I remember him.”

“Well that's great!” Korra said, with a beaming smile. “What can you tell us about him? Anything would be helpful.”

The great Light Spirit uttered a heavy sigh. “Nothing good, I am afraid. The Spirit of a Thousand Faces, as is his moniker, was always a selfish, sinister spirit, caring about nothing other than his own goals. With the strength he wielded, that made him an individual that no one wished to encounter. Those who did seldom ever made it away unscathed.”

“But what _are_ his goals? What got him locked away in the first place?”

“I will show you.”

The world around them began to change, soon shifting from an open grassy field into a different but recognizable location—the Spirit World. In particular they now stood in the midst of a familiar dark and gnarled forest, the same that Korra had once lost herself to during her first trip there, and where she had first met Iroh. A heavy gloom hung over the forest, though. It sank deep into the trees, permeated the air with a thick, drowning pressure. Korra shuddered, as a perturbed chill rippled up her spine.

“This place...why does it feel like death?” she asked. “And why is it so...quiet? Where are all the spirits?”

“You won't find any spirits here, not in this age,” Raava explained. “We are not actually in the Spirit World right now. This is but a memory of a time long past, a vision of something that came before.”

“Okay...so then what happened to the spirits?”

“Sen happened to them.” Raava twisted her form to look off through the shadowed trees. There in the distance, the many legs of a massive, hulking gejigeji could be seen creeping across the ground. “During this age, he traveled throughout the Spirit World, absorbing the essences of all spirits who crossed his path and increasing his own power.”

Korra's eyebrows steadily lifted as the true form of Sen skittered into view. “If he stole their essences, wouldn't their bodies at least have been left behind? I don't see...anything.”

“Spirits do not have physical bodies,” Raava said. “When our essences are stolen, we are not separated from a physical form, but rather we simply cease to be. At least, that is the case for most of us.”

“So...Sen just kept killing spirits to increase his own power?” Korra said. “That's...horrible.”

“Yes, it was. But he did not stop there.”

Again, the world around them changed. The Spirit World faded from existence and instead became replaced by a small village. The world here was much different than the Spirit World, and the village clearly human-made; they were in the physical world now. Just like before, though, the feel in the air was one of gloom and despair. As Korra focused more on the village, she noticed bodies lying scattered across the ground—men, women, children, all with the same blank stare to their open eyes, horror frozen across their faces. She knew that look by now; they had had their essences removed.

“Sen got to them...” she muttered, curling her hands to fists. “He killed them all, didn't he?”

“He did,” Raava said. “This was a time shortly after Vaatu and I broke through to the material world for the first time, before the spread of the Spirit Wilds and before humans took to the backs of lion turtles for protection. There were no benders yet in the world, no Avatar, no defense against any spirits, let alone one as powerful as Sen. He wreaked havoc upon all those he came across, stealing the essences of countless humans as he went, all while growing stronger. Do you know why he is called the Spirit of a Thousand Faces?”

Korra shook her head, as she wandered through the village. Her gaze shifted back and forth, taking note of every face that she saw; there were so many. “No, I don't.”

“It is because of what he can do with the essences he steals.”

The great Light Spirit led the way through the village, turning through a cluster of houses and to the front of a well. There stood a single individual, human in appearance, gazing up at the sun. As Korra looked closer, though, she noticed a distinct gleam in the figure's eyes, a sinister gleam that bore a striking malice and power. Further still, she sensed a great spiritual presence about him, one that no human should have.

“Is that...?”

“Yes,” Raava said. “That is Sen, in one of his many forms.”

As they watched, the figure morphed from its human appearance back into the massive gejigeji. An echoing, cackling laugh erupted from the spirit, and then he skittered off into the distance.

Korra's brow lifted. “He can transform himself?”

Raava's form bowed low again with a nod. “Into the exact duplicate of any essence he has stolen—not just their appearance, but their thoughts, their memories, their very being. In truth 'thousand faces' is a misnomer and an underestimate. It would be more accurate to refer to him as 'countless faces', for it is the best way to describe how many essences he has stolen. Not only that, but as you've seen already, he can also take those essences and place them into physical forms that he has created, under his control.”

“That's insane...” Korra uttered. _“Sickening.”_

“I agree.”

“Is there any way to free the essences he's stolen? To give them back to their bodies before they die?”

Raava thought a moment, humming a quiet breath. “There may be, but unfortunately I do not know of it. That will be something you must learn straight from the source.”

Korra took another look around at the bodies lying throughout the village. She felt a knot twist in her gut, bubbling nausea building deep in her core. “You were around then, weren't you? Couldn't you have stopped him?”

“I could have, if I had ever gotten the chance,” Raava said. “But I was trapped in my eternal struggle with Vaatu then. That required my full and absolute attention.”

“Right, Vaatu...” Korra huffed a sigh, pinching her fingers against the bridge of her nose. “But he _was_ stopped eventually, wasn't he? He was imprisoned.”

“Yes, by none other than his mother, the Mother of Faces.”

The world changed again. This time, Korra found herself standing in the middle of a rocky canyon, split down the middle by a wide, winding river. The river emptied into a large, perfectly round pool of water. Towering at the center of the pool stood a great spirit with multiple faces and a body of twisted bark—the Mother of Faces. At the shore of the water, the clicking, skittering body of Sen lay writhing in the dirt, squealing with pained shouts.

“No! Mother! You can't do this!”

The Mother of Faces only loomed higher, glowering down at her son. “You have run unchecked through both worlds for far too long! You have left nothing but pain and destruction in your wake, and what's more you attempted to take the material world as your own! Your reign of terror ends today and for all time!”

The towering spirit then plunged one of her hands into the chest of Sen. A bright white glow burst forth from his body, and when the Mother of Faces ripped her hand out again, she held in her grasp a bright wisp of light—Sen's essence. The shrill squeals of Thousand-Faced Spirit grew louder, but his body soon went limp and motionless. Then, there was silence. Seconds later, the massive gejigeji body shrank down from its hulking form into a much smaller, pebble-sized one. The Mother of Faces reached down to take that tiny body into her other hand, and then she slowly began to sink back into the watery depths.

“You will never again harm another,” she spoke. “I will make sure of it. You, my son, will never again be free.”

When the Mother of Faces disappeared below the water, the surface immediately calmed and became still, not a single ripple disturbing its pristine surface. Korra watched with wide eyes, her mouth hanging partially open. She hadn't quite expected the removal of Sen's essence to be so...violent.

“I thought before you said that when a spirit loses their essence, they're destroyed?” she said, looking up to Raava.

The Light Spirit looked back to her, and eased a gentle sigh. “Most of us, yes. But for one as powerful as Sen, it merely weakened him back to his original form, the diminutive one you saw his mother take with her. It was that form that she imprisoned within the Spirit World.”

“And what did she mean when she said Sen tried to make the material world his own?”

“That is the most dire thing I must tell you,” Raava said. “Sen, when he came to the physical world, did not just seek to steal essences or increase his power. He did it with the intent of taking control of your world and turning into his own twisted domain. His ultimate goal was the extermination of all humans, for there is no place in his vision for your kind.”

A shocked jolt lit like fire through Korra's body at the revelation. Rather than let herself panic, though, she took a deep breath and calmed herself. With a gaze up at the Light Spirit, she gave an appreciative nod and hardened her demeanor. “Thank you, Raava, but I need to go now... We need to stop Sen.”

Raava nodded in return. “We will do it together.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a couple scenes shorter than I meant to have, but that's because the other scenes were longer than I expected, mainly because of Korra and Raava's conversation. Originally it was meant to just be dialogue, but I decided to switch it up a little by having Raava show her actual visions of the past. Hopefully now any questions you might still have had about Sen's motivations have been answered, as we now know his history and what he plans.


	125. Falling Down Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar goes after Sen, only to find themselves confronted with unexpected battles.

Kanna looked down from atop Druk's back with a pout. "Mommy, do we _have_ to go? I don't want to leave you."

Azula leaned up and gave the girl a soft kiss on the forehead, then brushed her hair back with as reassuring a smile as possible. "It's just for a little while, I promise. I'll see you again real soon, alright?"

"Alright..." she sighed, bowing her head.

"Don't worry, Sweet Pea, your mother will be fine." Anraq climbed atop the dragon's back behind Kanna and scooted forward into place, so he was sure she wouldn't fall. "We're going to see your Aunt Mai and Ty Lee. You like them, right?"

A smile curled its way onto Kanna's face. "Uh huh! They're fun."

"Yes, have fun," Azula said. "Tell them all about the festival, too, I'm sure they'll love to hear about it. Or at least Ty Lee will..." With a tentative glance to Anraq, she added, "And Annie...don't tell them what's happened to Izumi and Iroh. Not yet. Mai just lost her husband..."

"Say no more," Anraq replied, with a nod. "Just be careful, alright?"

"I will." Azula offered a smile, then gave the dragon a gentle pat on the scales and took a step backwards. "Take good care of them, Druk. Don't fly too fast."

The dragon grumbled in response, then took off to the skies. Azula watched them go, until they were nothing more than a small dot against the clouds, then finally turned away and headed back towards the palace. The Avatar's team would be gathering soon to go after Sen. She only hoped that this new method of tracking him worked, and that they would be ready when they found him. She hoped _she_ would be ready. After all, it wasn't just Sen they had to deal with. There were still all his resurrected minions, with her father and brother among them. She couldn't care less what happened to Ozai, but Zuko... She had to help him, somehow. She _needed_ there to be a way to help him.

The only question she had for herself was, would she be ready when the moment came? The moment when she again confronted Sen, confronted her father, and confronted Zuko? Anraq worried about her, and rightfully so. As much as she insisted to the contrary, she knew that her mind was starting to slip again, almost as bad as the last time she broke down. Facing down her father again had been jarring enough, but to hear her brother say those things to her—things that she had always feared might be true—it drove a figurative spike through her heart. It rattled her, put her on edge... And that only added to the pulsing terror that Sen gave her, a terror that had at least twice now pushed her near another panic attack. Had it not been for Annie reminding her of her breathing exercises, she might have broken down again already.

 _It's not true_. She just needed to keep reminding herself of that. The things that Zuko had said to her, the things that Ozai had said to her, none of it was true. They were only words—words meant to cut deep into her core, words meant to weaken her resolve. They were words that came straight from Sen's twisted mind, and she could not allow them to affect her. She had to remain strong, had to remain determined. She had to face this torment of hers. She _would_ face it, and she would triumph.

Besides, the Avatar would be there, too. What could go wrong?

Azula's thoughts kept her mind occupied as she made her way to the meeting place: the center of the palace courtyard, between the ring of ice sculptures. When she arrived, Korra, Kuvira, and Jinora were already there waiting for her. They each greeted her with a wave and friendly words, but she gave only a subtle nod in response. Her current mood gave herself no desire for idle chitchat and pleasantries. Instead, she leaned against one of the ice sculptures with her arms folded, waiting for the others.

Eska, Desna, and Hari were the next to arrive. She noted that both twins walked with their arms linked with Hari's, one on either side of the younger earthbender. A perturbed knot twisted in her abdomen at the sight of it. How two siblings could ever be close enough to share a partner the way those twins shared Hari... It was a disturbing thought. That would be like if she and Zuko had shared Mai, or shared Annie. She couldn't imagine it, let alone actually consider it. Still, as much as she didn't understand it, she couldn't judge them for it, either. Both Eska and Desna were decent enough individuals, and what they did in their alone time was none of her concern, nor her business.

Lin and Bumi came next, though there was no sign of Kya; she had likely remained with the other healers to care for the spiritless victims. The Beifong at least was a woman that Azula could appreciate—hard nosed, took no nonsense, and downright scary when she had to be. That, and the former police chief was quite skilled to boot, and would make a fine addition to the team. Bumi, on the other hand... From what little she had interacted with him, Azula found the man to be an annoying buffoon on par with what she remembered of Katara's ridiculous brother. She supposed that another airbender wouldn't hurt, but still, she loathed the thought of putting up with the man's inane stories.

Last to arrive were Mako and Bolin, the Avatar's friends. Azula forced herself to withhold a scoff at the sight of the two brothers. From what she had gathered since meeting them, they were nothing more than a pair of mediocre benders. Bolin could lavabend, sure, but a lot of good that would do him in the frozen tundra. Of the other earthbenders present, Hari at least had his jar of sand, while Kuvira and Lin were both metalbenders and were properly equipped as such. Mako, on the other hand, made Zuko circa his banishment look good by comparison. At least Zuko had had ferocity back then. Mako's firebending, however... It pained Azula to witness. So many wild attacks and over extensions, no real skill or proper training.

Well, at least they had her there, in any case. They would be needing a proper firebender.

"Is that everyone?" Korra asked, looking around at the group.

Kuvira nodded. "Everyone I could round up on short notice who wanted to help."

"Well of course we're gonna help," Bumi said. "I might not have been there during the first attack, but there's no way I'm sitting this one out. We'll find this spirit and really put the hurt on him!"

"You know Bolin and I got your back, just like always," Mako said, with a nod. "Whatever happens, we're with you."

"Yeah, especially after what this Sen did," Bolin said. "To Toph, to Tenzin, your dad... everyone."

Lin folded her arms tight across her chest, and huffed. "Well, if there's a way to help them, we're going to find it. No matter what it takes."

"And there is still the matter of those that Sen has resurrected," Eska added. "Such as our father."

Desna nodded. "Yes, he and the others must be stopped."

"Or helped," Azula countered. "Like my brother."

"Or like Suyin," Kuvira said, with an earnest look. "We know. We'll do everything we can."

Korra watched the group another moment, then took the Spirit Detector out of her pocket and turned it on; the electronic squealing erupted louder than ever. She gradually waved the detector around through the air until the signal reached its strongest point, then led the way to follow it. "Alright then. Let's find Sen."

* * *

Three hours into their search, the Spirit Detector had led them out of the city, across the frozen tundra, and finally to the mouth of a large icy cave system cut deep into the side of a mountain. Here, the electronic squealing from the device reached new levels of volume—and annoyance. At this point, the team was tired of walking, cold, and wanted to smash the damn Spirit Detector before that shrill whirring drove them insane. More than a few times, several of them had given it a dirty, spiteful look, but Korra had always kept it just out of reach, always a couple steps ahead of them. Besides, as much as they wanted that noise out of their heads, they knew they needed it. Now that they had arrived at the apparent source of the electromagnetic frequency, however, Korra finally, _mercifully_ , shut the damn thing off. A collective breath of relief hissed through the group as a result.

"Caves,” Bumi muttered, with a look of disgust. The gaping opening of the cavern before them carved deep into the mountain, covered in a thick layer of ice. As hard as he tried to squint inside, he could see only darkness beyond. “Why's it always gotta be caves?"

"What's the matter, scared you'll get lost?" Azula said, raising an eyebrow at the man.

Bumi scoffed. "Please, I have an excellent sense of direction. Why, this one time I—"

"Yeah, no, I'm going to stop you there,” she said quickly, cutting him off before he rambled into another one of his ridiculous tales.

"Well fine.” Bumi pouted, planting his arms across his chest. “Nobody likes a good story anymore."

"Let's try to be quiet,” Korra said. “I'd rather we didn't give ourselves away. Right now, the element of surprise is our biggest advantage."

Kuvira frowned, as she stared as far into the shadowed cave as possible. "Somehow, I get the feeling our arrival isn't as unexpected as we think."

"Well if our track record is anything to go by, then yeah, no probably not,” Bolin said. “These things have kind of a tendency of not working out for us."

"Then this time we _make_ it work,” Lin said, as she pushed past the others to make her way into the cave. “Come on, people, we're wasting time."

In spite of Lin's eagerness to get going, she was forced to give way to both Azula and Mako shortly after entering. The two firebenders led the others through the icy tunnel with flames burning bright in their palms, lighting up the near pitch black interior within. For the moment, they found nothing out of the ordinary, merely an empty, icy corridor that twisted endlessly deeper into the mountain—no branching paths, no alternate routes, no enemies.

With a bored sigh, Azula glanced over at her friebending counterpart and frowned. "Your flame is pitiful, you know. Try putting some actual juice into it so we get more light."

Mako turned a confused and annoyed glare towards her, as if unsure how to react to her statement. After a moment's hesitation he opted with, "Excuse me, but at least my fire is yellow. I don't care how big your flame is, blue light is too soft to light up a cave."

"My fire is blue because it's _hotter,”_ she countered. “And therefore stronger. You should try to show a little respect to your superiors."

"My _superior?”_ Mako's face twisted with disbelief. “What's your problem?"

 _"My_ problem? You're the one who barely understands the first thing about firebending,” she said. “How on earth do you manage to get by?"

"Seriously? You're insulting my firebending right now? _Here?"_

"Would you two knock it off?” Lin said. “You're going to give us away."

"Hey, she started it!" Mako insisted. Azula flashed a simple, smug grin in his direction, eliciting a frustrated groan from his lips. He said nothing else, although a second later the flame in his palm burned larger than before, offering more light with which to see.

Korra glanced back and forth between them and shook her head with a sigh. “Really, you two?” As if a mother attempting to settle an argument between her children, she made her way between the pair and created her own fire, this one burning brighter than either of theirs and nearly doubling their light source.

Azula rolled her eyes. “Well you're the _Avatar._ That's hardly impressive.”

“Everyone quiet,” Jinora said, in a hushed whisper. “I thought I heard something.”

The group came to a stop and listened, straining their ears to hear whatever sound Jinora had heard. Moments later it came again—a loud, sharp cracking noise.

"What... _is_ that?" Lin said.

No sooner than she asked it, the ice beneath them split open wide. The next thing they knew, they were falling, sliding down frozen chutes through the ground. It happened so quickly, so instantaneously, that they could do nothing to remain together, nothing to stop their descent. Within seconds, they were gone.

* * *

Korra's surprised screams cut off with a sudden huff of air as she broke through the ceiling of a small cavern and crashed against the ground. For a brief moment she just lied there in an attempt to recover. When she finally opened her eyes, she noted that the frozen walls of this particular chamber were glowing, as if light had become trapped inside the ice. It wasn't much, but it was enough to at least see without the aid of any alternative light source.

But where _was_ here? Why had the ground opened up to swallow them, and why had they been separated? From what she could see, she was alone here, with no other members of her team nearby. She had a guess, of course, and that guess was only confirmed when a sudden, invisible grip took hold of her body and twisted her limbs out of place. With a pained shout, she bolted upright and then lifted into the air, floating there under the power of an outside force.

“You...knew we were coming...” she uttered, as she pointed a glare towards the far end of the chamber.

“Yes, Avatar, we did.” Amon stepped forward, with a single hand raised, his fingers clenched into a fist.

Tarrlok joined him a moment later, his own hands raised in a distinct bloodbending stance. Together they held her in place, kept her defenseless. “Did you really think you could waltz in here and stop us? You should know by now that we're always one step ahead.”

“One step ahead...right.” Korra managed a scoff, in spite of the pain that pulsed through her twisting limbs. “Sen is the one that's a step ahead, not you. You're just his puppets...forced to do what he wants.”

“Perhaps,” Amon replied, with a narrow glare from behind his mask. “But then, he did give us our new bodies. We are in his debt...for now.”

“Well, if you think...I'm just going to sit here and let you win...you're just as stupid as I remember.” In the next instant, Korra's eyes glowed bright white as she entered the Avatar State, and within seconds the bloodbending hold over her weakened and vanished. She dropped out of the air back to her feet and then shifted into a waterbending stance. _“Now, I'm sending you back to the Spirit World, where you belong!”_

She almost didn't hear the _pop-pop-pop_ in time, so concentrated was she on the bloodbending brothers. At the last second, she managed to twist herself around and raise a solid wall of ice in front of herself to block the explosion, although the resulting impact shattered the defense and slid her backwards across the ground. When the smoke and dust cleared, she saw P'Li standing there behind her, already preparing another combustion blast.

“Sorry, Avatar, but we can't allow you to do that!”

_Pop-pop-pop...BOOM._

* * *

“Aaahhhhh— _oof!”_ Bolin hit the ground with a thud and a groan. Before he could push himself up again, his brother landed atop his back and drove him harder against the ice. “Ow...”

“Sorry, Bo,” Mako said, as he rolled off and returned to his feet. He held a hand down to help his brother up, then looked around the cavern they found themselves in. It was a single, small chamber of ice, with no exiting paths from what he could see. “Where are we?”

“I don't know,” Bolin replied, scratching his head. “But we need to find a way out of here and find the others.”

Before they had a chance to search for a way out, a cold voice drew their attention towards the other end of the chamber. “I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that.”

They turned to see a lone figure standing there, a man with long dark hair and pointed goatee, dressed in red and black Fire Nation robes. At first, neither brother recognized the man. They stared at him a moment, squinting with confusion.

“Mako, who is that?” Bolin asked. “Is that Sen?”

“I don't know,” he replied, with a shrug. “He doesn't... _seem_ like an all powerful spirit.”

The man flinched at their ignorance. He quickly composed himself, then ignited a pair of flames in his hands. “You uncultured _peasants._ I am Phoenix King Ozai! Rightful ruler of the Fire Nation, and the world!”

Bolin blinked, as recognition finally came to his eyes. “Oh! Mako, that's the crazy Fire Lord that Avatar Aang and his friends beat!”

Mako's eyebrows steadily lifted at the announcement. “Try not to sound so excited... That's not a good thing.”

“No, it isn't,” Ozai said, with a wicked grin cutting across his face. “For you two, at least. The new Avatar thought she could bring a hapless group in here to stop us, but she was wrong. Now, you will all perish!”

“Bolin, down!” Mako lunged at his brother and took them both back to the ground, just as a massive jet of flames scorched through the air where they had been standing seconds before. Without missing a beat, he flipped himself up to his feet again and pulled Bolin up with him. “You ready, Bo?”

“To fight the crazy powerful firebender that took the previous Avatar to stop?” Bolin uttered a nervous laugh. “Oh sure. Totally. This'll be a blast.”

* * *

“Ugh, I am getting too old to be dropping onto the ground from high places,” Bumi said, as he glanced up at the cave ceiling above them.

“Well, the good news is that we're not hurt,” Jinora replied. She took a moment to look around at the singular chamber they had fallen into. There didn't appear to be any exits, from what she could see. “The bad news is that we've been separated from the rest of the group and trapped here, wherever here is. The enemy must have known we were coming, and cut us off from each other to weaken us.”

Bumi stretched out his back with a groan. “Well, I don't suppose you got any ideas on how to get out of here, do you?”

Jinora thought a moment, holding a hand against her chin. “Well, I can probably meditate and project my spirit to try and find the others. Then we can try to come up with a plan to reconnect with each other.”

“Good, you do that.” Bumi plopped himself back on the ground with a huff. “I'm gonna take a break and rest my feet up a bit.”

“I'm afraid I can't let you do that,” said a voice. A single figure stepped forward from the far side of the cavern, igniting a bright flame in one of his palms. In his other hand, he wielded a broadsword. “Neither of you will be leaving here.”

Bumi immediately propelled himself back up to his feet with a burst of air. “Well, so much for that break.”

“Who is that?” Jinora said, squinting at the man. Her gaze settled on the scar at the man's left eye. “Is that...?”

“Lord Zuko?” Bumi's mouth fell open as he recognized the man standing across from them.

“I'd say it's good to see you again, Bumi, but I'm afraid the circumstances don't allow for that.” Zuko held his sword forward and shifted his stance. The flame in his free hand burned brighter.

“I wasn't sure if I believed Azula when she said you were back, but...You're so young.”

“And in better shape than ever,” Zuko stated. “Now, I suggest you prepare yourself. I don't plan on going easy on you two.”

Bumi held his palms out and spread his feet apart. Although his posture said he was ready, the hesitant look on his face spoke to the contrary. “Jinora, whatever happens, don't let your guard down.”

“I know,” she replied, taking her own stance. “I've read the stories. He's not a pushover.”

“I'm afraid those stories aren't going to help you here,” Zuko said, as he broke out into a run towards the two airbenders. “Nothing will!”

* * *

“It seems we have been separated from the others,” Eska said, with an indifferent look around the cavern.

“Indeed,” Desna replied. “I suspect the enemy realized we were coming and developed a trap to catch us off guard.”

Eska nodded. “I agree. We should devise a method of escape immediately.”

Hari knelt low and ran his fingers across the ground—not ice, but dirt. “This is odd... Why would the ice have been cleared away in this one cavern?”

“That's because of me, actually.” The voice drew their attention towards a pair of figures behind them. The one who had spoken, Ghazan, took a step forward and spread his arms out, causing a large portion of the earth in front of him to melt into lava. “I needed something to work with.”

“But don't worry, there's still plenty of ice.” Ming-Hua moved next to her partner, gesturing around at the icy walls with her water-arms. “Not that it matters much, though. I seem to recall beating you twins before, without breaking much of a sweat, either.”

“That was a long time ago,” Desna stated, as he lowered himself into a waterbending stance.

“Indeed.” Eska moved in unison with her brother, her actions mirroring his. “This time will be different.”

Hari stood with them, and with a single motion of his arms the cap on the stone jar across his back burst open. The sand within poured out a moment later, spreading out through the air like a cloud. “I may not have the same history with you two, but if you intend to fight us, then I will stop you.”

Ghazan scoffed, then curled a smirk on his face. “Sand, huh? That's cute.” Then, he raised his fists in preparation to attack. “Alright then, let's see what you got, kid.”

* * *

Lin frowned as she studied the earthen walls of the cavern that she had fallen into. Although the ceiling above was lined with a thick layer of ice, the walls and floor of the cave were solid stone and dirt, a far cry from the frozen landscape that they'd been accustomed to in the South. “I don't get it. Why go through the trouble of separating us only to drop two earthbenders into a chamber made of earth? Doesn't make any sense.”

Kuvira took a careful step forward and looked around, drawing her eyes steadily upwards towards the frozen ceiling. “I don't know. I'm not sure what to make of it, myself... But I suppose we should get to tunneling ourselves out of here and finding the others.”

“Ha, you two dunderheads really think you're just gonna waltz on out of here? As if!”

Lin stiffened at the sound of the voice. She knew that voice. But... That couldn't be right. With a slow, tentative turn, she looked behind her shoulder towards the other end of the cavern. There, she saw a woman perhaps twenty or thirty years in age, with her dark hair done up in a large bun with pointed bangs falling over her eyes. The woman also wore the same armor that Lin herself did—the armor of the Republic City Metalbending Police.

Kuvira blinked at the woman and took a careful step backwards. “Lin, tell me that's not...”

But she couldn't tell Kuvira it wasn't, because it _was._ That face... It was so familiar to her. It brought back a rush of memories from her childhood, from a time long past when she had been desperately trying to prove herself as a cop and a dutiful, good-willed daughter. Even that smirk was the same—that smug, cocky smirk of the greatest earthbender who ever lived.

“What's the matter?” Toph said. “Surprised to see me?”

* * *

“Let me out of here!” Azula yelled, as she released a jet of fire at the frozen wall in front of her. No matter how hot she made her flames burn, though, and no matter how long she maintained them, the ice didn't melt—at least, not completely. The outer layers _did_ melt, but they seemed to reform again just as quickly, as if mocking her. Each time the ice froze over again, she howled in frustration, only to make another futile attempt that ended in the same failure.

Finally, she took a step back from the wall and ceased her relentless attacks. This was getting her nowhere, and the only thing she'd accomplish was exhausting herself. But she needed to figure out a way to escape whatever this prison was that she now found herself in. At least, she assumed it was a prison. Why else would she have been separated from the others and dropped into a frozen cavern with no exits, and walls that would not give way to her fire? Were all the others in a similar predicament, or was she the only one who had been trapped? Would they try to find her? Would they help her? Or would they keep going and leave her here?

“Have to get out of here...” she muttered, as she stumbled back a step. “Have to... Have to find the others.”

“Yeah, that's not going to happen.”

Azula flinched at the sound of the voice, immediately turning around to find the source of it. When she noticed the figure standing behind her, she lurched into a rigid firebending pose, ready to attack or defend herself as necessary. However, her initial instinct soon gave way to shock and disbelief when she recognized who the woman was. The woman wore Water Tribe attire, with long brown hair that feel down loose in the back, and a pair of loops done in the front. She wasn't as young as Azula first remembered her, nor as old as she last remembered, perhaps in her mid-twenties.

Still, the face was impossible not to recognize. It brought memories back to her, horrible memories—flashes of her worst moments, of being chained to a grate, helpless, flailing around in abject panic, spitting fire from her mouth and sobbing, nothing but an uncontrolled mess. Azula's posture faltered as those memories drove a knife of anxiety into her gut. A shudder ran through her and her chest seized, breathing fluttered and became uneven, rapid.

No, not now. She couldn't have another episode _now_ , not here, not in front of _her._

“You don't look so good,” Katara said, as she strolled towards the former Fire Princess. “What's the matter, Azula? Is the big bad prodigy scared?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, these next few chapters are going to be a pain to write... I hate writing fight scenes, and yet I just set up six different fights to write out. This...isn't going to be fun. If anything, I hope they'll at least be interesting to read when I'm done with them. We have a few interesting matchups, I think, such as Lin and Kuvira vs. Toph in her prime, and Azula facing Katara, the one who originally beat her at the height of her mental instability, which completely broke her at the time. As if Azula wasn't suffering enough already...
> 
> And for those of you that don't follow my tumblr, here's a new art commission featuring Anraq, Kanna, and Azula: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/132695743248/youre-a-part-of-our-family-now-too-posted


	126. Second Chances and Icy Lances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Korra vs. the ressurected Amon, Tarrlok, and P'Li! Meanwhile, Eska, Desna, and Hari vs. Gahzan and Ming-Hua! And Team Avatar gains an unexpected ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is how I'm going to do these upcoming chapters... originally I was going to put all the fight scenes into a single chapter, but yeah that's not going to work. The scenes are all going way longer than I thought they would, so the resulting chapter would be enormous. Instead I'm going to break them down into two fights per chapter. The first is this one, I'll put up the next two fights tomorrow, and then the last chapter either the day after that, or the next day.

Korra let the explosion hit her; or rather she bended the fire and the shock wave from the explosion at the moment of impact and then redirected it back from whence it came. P'Li gaped with surprise as her own attack burst back through the air straight at her, and only just managed to roll away across the ground before the blast reignited where she'd been standing seconds before, leaving behind a small crater in its wake. Both Amon and Tarrlok made one more attempt at bloodbending Korra, but their efforts were futile in the face of her raging Avatar State. She simply spun a kick at them and knocked the two away with an arcing shot of wind. The bloodbending brothers lifted airborne like a pair of dolls and slammed against the cave wall so hard that the ice cracked beneath them. Korra prepared another attack, raising an icy pillar from out the ground. As she did, she heard the distinct _pop-pop-pop_ of another combustion blast.

With a swift turn, she liquefied the ice and met the blast with a sphere of water. The water smothered the explosion, stifled it onto a harmless puff. Without missing a beat, Korra froze the water into a solid ball of ice, launched it towards the combustionbender, and then broke it to pieces in an eruption of frozen shards. P'Li whirled a wall of fire in front of herself to melt the ice before it could reach her, and against a lesser bender it might have worked. Against a rage fueled Avatar, however, her flames did little to slow down the ice.

The shards flew straight through the wall and struck full force. P'Li crumpled to the ground with a scream as the blades pierced her flesh—three in her left arm, one in her right shoulder, six across her chest and ribs, three more in her left thigh, and two in her abdomen. The wounds were not deep, but they cut hot with a crippling pain that kept her flat on her backside. She made an attempt sit up, but collapsed again within seconds as a white hot agony raced through her body like fire. She lied there with a grimace, her head falling cold against the ice.

Even with their combustionbending ally taken out of the fight, Amon and Tarrlok did not pause. They both slid forward across the frozen ground, attacking in tandem while the Avatar was distracted with P'Li. Tarrlok pulled a swirling orb of water around himself and unleashed a barrage of icy blades from the surface. At the same time, Amon broke apart a portion of the ceiling and melted the ice into water. He coiled the water through the air in a twisting torrent and brought it crashing down upon his target.

Without even looking, Korra whirled her arms and redirected the torrential stream before it crushed her. The spiraling current took a sharp turn towards Tarrlok, flooding his frozen projectiles and lifting him from his feet. Just after the water struck, Korra broke it apart in a crashing wave that expanded to drag away Amon, as well. The impact loosed the mask from his face and threw off his hood, before finally flattening both him and his brother once again into the cavern wall.

 _"You cannot win!"_ Korra said, with a booming echo to her voice.

Amon grumbled as he sat up on his knees, heaving in a breath. "We don't have to, Avatar. We only need to keep you busy."

"Yes, by now the rest of your friends should have been dealt with," Tarrlok said. "It's almost sad, really. All that power and you still won't be able to save them."

The ire in Korra's glowing gaze grew fiercer. Floating atop a spinning cyclone of air, she raised her arms upward and gradually began to rotate them in a circle. Two spiraling streams of water lifted from the frozen ground to surround the two brothers, and soon after the water began to glow a bright yellow.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Tarrlok questioned, with a critical glare.

Before he could ponder any further, yellow light burst from his eyes and mouth, eliciting a panicked shout from the bloodbender. The same fate afflicted Amon, and within a scant few moments the light dissolved into tiny, countless flecks. That mist of glowing light faded thereafter into nothing and their bodies crumpled limp to the ground; their spirits had returned to the Spirit World, to be at peace. When they were gone, Korra turned again to face P'Li.

The combustionbender flinched as she removed the ice shards from her body, one by one. With each one that pulled free, she stifled a quiet groan of pain under her breath. Even once she removed them all, though, she still couldn't so much as sit upright, only able to make it up to her elbows. Korra stood over her now, glaring down with those merciless glowing Avatar eyes.

 _"Where is Sen?"_ she said.

"I don't know." P'Li scrunched closer against herself and grimaced again at the anguish pulsing through her body. A brief cough expelled a cloud of scarlet across the frozen ground. "He just told us to wait here... That he knew you'd be coming and... We were supposed to stop you. Then he just...left."

Korra's gaze narrowed, but she said nothing. Instead, she dropped back into her spiritbending stance and again whirled her arms through the air.

"I didn't want to do this, you know," P'Li muttered, wiping a line of blood from her lips. "I didn't _ask_ to be brought back and enslaved by some spirit. If it were up to me, I'd... I'd find Zaheer and you'd never see us again."

Korra ceased her actions momentarily, as her demeanor softened. Shortly afterward, the glow in her eyes faded, replaced instead by a gleam of confusion. As far as she knew, these spirits that Sen had brought back were supposed to be completely under his control, mindless outside of their servitude to him. Yet here, P'Li was expressing...regret? "I thought you didn't care about Zaheer anymore?"

"No, that's not... That wasn't me talking," she insisted. Another pained groan surged from her throat. Her arms shook, but still she was able to hold herself there, in spite of the visible agony growing across her face. "Sen, he has this...this _hold_ over us. It makes us think...say things...act like we normally wouldn't. Or at least some of us. I'm sure you knew that already, but...it slips sometimes. Right now, I...I don't feel it. Maybe it's the pain, I don't know."

Korra bowed her head momentarily, her mind racing with sudden thoughts. If it was true that the hold Sen had over those he had brought back could slip in such a fashion, then it meant the control was weak. If it was weak, then perhaps she could figure out a way to severe it completely. If she could do that, she'd be able to help Su, and Zuko.

"Just get it over with already," P'Li muttered, as she finally let herself collapse flat against the ground. "I'm ready to go back. This whole experience has been a nightmare."

Korra returned her gaze to the fallen woman. She hesitated only briefly, then took a step closer and knelt down with her eyes closed. With a deep, concentrated breath, she reached forward and held her hands against the combustionbender's forehead.

P'Li blinked in confusion. "What are you doing?"

But Korra didn't answer. She remained silent, still, reaching into P'Li's mind with her own chi. She kept pushing, diving farther, deeper, until finally she felt a connection to the woman's very spirit. With that connection made, she opened her eyes again, this time with the glow of the Avatar State fueling her. P'Li uttered a shrill gasp, her own eyes snapping open wide with a blank stare. Then, her eyes, too, began to glow, as Korra's Avatar Spirit filled her.

The effect lasted only a brief moment, and soon the glow from both their eyes faded. When it was over, P'Li turned her head over and coughed out a bloodied gasp. "What...did you do to me...?"

"I...think I just freed you from Sen's control," Korra said, with a furrowed brow. "I felt the connection he had with you and I overpowered it with Raava's energy. It should be gone now. Permanently."

P'Li blinked at the Avatar in confusion. "So, I'm...free? And...and alive."

"Yes, for the moment," Korra said. "What happens next, though, is up to you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, by all accounts I should send your spirit back to the Spirit World, just like I did to Amon and Tarrlok," she explained. "For everything you did in your previous life, it would only be fitting."

P'Li swallowed a tentative knot in her throat. "Then why haven't you?"

"Because I believe in compassion, and I think you've already suffered enough." Korra lowered herself fully to the ground now, sitting cross-legged next to the combustionbender. "I'd rather _not_ have to spiritbend you, to be honest. Bending spirits is always so...sad." She eased a sigh out her lips, offering P'Li a sympathetic gaze. "If you surrender, I won't have to do that." P'Li flinched at the sentiment, and Korra knew exactly what the woman was thinking: why come back to life just to serve another prison sentence? So, she quickly followed it up with, "Better yet, if you _help_ us, well...who knows? I've seen people get second chances who you'd never think could. I've seen them _embrace_ those second chances. What about you?"

P'Li's eyes narrowed with skepticism. "What _about_ me?"

"You have a new life right now," Korra said. "That's as good an opportunity for a second chance as I can think of. The way your life was before, the running, the terrorizing, the constant fear, all of that? It doesn't have to be like that the second time around. You want to make a difference? You want to help people? Then you do it a different way. A better way. You can start by helping us stop Sen from destroying humanity."

A flabbergasted silence fell over P'Li. She stared at the Avatar, barely able to make her lips work until finally shaking herself out of her daze. "You would give me that chance, knowing the things I've done, knowing how I feel about...everything?"

"Yes, I would. The real question here is, do you _want_ that chance?"

Another pause. P'Li's focus shifted away towards the ground, frozen in deep contemplation. "Even if I did, I wouldn't be much use to you right now. I can't even stand."

"I can help with that," Korra said, calling a bubble of water around her hands. She then held her hands over the combustionbender's wounds, and the water began to glow. "I should be able to heal you enough to walk under your own power, at least. Should only take a few minutes."

Ever so gradually, P'Li's wounds closed up and shrank. In the limited amount of time that they had, Korra could not heal them completely, but they became manageable. Soon, P'Li's pained grimacing eased and disappeared, and she was able to sit upright.

When Korra finished, she stood up, looked down at the woman sitting in front of her, and held out her hand. "Well?"

P'Li stared at the Avatar's hand for a long while, still mulling over her options. Her eyes squinted, flickered with the beginnings of a decision, and then finally sharpened with purpose. With a firm grasp to Korra's hand, she pulled herself upright and looked down with a nod; at her full height, she towered over the Avatar by nearly a foot. "Lead the way."

* * *

Eska and Desna attacked in perfect unison with each other. Over the years, their twin telepathy had only grown stronger, as had their connection to each other. As a result, their combat skills had increased at a remarkable pace, given their double style. Although they fought as a single bender, they could put out the power of two. Ming-Hua discovered quickly just how much the twins had improved, as she found herself ducking and weaving around repeated ice spikes dropping down from the frozen ceiling above.

The first time they had fought, she had outmaneuvered their attacks and incapacitated them with little effort. Now, they forced her to keep on her toes, so to speak, each strike closer than the last. She stumbled briefly to back away from a crossing pair of frozen spears, then hardened her own water arms into icy scythes to cut away the subsequent barrage. The assault only grew fiercer and more relentless, and within moments she became buried within a crashing pile of ice. The twins held their stance, though, and waited; they knew better than to assume someone of Ming-Hua's caliber to to be taken out so easily.

Sure enough, the ice surrounding Ming-Hua cracked open moments later, allowing her to burst free into the open atop a rippling wave. The wave grew larger as the ice melted under control, and with a fierce shout she propelled herself forward between the twins. She spun once and cast two streams of water out to her sides, one at either sibling. Eska and Desna again acted in unison as they defended themselves, bending the water around their bodies and redirecting it back the way it came. Before the water could reach its target, though, Ming-Hua froze it all into a single, solid structure of cascading icy streams suspended in the air. Then, with a push of both her arms, the ice exploded in a shower of frozen shrapnel. The twins were both pushed farther apart from each other as they again worked to protect themselves with ice of their own. Ming-Hua didn't allow them any respite, though, and immediately pressed another attack.

With the twins occupied by Ming-Hua, Hari made his move against Gahzan. He started with a half shift of his stance, pushing his cloud of sand through the air and surrounding the lavabender. A firm clench of his fingers then drew the grains inward in a single instant, while clumping together and elongating into solid lances. Gahzan merely twisted a smirk across his face, then lifted an earthen wall around himself for protection. The moment that the lances struck the wall, he then pushed his arms outward and melted the earth into boiling lava.

The liquid fire burst apart in a scorching spray, forcing Hari to shield himself with a wall of his own. The defense lasted only a short second, though, as soon the wall itself melted into another mass of lava. This time, Hari jumped backwards to create more distance between them; Gahzan responded by spreading the pool of molten rock towards him. Within moments, Hari found himself backed against the cave wall with nowhere to go. Just before the lava could reach him, though, he called his sand back beneath his feet and packed it together, dense and firm. The sand then lifted him up into the air, clear away from the burning ground below.

"Neat trick," Gahzan said, "but it's not going to help you."

The lavabender threw molten plumes through the air, but Hari guided himself left and right, weaving around the attacks. One stream in particular came dangerously close, singing one of the sandbender's sleeves and melting part of the cloud he rode upon. With a swift, sharp turn, though, he escaped further harm. He dodged twice more, waiting for just the right moment before punching his fists to fire off successive, hardened clumps of sand from his cloud.

Gahzan found himself caught in the middle of his next attack, unable to defend against the first volley of projectiles. The sand clusters drove like cannonballs into his gut, dropping him down to one knee with his eyes open wide in shock. Hari finished the assault by leaping down to solid ground and pushing his remaining sand towards his opponent in the form of a giant fist. Gahzan blinked at the fist and made an attempt to block it before it reached him, but the wall he erected in front of himself simply exploded into pieces upon impact. The sand fist drove square into his chest and smashed him against the cave wall. When the sand retreated, he crumpled down to his knees with a groan.

"So, is my sand still 'cute'?" Hari asked, as he coiled the grains around himself in a flowing stream.

Gahzan scoffed, lifting his head to meet the sandbender's eyes. "A little." His gaze shifted briefly to the left, then without warning he raked his fingers across the ground and tossed a molten wave through the air.

Hari's eyes snapped open when he realized the target—not him, but an unaware Eska, who was busy defending against one of Ming-Hua's attacks. "Eska!"

The female chieftain turned at the sound of her name, but noticed the lava too late to build a defense or move out of the way. All she could do was turn herself and cover her head with her arms a split second before the molten wave crashed over her. In that second, though, a stream of water raced in front of the lava and cocooned Eska within a defensive bubble. When the molten rock met the cold water, a hiss of steam erupted throughout the chamber. The lava cooled and hardened, as well, soon solidifying into rock.

From the steam cloud, Eska crawled out into the open again and looked to her brother. "Thank you, Desna."

Her brother gave a simple nod. "You're welc— _hurrkk!"_

A spray of blood burst from Desna's lips, mixing with the steam in the air. From the haze, a long, icy spear emerged, skewering the male twin through the left side of the chest—through his heart. Ming-Hua then stepped into view, with a triumphant smirk slashed across her face. She gave the spear a single yank, pulling it free from her victim, and allowed Desna to crumple to the ground in a growing pool of his own blood.

"You really shouldn't turn your back on your enemy," Ming-Hua said. "It's poor manners."

The following shout that loosed from Eska's lips sounded like no human-made noise, more of a horrified, guttural shriek—incoherent, incomprehensible. She fell to her knees with a hand clutched against her own chest, as though she could feel the same pain as her brother. Even as Ming-Hua approached her, she remained kneeling there, staring at Desna with wild, distraught eyes, shell-shocked.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining him in a moment," Ming-Hua stated, as she curved one of her water arms into another frozen scythe. "Try to enjoy the afterlife. Speaking from experience, it's a real drag."

Ming-Hua pulled the scythe back, ready to cleave it forward. As she did, a mass of sand coiled up around her ankles. The freely flowing grains crawled up her legs to her waist, then over her shoulders, severing her connection to the water that formed her arms. Ming-Hua struggled in a panic to break free of the sudden hold, but her efforts did little to budge the substance. Within seconds, enough sand collected to encase the entire woman up to her neck. It hardened, became denser, and then pressed tight. Bones cracked and snapped beneath the pressure, eliciting a shrill scream of agony from the waterbender's throat.

"You will not hurt _anyone_ else," Hari said, voice rife with seething ire. _"Ever."_

"Ming-Hua!" Gahzan sprang from the ground to launch an attack at the sandbender, but just as he shifted into the proper stance, a wave of cold water crashed atop him and froze instantly, encasing the man in a solid block of ice.

Eska lowered her arm once Gahzan had been taken care of. Then, she raced to her brother's side and knelt next to him. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the wound and his face—weak, pale, fading. She could barely make out any pain from her twin's demeanor; just how near was he to death?

"Desna, don't worry, I-I'll fix this," she insisted, with a stutter in her voice. She didn't even know if he could hear her, but her words were as much to reassure herself as they were him.

Hari joined her a moment later, unable to take his eyes off Desna's wound. "How bad is it?"

"I-I...I don't know, I'm not..." A hiccup broke her voice. It was in that moment she realized that her eyes were leaking a river down her face, staining her cheeks and running her makeup. She did nothing to stop it; she was too far stricken by gut-wrenching terror at the thought of losing Desna—her twin, her other half. "What do I do? What do I _do?"_

"You have to heal him," Hari said.

Eska shot a disbelieving look at him. "But I don't know how!"

"You've been taking lessons, haven't you?" Hari raised an eyebrow at her. Eska had been trying to keep it a secret, but Hari knew she had been meeting with Northern healers in recent weeks to learn the art.

Eska made no attempt at denying it, but she still pushed back at the assertion. "I've only just started learning. I practice on _fish._ I do not have the skill for...for _this._.." Her eyes shifted again towards her brother; he had stopped breathing. The normally stoic woman broke down further in her open display of grief, as another panicked shout shrieked from her lips. _"Desna!"_

"You have to try!" Hari grabbed Eska by the shoulders and turned her towards him, so he could stare into her eyes. _"Please."_

Eska swallowed when she saw his eyes. They offered a strange sort of comfort, a reassurance. A strength, even. When she finally tore her gaze away from his, she floated a bubble of water around her hands. Her heart pounded against her chest and her hands shook, but still she she pressed the water to Desna's wounds and it began to glow. "It will be okay, Desna... You'll be alright. You _will_ be alright... _Please_ be alright."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You wanted angst? You got angst. Actually I'm not entirely sure you did want angst, but hey it's what you got nonetheless. The best part, we probably won't be returning to Eska and Desna for another few chapters :D I take no pleasure in these cliffhangers, you know (well maybe a little).
> 
> Also, P'Li was never meant to become their ally. Things just sort of...happened that way when I wrote the scene. Funny how that works sometimes. But hey, having a combustionbender on their side can only help, right?


	127. Firebender Smackdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinora & Bumi vs. the newly resurrected Lord Zuko, and Mako & Bolin vs. Ozai! Jinora takes initiative, and Bolin improvises.

Jinora and Bumi spent the first few moments of the fight running and evading Zuko's fire blasts around the cavern, getting a feel for how he fought. Had Zuko been content with standing back and attacking at a distance, this tactic would have been far easier to accomplish. He didn't, though. Rather, he chased them wherever they fled, trying to keep the fighting at closer range, within the length of his sword. With each swing of the blade, he whirled out a scorching blaze that forced the two airbenders to shield themselves with bursts of wind and again leap away. Still, they did not outright attack him in return, content in playing defense for now.

"Lord Zuko, please," Bumi said, as he spun backwards through the air. "I don't want to fight you."

Zuko responded by releasing a jet of flames from his fist and then propelling himself forward at the man with a whirling sword strike. "Then you will die!"

A sudden gust of wind thudded against his chest and threw him backwards. Jinora took a stance between him and Bumi, palms raised. "Uncle Bumi, I don't think you're going to get through to him. He's under Sen's control."

"Well there must be _something_ we can do aside from just attacking him," Bumi insisted. "I grew up with him. He was a good friend of my dad's."

"I know, but this situation is...difficult." Jinora repositioned herself as Zuko prepared another assault, sliding her steps sideways. "We can't dodge him forever."

Zuko let loose a shout of rage and lunged forward with a whip of fire extended from his hand. The inventive attack caught Jinora off guard, and even though she evaded the initial strike, she could do nothing to prevent the burning whip from wrapping around her ankle and yanking her off her feet. She yelled as the flames seared into her flesh through her pant leg, a shout that became even more frantic when she realized Zuko was pulling her through the air towards him, towards his sword.

"Jinora!" Bumi lowered himself to one knee and thrust a palm forward, releasing a hard shot of wind that struck Zuko square in the chest. The blast shoved the firebender backwards before he could strike Jinora again, and forcibly dissipated the flaming whip. The moment that Jinora broke free, she spun herself in midair and floated gently down to her feet.

They received no respite from the fight, though, as Zuko immediately flipped himself back up to his feet, leading with an explosive shot of fire from his heels. Jinora and Bumi evaded to either side of the burning stream, but Zuko added another swing of his sword; this time, a cutting arc of fire released from the blade and raced towards them, slicing a clean fissure across the icy ground. A second arc followed the first, each one scorching towards either airbender. The both jumped back away from the flames, countering with a pair of air gusts.

Rather than avoiding the attacks, Zuko stood his ground and again swung his sword. This time, a spinning wheel of fire erupted from the blade. The burning wheel cut through both wind blasts, growing stronger as it went and filling the cavern with a broiling heat. Bumi ducked low to evade the flames, while Jinora leaped upward and spun over it. The wheel continued on by and exploded upon impact with the wall behind them.

"Enough!" Zuko shouted, with a frustrated scowl. He threw his sword away to the side, then held both his arms outward. Towering flames erupted from his body and spread through the cave; if he couldn't hit them with single attacks, then he would burn everything.

Jinora spread her arms just as the flames reached them. A spinning dome of air surrounded the two airbenders to keep the fire at bay, but the heat quickly built up within, creating a veritable oven. Sweat began to pour down the front of her face, and she grimaced. Then, she gradually rotated her arms around in a circle, spreading the dome wider.

"Uncle Bumi, follow my lead!" she called.

He watched her a moment, his eyes sparking with understanding. "You got it!" Positioning himself next to his niece, he did the same as her, arms rotating in a spiral pattern.

The spinning air bubble grew stronger, raging into a whirling cyclone that spread out through the entire cavern. Zuko's flames quickly weakened and flickered, soon dying out completely as the thunderous vortex stifled them. Zuko held his arms up to shield his face from the gale, but his attempts at holding his ground failed when he abruptly lifted off his feet and floated violently through the air. He crashed into one of the frozen walls but did not fall, pinned there by the airbenders' hurricane. For two long minutes he lay flattened there against the wall, forced to endure the pounding wind driving without mercy against his body. He yelled, but the cyclone drowned out his voice into a quiet whisper; his protests went unheard.

When Jinora and Bumi finally slowed the wind to a stop, Zuko plummeted to the ground with a weak thud. He remained there unmoving for a moment before finally making an attempt to stand. His muscles refused to obey his mental commands, though, and he succeeded only in stumbling a few steps before collapsing flat on his face. A deep groan exhaled from his lips, and he did not get up again.

Bumi huffed out a relieved sigh. "Well that was more excitement than I signed up for. What now?"

"Find a way to restrain him," Jinora said, as she sat cross-legged on the ground, shifting into a meditative pose. She flinched briefly at a sharp pain in her burned ankle, but was able to push it from her mind. "I'm going to see if I can find the others." A second later, her astral form flickered into existence above her body, and she flew off towards the cave wall. "I'll be right back!"

Bumi folded his arms, watching as his niece disappeared through the ice. "Oh sure, don't mind me. I'll just...wait here with the possessed firebender who tried to kill us." Once Jinora was gone, he sighed and scratched the back of his head, then wandered on over to where Zuko lied against the ground. “So, uh...yeah, sorry about that, Zuko. You know, I didn't actually want to hurt you, but I mean you were attacking us and all...”

He received no answer from the unconscious firebender. Zuko remained motionless, collapsed with his face flat atop the ice, tilted slightly to the side with only his scarred eye visible.

With a quiet exhale, Bumi lowered himself to the ground and sat cross-legged, hands pressed against his knees. “I just want you to know, we're gonna find a way to help you, I promise. Izumi, too, and Iroh. Whatever it takes. No crazy spirit is going to have his way with you guys, not while I have something to say about it. Although, I'm not exactly sure how the whole 'you being younger than your grandson' thing is going to work. I mean heck, your daughter is probably old enough to be your mother now. There's a freaky thought, huh? Wish I could get a little of that de-aging mojo. I'm not as young as I used to be, you know.” Bumi chuckled, then leaned back on his hands. “Well, we'll figure it out. Once we fix things, that is. You, Toph, my mom, everyone this Sen guy has hurt—you'll be alright. Just like always.”

* * *

“Mako!” Bolin dove across the ground, evading an incoming fire blast so narrowly that the heat from the flames singed the edges of his jacket.

As Ozai punched out a second wave of fire, Mako lunged in front of his brother and bended the attack out to the sides, leaving them both unharmed. He countered with a pair of shots his own, but the former Fire Lord simply swatted them away. Ozai closed the distance between them with a quick bolt, leaped into the air, and spun with a vicious kick that erupted another blazing inferno at the two brothers. With a firm swipe of his arms, Mako cut the fire stream in two, but the resulting force of the blast knocked him back a step and in the process he tripped over a raised notch in the icy ground. Before he was able to steady himself, Ozai released another burning jet that would have incinerated its target had Bolin not yanked Mako out of the way at the last moment. The brothers fell over themselves to the ground, just as the flames scorched the ground beside them.

“This would be so much easier if I had some earth to work with!” Bolin declared, as he stumbled back up to his feet. With the cavern covered entirely with ice, he had no solid earth with which to bend.

Mako flipped himself upright with a countering shot of fire, forcing Ozai to take a step back and defend. “What happened to your backpack? You had rocks in there!”

“Well I lost it when we fell through the ice!”

Ozai rushed in for another attack, leading with a double fire blast from both his palms. Mako met the man's flames with his own. The two streams collided and pushed each other to the side, spitting bursts of flames outward to engulf half the cavern. Bolin covered his head with his hands and ducked behind his brother as the heat from both attacks boiled the small chamber. Mako held strong for as long as he could, but soon Ozai's fire began to overpower his own and forced him down to one knee.

“I don't know how much longer I can hold him off!” Mako said, with a grimace twisting across his face. Sweat beaded from his forehead, and the tips of his fingers began to burn. He could feel the pain steadily growing, starting from his fingernails and working its way down into his hands.

“Okay, uhhh, just hold on a minute,” Bolin said. He looked up at the plumes of fire shooting out around them, searching for a clear path. When he found one, he scrambled out into the open away from the danger and then broke out into a run. “I'll figure something out!”

“Bolin, wait! What are you—!”

Mako's words cut out as Ozai's flames surged stronger than ever, engulfing around his body. He pushed back as hard as he could to keep the heat away, but he slipped further with each second. Just as the pain threatened to become unbearable, and just as he was about to lose his grip, the assault stopped. Slipping forward on his knees, Mako pressed his hands against the cold ice below him and hissed out a shrill groan. He never took his eyes off his enemy, though, focusing with intent on the former Fire Lord to see exactly why the attack had stopped.

“What in spirits name are you doing?” Ozai questioned.

Bolin now stood behind him, arms wrapped around the man's waist in a tight, unrelenting grip. “Keeping you from hurting my brother!”

With a single, firm yank, he lifted the man backwards up over his head and slammed him with a thudding crack against the ice. A shocked grunt burst from Ozai's throat, and for a moment he lied there unmoving, stunned from the impact. Bolin immediately repositioned himself to better grapple the firebender, locking the man's arms behind his head. By the time Ozai began to recover, he found himself pinned against the ground with the earthbending brother kneeling atop his back.

“Alright, little bro!” Mako called, with an excited laugh. Leave it to Bolin to improvise in the most ridiculous but effective way possible.

“Get off of me, you filthy swine!” Ozai growled. He struggled briefly against the hold, but could do nothing to shift himself away.

“Uhh, yeah, no, not gonna happen,” Bolin said.

Mako rose to his feet again, shaking his hands back and forth in attempts to soothe them. The burns weren't too severe, and hopefully wouldn't take much to heal. “Just hold him there, Bo. I'll figure out what to do with him in a minute.”

Ozai's expression darkened. “I said.... Get. Off!” A surge of flames erupted from his body in tandem with his shout.

Bolin gaped with surprise as the scorching blast lifted him into the air. He hit the ground with a hard flop, jacket singed and smoldering. A weak groan squeaked from his throat as he lied there flat against the ground, fingers twitching, unable to sit upright no matter how hard he tried. His muscles simply didn't want to respond to his mental commands, and that was to say nothing about the fact that the cave ceiling now spun around above him at a wild rate, spreading a sickening nausea through his core.

“Bolin!” Mako raced towards his brother and slid down on his knees next to him. “Bolin, are you alright? Say something!”

“You two are fools to think you could defeat me!” Ozai stood upright once more. Spreading his arms out at his sides, a swirl of fire coiled across the ground at his feet and began to spread across the entire cavern. “You are nothing but mere peasants to me! You are weak! You are worthless! You are—!”

_Pop-pop-pop...BOOM._

An explosion erupted at Ozai's feet, blasting chunks of ice in all directions. He shouted as the resulting shock wave threw him head over heels airborne, but his voice cut out abruptly when he slammed into the wall behind him. With a quiet groan, he collapsed against the ground, staring straight upward in a daze. He didn't so much as move, let alone make an attempt to recover.

“What...was that?” Bolin muttered, as his brother helped him back to his feet.

“I have no idea,” Mako replied. He eased Bolin against him, arm around his shoulder to support his weight, then looked behind himself at the other end of the chamber. There, standing in front of a newly opened path in the ice, was Korra.

“You two alright?” she asked, hurrying towards them.

“Korra...man am I glad to see you,” Bolin said, with a weak cough. He tried to remain firm on his feet, but stumbled every so often against his brother.

“Yeah, seriously, perfect timing,” Mako said. “But how did you—” His voice caught dead in his throat when he looked past her to see the towering third-eyed woman behind her. “Korra, look out!”

“Mako, it's okay, relax,” Korra insisted. “This is going to seem...odd, but she's on our side. Really.”

P'Li glared at him. “You're welcome, by the way.”

“ _What?”_ Mako stared at the giant woman with lifted eyebrows. “Are you insane? She's... _her!”_

“Yeah, I know,” Korra said. “But I was able to free her from Sen's control and she wants to help us.”

“And from where I'm standing, it looks like you need all the help you can get,” P'Li stated, planting her arms across her chest.

Mako narrowed his eyes into a stern glare, meeting the woman's gaze. They stared at each other for a long moment, until finally he shifted his focus back to the Avatar. “You really expect us to trust her just like that?”

“No,” Korra said, with a single shake of her head. “I expect you to trust _me_. _”_

A deep sigh heaved out of Mako's throat, and he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Fine...”

“Good,” she said. “Now let's keep searching for the others.”

No sooner than she said this, a glowing blue spirit flickered into existence above them, floating in the air. The instant that it appeared, Mako yelped in surprise and nearly dropped his brother as he recoiled away from the sudden arrival. When he realized who it was, at least, he calmed down, but not before his brief bout of panic went noticed.

“Good to see you, too,” Jinora said, with an amused smirk.

Korra lifted her eyebrows, relief flooding her face. “Jinora! What's going on? Are you you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Jinora's voice spoke with an echo to it. “I'm here with Bumi. We were attacked by Lord Zuko, but we managed to subdue him. For now, at least. Right now I'm trying to find everyone else.”

“That's good,” Korra said. “And a little worrisome... I was attacked, too, and so were Mako and Bolin. That means the others must have been separated and attacked as well. We need to find them.”

Jinora nodded. “I'll do what I can. When I find someone else, I'll come back and let you know where—” Her words suddenly cut out when she noticed P'Li standing there, watching her. “Uh...Korra, do you know the explosion lady is standing next to you?”

“Explosion lady?” P'Li muttered, curling a frown across her face. “I have a name, you know.”

“Yes, Jinora, I know,” Korra assured. “Don't worry about it. Just try to find the others.”

The airbender stared at P'Li a moment longer, then huffed out a sigh and shrugged. “Alright, I'll get back to you.”

Once Jinora flickered out of sight again, Korra waved them along and made her way towards the next frozen wall. With a firm push of her arms, she split the ice apart and created a new path. “Come on, let's keep moving."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've done it. I've actually done it. I've either reached new levels of awesome, or completely jumped the shark in ways too indescribable for words.
> 
> Bolin suplexed Fire Lord Ozai.
> 
> I'm done, I'm out, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore.


	128. Earth Rumble Mania / The Peasant and The Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuvira and Lin take on the greatest earthbender in the world, while Azula faces off against the greatest enemy of her past.

Kuvira shifted her stance with her fits raised. Toph had made no move yet, and even still Kuvira could tell that the old—or rather, _young_ now—woman was sensing every little vibrating through the ground. “What do we do?” she asked, turning a glance towards Lin. “Do we fight her?"

Lin only blinked, staring in a partial daze at her newly revitalized mother. "I...I don't know."

"You two feel a little tense," Toph said, as she linked her fingers together and cracked her knuckles. "If I were to fight you right now, I'd destroy you."

"Mom...we don't have to fight," Lin said, taking a cautious step forward. "Please. You can help us."

 _"Help_ you? Ha!" Toph grinned, then turned her head to spit on the earthy ground. "Sorry, but that ain't happening. My orders are to stop you, so that's what I'm gonna do."

Lin furrowed her brow. "Orders?"

"Sen's orders," Kuvira said. "He put her under his control when he placed her spirit in this new body. Just like all the others."

Lin's fingers balled into fists. She had already known that, of course, and yet still her heart pained to hear it. "Mom, please. I don't want to fight you."

"Well I wouldn't want to fight me either!" Toph laughed, then shifted her legs apart with her hands raised, wrists hanging loose and fingers spread. "But unfortunately for you, that's the way it has to be."

Lin swallowed a hard knot in her throat, and finally raised her arms into an earthbending pose. "I guess we don't have a choice."

"Can we take her?" Kuvira questioned. As confident as she was, this was Toph they were about to fight—not an elderly, slow Toph, but Toph in her prime. This woman had a certain reputation for her incredible skill; she wasn't known as the greatest earthbender in the world for nothing.

The only thing Lin uttered in response was a simple grunt—not a huge inspiration of confidence. She made the first move, sliding a step forward and thrusting her fist. A large rippling wave of stone raced towards her target with such ferocity that the entire ground ripped apart in its wake. Still, Toph remained calm, and with a simple sidestep she avoided the crag that burst upward where she had been standing a moment before. Then, with a simple turn of her heel and a twitch of her wrist, a boulder exploded out of the ground at Lin's feet. The older woman recoiled with eyes open wide as the boulder caromed off her shoulder and sent her spinning to the ground.

Kuvira followed quickly with an attack of her own. With a firm stomp against the ground, she lifted several floating boulders into the air in front of herself. Then, she thrust her fists forward one after the other in quick succession, launching each stone projectile like earthen missiles at the blind woman. Toph turned her body sharp to one side to evade the first boulder, then bent her knees low to duck under the second. With a simple flick of her fingers she split the third in half. The fourth, she caught against her open palm and then threw it straight back the way it had come. Kuvira held her forearm up to block the boulder, but just before impact Toph pulled her wrists apart and caused the projectile to explode in a shower of stone. Kuvira recoiled with a shout as the earthen shrapnel pelted her down to her knees.

Toph belted a pleasant laugh and held her fists up in excitement, a huge grin curled across her face. "Oh man, it's great to be young again! I'd almost forgotten just how awesome I am, but I feel incredible now! My back doesn't hurt anymore, my joints don't creak, I'm faster than ever—you two don't stand a chance!"

Kuvira sprang back to her feet with a heaving breath. "I'm starting to think she's right. We need to attack her together."

"I agree," Lin muttered, as she repositioned herself into a defensive stance. She had always known that her mother was talented—heck, Toph had been a downright brutal teacher at times—but she had never expected they'd be fighting each other like this. Lin had never seen her mother go all out, and quite honestly, she didn't want to. "Let's take her down together!"

Lin extended her arms and fired out metal cabless from her wrists. At the same time, Kuvira kicked up another boulder from the ground—a mere diversion. As soon as the boulder made it halfway to its target, Kuvira released a barrage of metal strips from her armor behind the stone.

Toph grinned at the assault. Just before the cables reached her, she held her arms out and bended them around her own wrists. Then, she spun her body and yanked hard, pulling Lin through the air still attached to the cables. As Kuvira's boulder neared her, Toph flicked her fingers and split the projectile in two. The stone halves flew wide of her, but she paused them there above her head. With a continued pull on the metal cables, she swung Lin between the slabs and then crashed them together. The boulders exploded upon impact, and Lin plummeted back to the ground—beaten, battered, bloodied, bruised. She didn't move.

"Ha, nice try," Toph said. "But you're not even close to being in my league. No one is! I'm the greatest—!" Her words cut out as a metal strip clamped around her mouth. A second wrapped her wrists together, and a third, her ankles.

"What about _me?"_

Kuvira spun Toph through the air, flipped her end over end, and then slammed her into the cave wall. Another motion of her arms dragged Toph into the ceiling, then smashed her against the ground. Finally, Kuvira threw the blind woman across the cavern. Toph hit the ground hard, bouncing and sliding until coming to a violent stop upon striking the wall at the far end of the cave. For a long while, she just lied there, unmoving. Moments past, and then she stirred, ripping her wrists and ankles apart with an effortless motion. She scattered the metal bits away, yanked the final strip off her mouth, and cracked her neck from side to side, grumbling.

"Hmph, platinum," she muttered. "No wonder I didn't sense it at first. Platinum is so much...rougher."

Kuvira glared, still with her arms extended. "Yeah, and there's plenty more where that came from."

"It won't do you any good," Toph said. "I can bend platinum now too, as you've seen. You taught me how, remember?"

"Yeah, well, next time I'll be sure to slam you into the wall headfirst," Kuvira countered. Another barrage of strips peeled off from her armor and hovered there above her, waiting. "Can't bend anything when you're unconscious."

Toph laughed. "Please, have you forgotten who you're dealing with? There won't _be_ a next time."

Kuvira narrowed her eyes. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see.”

She struck quick, firing the metal strips forward and then following with a punch to the ground. Several large earth chunks burst upward in front of her, and with a firm kick she sent them rocketing right behind the strips, towards Toph. The blind woman merely scoffed. With a shift of her stance and a slight push of her fingers, the ground between them exploded skyward with an eruption of stony shrapnel.

Kuvira's projectiles became lost in that earthen storm, as it tore through the cavern towards her. For a brief instant, she contemplated shielding herself with a wall for protection, but gut instinct told her otherwise. Instead, she slid the ground beneath her feet and propelled herself out of the way. She hit the ground with a thud and a roll, just seconds before the hurricane of rock and stone decimated the spot she'd been standing.

Toph continued flicking her hands forward, bending a repeated barrage of attacks at the former Great Uniter. She put forth so little effort, and yet each strike erupted with such power the likes of which no other bender could match—except, perhaps, Avan, although even he required much more concentration and effort. Toph required only subtle shifts of her feet, and twitches of her and fingers. All Kuvira could do now was run and dodge, with her actions becoming more desperate with each passing second. Before long, Toph reduced her to lunging and rolling across the ground at every opportunity, to have any hope of avoiding the utter destruction left in the blind woman's wake.

"Can't run forever, Great Uniter!" Toph declared, with a maniacal cackle. "I am the greatest earthbender in the world! You're nothing compared to me!”

Kuvira made another desperate leap to evade Toph's next attack, but her boot caught against a loose divot in the ground. She stumbled just a step too much, slowing just enough for a twisting coil of earth to clang against the armor of her chest and lift her from her feet. In the following moments, all she saw were sparking flashes of color in front of her face. She blinked a few times, and gradually her vision cleared, but any attempt at standing led to a hot pain in her ribs.

Toph grinned, taking a step towards the downed woman. "You see? You can't beat me."

"Don't...have to," Kuvira groaned.

"Hmm?" Toph lifted an eyebrow, lips pursed together. "Speak up, I didn't quite hear that."

"I said...I don't have to." Kuvira offered a smirk of her own, then glanced upwards to the cavern ceiling—the only surface that was made of ice, rather than earth. "Sen should have given you eyes when he made your new body."

Toph frowned, twisting her face with confusion. "What the heck are you talking about, you dunder— _oof."_

Toph went down with crash against the ground, as a figure dropped in from above to deliver a firm stomp to the back of her head. Lin stumbled with a pained wheeze when she landed, falling down to her rear. She sat there a moment, staring at her mother. Only when she was certain that Toph was unconscious did she let herself flop against the ground. She remained there, sprawled out with her chest heaving and her eyes closed.

"Thanks for that," Kuvira said.

"Thanks for keeping her busy so I could get into position." Lin flinched at a sudden throb in her ribs, then finally retracted her cables back to her wrists. "I suppose we should be thankful she can't sense vibrations through ice."

"Yeah..." With a tired huff, Kuvira set her head down let her eyes close. "Tell me about it."

* * *

_What's the matter, Azula? Is the big bad prodigy scared?_

The words pulsed around in Azula's mind. She tried to shake them away, tried to ignore them, but they only grew stronger. A scowl deepened upon her face, and her eye twitched, as the volume in her head became louder, and louder, until the words were screaming, drowning out any and all other thoughts. In order to make those words go away, she had to scream herself, out loud and with a sharp, biting venom.

“I'm not scared! I was _never_ scared! Not of you, or anyone!"

"Really? Because you're shaking,” Katara said, with a casual smirk. She cocked her hips to the side, arms folded. “I can see the fear in your eyes, Azula. You're terrified."

Azula clenched her fingers tight in attempts to stop the trembling; it didn't work, as her hands shuddered harder. Her teeth chattered, as well, fueled by a steady tingling spreading throughout her body—a tingling of anxiety, a tingling of panic. "I am not!"

"You remembering the last time we fought? When I beat you?” Katara's smirk grew wider. “When the poor, lowly peasant humiliated the perfect princess? When you lost everything?”

“Shut up!” Azula's voice cracked, shrieking from her lips with. She tried to calm herself, but the sinking in her gut only throbbed harder the longer she stared at the woman. When Katara had been an old woman, wrinkled and well past her prime, it had been easy for Azula to ignore that she was the same woman who had shattered and embarrassed her all those decades ago.

Now that Katara was young again, though, with that too-familiar face and those too-familiar eyes, Azula felt those emotions returning to her, the emotions of that day—hopeless, broken, crushed, desperate. Defensive. _Hostile_. “You only beat me because I wasn't in my right mind!"

Katara scoffed. "Of course you weren't in your right mind. You're _still_ not in your right mind. You'll never _be_ in your right mind. And do you know why? Because you're not mentally stable. You're crazy, Azula. _Certifiable._ Oh, you can hide it and pretend like you're normal, but deep down you know it's true. You know it's only a matter of time before you snap again. And when that happens, you really think Anraq is going to stick around? Let you near Kanna ever again? I don't think so."

Azula flinched at the accusation. Her first instinct was to rebut the statement, but she stopped herself; she couldn't think of what to say. Katara was right, after all. Azula knew her own psyche better than anyone, and she _knew_ she wasn't stable; she had already admitted as much to Annie. Ever since this whole nightmare had begun, she'd felt herself slipping further and further away.

But that didn't mean she would stop fighting it. That didn't mean she'd let herself go over the edge. She couldn't. She _wouldn't_.

"N-No, that won't happen,” she insisted. “Annie said he'd never leave me. No matter what."

"That's because he doesn't know what you are!” Katara fired back. “Not really. But _I_ know. And _you_ know. Once he figures it out, too, he'll get rid of you just like he should. In the end, you'll wind up exactly where you belong: institutionalized. _Alone_. Where you won't ever be able to hurt anyone again."

"You're _wrong!”_ Azula clawed at the sides of her skull, fingers knotting in her hair. She squinted her eyes shut, head shaking back and forth in defiance. “I won't hurt them! I would _never_ hurt them! I _love_ them! I love them..."

"Who are you trying to convince, Azula?” Katara asked. “Me? Or yourself? We both know you're incapable of love. You don't _deserve_ it."

“ _Shut up!”_ she shrieked, as she thrust one of her hands forward. A violent blue fireball erupted from her palm, leaping the distance between them. Katara blocked it with a single swipe of water, but Azula didn't stop there. She repeated her attack in rapid succession, unleashing blast after blast of flames at her target. “Shut up shut up shut up shut up _shut up!”_

Azula's attacks were wild and uncontrolled, no skill to them. No, she was too far lost in a terrified rage to remain calm and focused. As such, Katara skillfully and easily defended herself with sweeping arcs of water pulled from the surrounding ice in the cavern. The waterbender waited for just the right moment between fireballs and then ducked low, pushing her water stream straight through the air. Azula didn't even see the shot coming before it thudded against her chest. Her eyes snapped open wide upon impact, air rushing from her lungs. She briefly lifted from her feet, but steadied herself enough to land back in a sliding crouch atop the frozen ground.

“You really want to do this?” Katara said, as she whipped around another lash of water. “Because trust me, this isn't going to be much of a match.”

Azula kicked out a flame to block the whip, but in the same moment a line of ice bolted upward and knocked away her leg. She stumbled off balance, nearly falling, until the water finally smacked across her face and sent her spinning back to the ground. Azula scrambled quickly to return to her feet, but she made it only as far as her knees before another block of ice fired up into her stomach. This time, her lips parted in shock and she entered a fit of coughing, gasping for air.

“Face it, Azula. You can't beat me.” Katara extended a vine of water and wrapped it around the firebender's waist. Then, she dragged her victim across the ground, slammed her against the cavern wall, and finally threw her through the air. “You could _never_ beat me.”

With a desperate twist in midair, Azula attempted to straighten herself to land on her feet. Her heels scraped against the ground but her momentum carried her too far. She tripped and tumbled with violent force, head smashing against the ice. She lied there, staring wide eyed at the world spinning above her. She couldn't stand, couldn't breath, couldn't even hear herself think.

“I can't beat her...” she uttered, her voice nothing more than a hoarse squeak. “Can't beat her, can't beat her, can't beat, can't beat her, I can't... can't...”

Katara listened with a lifted eyebrow, then doubled forward in a fit of laughter. “Oh wow, would you listen to yourself? You're like a broken record. I guess you're even more messed up than I thought. Man, I thought this would be harder. If nothing else, at least it's entertaining.”

Azula squinted her eyes shut tight, jaw clenched together. What was wrong with her? She was fighting like a child, flailing around with no sense of purpose, hoping to get lucky. That wasn't her. That wasn't the prodigy she had always been and always would be. She just had to calm herself. She had to _focus._

But how? How could she focus when she couldn't even breathe steady? How could she—

_Breathe._

Of course. She had to breathe. That was how she calmed herself, wasn't it? That was how Annie had helped her through these little moments of hers. That was how she beat this.

Remember the exercises, remember the good things. The happy things. What made her happy?

Annie. Kanna. They made her happy.

Mai. Ty Lee. They made her happy.

Kuvira, too. Even the Avatar.

All her friends. That was something she had a lot of now... Friends. Something she'd never had before.

Love. Compassion. Acceptance. Those were the good things in her life. All of it.

When Azula's thoughts slowed again and became clear she opened her eyes. It was then that she realized her breathing had steadied and become even. Her hands, too, had stopped trembling. Most of all, though, her mind was quiet. No more doubt, no more fear.

Not now, at least. Who knew for how much longer?

With one more deep breath, Azula rose back to her feet and glared at the waterbender. “You're wrong about me.”

Katara raised an amused brow. “Is that so?”

“Yes... it is,” she said. “I know I'm not well, I know maybe my mental health is... not the best. But I am _not_ crazy. I am not _insane._ I am not out of my mind. I am still a person, my _own_ person, a person that I am _happy_ with, that _others_ are happy with. I may have to work hard to keep it that way, but that's just something I have to live with. I have people to help me with that, I have people who love me. People _I_ love. And no matter what you say, I will _never_ hurt them. Not _ever.”_

“Talk, talk, talk, that's all you ever do,” Katara said, with a bored sigh. “You can try to kid yourself all you want, but it won't change things. You're still a monster, and you always will be.”

Azula's lips twisted into a deep frown, but she said nothing else. Instead, she raised her hands to attack again, flames igniting in her palms. Before she could sling the fireballs at her opponent, though, two globs of water engulfed her arms, smothering her flames and pulling her across the ground. The water, she realized, was attached to Katara's arms, linking them together by two long whips. Azula dug her heels into the ground, but still the water pulled her closer. Within moments, she and Katara were just a few paces from each other.

“This seems familiar, doesn't it?” Katara smirked, then hardened the water into ice. Azula struggled in her frozen grasp, but could do nothing to break it. “Only Zuko isn't here to save you this time.”

“I never needed Zuko to save me,” she countered.

Azula stopped the tugging with her arms and shifted her stance, knees straight and slightly bent. Then, with a single deep breath, she pulled her legs off the ground and kicked them forward. Her feet struck Katara square in the chest, and as they did, a massive blast of blue fire exploded between them. The ice joining their arms shattered upon impact. Azula slid back across the ground in a controlled crouch, but her momentum built up too much to stay standing for long. She soon fell backwards head over heels, rolling and bouncing across the ice until finally coming to a sudden and painful stop against the cave wall.

With a tired groan, she dropped to her knees, palms planted against the ice and arms shaking to keep herself upright. Her battle instinct told her to get back up, to keep up the attack, but when she looked to where her opponent had fallen, she stopped herself. At the other end of the cavern, Katara lied flat on her back. The front of her shirt had burned open, leaving behind a singed and smoking scar across her chest. She made no attempt to get up; she didn't even move. Azula blinked at the sight, almost not believing it.

“I guess this time the prodigy wins,” she said, as a soft, quiet chuckle surged from her throat.

With a wheezing breath, Azula collapsed face first against the ice. Then, the world faded, and everything went dark.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *smashes face against desk*
> 
> I hate this chapter. Like, I just... I hate it. I hated writing it, I hate how it turned out, but I can't delay posting it any longer since it's not going to get any better.
> 
> This is the last time I make so many damn fight scenes in a single sitting, because these last few chapters were just a painful slog to get through, and I feel so mentally drained after writing them, and I'm not really happy with any of them either. I really hope the next chapter gets me back into the swing of things.


	129. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar regroups after surviving the trap set for them by Sen. Azula and Kuvira reunite with important individuals from their lives they thought they lost.

“Breathe, Desna! Breathe!” Eska leaned closer to her brother, her glowing hand still pressed close against the wound on his chest. It was uncharacteristic of her to express such panic and desperation in her voice, yet she did nothing to calm herself. She focused too closely on healing Desna, utilizing whatever little skill she possessed to keep him alive. Watching him lie there, cold and motionless, broke something in her, frightened her. She could not lose her twin, not like this. “Please!”

Hari held Desna's hand tightly, fingers linked together in some kind of futile act to provide comfort and reassurance, both for himself and the unconscious twin. “Is his wound getting any better? Is it healing?”

“I don't know!” Eska shot back. “If I did, I would not be shouting at him to breathe!”

“Right...right, I'm sorry,” Hari replied, with a gentle nod.

“Desna, please... I do not know what I'm doing here.” Eska squinted her eyes shut, tried to hold back the tears; it didn't work, as they continued to flow freely down her face, staining her cheeks with salt and the inky mess of her running make-up. “I am trying, but... please, you have to breathe.”

Moments later, a large crack ripped across one of the icy walls in the cavern. The crack split wider, opening into a deep fissure, and then parted enough to open a clear path. Several figures came running through that path—Korra, followed by Mako and Bolin, Bumi, and Jinora. Bringing up the rear of the group was the the tall combustionbending woman, P'Li. Atop his shoulders, Bumi carried the unconscious form of Lord Zuko, while P'Li dragged along another figure with her—Ozai, unconscious and restrained in frozen shackles.

“There they are!” Jinora announced, pointing towards the twins and Hari.

“Cousin Korra?” A sudden jolt lurched through Eska's chest as the group arrived. She blinked at them, straightening herself and allowing the water from her hand to fall back to the ground. “Please, you have to help Desna! I have tried, but my skill in healing is insufficient, and I don't think he's breathing.”

Korra wasted no time, hurrying towards them and kneeling at Desna's side. She formed a healing bubble around both her hands and pressed them to the injured twin's chest, concentrating.

Eska watched for a long moment, eyes wide and desperate for her cousin to say something about her brother's condition. When at last she couldn't take the silence any longer, she asked, “Is he alive?”

“He's alive,” Korra replied, with a simple nod. “Breathing, too.”

“Can you help him?”

At this question, a smile curled its way across the Avatar's face. The water fell from her hands and she looked up to her cousin. “Not much more than you already have.”

Eska blinked at her. “What? I do not understand.”

“I mean, he's already in stable condition,” she said. “His breathing is weak, but it's steady, and you've already stopped the bleeding. He just needs rest.”

“He just needs...” A shuddering breath of relief hissed from between Eska's lips. “How is that possible? He was struck through the heart, and I can't even heal fish properly.”

“Actually, his heart wasn't damaged,” Korra said. “The puncture seems to have missed his vital organs entirely, between both lungs and to the side of his heart.”

Eska blinked again, twisting a confused stare at her brother's chest. “But...is that not where the heart is? Just slightly left to the middle of the chest?”

Korra nodded. “Normally, yes, but from what I can tell, Desna's heart is on the other side, more slightly to the right.”

“What? How?”

“Oh, I've heard about that in some twins,” said Jinora. The airbender joined them, kneeling down at Desna's side. “They're called mirror-image twins, where one twin may have reversed asymmetry, such as opposite dominant handedness, or even organs on the opposite side of where they should be.”

Eska swallowed and turned her stare towards Jinora. A dull numbness had spread through her throat, to go along with the pounding of her heart. “So...so he'll be okay?”

“He'll be fine,” Korra said. “Thanks to you.”

“Oh, thank the spirits...” she uttered, as clasped her brother's hand.

Hari smiled at her. “Perhaps you're a better healer than you thought.”

A quiet moment past, then Korra reached forward and held a hand to her cousin's shoulder. “Eska, I need your help now, if you don't mind. The others are still trapped in these caverns somewhere, but we have to get through the ice to find them, and you're the only other waterbender right now.”

“I'll stay with Desna,” Hari insisted, giving a nod to the female chieftain. “You help the others.”

Eska swallowed again, then gave a steady nod as she stood up. “Okay... I will help. Where are they?”

* * *

Korra breathed a sigh of relief as she looked around at her friends. It had been nearly an hour since they had regrouped and finally exited the cave system within the mountains. They now sat just outside the exit, catching their breath and recuperating. From what she could tell, Desna had suffered the worst of the injuries, and he had already been healed. They were fortunate that things hadn't gone much worse; any one of them could have died today.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked.

"As good as I'm going to be,” Lin muttered, with a subtle groan. The former police chief huddled forward with a grimace, holding an arm around her chest.

Kuvira nodded. "I'll be fine too."

"Oh yeah, we're good,” Bolin replied, with a weak thumbs up. He staggered a bit atop his feet, but Mako steadied him. “I'm good. Just...need to rest a bit."

The others responded with their own affirmations, all except for one. Korra turned a glance towards the firebender, lifting an eyebrow at her. "Azula?"

Azula blinked, shaking herself out of her daze. "Yes, I'm...I'm fine.” Her gaze then shifted towards several unconscious figures lying on the ground—Toph, Katara, and Zuko. She focused in particular on her brother, with a certain distance in her eyes. “Can you really help them?"

"I should be able to, yes,” Korra said. “Just like I did for P'Li."

At the mention of the combustionbender, all eyes turned towards her. She glared back at them, arms crossed over her chest. "You don't all need to stare. I know what you think of me."

"Yeah, well just know I'm keeping an eye on you,” Lin stated, with a frown. “One wrong move, and I'll come down on you so hard your head will spin right off your shoulders.”

"Alright, calm down,” Korra insisted. “We're all on the same side here. We're all against Sen."

Jinora gave a hopeful glance. "Speaking of Sen, did you see him at all?"

Korra breathed a sigh and shook her head. "No... He knew we were coming and left a trap for us before we got here. We don't know where he is."

Jinora's eyebrows scrunched together with concern. "But...if we don't find him soon..."

"I know, we're running out of time. We'll have to figure out a new plan."

Eska looked up from her brother to give Korra a curious stare. "What about our father? I would have expected him to be here as well."

"I didn't see Unalaq either,” she replied.

"And what about Megumi?” Azula said. Noting the confused looks she received in response, she added, “She was Annie's first... she's Kanna's real mother. Sen brought her back to get to Annie. And to get to me."

Korra shook her head. "No, no Megumi. They both must be with Sen."

"So, what are we doing with _them_ , exactly?" Bumi said, turning his attention towards the three other unconscious figures lying nearby—Ozai, Ming-Hua, and Gahzan.

"You send _him_ back,” Azula said, with a sharp bite in her voice. “You send my father back. I don't care if he was being controlled by Sen or not, he should never have been brought back. He won't help us. He only cares about himself...he's only _ever_ cared about himself."

Korra gave a slow, steady nod in return. There was no question that if anyone didn't deserve another chance, it was the former Phoenix King. In all his years in prison following the Hundred Year War, he had never changed, never tried to better himself. There was no reason to think he would change now. "I understand. I'll send his spirit back to the afterlife. I probably owe it Aang, anyway.

"Good...that's good,” Azula said, swallowing a knot in her throat.

Korra then turned a glance towards P'Li. "What about the other two? Will they come around?"

The combustionbender merely shrugged. "I don't know. I can talk to them when they wake up, but... They might just prefer death to helping the Avatar. I know for a fact though, they won't ever surrender and go back to prison."

"Alright, well you talk to them, then. In the meantime, let's head back and regroup... We need a new plan."

* * *

P'Li stood over her two friends, arms folded across her chest as she watched them lie there in bed. It had been three hours since they had returned to the city, and yet still both of them were out cold. As patient a person as she could be, she knew they didn't have the kind of time to wait around. In an attempt to speed things along, she grabbed a bucket of water from the nearby table and then promptly splashed it across the both of them.

Gahzan awoke coughing and sputtering, arms flailing around as if to bat away an invisible enemy. When he finally realized that he had been attacked by little more than water, his focus settled on P'Li with a frown. "Really? You couldn't have just shaken us awake?"

“If I could move, I'd actually be thankful for the water,” Ming-Hua stated, with a pained grunt. Her injuries, while healed enough to keep her stable, had been left dire enough to keep her from attempting any kind of escape. “I swear that sandbender put me in traction. If I ever get ahold of him...”

"Ugh, why does it feel like I just woke up from a bad dream?” Gahzan said, holding a hand to his forehead. He winced as a dull throbbing pulsed through his skull. “A bad dream that physically kicked my ass."

"Probably because you're no longer under the control of the spirit that brought us back,” P'Li said. “That's how I felt after I was freed, too.”

Gahzan blinked at her, eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Now that you mention it, I don't feel any hold over me anymore,” Ming-Hua stated.

“That's right,” P'Li said. “You're both free from control and alive.”

"Well, good,” Gahzan said. “So where are we now?"

P'Li paused a moment, and gave her throat a brief clear. "At the royal palace, under guard. As requested by the Avatar."

Gahzan gawked at her, mouth falling open. "What? The _Avatar?"_

Ming-Hua turned her head as much as she could in bed, so she could stare at her friend. "P'Li, what on earth is going on?"

"The Avatar is who freed us from Sen,” P'Li explained. “She offered me an opportunity... Help her stop Sen and she won't send my spirit back to the afterlife."

"Are you out of your mind?” Gahzan retorted. “You think she's just going to let you off the hook once this is over? She'll just throw you in prison again. Is that what you want?"

P'Li thought about his words briefly, but then quickly shook her head. "No, I don't think she will. A lot has changed since we've been away. Perhaps we can change, too."

"After everything we've done, everything we worked for, you'd just throw that away?” Ming-Hua said. “What would Zaheer say?"

"Does it matter? We'll probably never see him again.” P'Li's tone was sharper than she meant it, and she forced herself to take a moment to calm herself afterward. When she finally settled down, she exhaled a deep breath and refocused on her friends, offering a softer, almost pleading look. “We have a second chance at life here. We can do things differently this time. We don't have to run scared anymore, or work towards a futile goal. Yeah, nations, governments, leaders, they all suck, but trying to destroy it all, what has that ever gotten us? Nothing but prison and death. We can still try to make things better, just...in a different way."

Ming-Hua stared at her a long while, steadily shaking her head back and forth. "Dying must have seriously messed with your head, because you do not sound like the P'Li I knew."

Gahzan nodded in agreement. "You may be willing to sell yourself out, but we're not. I'd rather die again."

A disappointed huff left P'Li's lips. She had figured the conversation would go this way, that her friends would cling to their beliefs. She didn't blame them, of course, but she had been hoping they would be able to move on. Some things, though, just weren't meant to be. "Then the only options left are prison, or sending your spirits back."

"Or you could help us escape,” Gahzan said.

P'Li stared back at him, then shifted her gaze towards Ming-Hua. For a brief second, she actually considered the suggestion, if only as a favor to old friends. With no earth for Gahzan to bend, and Ming-Hua unable to move, they would need her help if they were to escape. As soon as the thought entered her mind, though, she pushed it away and shook her head; she was supposed to be doing things different this time. "No, I'm not going to do that. You have your options. Decide."

Gahzan frowned, then let himself fall back on the mattress. He stared blankly up at the ceiling. "Send us back. I've had it with this world."

P'Li gave a gentle nod. "Okay. I'll send the Avatar in.” She started for the door, but paused halfway there to look back at them again. “I just want you to know, though... It was good seeing you both again."

"Yeah...” Ming-Hua uttered, with a fleeting sigh. “You too."

* * *

Azula sat at the edge of her bed, in what had been her and Anraq's guest bedroom—now just hers, as Annie had taken Kanna to Kyoshi Island to get away from everything going on here. At least there they would be safe. In her hands, she held a small photograph, one of the many copies of the family portrait they had taken together. While she had insisted that she didn't need a copy herself to carry around, it had become her most treasured possession. In times like this, it gave her a strength that she sorely needed.

A knock came on the door, calling her attention away. The knock was soon followed by a voice. "Azula?"

She stiffened straight on the bed, heart lurching into her throat. That voice... That oh so familiar voice. When the door opened, she was met by his face, too—a face that had only recently returned to torment her, but a face that now exuded a much softer, more caring demeanor, one no longer under the control of a dark spirit. "Zuzu? Is...is it really you this time?"

Zuko nodded to her. He shut the door behind himself, then approached the bed. "It is."

For a long while, Azula just stared at him. Now that he was younger, he looked much closer to how she remembered him from when they were teenagers. His hair was longer and his jaw had filled out more, but he now was unmistakably more familiar to her than he had been as an old man. Her heart lifted up into her chest as she focused on his eyes, and he on hers. She tried to push her heart back down, but she failed; instead, she got up from the bed and met him with as tight a hug as she could muster.

"Zuzu, I...” Her voice caught in her throat at first, but she cleared it and continued. “I don't even know what to say. When you died, I thought that was it. I thought you were gone, that we'd never get the chance to actually be decent siblings for once. But now...” With a steadying huff, she pulled away from him and folded her arms across her chest. She forced her demeanor to change, taking on a more typically mocking and teasing tone. “Look at you. You almost look functional."

A soft chuckle eased from his throat. "I know. This is...strange, to be certain.” He turned to the table next to the bed, his gaze settling on a small hand mirror there. Taking a step closer, he stared into it, watching his reflection. “I haven't looked like this in over sixty years. Seeing Toph and Katara just as young, too... It's surreal. I can't imagine how I'm going to confront Mai now."

"Well, about that...” Azula tilted her own gaze away and shifted awkwardly on her feet. “Maybe you don't, not yet. She still doesn't know about Izumi and Iroh, and I don't think she should if she doesn't have to. She's already been through enough."

Zuko glanced up from the mirror and gave a subtle nod. "That may be for the best, until we find a way to help them.” A quiet moment followed, and then he took a step closer to her, his eyes laden with guilt. “Azula, about the things I said when I was under Sen's control... I didn't mean any of it. What our father said, too, and even Katara... None of it is true.”

"I know...” Azula swallowed and gave a slow nod. For a brief moment she went quiet, eyes closing and head hanging. “It still hurt, I'll admit. Deeper than you can imagine... But I know. That was Sen talking, trying to break me down. He almost succeeded."

Zuko smiled, and reached out to hold a hand to his sister's shoulder. "But you didn't let him."

At the touch to her shoulder, Azula felt a warmth fill her. She smirked, shifting her weight with a matter-of-fact shrug. "Well this is _me_ we're talking about. Of course I prevailed."

"So...it's been over a year since I've been gone,” Zuko said. “How have you been? Are things with Anraq going well? I've heard you're a mother now, too...” He chuckled softly and added, “Kind of hard to imagine, I have to say."

"Please, I am an excellent maternal figure,” she insisted, with a roll of her eyes. Then, she eased out a sigh and smiled. “Kanna is a wonderful child. You'd probably like her. Things...couldn't be better."

Zuko's own smile widened. He sat on the bed, pulling Azula to sit next to him. "Tell me all about it."

* * *

"She's in there?” Kuvira asked, staring at the door in front of her. “And...she's normal again?"

"Exactly how you remember her,” Korra said. “Just...you know, younger."

"You've told everyone else too, right?"

Korra nodded "They're on their way. Now, go on. She's waiting for you."

Kuvira eased out a subtle breath, trying to stifle the fluttering of her heart. This day was one that she never thought would come, and now that it was here she didn't know if she was ready. She wanted to be, she _had_ to be, and yet...her nerves would not cease, no matter how hard she fought them. Finally, she pushed the door open and entered the small sitting room. There, sitting in front of a small table sipping tea, was Suyin Beifong.

"Su?" she said, taking a tentative step forward.

Suyin glanced up from her teacup and set it down when she saw the other woman standing there. She immediately arose to her feet, though she did not make another move yet. She only stood there, staring with an equal hesitance. "Kuvira..."

The moment lingered for what seemed an eternity, and when Kuvira could bear it no longer she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms tightly around the former matriarch. As soon as she pulled Suyin against her, as soon as she felt the other woman's arms return the embrace, a shuddering breath rippled from her throat, followed by a sudden burst of tears from her eyes. She tightened her arms, face buried against Suyin's shoulder.

"I never thought I'd see you again...” she uttered. “I never thought... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. I tried, I swear, but I couldn't..."

"Shh, it's alright,” Su said, holding a hand to the back of Kuvira's head. “Everything's alright. I'm back now."

Kuvira sniffled back as much of her tears as she could, as she eased herself out of the hug—a difficult task, as her arms almost refused to let go. When at last she managed to pull away, she stared at Suyin with a disbelieving smile, head shaking slowly back and forth. "This is...unimaginable. I still don't know if I believe it."

"That makes two of us,” Su replied, with a sigh. She took a step back, holding her arms around herself. She seemed distant...almost uncomfortable. “I was _dead_. The last thing I remember about being alive was saying goodbye to my family and then being suffocated by Zaheer.” A small shudder ran through her, as she turned to look into a mirror hanging on the wall. “Now...here I am, and when I look at myself in the mirror I see a face I haven't known in over twenty years.” She stared at her reflection a moment, then swiftly altered her demeanor with a smirk, and fluffed her jet black hair. “Not that I'm complaining about that part, mind you. Youth does have its perks, naturally."

Kuvira took a step next to her and smiled. "I think you look great."

Suyin watched herself in the mirror a moment longer, then huffed out a deep sigh and returned her focus to Kuvira. “About those things I said to you, Kuvira, what I _did_ to you... You have to know I didn't mean any of it."

"I know,” she said, with a nod. “That was Sen's influence talking, not you. I'm just glad Korra was able to free you."

"So am I.” Suyin smiled, then led Kuvira over towards the coffee table to pour them both a fresh cup of tea. “Now, how long has it been since I died? Three years? Tell me everything that's happened."

"Well...you know I'm married now,” she said, accepting her cup of tea. “Which makes Korra your daughter-in-law, actually. Granted, the honeymoon hasn't been exactly thrilling.”

Suyin sighed, and took a sip of her tea. “I can imagine. When Baatar and I got married, we spent a two weeks on Ember Island. Certainly beats fighting an all powerful dark spirit.”

“I'd kill for a vacation like that, after what's happened.” Of course, Kuvira knew it would be a long time yet before they had that chance. Until Sen was dealt with, they couldn't afford a break.

“You'll have to tell me exactly how that happened, though,” Su said. “I do like a good falling in love story, and I have to assume that yours and Korra's is an entertaining one.”

Kuvira uttered a quiet chuckle. “Yeah, you could say that... I'll tell you all about it, though, I promise.” After taking another sip of tea, she added, “Oh, and about Zaofu... Now that you're back, you can take over again. If you want, I mean. I only took the job to honor your legacy, but since you're, you know...alive, I suppose I don't need to keep it.”

"Oh, I don't know, I think you're a fine choice to lead Zaofu,” she replied, shifting her attention towards the door. “But we can discuss that later. Looks like we have some company."

With a stern glare, Lin entered the room, marching straight towards them with her back straight and her arms stiff at her sides. Following her was Toph, who now appeared the same age as Suyin, no older than thirty; she looked out of place, as a result, standing in the presence of her daughters, especially with one of them now significantly older than her.

"Su...” Lin stated, staring at the younger woman. For a brief second, she said nothing else, until finally she pulled Suyin in for a hug. “Come here, you great big idiot. And don't you ever do that to me again. You don't get to die before me, you hear?"

"Good to see you, too,” Su replied, returning the embrace. Then, she took a step away and looked to her mother. “And...Mom?"

Toph offered a pleasant smirk. "Hey, Su."

"Mom...” Su reached forward and held her arms around her mother, holding on tight. “I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, you're back now,” Toph said, deepening the hug. “I don't think words can express how happy I am to see you again. In a manner of speaking."

They held the embrace for a long moment, until Suyin finally brought herself to step away again. She stared at her mother, studying her with a curious gaze. "You're...so young. Sen got to you, too?"

"He sure did!” Toph exclaimed, with an enthused laugh. “Isn't it _great?_ Man, is it good to be young again. I feel fantastic!"

"Great? Try creepy,” Lin muttered. “I'm old enough to be both your mother now."

“Pfft, you want creepy?” Toph scoffed. “I just got back from looking at my old body. Now _that's_ creepy. Don't go being a sourpuss just because you're the old lady in the family now.”

Lin flinched, eye twitching. "I am not—"

Suyin chuckled, patting her sister on the shoulder. "It's alright, Lin, you're still a kid at heart, I'm sure."

With a huff, the former police chief planted her arms across her chest and frowned. "I hate you both..."

"Mom!" a voice called.

Opal came running through the door, soon followed by the rest of the Beifong family—Baatar, Sr., Baatar, Jr., Huan, Wing, and Wei. They clambered into the small room, gathering around Suyin as close as they could without knocking each other over.

Tears glimmered at the corners of Su's eyes as she looked around at her family, spreading a smile across her face. "It's so good to see you all again..."

Baatar, Sr. took a step forward and reached out to hold his wife's hands. Tears of his own had already begun to fall down his cheeks. "Honey, I... You look great."

"Not too bad yourself,” she replied, with a loving grin.

"We never thought we'd see you again..." Wei said.

"Yeah, back from the dead...” Wing added. “Unreal."

“I will create my greatest work of art yet to commemorate this momentous occasion!” Huan announced.

Baatar, Jr. smiled, and held a hand to her shoulder. "Welcome home, Mother."

"Oh, there's so much we have to talk about!” Opal exclaimed. “You've missed a ton!"

Suyin's smile warmed, and grew wider. "I want to hear everything."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long again. I've been getting pretty busy on this end, so it's difficult to keep up with my writing, but I'm trying to get as much out as I can. I know these latest chapters have been pretty bleh as far as quality goes, but hopefully this one makes up for it. I enjoyed writing it, a lot more so than the past few.


	130. A New Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra comes up with a new plan to to stop Sen and save his victims.

The healer hut was deathly quiet when Korra entered. It looked exactly as she remembered it—dozens of patients lying cold and motionless on floor mats, devoid of their spirits, of any soul, and healers tending to them all as diligently as possible. So many victims, her own father and friends among them. If she didn't figure out a way to help them soon, they would all perish. At one side of the hut, her mother, Senna, had fallen asleep next to Tonraq, still holding his hand, and while there was no sign of the Air Kids right now, Pema remained at Tenzin's side, waiting and hoping. The scene pained Korra's gut, forcing her to hold a hand over her abdomen.

With a deep sigh, she wandered over towards Kya, who concentrated on treating Izumi, next to Tenzin. Bumi stood nearby, watching with his arms crossed. "Hey, how is everyone?"

"Well, our mom is about twenty five years younger than us now, which really rather creeps me out, and Tenzin's spirit is still missing from his body and there's nothing we can do to help," Bumi said. "Oh, and there's a dark spirit on the loose bent on destroying all of humanity. So yeah, I'm great."

"She meant the patients," Kya said, turning a frown towards her brother.

"Oh, well sure, that too," he muttered, with a shrug.

Kya rolled her eyes and sighed, then shifted focus back to Korra. "So far there's been no change, which is actually a good thing. It means our healing methods are keeping their bodies' connections to their spirits just strong enough to keep them alive. Still, I'm not sure how much more time they have. Could be a few weeks, a few days...there's no way to be sure. The sooner we get their spirits back into their bodies, the better."

Korra gave a slow nod, and a gentle sigh of her own. "I know... I'm still trying to come up with another plan. We tried tracking Sen down, but he knew we were coming. Now we have no idea where he is. He might not even still be in the South Pole for all we know."

"Well, try to come up with something soon," Kya said. Her voice lowered into a bleak whisper, as she glanced towards Tenzin. "It hurts, seeing them all like this."

Korra nodded again, more firmly this time. "We'll save them. One way or another, I promise." When Kya returned to healing Izumi, Korra left them and headed towards the other end of the hut. There, she approached one of the other healers in particular, a familiar but at the same time new face. "Hey, Katara."

The newly revitalized woman looked up from her work and smiled when she saw the Avatar. "Oh, Korra, hello."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm...okay. Still trying to get used to things, though. Having a new body, being young again..." Katara turned a tentative look towards one of the nearby bodies—her _own_ body, her older one, now little more than an empty shell. She swallowed, as a distance formed in her eyes. "It isn't right, you know. This...shouldn't have happened."

"There are a lot of things that shouldn't happen," Korra said, with a simple shrug. "We just have to try to deal with them as they come, the best we can."

At this statement, Katara smirked, and offered a quiet chuckle. "You sound more like Aang than ever. You really have grown into a fine Avatar."

"Thank you, Katara." Korra focused on the waterbending master's old body a moment longer, then finally she looked away; it really was creepy, to put it mildly. "So, now that you're...fighting fit again, can we count on your help against Sen?"

"Well, both Toph and Zuko seem eager to get into the action, and it isn't in me to sit on the sidelines," Katara replied, with a firm nod. "Now that I'm not liable to break a hip, yeah, you'll have my help. Right now I'm just trying to do what I can for these patients, but when you need me for more than that, I'll be ready."

"Thanks," Korra said. "I'll let you know when we have a plan."

"There is one more thing," Katara added. "My brother... Sen brought him back, as well. It's how he got to me and Toph."

Korra's brow lifted. _"What?_ Chief Sokka?"

"Yes. If you can... please, free him from that monster's control."

"Of course, yes," she insisted. "You have my word."

"Thank you, Korra." Katara gave an appreciative nod, then set her focus back on her healing, moving on from Izumi to Iroh. "Now, I should get back to these patients."

"Right, I'll see you around, Katara."

* * *

As Korra made her way back through the royal palace, lost to her thoughts, she almost didn't notice her friends. On her way by the open room, however, she paused and blinked out of her daze, then backpedaled to look through the doorway. She recognized it as the guest room belonging to Asami and Sin, both of whom were inside, packing their suitcases full. Also there were Mako and Bolin, who both seemed to have already finished packing, with travel packs slung over their shoulders. It didn't take Korra long to put two and two together.

"You guys are leaving?" she said.

The four within the room turned to look at her, and it was Sin who gave the first greeting, with a welcoming smile. "Oh, hey Korra."

Asami gave a glance towards the others, then eased out a small sigh and nodded to Korra. "Yeah, as much as I'd like to stay and help, I am still President of the United Republic. I need to get back."

"And I'm the Chief of Police, so...yeah," Mako said, with a shrug. "I mean, this Sen business is a heck of a lot more important, but we don't even know if he's still down here. If he comes to Republic City, we need to be ready for him."

"Plus, some of the Republic City spirits might know something that could help," Sin added.

"I guess that makes sense," Korra said, easing a soft breath. "People should be prepared, in case Sen attacks somewhere else."

Bolin nodded. "Yeah, and as for me, Opal and I decided we should take our son somewhere safer, after everything that's happened. Su and the rest of the Beifongs are heading back to Zaofu, so we'll be joining them there. Oh, except for Toph and Kuvira. They're staying behind to help. At least, that's what they said."

"I understand. You need to keep your family safe." Korra spread a gentle smile across her face, as she looked at her friends. "I guess this isn't like the old days when we can all just team up together, huh?"

Mako chuckled. "Hard to believe we even _have_ old days."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Korra said. "In that case, you guys leave Sen to us. We'll handle him. And if you find out any information that might be helpful, you know how to reach me."

Mako nodded, then leaned in to give a friendly hug. "You got it."

Bolin joined them a second later, wrapping his arms around both of them. "Ahh, bring it in, guys."

Asami smirked as she joined in the group hug, spreading her arms as far around them as she could. Then, she glanced over to Sin and said, "You too."

"Ha, okay, good," Sin replied, as she came in with her arms open. "Was starting to feel like the awkward outsider over here."

When they finally broke apart, Korra took a step back and said, "Stay safe."

"We will," Mako assured.

"And Asami, um..." Korra cleared her throat, turning a glance towards her ex. "If you have a minute, you mind if we talk?"

"Oh, sure." Asami paused a moment as she set down the shirt she had been folding, then turned to give Sin a quick kiss. "I'll just be a minute."

"Alright, I'll keep packing," Sin said.

Korra waited for Asami to follow, then led the way out into the hall. When she was certain that they were out of earshot of the others, she stopped and turned around to face the other woman.

"So, what did you need?" Asami asked, with a curious gaze.

"Well, it's just, I don't know what's going to happen with Sen, and..." Korra shifted awkwardly on her feet, huffing a nervous sigh as she tried to form her thoughts into words. When she finally composed herself, she continued, "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. For everything that happened between us. I thought we'd be together forever, and I screwed it up, and hurt you, and... I'm sorry."

Asami raised a quizzical brow. "Korra, I thought we were past this? We've already apologized to each other, ages ago."

"No, I know. It just bears repeating, I think," she said. "In spite of everything that happened, I'm really glad we stayed friends." Then, Korra smiled. "I'm really glad you're still in my life."

Asami's demeanor softened, and she returned the smile with her own "Me too." Then, she took a step forward and pulled Korra in for a hug. "And I am happy for you. For the marriage, I mean. Really."

Korra let her eyes close a moment, easing into the embrace. "Thank you, Asami."

When the hug finally ended, Asami took a step back, holding her hands on Korra's shoulders. "Now, get out there and kick Sen's ass."

Korra grinned. "You got it."

* * *

Some time later, Korra sat on the floor in the center of her bedroom, legs crossed and fists pressed together, eyes closed. She sucked in a deep breath and let her mind slip away deep into meditation, deep inside herself. “Okay, Raava... I could really use some help right now.” When she opened her eyes again, there she stood in those wide open fields of her inner mind, and before her floated the great light spirit.

Raava floated closer to her and eased out a gentle sigh. “I will help you however I can, Korra. However, my knowledge on Sen is limited. I may know his history, but I do not know much about how to stop him.”

“There must be _something,”_ Korra said. “If not you, then another spirit, maybe?”

“Well, there is one obvious choice.”

Korra furrowed her brow, trying to determine what Raava meant. “An obvious...of course.” The revelation hit her just a second later, as she recalled the visions that she had seen the last time she meditated with Raava like this. “Sen's mother. The Mother of Faces! If anyone would know how to track him down and stop him, it's her. _And_ she's the one who locked him away the fist time around! Why didn't you suggest that before?”

“Because, locating the Mother of Faces these days takes time, time that your friends may not have,” Raava stated. “I had hoped you would be able to find Sen already, but since he appears to have vanished, this may be the only option left.”

“What do you mean, 'it takes time'?”

“The Mother of Faces roams between worlds,” explained the light spirit. “In the material world, she is found only once per season, traveling through Forgetful Valley, at one of four water pools. Not only would you need to wait until the appropriate time of the season, but if you were to be at the wrong pool, you would miss her, and have to wait an entire season longer.”

“You're right...That would take a lot of time.” Korra's excitement cooled and turned tentative. Folding her arms, she bowed her head and huffed out a defeated sigh. There was no way of knowing how long until those who had lost their spirits started to die. “Time we don't have.”

“I am sorry,” Raava said. “I do not have any other suggestions.”

Korra thought a moment longer, and as she did, a new revelation came to her. “Wait a minute...”

“What is it?”

“I know someone who can find exactly where the Mother of Faces is!” she said, with a snap of her fingers.

Raava tilted herself to the side, giving as confused a stare as a spirit with no actual face could give. “You do? That seems unlikely. And even if it were true, it may not be the proper time in the season.”

“We'll have to hope.” Korra smiled, then sat down and closed her eyes again, easing out of her meditation. “I'll talk to you later, Raava. I have to head back. Thanks again!”

* * *

Katara rubbed her eyes as she entered the small restaurant. It had been ages since she had been out anywhere for a quiet meal to simply relax. Of course, much of the reason was because of how tired she had always been, as she got on in her years. The prospect of getting up, going out, sitting down in a restaurant, staying out late... It all seemed so tedious and exhausting when half the time she tended to fall asleep not long after the sun went down. Now, though, she felt no such exhaustion. In fact, she felt more full of energy than she had in decades. That was, of course, because of her new body. She couldn't be any older than thirty now, and she even had her exact same face from that age.

It was remarkable.

It was unnerving.

As she made her way across the main sitting area, she soon spotted her friend waiting for her at one of the tables, a friend who had been revitalized in exactly the same way as she. “Hey, Toph.”

Toph leaned back in her seat, with her feet propped up on the table. At the sound of Katara's arrival, she grinned and said, “Well, 'bout time you showed up. Only been waiting for twenty minutes. Had to get the waiter to read me the menu.”

“Sorry about that, I lost track of time working with the patients,” she replied. Sitting down at the table, she grabbed a menu of her own and spread it open. After a quiet moment, she glanced up with a tentative look at her friend and asked, “So, how are you...adjusting to things?”

“Are you kidding me? I'm back in my prime!” Toph laughed, tilting her head over the back of her chair with an even larger grin. “I haven't felt this good in seventy years! So yeah, I'd say I'm adjusting pretty well. Will be better once I get out of this frozen wasteland, though. No offense.”

“Really?” Katara said, raising an eyebrow. “You're not the least bit disturbed by it?”

“Not even a little,” Toph asserted. “Let me tell you, being an old woman sucked. Being tired all the time, achy joints, my darn back always acting up, everything _sagging_. Having a second chance at life is A-okay in my book.”

“I see...” Katara muttered, turning her focus back towards the menu.

Toph huffed, then righted her seat and took her feet down off the table. “I don't need earth to sense that you don't agree.”

“It's just...that's the thing,” Katara said. She frowned, staring at the menu with a distance in her eyes. “I don't _need_ a second life. I already had a life, a good one. I had made my peace with the fact that I didn't have much time left, that I'd be gone soon, that I'd see Aang again... This is just... I'm not sure I know how to handle it.”

“Just roll with the punches, Katara, that's what I say,” Toph stated, with a firm shrug. “Yeah, it might be a little weird, what with being younger than our kids now and all, but when it comes to life we just do what we can with the time given to us. We've just been given a little more time than most, so we can do a little more.”

Katara went quiet a moment, thinking over Toph's words. There certainly was some truth to them, and she knew that Aang would have told her something similar. “Maybe you're right...” Then, a small smile slowly curled across her face. “There are a lot of things I can do again now that I couldn't when I was pushing a hundred.”

Toph cackled out a mischievous chuckle. “You mean like finding someone to take a good ol' roll in the hay with? That's the spirit, Katara, live a little!”

“Uh, yeah, no,” she replied, pointing a death glare at the earthbender. “Not what I meant.”

“Psh, spoilsport. You've been single for over thirty years.”

Katara rolled her eyes, and buried her attention back into the menu. As she did, she became aware of a new presence approaching the table. At first, she didn't pay any attention to it, but when she noticed two figures standing next to her, she forced herself to look up from the menu towards the new arrivals. The first face she saw was a familiar and welcome sight—Zuko, now the same age young as her and Toph. The other individual, however, she did not expect. Azula stood there with her arms folded, slightly off to the side and behind her brother, as if trying to hide herself.

“Hey guys,” Zuko said, with a wave. “I heard you were having dinner together... You mind if we join you?”

“Oh, uh...yeah, of course,” Katara said, forcing a smile. She moved to the side, giving space for two more chairs at the table. “Happy to have you. Both of you.”

Azula frowned, as she approached one of the two new seats. “You don't need to act polite, Katara. I know you don't really want me sitting with you.”

Katara returned the frown, then heaved out a deep sigh, head bowing. “Look, Azula, I know we've never...gotten along...”

“Pheh, that's putting it lightly,” Toph said, with a snicker.

“...but, well...you _have_ shown yourself to be a different person now. Better than you used to be.” Katara tapped her fingers against the table, shifting awkwardly in her seat. “So...I guess I'm trying to say, I'm willing to give you a chance. And about those things I said when I was under Sen's control, I wasn't—”

“Oh let's not kid ourselves, we both know you meant it,” Azula stated, with a shrug. “Maybe you regret saying it, but I'm sure they're thoughts you've had before. I'd rather just forget about that, though, if it's all the same to you. I just want to move on.”

“Right...” Katara said. “Of course.”

Azula turned a careful glance towards the other woman at the table. “And Toph?”

“Hmm? Oh, me.” Toph straightened herself and cracked her knuckles. “Well, Su's alive again, so any lingering grudge I had against you is pointless now. So yeah, sure, you're a better person and all, great. Are we ordering food now or what? I'm starving.”

“Good idea,” Zuko said, with a clear of his throat. He grabbed a menu for himself, and passed a second to his sister.

Azula took one look at the menu and huffed. “Water Tribe food... I'll never understand it. I suppose I'll just have a bowl of noodles. That seems like the most neutral dish here.”

Before they could place their order, though, another figure came running into the restaurant. “Azula!”

The fire prodigy blinked and raised her eyebrow, turning to the call of her name. “Avatar Korra?”

Korra stopped when she reached the table, doubling over a moment to catch her breath. Judging from the sweat beading across her forehead and the deep heaving of her chest, she had been running for quite some time. “Finally found you...”

“Is there something you need?” Azula questioned, squinting quizzically at the Avatar.

“Yes,” Korra said, with a nod. When she finally recovered her breath, she straightened again and gave a firm look towards the woman. “I need your expertise. You know how to find the Mother of Faces, right?”

Azula's gaze only became more puzzled. “Well, yes, but why...” Her words stopped short, though, as she suddenly realized what the Avatar meant. “You mean to enlist her aid in stopping Sen.”

“Exactly,” Korra said. “The only problem is, I don't know how long it'll take to find her, and the current victims might not have that long. Tell me it's the right time of the season.”

“Well, what's the date?” Azula said, lifting a hand to her chin. The question was rhetorical, as she had already begun to process the information in her head. “Let's see... She should be appearing in approximately five days. And it's winter, so she'll be at the northern pool in the forest. It'll take two days to get there by airship, so we'll need to leave soon.”

Katara glanced back and forth between the two women, curious. “Wait, what's so special about the Mother of Faces? I know she's a powerful spirit, but can she really help stop Sen?”

At this question, Korra smirked. “She's Sen's mother, and she's the one who locked him away the first time, tens of thousands of years ago. We just have to find her and get her to help. Who's coming?”

“If it gets me out of this tundra, count me in,” Toph said, with a nonchalant thumbs-up.

“And you'll need me to show you the way, of course,” Azula said.

Zuko nodded. “If they're going, then I'm going, too.”

Katara gave both her friends a quick look, then she, too, nodded to the Avatar. “I think it's about time I went on another adventure. Count me in.”

“Good,” Korra said, as she steeled her face with urgency. “Kuvira's already preparing for our departure. There's no time to waste... Let's get moving.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's half of the old Team Avatar as part of a new Team Avatar. Katara, Toph, and Zuko are back in action! Now excuse me while I go bang my head repeatedly against a wall in attempts to come up with the rest of this plot.


	131. Stranger At The Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sinister force comes to Kyoshi Island.

Four days. When the team had finally prepared and assembled to leave, they had only four days until the Mother of Faces would appear in Forgetful Valley. Since it would take two to three days to travel there, they had enough time. Still, the sooner they left and the faster they went, the better. Korra stood outside the airship they would be taking, watching the crew prep it for takeoff. Hopefully, they would be ready to leave shortly. As it stood, she, Kuvira, Azula, Toph, Katara, and Zuko would be making the trip. The others would remain here, in case Sen decided to attack again. With any luck, though, they wouldn't need to worry about that. Her friends arrived a short while later, all packed and ready to leave. She gave them a cursory glance as they approached, and nodded to them.

"How are things coming?" Kuvira asked, giving her wife a gentle kiss in greeting.

"Should be ready to leave shortly," she replied. "And with a couple days to spare."

Toph pointed her blank gaze at the ground and grumbled out a skeptical breath. "What exactly do you intend to do when we find this Mother of Faces, anyway? Just say, 'hey, your crazy son is on the loose, mind finding him and kicking his butt for us'?"

"Well, pretty much," Korra said. "I mean, that and ask if she knows a way to save his victims. She's the one who stopped him the first time around. She _must_ want to stop him again."

"There's still the fact that this expedition of ours is going to take at least another four days," Zuko stated. "We don't know of the people that Sen has hurt already even have that long."

Korra paused a long while before answering. She closed her eyes and let the words sink in; the truth of them stung. Zuko was right, of course, and that fact did not escape her. After all, her own father was one of those victims. If they failed here, if they took too long... She would lose him. They would lose everyone. "This is the only option we have left. There's no other way to find Sen... We just have to hope that we'll have enough time, and that the Mother of Faces can track down her son."

"We will," Katara said, holding a comforting hand to the Avatar's shoulder. "The South has some of the best healers in the world, my daughter among them. They'll keep the victims alive long enough for us to save them. I know they will."

Korra hissed out a steady sigh and nodded, trying to reassure herself. "I hope you're right."

"We'd better get moving soon, then," Toph said. "We're wasting time standing here, and I'd like to get my feet on some solid ground for a change."

"I'll make one last check with the ship's crew," Kuvira said, as she hurried up the airship gangplank. "I'll let you know when we're ready to go."

When Kuvira was gone, Azula approached. She stood with one hand grabbing at her opposite arm, and head turned to the side, as if hesitant to speak. With a clear of her throat, she said, "Avatar, there's something I'd like to request of you."

"Azula, we're friends" she replied, with a welcoming smile. "You can just call me Korra."

"Right, Korra..." Azula frowned momentarily, shifting her attention fully to the Avatar. She cleared her throat again and then continued, "Anyway, you see, Kyoshi Island is on the way, and since we'll have some extra time, I was wondering..."

"You want to stop and see your family."

Azula paused, then gave a slow nod of confirmation. "Yes, if that's alright."

Korra held her smile and returned the nod. "Of course, Azula."

"Thank you, Av...Korra."

Kuvira reappeared at the entrance of the gangplank a moment later, calling down to the rest of the group. "Alright, everyone, we're good to go! Let's get a move on!"

* * *

Anraq hovered over the pot of boiling broth on the stove and heaved in a deep breath through his nose. It smelled just about right, which meant it was ready for further ingredients. Whistling to himself, he began mincing a mound of sea prunes and tossing them into the pot. He had been fortunate enough to find some in the market this morning; it wasn't often that one found Water Tribe food on a small, out-of-the-way Earth Kingdom island. Kanna would be thrilled when she returned.

Tilting his gaze up to the window, Anraq took a long look outside at the small village around him. He was no stranger to small towns, yet this one was different. It had a certain serenity that other places didn't have, a peace and simplicity to it. Even a certain discipline to its people. That could possibly be attributed to the Kyoshi Warriors who trained here. He had never before seen a group of such dedicated and skilled individuals—especially their leader, even as old as that woman was. The other people of the village seemed to look up to and take after them, bringing that steadfast discipline to everything they did.

Even if that thing was something as simple as cooking dinner.

Anraq breathed in another whiff of his sea prune stew and smirked. As much as he didn't like to fawn over his own cookinhg, he could say for certain that this was one of his best batches yet. Mai and Ty Lee would probably recoil at the sight of it, but that was so be expected; Water Tribe dishes were an extremely acquired taste, after all. Still, this dinner wasn't for them so much as it was for himself and Kanna. They could help themselves of they wanted, of course, but he wouldn't hold his breath in that regard.

Just as Anraq turned the stove down to a gentle simmer, the front door swung open. Mai led the way, followed by Ty Lee and Kanna, the latter of whom hung off the old chi blocker's leg with a giddy laughter.

"We're back," Mai said, with a tired huff. She promptly dropped herself into the armchair in the living room and let her head fall back.

Anraq made his way out of this kitchen to greet them, bringing a smile down to his daughter. "Hey, and how was it? Did you learn anything interesting from the Kyoshi Warriors?"

"Yeah, it was _really_ cool!" Kanna finally released Ty Lee's leg, and jumped forward with a grin. "The Koshi Warriors are so pretty and strong, and even though Master Suki is really old, she's still really awesome, and watching them train was really fun!"

Anraq chuckled, and raised a hand to brush his daughter's hair. "Now that sounds like a good day."

"It was!" she replied.

"Alright, go on and get washed up before dinner," he said, with a nod towards the bathroom. "I made sea prune stew."

Kanna's expression brightened at the mention of her favorite food, and she immediately ran off to get cleaned up. "Yay!"

Anraq watched with a light smile as Kanna disappeared around the corner of the hallway. Then, he turned his attention to back to the two old women. "Thanks again for taking her out today. I needed some time to just...clear my head."

Mai eased out her signature indifferent sigh, but accompanied it with a smile. "It was no trouble, really. Kanna is a lovely child."

"Yeah, and her aura is so sparkly and full of energy!" Ty Lee added.

Anraq chuckled. "I'll take that as a good thing. Still, thanks."

Mai paused a moment in her seat, then finally found the energy to stand again. When she did, she approached Anraq and held a hand to his arm. "I know it's difficult, being away while the others are taking care of things, but I wouldn't worry. I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know..." Anraq felt a pang of guilt twist through his gut. He had informed them both of the basics of what had happened down South, but he hadn't mentioned to Mai that her daughter and grandson were current victims; she didn't need to worry like that, not so soon after losing her husband. Hopefully, if Korra figured out away to help Sen's victims, she would never have to know. "Or at least I hope. This Sen business is unlike anything we've faced before. I _should_ be there to help them... But I know I need to protect Kanna, too, more than anything. That's why I left."

"Well, with any luck, the Avatar and everyone else will have that mess cleaned up in no time, and you'll all be back together soon!" Ty Lee said, with a grin.

"That would be nice..." Anraq's thoughts drifted momentarily, and he didn't notice the absent smile curling across his face. "There is still something I need to talk to Azula about... There just wasn't ever the right time, with everything that happened."

Mai lifted an eyebrow at him. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"Oh, uh..." Anraq blinked out of his daze. Both Mai and Ty Lee were staring at him with a mix of suspicion and intrigue. "N-nothing. Nothing at all."

"Your fuzzy aura says you're lying," Ty Lee said, planting her hands firmly on her hips.

"Well, I mean, I just..." The grin that Ty Lee gave had an unnatural way of breaking through any denial Anraq might have attempted to put up. He watched them a moment longer, feeling the uneasiness in his gut spread stronger, until finally he huffed out a sigh of defeat. "Okay. Fine." When he steadied his nerves, he reached into his pocket and grasped the small box there; he carried it everywhere he went, just in case the right moment arose. Even with Azula not here, it had become a habit. Pulling the box from his pocket, he held it up to them and opened it. "I've sort of been...working up the nerve to ask her to marry me."

Ty Lee's eyes lit up at the sight of the ring within the box. "Oooh, it's beautiful!"

"Marriage?" Mai raised a brow as she stared at the ring. "That's...interesting."

"What? Is that bad?" Anraq pulled the box back and returned it too his pocket. Mai's reaction didn't inspire much confidence, and now he could feel the cold claws of doubt scratching at his core. "Do you not think she'll go for it?"

"Well, it's just... Azula is the last person I would ever expect to settle down and get married," Mai replied, with a shrug. A more thoughtful look then came to her visage, eyebrows scrunching together in contemplation. "But then, the Azula I've gotten to know over the past year is much different than the one I knew eighty years ago. Seeing how she is with you and Kanna, being happy, and normal... To call it surprising would be an understatement."

"So...you think she _would_ say yes?"

At this, Mai deadpanned. "How should I know? I'm not a mind reader."

"Right... Thank you for your words of wisdom," Anraq muttered, lips twisting into a subtle frown. Then, he glanced back over his shoulder towards the hall. "In any case, I should go make sure Kanna is washing up okay. She likes to cut corners when no one's keeping an eye on her. Thanks again for today."

Mai nodded. "Any time, Anraq."

* * *

A stern knock on the guestroom door stirred Anraq from his sleep that night. He blinked himself awake and sat up with a deep yawn, eyes turning towards the clock on the wall—nearly midnight. With a quiet groan, he glanced to the other side of the bed. Kanna slept there, wrapped up tight in her personal fluffy blanket, and clutching her stuffed bison close against her chest. The knock hadn't disturbed her, thankfully; she would be impossible to make sleep again if she woke up now.

The knock came again, promoting Anraq to hurry out of bed to the door. Another yawn bellowed from his throat as he reached for the handle. "Mai? Ty Lee? You need something?"

When he opened the door, however, he did not find Mai or Ty Lee on the other side. Instead, a different woman stood in the hallway, staring at him with a smirk—a younger, familiar woman. "Hey, Anraq. How's Kanna?"

 _"Megumi?"_ A jolt of panic flooded through his chest at the sight of her. If she was here, did that mean Sen had come? Had Korra and the others failed? Quickly, he stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind himself, shutting off the way to Kanna. "What are you... _How_ did you...?"

"Oh that doesn't matter,” Megumi replied. "What matters is that I _am_ here. And I want to see my daughter."

Anraq swallowed, narrowing his eyes into a dagger-like glare. "As if I would let you near her while you're under Sen's control. You've already tried to kill me."

"Only because you're unfit to be her father," she countered, with a bitter venom to her tone. "You got her killed, remember? You let her die! And now? You let that _lunatic_ raise her. You're going to get her hurt again!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" he said, pointing a finger at her chest. "You don't know what happened, and you don't know _anything_ about Azula, or what Kanna wants. You haven't _been_ here!"

"You're right, I haven't been here. I _died._ Was that my own fault?"

Anraq paused, and pulled his finger back. "Well, no, but... That doesn't change things. You can't just show up after twelve years and expect everything to be how it was. You're not even yourself right now, for one. You're helping a dark spirit hurt people. My _friends._ I'm not just going to let you keep doing that. And I'm not letting you near Kanna, not until I can find a way to help restore your own mind."

Megumi scoffed. "I'm fine as I am, Anraq. I don't need your help."

Anraq refused her with a stern shake of his head, and took a defensive posture. "I'm sorry, Megumi, but you have to leave. Now."

"No, you don't understand," she said, as her eyes sharpened. "I'm not leaving without my daughter."

The attack came swift, as Megumi pulled a whipping stream of water out of the flask at her hip. Unlike last time, though, Anraq was ready for it; he would not allow himself to be caught off guard again. As soon as the water shot towards him, he shifted his stance and bended it around his body, then sent it straight back the way it had come. Megumi uttered a sharp huff of surprise as the stream crashed against her chest. She thudded into the wall behind her and fell to her knees, stunned by the blow.

"Not this time," Anraq said, pulling the water back around himself. "You always did need to work on your bending."

Megumi grunted, staggering up to her feet again. "I know, I'm not a great waterbender. Certainly not a master, like you. But that's why I brought one of my own."

Anraq furrowed his brow. "What are you—?"

He almost didn't notice the next attack coming from his left down the hallway. At the last moment, though, he caught sight of a wet flicker in the corner of his eye, and immediately reacted by placing a wall of ice in front of himself. The incoming water jet broke apart upon impact, then promptly returned to the man who had cast it.

"I'm impressed," Unalaq stated, twisting into a more serious pose. "But you know you can't beat us both."

Anraq knew that Unalaq was right, and if he tried to fight them both in such a confined space, they'd likely do a lot of damage. He couldn't risk anyone being caught in the crossfire—whether Mai or Ty Lee, or especially Kanna. Instead, he did the only thing he could think of. Spreading both arms out to his side, he forced his water apart and flooded it down either end of the hallway. This pushed both Unalaq and Megumi back enough to put some space between them, and as soon as they were a sufficient distance from him, he bolted back into the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind himself. He sprinted straight for Kanna, picked her up into her arms, and then used the last bit of water he had with him to split apart the window against the far wall, giving enough space for him to slip through outside.

Partway through being lifted up and the hearing the sound of splitting wood, Kanna grumbled a tired yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Daddy? What's going on?"

"Nothing, Sweet Pea, don't worry.” Anraq held her tighter and then sprinted out of the house, into the dark of the night. “We just have to go now."

* * *

Anraq raced from the village into the surrounding wilderness. The forests and hills were hardly safe to be fleeing through in the pitch black of night, but he had no other choice. If he stayed to fight in the village, innocent people could get hurt, and he had to get Kanna to safety. The last he had looked, both Megumi and Unalaq were in pursuit of him, which meant his plan to lead them away was working. Perhaps he could give them the slip through the woods and lose them. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd do after that, but at this point he'd figure it out as he went.

"Daddy, what's happening?" Kanna asked, with a frantic shudder to her voice. She swiveled her head from side to side, wild eyes staring out into the trees.

"Don't worry, Sweet Pea, everything's going to be alright," he assured, as he leaped over an upturned tree root. "Everything is— _oof."_

Anraq never saw the ground disappear beneath his feet. The next thing he knew, he hit a steep slope hard and rolled out of control down the hill. He lost his grip on Kanna, but in those wild few moments as the world spun around him, he didn't even have a chance to feel worry or fear before crashing with a thud into a coarse mound of white sand. With a dull groan, he sat upright and clutched his head. He had fallen to the beach, he realized, as he noticed the silver glow of the moon reflecting off the darkened ocean.

"Kanna?" Anraq called, with a sharp look around. "Kanna!" The sound of hiccuping sobs reached his ears moments later.

"Daddyyy!" Kanna rolled over in the sand, a short distance away. She cried and sniffled, clutching her left wrist close against her chest. "I hurt my arm!"

"Oh Kanna, it's okay, it's okay, I got you," Anraq said, as he crawled next to his daughter. He took a gentle hold of her arm and looked close at it. A redness had spread across her wrist, and it had already begun swelling. "You'll be okay, you'll be fine. It looks like it's just a sprain."

"But it huuurts!" she cried.

"I know, it's okay," he said, as he stood up to help her. "Let's just get you out of here and I can heal—"

Anraq's words cut out with a sharp slap of water against his chest. The wind rushed from his lungs as he lifted from his feet, and for a brief moment all he saw was bright colors in front of his eyes. A sharp wheeze hissed from his lungs when he hit the ground. He lied there, almost forgetting where he was as he blinked the colors away from his vision.

"Daddy!" Kanna called, running to his side. She flinched as she made it to him, whimpering at the pain in her wrist.

"Look what you've done now, Anraq!" He recognized that as Megumi's voice. "Our daughter is in pain!"

"What _I_ did?" Anraq hoisted himself upright and shot the woman a glare. Unalaq was there next to her, already with a coil of water around himself. _"You're_ the one who—" A wince cut out his words, but he let them go unfinished. Instead, he returned to his feet and put himself in front of Kanna, shielding her with his body. "If you want to get to her, you have to go through me."

"Oh, I'm certain we can oblige that," Unalaq stated.

"Daddy who are they?" Kanna asked, peering out from behind her father's legs. "What do they want?"

Anraq swallowed, holding an arm back to keep distance between them. "Kanna, you have to run."

 _"What?"_ The young girl looked up at him with frightened eyes. "But...but I don't _want_ to leave you. I _need_ you! I'm scared and my arm hurts and I don't know what to do, and—"

Before she could finish her words, Unalaq whipped a shot of water forward. Anraq waited until the stream reached him and then whirled his arms to the side to bring it around himself. He immediately froze the water and returned a volley of icy shards, forcing Megumi and Unalaq to spread out.

"Just _go_ , Kanna! _Please!"_

Kanna shuddered with a fearful whimper, watching as the other two waterbenders converged on her father. In a single moment that seemed to last an eternity, she stood rooted there in fear, unable to move. Only when Anraq made another desperate plea for her to run as he lunged forward to meet them did she finally turn and scurry along the beach into the woods.

With both Megumi and Unalaq attacking at once, Anraq had little chance of putting together any offense. The best he could do was defend himself, swatting away their strikes with quick shots of his own and slipping in an occasional counter when he could. He never stopped moving, running and diving to avoid a raining barrage of frozen spikes and watery whips. To the best of his ability, he held his own. He didn't have to win, just so long as he kept them busy long enough for Kanna to get away.

He didn't last quite as long as he had hoped. As he ducked below a spinning blade of ice, a coil of water wrapped around his ankle and yanked him into the air. The world swung by him, and in a brief instant he collided violently with the ground, atop his backside. The water raised him into the air a second time and slammed him again, then a third time, and a fourth. The sand offered somewhat of a cushion against each impact, but not much. By the time he crashed into the ground a fifth time, his chest had gone dull and numb, and blood oozed from between his lips. Mercifully, though, the water let him go so he could lie there, barely conscious.

Unalaq extended a watery lance along his arm, freezing it solid as he approached the downed man. "It's time we put you away. Permanently."

Anraq crawled backwards across the ground, fingers clawing through the sand. He tried to sit upright, but a sharp pain in his chest kept him down; he could barely think straight, let alone stand. As Unalaq stood over him with the frozen lance pulled back, ready to strike, Anraq set his head back and huffed a sigh. He had no moves left to make to save himself, no way to fight back. At the very least, Kanna was safe. For the moment, anyway. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to get away.

_Kanna, Azula... I'm sorry._

Just before Unalaq could make the strike, however, a flash of metal flicked through the air and buried into his shoulder. He recoiled at the impact, stumbling with a shout and grabbing at the curved blades now embedded in his skin. They were knives, Anraq realized, as he pushed himself up onto his elbows—red and silver throwing knives. A moment later, a figure flipped into view and sprang at Unalaq with a series of quick popping strikes along his body. The former chief went down limp into the sand, stunned and paralyzed.

Megumi ran forward in an attempt to help her ally, but as she did, a second figure lunged at her and delivered a swift blow to the back of her head with the butt-end of a sheathed sword. She went to her knees in a daze, and then crashed face first into the sand with a second strike from a closed fan. In moments, a silence settled over the beach.

Anraq blinked, focusing on the three women who now approached him. The first two were obvious—Mai, holding a fistful of knives between her fingers, and Ty Lee, her hands still clenched in a chi blocker style—but the third was a woman he had seen only a few times before. She was an old woman, the same age as Mai and Ty Lee, with a short bob of brown and grey hair, and adorned in a Kyoshi Warrior uniform, sans the makeup—Suki, the head of the Kyoshi Warriors.

"Thanks for the assist," Anraq said, as Mai held a hand down to him. He took a firm hold and pulled himself up to his feet.

"We would have been here sooner, but you just had to go and run, didn't you?" Mai muttered.

"Yeah, we're not exactly as young as we used to be, you know," Ty Lee huffed. She doubled over with a grimace, holding a hand to her back. "Ow... I think I pulled something."

Anraq turned a look to the third woman, who stood there with a quiet discipline; in spite of her age, she appeared fit and battle-ready. "Suki, you're here too?"

The Kyoshi Warrior leader nodded. "I was already on my way to see Mai and Ty Lee when the attack happened, so I joined them in their pursuit of you."

He paused, lifting an eyebrow at her. "At this hour?"

Suki breathed a heavy sigh, head bowing. "I was locking up the Kyoshi Warrior headquarters when I noticed some of my students hadn't gone home. They were...out." Noting the confusion on his face, she added, "Their spirits were gone."

Anraq's throat went numb at the revelation. "Oh no..." That meant Sen _was_ here; he had followed them from the South!

"Where's Kanna?" Mai asked, turning a quizzical glance around the beach.

"I... I told her to run," Anraq said, spinning to look where Kanna had retreated. "It wasn't safe. I'm not sure where—"

"Alright everyone, let's wrap this up." The voice came from near the treeline, where a pair of figures stepped out of the shadowed brush. The first was a young man in Water Tribe garb, with a long sword strapped to his hip and a boomerang on his back. The second was Kanna, whose shoulder the man held firmly to keep her in place. The poor girl stood there shaking, holding back frightened sobs under her breath.

Suki's eyes widened at the sight of the man. _"Sokka?"_

"Hey, Suki!" Sokka replied, with a delighted smile. "Wow it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Anraq stared at the man, lifting his brow. _"That's_ Chief Sokka?" He had known Sokka long ago, when he had been just a kid, but back then the man had been old and wrinkled—nothing like this.

"In the flesh!' Sokka replied.

"Daddyyy!" Kanna hiccuped and tried to pull away, but Sokka held her tighter.

 _"Stop!"_ Anraq called, reaching a hand forward in desperation. "Please... Don't hurt her."

"Hurt her?" Sokka recoiled at the suggestion, taken aback. " Jeez, what kind of monster do you take me as? I'm not going to hurt her. I'm just going to give her back to her mother."

Anraq and the others were so focused on Sokka and Kanna that they never saw the next attack coming. Anraq didn't even realize they were under attack at all until he felt the water wash over him and lift him into the air. He instinctively began to fight against it, but his efforts proved futile as the water froze and hardened around him. Within seconds, his body became motionless, trapped within a solid block of ice. The same held true for Mai, Ty Lee, and Suki, as well.

Megumi grumbled out a deep groan of annoyance as she stumbled up to her feet, holding a hand to the back of her head. She staggered, almost falling again, but managed to stay upright. "That's about enough of that."

In that moment, Kanna at last broke away from Sokka, wrenching her shoulder away from his grasp. She sprinted across the sand with a desperate cry, and when she reached the ice encasing her father, she beat her uninjured hand against it, as if trying to crack it apart. "Daddy! Daddyyyyy!” Panicked tears streamed down her face, tears that became more desperate as she realized she had no way of freeing him. “ Let him go! Let my Daddy go!"

"Sorry, Kanna, but your father has to go away for a while,” Megumi stated, as she approached the girl. “Trust me when I tell you, you won't miss him.”

With the conflict finally over, Unalaq pushed himself back up to his elbows with a frustrated grunt. Feeling had only just begun returning to his body. "Can we go now? I've about had it with this island."

Before any of them could respond, a deafening roar split the quiet night apart. A bright red flash lit up the darkness, fueled by a scorching jet of flames that torched the sand between the three attackers and the victims frozen in ice, as well as Kanna. Megumi and Sokka retreated back away from the flames, while Unalaq could do little more than roll backwards, as his legs still would not obey his mental commands.

Another roar echoed through the air. Then, a massive winged figure swooped down from above and landed in the sand with a crash, jaws open wide and claws outstretched. A second wave of fire raced at them, but Megumi managed to create a watery wall strong enough to block it at the last moment. When the flames ceased, she let the water fall only to realize that they were face to face with an enormous, pissed off dragon.

"Oookay, that's a dragon! _Big_ dragon!” Sokka said, as he backed up slowly across the sand. He pulled his boomerang off his back and held it in front of himself as though it would offer protection. “Hey there, Druk... You remember your Uncle Sokka, right? Come on, you used to chase Mr. Boomberang here when you were no bigger than a poodle monkey.”

Druk responded with a thunderous roar and took a few steps forward, keeping Anraq and the others shielded with his body. Sokka immediately tripped backwards with a yell, landing with a plop in the sand. Neither Megumi nor Unalaq, either, could think of what to do. With Unalaq still chi blocked, Megumi was the only one of the three who could bend right now, and she did not have the skill to take on a dragon by herself.

As the dragon tilted his head back to release another mouthful of flames, however, a swift and sudden change pulsed through his body. Druk's eyes popped open wider, and his posture fell, shrinking away as if with cowardice. A frightened shudder followed, forcing the great beast to pull his wings inward and then lower himself to the ground. Within moments, the dragon became immobile and demure.

"Such weak-willed, primitive creatures,” came a smooth-as-silk voice. A new figure approached, walking through the sand with a single hand held forward. With a simple raise of his fingers, he forced Druk's jaws to open wide. Moments later, a large wisp of bright white light floated out of the beast's throat into the open air. The wisp came to the man, hovered there in front of his face, until finally he opened his own mouth and swallowed it. “But such strong essences." With his spirit gone, Druk toppled motionless to the ground, eyes wide open in frozen horror.

“Now...” Sen stated, turning a careful glare towards Anraq. “Let's see how yours taste."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... That wasn't easy to write. I liked it, though. It's actually one of my favorite recent chapters, considering how much I've hated my last several. But yeah, things aren't looking so good, are they? Anraq took Kanna to Kyoshi island to keep her safe, but all that did was make them vulnerable, by removing themselves from the presence of those who could otherwise protect them.
> 
> But hey, at least there's Suki?


	132. Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar meets with the Mother of Faces, but things don't go as planned.

Azula gave a cautious look around the small village. She knew that this place wasn't exactly a bustling locale, yet things seemed even quieter than usual. During her entire walk to Ty Lee's house, she hadn't seen a single other person. It wasn't _that_ late—the sun had only just set—so they couldn't have all gone to bed. Whatever the reason, the village exuded a rather ghostly atmosphere as a result. The entire place seemed abandoned, and it unnerved her. Something wasn't right, she was sure of it.

Korra and the others had remained on the airship by the beach, so Azula could have at least a brief private visit with Anraq and Kanna before they had to head out to Forgetful Valley. Now, though, she dreaded that she wouldn't get that visit; she dreaded something terrible had happened. The sinking in the pit of her stomach grew heavier as she approached the door, stronger. By the time she reached out to knock, she felt ready to vomit.

The sound of feet shuffling across the floor from within the home slightly put her nerves at ease. When the door finally opened to reveal the man standing on the other side, a relieved huff burst from her lips, and the knot in her gut loosened.

"Azula!" Anraq greeted her with a grin, then came forward to wrap his arms around her. "It's so good to see you."

Azula hummed a gentle sigh as she hugged him in return. "And you, too. Where is everyone?"

"Oh, there's some festival going on, on the other side of the island," Anraq said. "Mai and Ty Lee are there now with Kanna."

"Oh, I see." Of course. _That's_ all it was. She should have known better than to be paranoid. Still, she furrowed her brow at him quizzically, and added, "You didn't go with them?"

Anraq gave a deep exhale and bowed his head. "No, I needed some time to...clear my head. I woke up this morning feeling kind of out of it, so I stayed behind to rest." He paused a moment to rub his eyes, then shifted a smile at her. "Feeling better now, though."

Azula returned the smile, and offered a gentle nod. "Well, that's good, I suppose."

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked. "Did you guys defeat Sen?"

"Unfortunately, no..." she muttered. "We did manage to get rid of most of his minions, but he got away. Right now, we're on our way to meet with the Mother of Faces. She's due to appear tomorrow, perhaps even as early as tonight."

Anraq's brow lifted at the statement, and a look of intrigue spread across his face. "The Mother of Faces?"

Azula nodded. "She's the only hope we have left of stopping Sen. She's his mother, and the one who imprisoned him the first time around."

"And you know exactly how to find her?" Anraq's question was quick, almost eager—perhaps _too_ eager, but Azula wrote it off as him being glad they figured out a way to get to Sen.

"Yes," she said. "We have to leave again shortly, though... I was hoping to see Kanna."

"They won't be back until later tonight..." Anraq pursed his lips in thought, hand pressing to his chin. Then, his eyes brightened as an idea came to him. "Hey, what if I go with you?"

Azula twisted her brow in puzzlement. "What? But you need to stay here with Kanna."

"Mai and Ty Lee are looking after her right now, and they're great with her," he assured. "I can go with you, help you out, and then we'll be back again tomorrow to see Kanna. I'll just have to leave a note, is all."

Azula considered the suggestion. While on one hand her mind told her that one of them should stay here, she knew that Mai and Ty Lee certainly were good with Kanna, and she _would_ enjoy having some time to spend with Anraq. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, with a grin. "Sure I'm sure."

"Well...alright, then." Azula glanced back over her shoulder, down the road. "The others are waiting on the airship down by the beach."

"I'll be right there. Just have to write a note," he said.

“Don't be too long,” Azula said, as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss. She smirked at him, then turned to head back to the beach.

Anraq watched her leave, and when she was finally out of sight he stepped back inside the home. Several figures moved next to him, waiting for his command. "Wait an hour, then follow me,” he said. “Make sure you're not seen."

* * *

Kanna sat atop her bed, huddled with her stuffed bison clutched against her chest. The simple fluffy toy offered a safety, warmth, and comfort that the young girl desperately needed right now. The previous night's events were still fresh in her mind, as was the fear she had felt. Seeing her daddy get hurt by those bad people, it made her sad...afraid. She wanted him to come back and tell her that everything was going to be alright, but no matter how hard she wished it, he hadn't returned. Instead, she had been forced to stay here, alone in her room. She had cried herself to sleep early that morning, and had only awoken a short while ago. Still, she felt tired.

And scared. Still, so scared.

A knock came on the door, and soon after, the door opened. When it did, that strange woman entered the room and approached the bed—Megumi, that was her name. "How are you, sweetie?"

The woman's voice was sweet and sincere, but did nothing to soothe Kanna's trembling heart. She merely held hey bison tighter. "I want my Daddy..."

"I'm afraid your father had to go away for a while," Megumi said, as she sat herself next to Kanna on the mattress. "It's just you and me right now."

Kanna stared at the floor a long while, tentative to look the woman in the eyes. Instead, she buried her chin closer against the top of her stuffed bison's head. "I don't know you. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

Megumi eased closer and rested a gentle hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Kanna, I'm not a stranger. I'm your mother."

Kanna flinched at the touch and pulled away in distress. "No, Princess 'Zula is my Mommy and she's not here!"

"Azula is _not_ your mother," Megumi stated, with a colder tone in her voice. "She is a cruel woman who will only hurt you."

"Nuh uh, she's really nice!" Kanna finally looked at the woman, her eyes open wide in earnest. "She plays with me, and builds sand castles with me, and reads me stories, and she's really funny, and totally awesome, and pretty, and strong, and—"

"That's _enough_ , Kanna." Again, Megumi's voice was as ice. "I don't care how nice she pretends to be, she's _not_ your mother. _I_ am. _I_ gave birth to you."

At this, Kanna pulled back with a long gasp, mouth falling open in wonder. She even eased her hold on the bison. "You're my first Mommy?"

"Your _real_ mother," she corrected.

"Daddy said you, um..." Kanna scratched her head, trying to remember how her father had described it. "You...died. You were, uh, sleeping."

Megumi simply shrugged. "I woke up."

"Daddy said you'd never wake up."

"Well your father _lied."_

Kanna stared at her, blinking. This was the Mommy she had never met. This was the Mommy she had always been sad she could never meet. She should have been happy. And yet... "You hurt Daddy."

"No, I didn't hurt him," Megumi insisted. "I just..."

"You're mean. Mommies aren't supposed to be mean."

"I am not _mean_. I'm just doing what's best for you, because I love you very much." Megumi narrowed her eyes into a stern gaze, then leaned closer. "You love me, too, don't you?"

Kanna looked away to the floor, and lifted her shoulders in a single shrug.

"Well, you will," Megumi assured. "We're going to spend so much time together, to make up for all the years we were apart. You'll see. You'll come around."

Kanna moved away, turning from her 'mother' to lie down on the bed. "I'm tired."

"Oh, okay." Megumi sat there quietly a moment longer, just watching the girl. Then, she leaned forward and brushed Kanna's hair back to give a gentle kiss on the side of her head. "Just get some sleep, then. Goodnight, sweetie."

Once Megumi was gone from the room, Kanna clutched her bison again, sinking against it as though a pillow. With a hiccuping whimper, she pressed her face against the toy's fluffy head and began to sob.

* * *

The air was cool atop the viewing deck of the airship, but Kuvira didn't shiver. After spending time down at the South Pole, a little brisk breeze was nothing. Still, she did pull the collar of her robes tighter around her neck as she made her way out towards the far railing. Korra leaned against it there, staring out over the ocean below. They had left Kyoshi Island nearly an hour ago to continue towards Forgetful Valley, and during that time Kuvira had lost track of her wife. Up here was the last place she had left to check.

“Hey,” she said, as she nudged close to her wife, hands on the back of Korra's shoulders. “I was wondering where you went.”

“Yeah, I just...needed some time to clear my head,” Korra replied. She continued staring across the sea, her expression drooping and distant.

Kuvira eased a sigh and then repositioned herself next to Korra on the railing. “I probably don't need to ask what you're thinking about.”

The Avatar shook her head. “Probably not. It's just this whole thing... I don't understand it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I don't understand why there has to be such pain and suffering in the world,” Korra insisted, with a questioning disbelief in her tone. “All the time, no matter what I do, Avatar or not, there will always be tragedies, there will always be terrible people, or dark spirits, there will always be evil...and no matter what I do, I'll never be able to stop all of it. I know I have to always try, but it feels like I'm fighting a losing battle sometimes. No matter how many victories we have, we'll never win the war. Not completely.”

Kuvira slowly looked away, eyes closing. “I know what you mean...” They had had similar discussions about this before, about how futile it seemed sometimes trying to keep peace in the world. It had never quite seemed this bad, though, now that all of humanity was at stake, so soon after being threatened by a tyrannical empire. Before that had been the Red Lotus, and before that...well, before that had been Kuvira herself. Reaching out a hand, she linked their fingers together and squeezed tight, then lifted her gaze to meet Korra's eyes. “But that's life. The only thing we can do is never give up, and try our hardest to keep balance.”

“I _know_ that,” Korra replied. “Heck, it's in my job description. It just keeps getting harder.”

“Well, the good news is you don't have to do it alone. I'm here for you... I'll _always_ be here for you.” Kuvira leaned close to give her wife a gentle kiss. “Our friends, too. Whether it's stopping Sen, or whoever comes after him, we'll do it together.”

“We _have_ to stop Sen...” Korra said. “And we have to do it soon. If we don't, then Tenzin, Izumi, Iroh, my dad, everyone else... we lose them all.” She squinted her eyes shut a moment, then turned an anxious look to Kuvira. “I can't lose them. I can't lose my dad. I can't lose _any_ of them. Not like this.”

Kuvira tightened her hold on Korra's hand. “You won't. I promise.”

Korra stared at her a long moment, then slowly let herself relax. With a fleeting sigh, she leaned close against her wife and let those strong pair of arms wrap around her. “Thanks...”

“You want to head back down?” Kuvira asked.

“No,” she said, resting her head against her wife's shoulder. “I just want to stay here a while. It's...relaxing. Will you stay with me?”

Kuvira tilted her own head gently against her wife's, and smiled. “As long as you need.”

* * *

"So, this is the place?" Toph asked, as she knelt at the shore of the water pool. She placed her hand against the ground and focused, concentrated. "Feels...strange."

"Oh, that's right, you weren't with us the first time we were here," Katara said.

"Certainly beings back...memories," Zuko said, with a look to his sister.

Azula huffed out a quiet groan and folded her arms. "Memories best left forgotten...” They had made it to Forgetful Valley just an hour ago, and since then she had led the group through the forest to the appropriate water pool. She couldn't say she had had the best experiences in this place, and yet somehow she always found herself returning. “But yes, this is where the Mother of Faces will be arriving this season. Now it's just a waiting game."

Korra approached the edge of the water and stared out over the pristine, calm surface. Silver moonlight gleamed across the pool, shining like glass. "How long until she gets here?"

"Could be a few hours, could be tomorrow morning," Azula said, with a shrug. "That's the best estimate. Just have to be patient."

"Patience is getting harder to come by the longer this drags out," Korra muttered.

"I know, but it's all we can do," Kuvira reminded. She moved next to her wife and joined their hands together; Korra immediately eased her rigid posture into a more relaxed one.

"So then let's wait," Anraq said, taking a seat in the grass. "She'll be here eventually."

They waited six hours before there was any change to the area. By the time the great spirit wolf emerged from the surrounding forest, the sun had begun to rise above the treeline, painting the sky a mix of purple and orange. The wolf paid no mind to the humans standing there watching it, and instead sauntered towards the shore to take a drink from the calm pool. As soon as it did so, the water churned and bubbled, and within moments a towering, multi-faced figure of gnarled bark arose from the depths to tower over the trees. Korra immediately made a move towards the great spirit, but Azula held her back with a quick hand to the shoulder.

"Let me talk to her," Azula insisted. "She knows me."

Korra paused to look back at her, but gave in with a simple nod and stepped back.

"Mother of Faces!" Azula made her way to the shore, walking right next to the spirit wolf. "We've come to request your aid!"

"Azula of the Fire Nation..." The Mother of Faces spoke with a calm, yet stern tone, rife with an almost disdainful curiosity. "You have returned. Was my most generous gift to you the last time we met not enough? You do realize it was far more than I typically grant. I am not inclined to grant you another."

"Yes, I know that," she replied. "But that's not why I'm here. I've come with the Avatar to ask for your assistance with...something rather dire."

The Mother of Faces tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "The Avatar?"

"Uh, yes, that's me." Korra took a step forward and waved in greeting. "Mother of Faces, please, there are lives depending on you. You see, your son, Sen, has been freed, and—"

 _"What?"_ The ancient spirit's voice boomed over them, shaking the air. "You allowed Sen to escape his prison?"

"Well, I mean, nobody _let_ him escape," Korra said. "He had help. That's not the point, though. He's in the physical world and he's already stealing people's essences. If we don't find and stop him soon, they'll die."

"Do you have any idea what this means?" said the Mother of Faces. "What could _happen?"_

Korra nodded. "Yeah, we know... Raava's already given me the rundown. What we _don't_ know is how to stop him, or how to release the spirits he's already stolen back to their bodies. You were the one who imprisoned him the first time, so we were hoping you could help us."

The great spirit hummed a thoughtful breath in response. "To stop my son, and to help his victims, his own essence must again be removed. I am capable of achieving this feat, although it is more difficult when he is at his full strength. You, Avatar, are also capable of this. The Light Spirit, Raava, gives you this ability. I can impart to you the knowledge on how to do it."

Korra's eyes lit up at the statement. "Yes, please, that would be a huge help!"

"The hard part will be finding him," the spirit said. "If I concentrate, I can sense his energy, but Sen is quite gifted at hiding himself from me."

That was when Anraq took a step closer, his hands clasped behind his back. "Well, perhaps I can help you with that."

Azula narrowed her eyes, giving him a quizzical look. "Annie? What are you talking about?"

The Mother of Faces glared at him, easing herself ever so closer as she did. After a long moment past, she stiffened upright and once again boomed her voice through the air. "You... You _dare_ come before me now?”

Azula's gaze flicked back and forth between the two. As she did, a sinking feeling dropped in her gut. A dread began to creep into her heart, a dread that deep down she knew the cause of but didn't want to believe. “What...what's going?”

Anraq merely grinned, and as he did his face and body began to morph into a different shape, a different person. Within seconds, he transformed from the friendly Water Tribe man she knew so well into the image of Shin Tsang—or as they now knew him...

“ _Sen...”_ The dread hit rock bottom in her core and then exploded into a blind a fury. Blue flames erupted from her palms and her eyes went wild. “What did you do to him?!”

"Oh, don't worry about dear Annie,” Sen said, with a low chuckle. “His spirit is in good hands. Kanna's, too."

 _"No!"_ The last bit of restraint in Azula's body vanished as she lunged at him, tossing a pair of scorching fireballs into the air. Her attack didn't last; with a simple wave of his hand, Sen deflected the flames and then tossed her through the air, as if with some invisible force. She hit the ground face-first with a violent thud, forcing the air from her lungs.

Korra sprang forward right behind her, though, leading the attack with a concussive blast of air. “Stop him, now!”

Her friends joined her in the assault, throwing everything they had at him—fire, earth, water, metal. Still, he protected himself with another single motion of his hand; the elements appeared to obey his commands, bending around his body and leaving him unharmed. Team Avatar recoiled again to make a second attack, but they never got the chance. With their focus on Sen, they didn't notice the four other figures slipping in between them. In mere seconds, a quick series of strikes followed—no bending, but skilled, precision blows that put each of them down in such a daze that they could barely move.

Korra's head rang as she dropped flat against the ground, only able to lift her head; the rest of her body refused to respond, lying limp at her side. "What...?" she uttered, as she blinked up at the four individuals standing over them—one man and three women. The man was dressed in Water Tribe garb wielding a boomerang, while one of the women was dressed in a Kyoshi Warrior uniform. The second woman wore an outfit of red and black with long baggy sleeves and a fistful of knives, and the third stood in a chi blocker stance, her hair tied back in a long braided ponytail. Korra didn't recognize any of them.

Azula, on the other hand, recognized two of the young women instantly. They were her friends—her _best_ friends—although they, much like everyone else under Sen's control, had regressed in age back to their prime. "Mai? Ty Lee?" she said, with a gasping breath; her lungs still had yet to recover from the previous blow.

"Sokka!" It was Katara's voice, calling with desperation to her brother, the lone man amongst the attackers. She struggled to get back to her feet, but stopped when a dull throb of pain ripped through the back of her head. With a weak grunt, she stumbled down to her elbows as the Kyoshi Warrior stood over her. "Suki...?"

"Sen! You're not getting away!" Korra made another attempt at moving, but her limbs remained unresponsive. She knew this feeling; she had been chi blocked.

"Quiet, Avatar," Sen said, turning a narrow glare towards her. "Your desperation is nauseating."

"Fear not, Avatar." The Mother of Faces loomed above them, growing larger as she neared her son. "I will end him here, just as I did many thousands of years ago."

Sen's lips curled into a knowing smirk as he brought his focus to his mother. "No, not this time."

Just as the Mother of Faces reached an arm forward, two spiraling tubes of water arose from the pool and coiled around her. She paused, watching the display with confusion as the watery pillars grew taller and surrounded her. "What is this?"

"I came prepared this time, Mother," Sen replied. "You're not locking me away again."

A pair of bushes near the treeline then parted, as a new arrival approached them—Unalaq, with his arms rotating in the signature spiritbending style. Seconds later, the water glowed yellow and elicited a panicked shout from the Mother of Faces. That glow soon spread to the spirit's entire body, consuming and dissolving her into tiny flecks of light. Rather than disappear into nothing, however, the light spiraled downward in a concentrated stream. Sen took a step forward, opened his mouth wide, and then inhaled the glowing wisps of spiritual energy into his own body. When it was finally over, the water pool returned to its calm, pristine state. The Mother of Faces, though, was gone.

“Ah..." Sen breathed in deep through his nose, and slowly let the air back out. "Goodbye, Mother.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so for those of you who don't follow my tumblr, there's a reason this chapter is so late. I just started a new job, and I vastly underestimated how exhausted this new schedule would leave me. I don't really have a whole lot of time anymore during the week to write, although I try to get out what little I can. As such, I'll probably only be able to make updates on the weekends from now on (maybe not this weekend since I'm updating right now). I wish I had more time, but that's just how my schedule works out now. Sorry guys :(


	133. Light Fades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra faces Sen with the full might of the Avatar State and Raava behind her. How could they possibly lose?

Kuvira struggled to roll onto her side. Every move she made, every muscle twitch, was a fight to get her body to obey her mental commands. She had never been chi-blocked before, but she had heard Korra describe its effects. All her limbs and joints had been rendered limp and barely functional, and she wouldn’t be able to bend now for at least an hour. Just sitting upright seemed impossible.

The culprit, Ty Lee, stood over both her and Korra, still in her chi-blocking stance. The rest of Sen’s puppets stood over the remainder of Team Avatar—Suki over Zuko, Mai over Toph, and Sokka over Zuko. They had struck so fast and so suddenly, Kuvira and the others hadn’t had a chance to react. Of course, the only reason for that had been because of Anraq revealing himself to be Sen in disguise—which meant the real Anraq had already had his essence stolen, just like so many others.

In spite of this, Kuvira’s primary thoughts were not on the downfall of her friend. Rather, her focus drew exclusively to the display before her, of the last glowing remnants of the Mother of Faces disappearing, absorbed by Sen into his body. In mere seconds, the only being that could have helped them, that could have shown them how to stop this mad spirit, had been wiped from existence, and perhaps their hope along with her.

“Korra…” she said. Her limbs remained like jelly, but still she managed to push herself up to her elbows. “What do we do?”

Korra groaned in response, as she sat upright. She wobbled there a moment with her arms hanging loose at her sides, staring wild-eyed at Sen before them. “I… I don’t know.”

A mocking chuckle found its way from the spirit’s mouth. He glared back at them, gaze narrow. “Did you really think I would allow myself to fall victim to the same demise as before? No, this time around I made sure that there would be no one that could stop me, not even my own mother. All I needed was to find her…and then you led me right to her. I suppose I owe you my thanks.”

“How do we stop him now?” Kuvira asked, turning a frantic look to her wife. “How do we save his victims?”

“You don’t.” Sen stood straight and tall, arms held behind his back. He took a step forward, eyes glaring daggers into the Avatar. “My mother was the only being who could remove my essence and lock me away. Now that she’s gone, I cannot be stopped.”

Korra bowed her head, staring at the ground. She struggled to move, but her body remained unresponsive for the moment. Still, she didn’t stop fighting. With a reflexive jerk of her arms, she managed to curl her fingers into fists, and a moment after she started to stand upright. “No, that’s not true. There’s still me. There’s still Raava.” She made it halfway to her feet before Ty Lee struck again with another quick shot aimed at her ribs; the blow never hit. With a lightning quick motion, Korra grasped the chi-blocker’s wrist and stopped her arm dead. When she lifted her head again, her eyes erupted with a bright white light and narrowed into a piercing glare. “ _We can stop you. We_ _ **will**_ _stop you.”_ Then, she cast her arm to the side and threw Ty Lee airborne into the surrounding bushes.

Sen curled a grin across his face. “Oh you can try, Avatar, but I think you’ll be sorely disappointed. Besides, have you forgotten your friends?”

The spirit's words gave Korra pause, as she turned a glance back over her shoulder. There, she saw Suki standing with her sword held close against Zuko’s throat. Toph was in a similar position, with Mai holding knives to her neck, while Sokka held the edge of his boomerang against Katara’s. Azula, meanwhile, had still yet to recover from Sen’s earlier attack. If Korra made a move against Sen right now, those three would in all likelihood die. If she didn’t, however, then there was a good chance all of humanity would die along with them. From a logical perspective, the choice was simple, and yet humans by their very nature are seldom logical. That reality held Korra back and prevented her from attacking.

“Oh come on, Korra, you’re not really falling for that, are you?” Toph chided, with a disappointed scoff. “Don’t you worry about us. We got everything under control.”

The original metalbender flashed a smirk and then shifted her wrists. The knives in Mai’s hands, as well as Suki’s sword and Sokka’s boomerang, twisted away from their owners and scattered through the air. The earth beneath their feet followed suit, sliding Mai backwards into Suki and toppling the two girls over each other. Katara took the opportunity to roll away and strike her brother backwards with a quick whip of water, and then regroup with Toph and Zuko.

“Go on, Korra! Stop him!” Zuko said, with a pair of flames burning in his palms. “We’ll handle them.”

“Try not to hurt them!” Katara urged, as she watched the other three recover. Ty Lee stumbled out of the bushes a moment later to join them. “Those are still our friends.”

“And my wife,” Zuko added. “Believe me, I know.”

Toph shifted her stance and pushed her hands forward, causing a ripple of earth to race forward and push Sokka’s feet apart. The poor man yelped as he fell with his legs extended, performing an exaggerated split on the ground. “Relax, Sugar Queen, I got it.”

Katara raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Really? _Nicknames,_ right now?”

“You know it!” Toph replied. With another flick of her wrists, Sokka spun around in a circle and then fell flat on his face.

Zuko grumbled as he ducked below a pair of knives thrown by Mai. “At least you’re not ‘Fire Flake’.”

“Ha!” Toph laughed. “I almost forgot that one! Thanks for reminding me, Fire Flake!”

With her friends taking control of the situation, Korra again turned to face Sen. Behind him, Unalaq stood by, watching, but made no move to assist his master. Sen didn’t move, either; he waited, sneering as if daring her to attack.

“ _Are you ready, Raava?”_ she asked.

The Light Spirit’s voice echoed in her mind. _I am_ _ **always**_ _ready, Korra._

Korra’s eyes glowed brighter, fueled more intensely by the Avatar State than ever before. Everything was riding on their success here. Everyone was counting on them. They could _not_ fail. Lifting up upon a spinning cyclone, she flew across the ground and attacked.

“ _Your nightmare ends here, Sen!”_

She had no idea how to remove his essence, but she knew to do it they had to beat him first, or at least weaken him. Once she had subdued him, she and Raava could figure it out from there—at least, she hoped.

Scorching jets of fire erupted from her palms, blasting down atop Sen, but they did not burn him. The spirit remained stationary, continuing to smirk at her as the flames warped around his human vessel to leave him unharmed. She wasted no time switching to a different element, allowing the air beneath her to vanish so she could fall back to her feet. The moment that her boots met the ground, she shifted her stance forward and exploded the earth in front of her with such force that earth and stone appeared to greet the sky.

Sen emerged from that debris, falling down from the air towards the water of the open spirit pool behind him. He hit the water not with a splash, but with a nimble crouch on his feet, never breaking the surface. Instead, he stood there atop the mirrored water as though he weighed no more than a feather. Korra gave chase, leaping out to join him and surfing across the surface aboard a rising wave. The water churned and raced forward to surround Sen, twisting into a towering spire and then freezing to encase him in solid ice several feet thick.

Then, Korra waited. At first, it seemed like her attack had worked, and that she had trapped the spirit within. If that were true, then she could take her time in figuring out what to do next—or at least, as much time as they could afford. Moments after the water pool relaxed back into its calm, undisturbed state, however, a loud bang split the air. The sound came from a sudden fissure along the surface of the ice, resulting in an explosion of frozen shrapnel so violent that it lifted Korra from her feet. She landed on the shore, bouncing once along the ground before floating back up to her feet with a burst of air.

When Korra looked back at the water to find her opponent, she instead found herself already staring straight into his eyes, as Sen now stood face-to-face in front of her. An audible gasp found its way out her lips, and she instinctively took a step back and pushed her arm forward to strike the spirit with a blast of wind. Sen merely shifted his body to the side, and with a motion nearly too fast for normal eyes to follow grabbed her wrist and forced her arm to the side. She made a second attempt with her other arm, but the result was the same.

Sen’s grip held her arms like iron, cold and unyielding. No matter how hard she struggled, and even with the strength of the Avatar State, she could not break free. His touch spread a feeling of ice through her body, a frigid state of dread and despair that rooted her feet to the ground and sent her heart pounding into a frenzy. The steel of her demeanor vanished, replaced instead with a sudden fear, a worry that expanded her glowing eyes wide and lifted her eyebrows in a panic.

What kind of power was this?

“You are wrong, Avatar,” Sen stated, leaning in closer so that his face was mere inches from hers. “This nightmare is just beginning.” A wicked grin spread across his face, and with a deep breath he opened his mouth wide.

Korra felt a sudden pull deep within her—not just her body, but in her very soul, as though a part of herself was being torn away. That feeling only grew stronger and more painful in the following seconds, and soon her vision went dark. She couldn’t see anything, or even hear anything, at least nothing in the outside world. Instead, she heard a loud, shrill screaming of such pain and torment that it seized her heart and brought her to the edge of tears. That scream became all the more impossible to bear when she realized where it came from, and who it was.

_Raava!_

“Korra!” Kuvira lifted herself to her knees, her body still limp and unresponsive. The physical effects of the chi-blocking were beginning to fade, with feeling flowing back into her limbs as pins and needles, but still she could do little more than look on, and she certainly would not be able to bend. Hopelessness gripped her as she stared at the scene, watching her wife slowly fade in front of her eyes. Korra’s legs buckled and sagged, the light disappeared from her eyes, and a bright glowing wisp drew out from her mouth. _“No!”_

Zuko and Katara rushed to Kuvira’s side, their faces alight with panic. Toph joined them, but her expression was one of confusion and uncertainty, unable to see what was happening. Behind them, Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, and Suki had been subdued, bound tight with earthen restaints.

“What’s going on?” Toph asked, pointing a blank glance towards the commotion. A sudden burst of wind followed, forcing them back a step.

“He's…stealing Raava from her,” Zuko uttered, as the revelation hit him. He tried to take a step forward to help, but the rush of energy pushed harder, flooding the air with a physical force that held him back.

Katara attempted to advance as well, but she, too, could not break through; the force only grew stronger. She raised her arms up to shield her face, barely able to even keep her eyes open to watch. “I can’t get close! There’s too much…energy!”

When the display was over and the surging energy at last ceased, Korra’s head slumped forward and her eyes closed. Only then did Sen finally release her and let her fall. She hit the ground on her knees but couldn’t catch herself, instead toppling to her side. She laid there, arms outstretched and fingers twitching, hardly moving.

“Korra!” Kuvira forced her way back to her feet, legs shaking and threatening to give out. She fought off the effects long enough to hobble to her wife’s side, where she promptly fell back to the ground. “Can you hear me?”

Korra looked straight upward when she felt the touch of a gentle hand against her cheek, but her gaze was distant and unfocused, as though she was staring straight through Kuvira at the sky. “Raava…?”Her eyes remained open for only another second before finally wilting closed.

“Korra?” Kuvira’s voice faltered with a fearful shudder. Korra felt limp in her arms, and cold, almost like she was… “No…no, no, no, no, no… _Korra!”_

A mocking laughter chortled out over her anguished shouts. Sen looked down at himself, at his hands; long glowing cracks had begun to form along his skin, cracks that spread and broke like fissures across ice. “Yes… So much power within that essence. I can _feel_ it. This physical vessel cannot hold me any longer! I am—!”

_Zzzzzttttt!_

A sizzling wave of lightning ripped through the air and struck the spirit square in the chest, forcing him back a step. He fell to one knee with a grunt, but the lightning didn’t let up. It held strong in one continuous stream, flooding an endless current of electricity through him. At the other end of the bolt stood Azula, with one arm held forward and two fingers extended to emit the surge. The look upon her face was one of twisted distress, eyes glistening with a stream of free-falling tears. It was a look the likes of which she hadn’t expressed since she faced Zuko’s death at the hands of Yula; it was a look that did not suit her, a look that seemed out of place on the normally composed and fierce woman, like a hateful scowl on an innocent child.

“ _Sen!”_ she shrieked, with a splitting crack to her voice. “Give Annie back! Give Kanna back!” She pumped more of her chi into the flow of lightning and the bolt surged stronger, heating the air to an almost unbearable degree. “ _Give them back!”_

The brilliant display of heat and light lasted only another moment. In spite of the lightning coursing through his body, Sen rose again to his feet and stood firm. Then, a smirk slashed across his face and he held a hand forward. The lightning reversed its direction in an instant, pulsing back out of his body and redirecting towards Azula. She never had a chance to get out of the way or even realize what had happened before the bolt tore into the ground at her feet and exploded. A cloud of dirt and stone erupted into the air and took Azula with it, sending her airborne into a tree. She struck the trunk with a sickening crack and then plummeted back to earth. She didn’t get up.

“Azula!” Zuko called, running to his sister’s side.

“What do we do?” Katara asked. Her eyes locked onto Sen, watching as the glowing cracks grew more intense across his body. “Do we fight?”

Zuko lifted Azula into his arms and hurried back to their side. “No, we can’t fight him like this. We need to get out of here. Now!”

“I’m on it!” Toph spread her arms out and pushed her wrists out, causing the earth beneath them to shift away from the rest of the ground. It pulled them all close together—her, Zuko and Azula, Katara, Korra and Kuvira, and even Sokka, Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee. Then, the earth rocketed forward towards the surrounding forest, forcing trees and brush out of the way to give them a clear path.

The last thing that any of them saw before they got away was the physical body of Shin Tsang burning away in a blinding flash of light, and a set of clicking, insectoid legs emerging from the shell.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY.
> 
> It only took two weeks and a day, but I finally got the next chapter out, and ugh it was a struggle. My new job has been keeping me crazy busy with training and just exhausting me (not in a bad way though, I like my job), so writing opportunities have been scarce. But here it is. There's still a ways to go in this story... but hopefully this will tide you over until the next one, which shouldn't take another two weeks at all.
> 
> And yeah, it's quite a cliffhanger, but... you'll survive. Maybe.


	134. Baby On The Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar recouperates after their failure in Forgetful Valley and the reemergence of Sen's true form.

When Toph finally stopped the mound of earth beneath their feet, Forgetful Valley was long behind them. They could see it in the distance, nothing more than a cluster of trees on the horizon now, and far below them as they stood atop a rising hill. The sky above the valley churned with dark clouds that sent down hot streaks of lightning towards the ground, a direct contrast to the otherwise clear blue skies surrounding it. The cause, of course, was no natural event—Sen had caused this, with his emergence from his physical, human shell. Now that he had regained his power and entered the material world with his true form, there was nothing left to contain him.

How would they ever stop him now?

“Set them over there,” Zuko said, pointing to a spot on the ground. He was referring to Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, and Suki, all of whom had been rendered unconscious from the previous fight. “And find something to bind them with.”

“Got you covered,” Toph stated, with a quick shift of her feet. In an instant, earth bindings rose up to hold the four in place, then slid them together where Zuko was pointing.

Katara gave them a worried look; in particular, her gaze focused on her brother. “Is that really necessary?”

Zuko nodded, as he set Azula down gently on the ground. He removed his outer cloak and folded it up beneath her head as a pillow. “As far as we know, they’re still under Sen’s control, so yes. We don’t want them attacking us again when they wake up.”

“But we can fix them, too, right?” Katara asked. “Just like we fixed the others?”

Kuvira flinched when their eyes found her. She held her unconscious wife tightly in her arms, a hand pressed tenderly to the back of the Avatar’s head. With an unknowing sigh, she lowered her gaze to Korra’s face. “I’m…not sure. Korra was the one who could remove that influence from them, but now…” She remained standing for only another moment before lowering herself to her knees, still with Korra in her arms. She could do nothing to hide the tears that began to flow from her eyes. “Is…she even still in there?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko muttered. “We saw Sen take Raava’s essence from her, but as for Korra’s own essence… We may have to wait and see.”

“But if Raava is gone, then…she’s not the Avatar anymore, is she?” Katara let the question hang in silence for a long, desperate moment. When she spoke again, it was with a defeated realization in her tone. “There _is_ no more Avatar.”

Another silence, as they stood there and allowed the gravity of what had just happened sink in. It was Toph who finally broke that silence, with a sharp huff. “So what the heck are we supposed to do now?”

Zuko could only shake his head. “I have no idea.”

* * *

Korra felt a darkness around her—cold, thick, suffocating. She struggled to break free of it, to swim away from the drowning ocean that had consumed her, but with every effort she put forth, it only dragged her down even farther. The clutches of that void held tightly around her, refused to let her go. She was falling, falling, falling into the black, into the deep, and nothing could free her.

Then, she felt a warmth latch on to her. It was a familiar warmth, a presence that she knew and loved, a hand that, even though she couldn’t see it, filled her with a renewed strength, a will to fight and rise. With as mighty an effort as she could put forth, she finally flew up out of the dark. In her mind, she rose into the clouds, to the sun, where the light was. Physically, she bolted upright from the ground and snapped her eyes open, heaving in deep, unsteady breaths. Cold sweat beaded across her face, soaked her brow, while her heart pounded a thousand miles a second inside her chest, panicked and on edge.

Her heart soon calmed, though, when the light that had freed her from the dark came in with strong arms and pulled her close in a tight, unyielding hug. “Korra! Thank goodness you’re okay. I thought Sen got you, too…”

The moment that she heard Kuvira’s voice, the moment she felt those arms hold her, Korra relaxed, and her breathing steadied. Still, though, the confusion stayed with her—the fear, the uncertainty… It was strong. “Kuvira? What…what happened? The last thing I remember was…” Her recently calmed heart jumped up into her throat as the memory came back to her. “Raava! I don’t feel Raava!”

Kuvira was quiet a long moment after Korra’s revelation. With a bow of her head, she closed her eyes and eased a long, heavy breath. “Sen… he ripped Raava out of your body and absorbed her essence. She’s gone.”

Korra balked, almost falling away from Kuvira’s grasp as she tried to get back to her feet. “No…No that can’t be right. That can’t…”

When she finally stood again, she took a few shaky steps across the ground before catching her balance and shifting her stance—an earthbender stance. She pushed her arms forward, poured her chi into the earth, envisioned lifting a boulder…and nothing happened. A panicked flutter pounded into her chest as she entered a firebending pose, and then an airbending one. Each time, the result was the same. Not until she finally bended the water out of the flask at her hip did she receive a positive result, able to coil the water up into the air. In spite of that success, though, her expression sank with a horrifying revelation.

“I can only bend water…” she uttered. “I’m…I’m not the Avatar anymore.”

“Korra, it’s okay,” Kuvira said, coming to her wife’s side. “We’ll figure something out. We can still—”

“We can _what?”_ Korra tore away from her and took a few aimless steps to distance herself. She wrapped her arms around herself and then sank down to her knees, staring at the dirt. “Kuvira, that was it! The Mother of Faces, Raava—they were the only two with the power to stop Sen, and now they’re gone! The _Avatar_ is gone!”

Kuvira was undeterred by her wife’s reaction to pull away. She simply made her way back to Korra again and knelt down to join her on the ground. When they were side by side, she held a hand to the woman’s shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. “But _you’re_ still here. _You_. Korra.”

Korra swallowed, but didn’t say anything. She merely turned her head so she could look her wife in the eyes—the gaze she received was firm but tender, loving.

“You’ve done so many amazing things for this world,” Kuvira said. “And not because you could bend all the elements, but because of who you are as a person. Because of what you mean to the world and what the world means to you. Raava doesn’t make you who you are.”

A defeated sigh left Korra’s lips, and again she turned her head away. In spite of Kuvira’s words of encouragement, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of failure. “But she did give me the only power that could stop the dark spirit trying to destroy humanity. Without her, without the Mother of Faces… Even if we figure out another way to stop him before he destroys the world, all of his victims so far—our friends, our family—they’ll die. We don’t have that kind of time. One way or another, we’ve already lost.”

“Korra, you look at me. Right now.” When Korra’s head didn’t budge, Kuvira moved herself around in front of her and stared her straight in the eyes. _“Look_ at me. You don’t get to give up, do you hear me? That’s not who you are. That’s not who I married. You _don’t_ give up. That’s what you taught me. No matter how bleak things look, never stop trying to make things better. Never stop trying to help those who need it, and never stop doing what’s right, for the world and its people. Whatever it takes, however we have to do it, even if we die trying, we won’t stop fighting Sen. We stick together, all of us. You got that?”

At this point, Korra could no longer ignore her wife’s insistence. The encouragement, while not something she had expected to have an effect on her, was something she had needed to hear. It gave her heart a renewed strength, and sense of drive. Finally, she smiled and reached her arms tight around Kuvira. “Yeah…Yeah, I got it. Thank you.”

* * *

Later that night, Katara approached the small campfire flickering in the darkness, carrying a bundle of sticks and logs in her arms. Suki, Sokka, Ty Lee, and Mai were all still unconscious, lying motionless at one side of the fire, and Zuko remained at his wife’s side, holding her hand. Toph had raised a small notch of earth to lean against with her hands folded behind her head, while Korra and Kuvira sat close together on the other side of the fire, both staring into the dimming embers.

“I brought more firewood,” Katara said, dropping the wood into a neat pile.

Zuko lifted his attention to her and offered an appreciative nod. “Thanks, Katara.”

“We shouldn’t be sitting here.” Korra was the one who spoke, followed by a deep breath that she exhaled in a long hiss. “The more time we waste…”

“I know, but we need to recover,” Kuvira said, tightening her arms around her wife. The simple act gave the former Avatar reassurance, and caused her to relax. “And we have to figure out what to do next.”

Korra nodded. “Right…”

Katara watched the former Avatar a moment, then glanced over at the four bound and unconscious individuals near the fire. It pained her, knowing that her friends and her brother had to be suffering so much, and yet there was nothing she could do. “Are you sure you can’t help them?”

Korra followed her gaze and breathed a heavy sigh. “Yeah… It was Raava’s energy that I used to break Sen’s connections with those he’d brought back before. Without her…” She just shook her head, then tore her gaze away. “I’m sorry. I’m not the Avatar anymore.

“It’s alright, Korra, really. We’ll figure something out.” Katara looked around again with a curious gaze. She hadn’t noticed at first, but now she realized that they were missing a person. “Where’s Azula?”

“She woke up a short while ago,” Zuko said. “I tried talking to her, but she stormed off. Wouldn’t say anything.”

“I don’t blame her…” Katara was silent a while before responding again, thinking back to what they had learned back in Forgetful Valley, how that would affect Azula. “Regardless of whether or not we get along, no one deserves to go through what she’s going through right now. Losing Anraq and Kanna… it’s horrible.”

“We haven’t lost them yet. Not completely,” Zuko assured. In spite of his insistence, there was a desperate tone in his voice, as though he didn’t even believe his own words. “We can still save them… We just have to figure out how.”

“Well, someone should go round her up soon,” Toph said. Turning her head to the side, she spit on the ground, then repositioned herself on her earthen slab. “Can’t leave her out there all by herself now that Sen’s back at full power, especially when he’s after her specifically.”

Zuko nodded, then started to get up. “I’ll go.”

“No, I will,” Katara said.

“Uh…” Zuko blinked at her, then turned a glance towards the others. Toph didn’t even react to his look, while Korra and Kuvira merely shrugged at him. “Are you sure?”

Katara nodded slowly. A part of her wondered if she should, but she stopped questioning her decision before she changed her mind. “Yeah…I want to. It’ll be fine, really. You all just rest.”

“Well… okay then.” Zuko blinked at her again, then pointed off to his left. “She headed that way.”

Katara gave a simple nod, and then started off in the direction that Zuko had indicated. If she kept going this way, she was bound to run into Azula eventually.

* * *

Azula tossed another fireball into the sky with wild yell. She wasn’t aiming at anything in particular, rather simply releasing the emotion that had filled her fit to bursting ever since the events at Forgetful Valley—the rage, the hate, the grief, the despair. She followed the brilliant blue flames with a shot of lightning that stretched up to the clouds, and again she shrieked out madly. Tears had long since streaked down her face and dried into a salty, sticky mess, but she did nothing to wipe them away. She let them stain her cheeks, let her makeup run. She didn’t care.

How had this happened? Annie and Kanna did not deserve such a fate. They were both innocent, pure…she was not. If anyone deserved to have their spirit ripped from their body and destroyed, it was her. _She_ was the one who should have been taken. Instead, she had to lose the ones in her life she cared most about. Even now, after so long, she was still suffering for the things she had done. Had she not repented? Had she not done enough to change? Had she not tried to be a better person? Was this the world’s way of punishing her?

“You will give them back to me, Sen…” A throaty growl rumbled from her throat as she pointed her fingers at the sky again. Another hot bolt of lightning sizzled through the night air, lighting up the darkness with glowing blue light. “Or I swear I will _destroy_ you for what you’ve done. _Everything_ you’ve done. _Do you hear me?!”_

“Azula?”

At the sound of her name, Azula faltered. Her legs buckled a step and she pulled her arms back close against herself, dissipating the lightning and returning the darkness to the night. When she turned, she noticed the last person she wanted to see standing there—Katara, her old nemesis. Immediately, she looked away and brought a hand up to wipe her eyes clean. She couldn’t have the peasant girl of all people seeing her cry. “What do _you_ want?”

“Just coming to find you,” Katara said, in a soft tone. She took a step closer, keeping her body language reserved and withdrawn, as though to make sure she didn’t make Azula uncomfortable. “You’ve been gone a while. Everyone’s getting worried.”

“So what?” Azula shot back, as she finally finished wiping the tears and smudged makeup away from her face. Only then did she turn again to look at the woman. “Let them worry. What do they care? What do _you_ care?”

“We _do_ care, and we do want to help if we can,” Katara insisted. “You shouldn’t have to be alone right now. If you come back with me, we can—”

“I’m not going anywhere. Not with _you.”_ Azula took a step away and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. A small flicker of blue flames wisped from her lips as she breathed. “I don’t want to talk to anyone, I don’t want to share my feelings, I don’t need _help_. I just want to be _alone.”_

“Azula…”

“No, _save_ it, Katara. I don’t want to hear _anything_ from you.”

“I just thought—”

“Oh, you _thought?”_ Azula snapped a sharp glare, with a glint of fire in her eyes. “What exactly did you think about me? Tell me, what goes through the perfect little Water Peasant’s mind when she thinks of the fallen Fire Princess, hmm? I’m _so_ curious.”

Katara softened her expression and eased a gentle sigh. “Look, Azula… I know we don’t get along, but I know you’re in a lot of pain right now. I understand that pain, and it’s okay to feel it. It’s okay to be angry. But you shouldn’t try to close yourself off from people, especially the ones who care about you.”

 _“You_ understand?” Azula twisted her face with an almost disgusted disbelief. “How could you _possibly_ understand what I’ve gone through? What I’m going through _now?_ You don’t understand _anything.”_

“Have you forgotten about Aang?” Katara asked, lowering her own brow into a stern gaze. “I may look younger now, but I’ve still lived a long life. I _lost_ him. I lost him a long time ago, and it took me years to get over that. Don’t you tell me that I don’t understand pain, or loss. I’ve been there before. I’ve _felt_ it.”

Azula scoffed. “Oh that’s rich. Tell me, Katara, how did your precious husband die, hmm?”

“That’s hardly the—”

_“I asked a question!”_

Katara frowned, hissing out a sharp breath through her nose. “…He died peacefully, in his sleep.”

“Peacefully. In his sleep.” Azula huffed a mocking and unsurprised laugh. “That’s what I thought. Sure, you lost him, but it wasn’t a surprise, was it? You were expecting it. You knew it was coming. You were _prepared_ for it. Was his spirit ripped away from him by a monster? Was he left an empty shell? Were any of your _children_ given the same fate? _NO_. So don’t you stand there and pretend like you know how I feel! Because you _don’t!_ The things I’ve been through, what I’ve lost, what I’ve _suffered_ … You have _no_ idea.”

Azula’s breathing at this point had become rapid and heavy, seething with a deep, underlying anger that threatened to make her burst. Remarkably, though, she was restraining herself. The old her would have snapped a long time ago and probably thrown fire at Katara. Instead, she kept to words, if still heated, furious words. Still, who did this woman think she was? How could Katara believe that she knew what Azula had gone through? Ever since the Hundred Year War, she had had a perfect, happy little life, while Azula’s own had been nothing but horror.

The absolute _gall_ of this insufferable peasant…

Katara stared at her a long time with a deep, stern glare. While she had started off gentle and understanding, she had come to match the Fire Princess’ aggressiveness with her own strength; she wouldn’t be bullied or talked down. “You’re right. I don’t know _exactly_ what you’re going through. And maybe my own loss isn’t _exactly_ the same as yours. But I’ve still _been_ there. I still know that pain. I know that void in your chest—the one that feels empty, like nothing can fill it? I’ve felt that, too. And don’t _you_ tell _me_ that I don’t understand suffering. Because I’ve suffered in ways no one should ever have to, because of horrible people. Because of people like—” Her words faltered as she caught herself before she said something she didn’t mean, but the point had already been made.

“Go on, _say_ it,” Azula dared. She knew exactly what the Water Peasant had meant. “Because of people like _me.”_

“No, that’s not what I—”

“I _know_ I’ve done terrible things, alright?” Azula took a deep breath, but it shook on its way into her lungs, stuttered as she struggled to keep it from breaking into something somber and weak. “I know I’m not a ‘good’ person, and I know I probably deserve everything I get. But _they_ don’t. Annie, Kanna? They shouldn’t have had to suffer because of the things that _I_ did. _I’m_ the one who should be suffering. I _have_ suffered, and now I…” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she choked on a knot tightening in her throat. Damn the tears, why couldn’t they just stop? Hadn’t she shed enough already? She immediately turned away so Katara couldn’t see—she’d be damned if she showed weakness in front of that peasant.

In spite of Azula’s efforts to hide it, Katara could clearly make out what was happening; she could clearly see the Fire Princess starting to break down in front of her. Instead of pressing harder and continuing to challenge her, though, Katara returned to her motherly, caring demeanor. “Azula, I’m sorry… I know we’re not friends, and I know we don’t think much of each other. We may never. But I will admit that you’ve changed since I last knew you. You’ve changed a lot, and for the better. You have a lot of people who care about you… friends, family… Let those people help you through this. _Please_. For your own sake. What you’re going through… no one should have to deal with that alone.”

Azula forced back the lump in her throat, until she could finally swallow it down and free herself of the numbness choking her. She eventually turned a half glance back towards Katara, just able to see the woman in the corner of her eye. “Hmph… you’re just _so_ compassionate, aren’t you? It really is annoying.” She looked away again, but lost her hostile tone. Rather, her voice became distant, forlorn. “I don’t know what to do right now. I just… I just feel…”

A sudden bubbling rose up in the pit of her stomach, and she knew what was coming. Even before the full effect hit, she was already cursing and leaning forward. “Damn it, damn it, damn it!” Not now. Why did it have to happen now? With a vile retching, she coughed and spit out a mouthful of vomit. It didn’t last long, but the process brought her down to her hands and knees. When it finally ceased, she groaned out with a weak shudder, and spit the lingering vestiges of stomach acid out of her lips. “Damn it…”

Katara hurried to her side, kneeling next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Azula flinched at the touch, and tore herself away. She immediately slowed her actions, though, as another nauseous bubble sank in her gut. “I’m just… I’ve been a little unwell this past week.”

“You have? I didn’t notice.”

“Well it’s not like I went around _telling_ people about it,” Azula quipped. “Besides, it only happens in the mornings anyway. Usually. I’m fine the rest of the day. So no, you wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Wait…” Katara narrowed her eyes and then raised one of her hands. The water in the flask at her hip drained out a moment later and surrounded her palm. “Come here.”

“What on earth are you doing?” Azula tried to crawl away, but her legs still felt like jelly. She could only kneel there as the peasant pressed the glowing water to her abdomen. “Get that away from me.”

“Oh would you sit still for a second?” Katara held her still with one arm, and kept the water pressed tight to Azula’s upper groin. “Relax, I’m just… oh.”

“What?” Azula blinked, pressing her eyebrows together. She didn’t like that sound of that ‘oh’, and she liked even less the look of surprise that had just exploded across the Water Peasant’s face. “What is it?”

“Azula, you…” Katara took her hand away and looked Azula square in the eyes. “You’re _pregnant.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yay for a new chapter. I wanted to get this out over the weekend, but yeah, holidays. Anyway, this is a bridge chapter, but still an important one, as we find out some important news about Azula... Probably bad timing to be pregnant, but then that's how these things go.
> 
>  
> 
> Until next time!


	135. Waking Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar comes up with one last ditch plan to stop Sen, while Megumi realizes things might not be all sunshine and rainbows when enslaved to a dark spirit.

Azula stood alone, staring up at the darkened sky. She wasn’t certain how long she had been staring up at the inky backdrop, but her gaze had yet to leave it since Katara delivered the dreadful news. Perhaps she hoped to find some kind of answer up there, written in the stars. She knew she wouldn’t find one, and yet she kept looking, kept searching. She had to do _something_ to keep her mind busy. Otherwise, she might very well lose herself.

Of all the times to be pregnant, why did it have to be now? Why like this this,with Annie and Kanna gone, taken from her? What terrible timing to be burdened with a child. _Burdened_ … A scoff left her lips at the thought. At any other time, in any other situation, she would not think of having a child as a burden. Having a baby with Annie… That was something that would—that _should_ —make her happy, and yet right now it churned her stomach. How could she be a mother to _this_ child, when she couldn’t be a proper one to Kanna? When she had failed at being a wife to Anraq? When they had suffered for her sins?

How did she deserve that kind of gift?

“Azula?”

The sound of her name stiffened her and finally brought her gaze down from the sky. When she turned around, the figure she saw standing there fluttered her chest with uncertain emotion—was it relief? Anxiety? Aggravation? She didn’t know, and honestly didn’t care to think too much of it. Instead, she looked away with her arms folded. Perhaps if she displayed disinterest, she would be left alone. “What do you want?”

Kuvira came closer, taking a step next to her. “Just thought I’d come see how you’re doing. I heard about…well, the news.”

“And what about it?” she muttered.

“Well, normally I’d congratulate you,” Kuvira stated, “but something tells me you’re not in the mood for that.”

“Very perceptive.” Her words oozed with biting sarcasm, yet they did little to deter the woman. Azula did respect Kuvira, and considered her a friend—one of the only friends she had, aside from Mai and Ty Lee—but currently she did not have the patience to be consoled. She wished only to be left alone to her thoughts.

Kuvira still came closer, now holding an arm to her shoulder. Azula made an attempt to shrug the hand away, but it remained firm. “Look, I get that this is terrible timing to be having a kid, with everything going on. And I know you probably want to go after Sen, now more than ever—we all do. But you don’t _have_ to. Now that you have a baby on the way…” She turned Azula, just enough so they could look each other in the eyes. “It might be better for you to stay back.”

Azula frowned, eyes narrowed. “Is that why you’re here? To try and talk me into sitting out while the rest of you go after Sen? Did Zuko put you up to it?”

“It’s just that Sen is bent on tearing you down,” Kuvira insisted. “He’s already taken Anraq and Kanna, but if he found out you’re pregnant…”

It took a moment, but Azula soon realized what Kuvira meant. Sen would do anything to make her suffer; he had already shown as much. He had taken Anraq from her, taken Kanna from her, and would take each and every one of her friends from her before finally ending her. If he discovered that there was yet another one that she cared about, another child, what would he do then? Would he keep her alive long enough to have the baby, only to make her watch as he destroyed it? Would he rip the baby out of her and let her die? She could think of any number of horrible things, all of which gave her pause, and none of which were beyond Sen’s cruelty.

Kuvira must have sensed the sudden change of emotion in Azula, because her hand tightened a firmer grasp, and her gaze softened. “It’s not just your own safety that you have to worry about now, that’s all I’m saying.”

Azula was quiet a long moment before answering, her focus shifting downward to the ground. As disagreeable as she had been determined to be right now, she found herself wavering, hesitating. Still, she knew she couldn’t run, and she couldn’t hide—not just because she didn’t want to, but because Sen would never let her. “I _know_ that…but I can’t just sit back. I can’t…have this baby like this. With Annie gone, Kanna gone… I _need_ them to be here. I need this child to have its father, and sister. I can’t… I can’t do this without them.”

Her heart seized as she spoke the words. The thought of raising this child alone, the thought of bringing it up without a father, without Kanna, the thought of trying to move forward after losing so much—it terrified her. For better or worse, Annie and Kanna had become her rock, the two people above all else that kept her moving forward, that gave her a reason to change—the people who had helped alter her destiny, and made everything thereafter worthwhile. There was still Zuko, of course, and perhaps even her other friends as well, but… Anraq and Kanna were the ones she _needed_ in her life, no matter what.

She would do whatever it took to get them back.

“I think you’d be more capable with this than you’re giving yourself credit for,” Kuvira said, with a stern nod. “But I understand what you mean. I can’t tell you what to do—none of us can. It’s still your decision.”

Azula returned the nod, maintaining her resolve. “I’m going to help you stop Sen. Whatever happens… I will be there to fight him, same as I would without carrying a child. Besides, if we fail to stop him, it wouldn’t even matter. We’ll all be dead anyway.”

“In that case, we should head back to the others. We’re trying to figure out our next move.”

“I already know our next move.”

Kuvira raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been thinking, while I’ve been out here, about how to stop Sen,” Azula explained. “You, the Avatar, everyone—you all seem dismayed that only the Mother of Faces or Raava could have challenged him, but they aren’t the only ancient spirits out there.”

“What other ancient spirits are there?” Kuvira said, giving a curious stare.

“I spent decades in the spirit world. I know a few.” Azula folded her arms across her chest and narrowed a thoughtful gaze. “One in particular may even know a way to free our friends of Sen’s influence… Of course, this will require a little trip to the Spirit World.”

Kuvira blinked a moment, then spread a relieved smile across her face. “That’s…great. We need anything we can get right now. I’ll go tell the others. You coming?”

“Maybe in a little while…” Azula turned away, bringing her attention back up to the night sky. “I think I need a few more minutes.”

“Alright, but we’ll need to hurry. We’re running out of time.”

“I know. I’ll be there soon.” Azula then glanced back, for just a moment. “And Kuvira?”

The former Great Uniter turned to meet her gaze. “Yes?”

“Thank you,” she said. “For…your concern, and all that.”

Kuvira merely smiled, and gave a friendly nod. Then, she was gone.

* * *

“There we go, one helping of genuine sea prune stew.” Megumi smiled as she slid the bowl across the counter towards her daughter.

Kanna stared down at the bowl for a long while before finally picking up her spoon and prodding at the stew. She stirred it a few times, then lifted a mouthful up to her lips and swallowed. Immediately after, she huffed a sigh and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Megumi asked. Her lips wavered just a bit, but she forcibly held a tentative smile. She had been at this for over two hours now, trying to get this dinner just right. Every time, though, Kanna didn’t seem to like it. Sea prune stew was Megumi’s specialty, the best dish she knew how to cook, and still her daughter rejected every batch. “That’s your favorite, isn’t it?”

With a simple shrug, Kanna set her spoon down next to the bowl. She didn’t look up at her mother, instead keeping her gaze pointed down at the bowl. There was a distant look in her eyes, one of defeat and grief. “I like the way Daddy makes it better.”

As soon as Kanna mentioned Anraq, Megumi’s eye twitched, and a scowl twisted across her face. “Well your father isn’t here right now. _I_ am.” The words came out of her mouth with a sharper bite than she intended, but she quickly calmed herself; she couldn’t let herself get that bent out of shape, not in front of her daughter. With a deep breath, her demeanor warmed again, and the loving smile returned. “Just eat up, sweetie, you need your strength.”

Kanna blinked at the bowl, but her expression didn’t change. She simply grabbed her spoon again and then slowly, reluctantly, began to eat. A loud thud—more of a crash, really—sounded from outside, but still she didn’t look up. Megumi, on the other hand, snapped her attention towards the front door and stared at it. A second crash followed, prompting her to stand and head towards the door to investigate.

“Just stay right here,” she said, giving her daughter a quick glance over her shoulder. “Mommy will be right back.”

When Megumi opened the door and disappeared outside, Kanna’s frown deepened. She let the spoon fall again, and muttered with disdain beneath her breath, “You’re _not_ my Mommy…”

* * *

At first, Megumi didn’t see what had caused the crash. She looked around the hill carefully, eyes darting back and forth. She glanced one way towards the beach, but saw only sand abs ocean, then towards the rest of town, where there were only empty and silent streets. The nighttime darkness didn't much help matters. There had to be something, though. Kyoshi Island was a generally quiet place, especially now that Sen had stolen the essences of its inhabitants. Loud thuds and crashes were not the norm. So then what had caused it?

She received her answer a moment later when a large figure crawled up over the rock behind the beach house and leaped through the air. It landed in front of her, shaking the ground upon impact, and its dozens of insectoid legs clacking across the earth. The figure appeared to be a giant gejigeji bug, but the face that stared down at her with beady black eyes was not that of an insect. Rather, the face was disturbingly humanoid, puffy and rounded like a child’s. The sight of it sent a chill down Megumi’s spine, but the chill soon disappeared as she realized what—or rather who—this was, a revelation that came quicker when she noticed Unalaq approaching up the path that led to the house.

“Sen…” she uttered, with a relieved breath. “You have emerged in your true form at last.”

“Oh yes, I have,” the spirit replied, his voice silky smooth, with a faint echo to it. “And the Avatar is to thank, for surrendering the essence of the Light Spirit within her to me. I haven’t felt this much power in tens of thousands of years.”

“Then what's next?” she asked. “What would you have us do?”

“Next?” A rumbling cackle surged from Sen’s throat. “Next, I spread across this world like a plague and rid it of the pests called humans. When the last of them have perished, I will be free to take this world and do with it as I see fit. And this time, there is no one left to stand in my way.”

Megumi hesitated a moment, thinking over the spirit’s words. She eyed him with a curious stare, brow squinting together. “Do you mean… _all_ humans?”

“But of course, my dear.” Sen skittered across the ground, watching Megumi closely with his tiny black eyes, as he coiled around her. A grin spread across his child-like face. “Yes, that means you, and your daughter, eventually. Him, too.” He paused a moment to look to Unalaq, then refocused on Megumi. “For now, though, you still have your use. Those that I control, I’ll save them for last, so you at least have some time to enjoy with your precious child before you leave this world forever.”

A pause followed in Megumi’s heart, a brief jump that skipped a beat and bubbled her stomach. She stared back harder at the spirit, meeting his horrific eyes with her own. A distinct fear filled her, trembled her. She saw nothing in those eyes—only emptiness, like a black void that pulled in and consumed everything in its gaze. “You…you can’t do that.”

“Of course I can,” he replied. “I am Sen, the Spirit of a Thousand Faces, and I _own_ you. Your essence is tied to me. You do what I say.” His grin spread wider, turning into a wicked sneer. “You don’t have any choice in the matter.”

“But…you…”

“If you think you can resist me, by all means, try.” Sen moved in closer, placing his face only inches from Megumi’s. Their eyes locked harder onto each other’s, connected by a link that would not break. “Rebel against my hold. Try to stop me.”

Megumi said nothing, _did_ nothing. She couldn’t. The fear paralyzed her, rooted her in place and drove an icy spike through her heart. This was nothing like what she had been promised, nothing at all like when she had been brought back into the living world. This was not joyful. This was not wonderful. This was not any kind of opportunity.

This was _terrifying_.

Sen chuckled, offering a delighted grin as Megumi made no action. “As I thought. Those moments I felt of you resisting me were nothing to fear, simple lapses in my power. Now, though, my power is absolute. Ready yourself to leave by tomorrow. I plan to make my first strike soon.” With another cackling laugh, the giant gejigeji spirit skittered away and left his two remaining minions alone.

Megumi watched him leave, still unable to bring herself to move. She tried to lift up her legs and walk, or even to turn her head, but her body felt as though it had been filled with lead, forcing it to remain rigid in place. It wasn’t until Unalaq spoke to her that she was finally able to tear herself out of her rooted terror.

“It is a tragic thing, humans controlled by spirits.” The former Northern Chief strode next to her, his posture straight and arms held behind his back. “When I was alive, _I_ controlled _spirits_. Now, here I am being used by one, powerless to resist. You could call that karma.”

“He won’t do it…” Megumi uttered, with a slow shake of her head. “He can’t. Not to Kanna.”

“Oh, he will,” Unalaq replied. “You know it, I know it. We are but puppets to his will, and there is nothing we can do otherwise. Take solace in the fact that at least he is not forcing you to be cruel to your daughter, as I was to my children. Enjoy your time with her.”

Then, Unalaq, too, left her standing there, alone. She remained upright for as long as she could, but soon her legs gave out and she crumpled to her knees. With head held low against the ground and arms wrapped around herself, she lost it, and let her emotions out. She sobbed, harder than she ever had, harder than even when she had been given the news of her imminent death, so long ago.

When would she awaken from this nightmare?

* * *

Katara sucked in a deep breath, as she stood outside the earthen hut that Toph had created earlier. There was another just like it, each one holding two of their friends—and prisoners, as unfortunate as that was. The other held Mai and Ty Lee. This one held Sokka and Suki. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of entering to speak to her brother; she knew such a conversation with him under these circumstances would likely go poorly, and yet still she felt compelled to enter. He was her brother, and she his sister. She had to look out for him, whatever the circumstance.

When she finally entered through the doorway, a tight knot rose up into her throat. There Sokka was, sitting in the center of the hut with his arms and legs bound with restraints made of stone. Suki sat behind him, her back to his, facing in the opposite direction. Katara hesitated before bringing herself to approach; seeing him like this was more difficult than she had anticipated.

“Sokka…” she said, her voice coming out in a pale whisper. She knelt down in front of him, so they were eye-to-eye. “How are you doing?”

“Ohhh, just dandy,” Sokka replied, with a firm nod. “Yup, nothing better than being held prisoner by your own simpleminded sister.”

Katara breathed a sigh, drifting her gaze to the side. “You know it has to be this way.”

“Oh sure, can’t have me and the others running around unchecked, I get it. Pretty smart, actually, since you know we’d stop you.” Sokka shifted his posture and hardened a glare at this sister. “You can’t win, you know that. Sen’s already regained his full power. There’s no stopping him at this point—your entire world is doomed.”

“Maybe, but we’re not giving up.” Katara brought her focus back to her brother’s eyes. She locked onto them, didn’t flinch away; she let him witness her resolve. “Not on stopping Sen, not on any of you… We _will_ help you, Sokka. You, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee, and everyone else Sen has hurt. We’ll free you.”

Sokka scoffed. “You say that as though we _want_ to be freed. I, for one, have never felt better. I don’t _need_ your help.” He shifted his posture again, straightening out his legs. “You’re wasting your time, to be honest. You, the Avatar—oh, _former_ Avatar—and all the rest of your band of hopeless idiots.”

“That’s Sen talking, not you,” Katara insisted. “You don’t mean that.”

“Don’t I?” he replied. “You were always naïve, Katara, ever since we were kids. That’s going to get you killed one of these days, young again or not.”

Before she could answer, a new voice interrupted them from the doorway. “It’s a waste of your time, trying to talk to him.”

Katara turned around, squinting at the figure that stood in the opening. It took her a moment to make out who it was in the darkness of night, but she soon recognized that familiar topknot hairstyle. “Azula?”

“Sen has him,” Azula stated, as she strode into the earthen hut. “Whatever you’re talking to right now, it’s not your brother. He won’t be, not until he’s freed. You’re better off ignoring him.”

“Ah, if it isn’t the prissy little Fire Princess, come down off her high ostrich horse to join the rest of us peasants,” Sokka said, with a chuckle. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

Azula frowned at him, arms crossed over her chest. “Hmph. Even under Sen’s influence, you’re still a buffoon.”

“So that really is Azula?” The question came from Suki, who up until now had remained silent. She turned her head to look behind herself, just able to see over Sokka’s shoulder. “ I remember you. Do you remember me?”

“Of course I do,” Azula shot back. “I’ve beaten you and your band of fangirls before. Speaking of which, I do hope you’ve trained them better over these past decades. You really were pathetic.”

“Let me out of here and you’ll find out firsthand,” Suki said, in a challenging tone.

Azula sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’d say that was a nice try, but I’d be lying. That’s something I’m trying to do less of these days.”

Katara glanced back and forth between them, then stood up to approach Azula. It would be best to guide the subject away from hostilities, before things got out of hand. “Is everything alright?”

“Just fine, Katara. But you really should come back and rejoin the others. As I said, you’re wasting your time talking to them right now. They won’t listen.”

Katara knew Azula was right; she had known that since before she entered to speak with her brother. The fact bore a hole through her heart, but still she had to remain strong. Looking back over her shoulder, she offered her brother a tender gaze. “I _will_ help you, Sokka. I promise.”

“Ha, you can try,” he said.

With one final look, Katara eased a sigh and followed Azula out of the hut, back into the open night air. The others were just a short distance away, near the campfire, but before they reached the fire, she gave a curious look to the other woman and asked, “Is that why you haven’t spoken to Mai and Ty Lee yet? Because it’s ‘a waste of time’?”

“Quite,” was the simple response. “There’s no point in facing them and telling them everything will be alright or I’ll do what I can to help them, or any of that nonsense. Not while they’re under the influence of a dark spirit.” In spite of her words, Azula stopped walking briefly and gave a long look towards the other hut, where Mai and Ty Lee were being held. Her eyes were distant, her look one of longing and regret. When the moment finally past, she shook herself out of her daze and continued towards the fire. “Now, come on, we’re coming up with a plan.”

* * *

When they were all gathered around the fire, Korra was the first to speak, looking Azula squarely in the eyes. “So, Kuvira tells me you have an idea?” asked the former Avatar.

“Don’t get me wrong, I have no idea if it will work, or if they’ll even help us,” Azula said, “but it’s the only thing I can think of.”

Korra simply nodded. “At this point, we’ll take anything.”

“Well,” Azula stated, as she folded her arms across her chest, “I figure since Sen is such an ancient, powerful spirit, we’ll need the help of _another_ ancient spirit, one who might know a way to stop him. There are two, in particular, that I have in mind. The first is Koh the Face Stealer, Sen’s brother. From my understanding, he holds no love for his brother and might be willing to help us stop him. The other, Wan Shi Tong, He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things. If there’s anyone who might have the knowledge on another way to rip out Sen’s essence, it’s him. He may even know how to free our friends of Sen’s influence. The only problem with that…” Azula sighed a thoughtful breath and stared into the flickering flames. “Well, let’s just say we didn’t part on the best of terms the last time we met, and he isn’t very fond of humans in general.”

Korra raised a hand to her chin, carefully thinking over Azula’s words. “That…might actually work.”

“And it’s our best option,” Katara said. “Our _only_ option.”

“We’ll need to go to the spirit world,” Zuko added, turning a glance over to both Korra and Kuvira. “You two can meditate there, correct?”

Kuvira nodded. “That’s right.”

Korra, however, shifted back a step and bowed her head in shame. “Actually… I’ve been trying to meditate to the spirit world since I lost Raava, but…”

It was Toph who responded first, with a groan and a roll of her blind eyes. “Oh don’t tell me you can’t meditate there anymore.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve lost my spiritual connection,” she affirmed.

“Well I can’t go by myself,” Kuvira stated. “I don’t know my way around.”

Azula pursed her lips and gave a shrug. “Then it looks like we’re going to have to go there physically.”

“We don’t have that kind of time…” Korra closed her eyes and eased a brief sigh. Even so, they were out of options. “I guess there’s no other choice.”

“We can still save some time if we split up,” Azula suggested. “I can seek out Koh by myself—I’m the only one immune to his face stealing ability anyway, so it’s probably for the best.”

Korra nodded, giving a glance to her wife. “Then we can head to the Spirit Library. Jinora told me how to get there years ago, if I ever needed to.”

“I’ll go with you,” Katara said, with an eager look. Her gaze shifted past them towards the earthen huts again. “I have to.”

“Well you all go on ahead,” Toph declared, as she plopped herself down on the ground, legs crossed. “I’m staying right here.”

“Are you sure?” Korra asked.

“Sure I’m sure,” she replied, pointing her thumb over in the direction of the prisoner huts. “Someone’s gotta stay and watch them. Besides, I much prefer to keep my feet planted in reality. Not much of a fan of the Spirit World.”

“I should stay behind, as well,” Zuko said. “Someone has to warn people about Sen.”

Kuvira turned a gaze east, focusing on the horizon. “The closest spirit portal is in Republic City. We need to hurry… Every second is precious.”

“Alright then, we know our plan,” Korra said, punching her fist into her opposite palm. A hardened glare steeled across her face, a determination that she hadn’t shown since waking up after being separated from Raava. “We’re going to the Spirit World, and we’re going to find a way to stop Sen once and for all. Let's move.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand I actually managed to stick to my self imposed schedule and get this chapter out today!
> 
> We're drawing close to the end folks. I'm not sure exactly how much is left, but we are approaching the final stretch of chapters (I think, unless I go off on another twenty chapter tangent somewhere in there, which I'm liable to do). It's been one heck of a wild ride, but thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this far! My readers are my favorite part of this fic, you all make this worthwhile :)


	136. Desperate Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar journeys to the Spirit World to seek out the aid of Wan Shi Tong and Koh the Face Stealer. Meanwhile, Sen returns to the South Pole to finish what he started.

The field of purple flowers that surrounded the spirit portal inside of Republic City was just as Kuvira remembered them, when she stepped through to the other side. The sky was dark, yet soothing, with a combination of deep red and blue hues meeting together to create a streak of purple, and a gentle breeze fluttered the flowers like the ripples of a pond. The last time she had been here had been almost eight years ago, when she and Korra came over after her spirit cannon ripped open the new portal.

Kuvira took a long look around, soaking in the scene and recalling that memory. Had she been told then that that moment would be the start of something far more with Korra in the years to come, she would have scoffed at it, dismissed it as impossible, and yet that was exactly what had happened. That moment in these flowers had been small, nothing but the tiniest of sparks falling onto dry tinder, and yet over the following years that spark had grown into raging fire, something she never could have imagined—friendship, love, marriage… An impossible dream come true.

Those dreams would fade, though, she knew. They would disappear as a fire snuffed out by rain if they failed to stop Sen—her dreams, her entire world, and those of every other human on the planet. This trip to the Spirit World was not a nostalgic vacation, it was the most important mission any of them had ever undertaken, and they all knew that failure was not an option. It couldn’t be, or the end would follow.

The end of everything.

Kuvira looked back over her shoulder to see Korra following through the portal just behind her. She immediately held out her hand, and Korra took it tight—a reassurance between wives that put both their nerves at ease. Katara came in behind her, followed by Azula, and then finally Mako, who had met them when they arrived in Republic City and had wanted to see them off.

“You guys sure this plan of yours will work?” Mako asked, folding his arms across the breastplate of his police chief uniform.

“No, but we’re all out of options,” Korra replied. “We have to do this, and we have to make it work. We can’t afford anymore failures.”

Mako held a grim look upon his face, but gave a nod of encouragement nonetheless. “Well, I’ll be pulling for you.”

“You sure you can’t come with us?” Korra said.

“I’d love to, but I have to get back to the city and prepare our defenses,” he said. Then, he shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat. “And, uh, to be honest I don’t have a lot of great memories about this place, so…”

“I understand,” Korra said, with a nod. “Keep the people of Republic City safe.”

“That is the goal. Varrick and Asami are both working on something that might help, too. I’ll let you know if there are any changes in that.” Mako offered a friendly smile, then extended his hand forward. “Good luck, Korra.”

Korra returned the smile and clasped his hand, giving it a firm shake. “Thanks, Mako.” He gave her a single parting wave, then headed back through the portal.

“If you’re done, we have to get going,” Azula said, with an impatient glare. “There’s no telling how much time we have left.”

“Right, let’s move.” Korra turned a glance towards the east, focusing on a cluster of mountains. “The Spirit Library should be in that direction, though I’m not sure how far it is.”

“You’ll probably get there before I reach Koh,” Azula muttered. “His domain is in the farthest reaches of the Spirit World. I’ll be as quick as I can, but I make no assurances.”

“In any case, we should plan to meet back here when we’re done,” Katara said.

Kuvira nodded, and added, “But don’t wait too long. If you make it back before us and we’re not here, but you’ve found a way to stop Sen, you go on without us. We’ll catch up eventually.”

“Same goes for you lot.” Azula offered a quick wave, and then took off running towards the west. “Now get moving!”

“Right,” Korra said, as she, too, took off in a sprint. “Let’s go everyone!”

* * *

Jinora eased a long sigh past her lips, as she turned the corner of the street. A deep chill ran up her spine and she shivered, but she paid it no mind. There were far more dire things to worry about than the cold of the South Pole. It had been days since Korra and the others left to find the Mother of Faces to help them stop Sen—days since she had heard anything, days since there had been even a glimmer of hope. Kya and the other healers were doing everything they could to keep alive the bodies of Sen’s victims, but said victims were beginning to fade—a week at most, had been Kya’s prognosis, perhaps as little as a few days. Any longer without their spirits, and Sen’s victims would die.

How many tears had she shed in the past few days? She wasn’t certain, but she had cried herself to sleep each night since Korra and the others left. With Sen no longer in the South Pole, from what they understood, she didn’t have to be on guard, or on edge, she didn’t have to shove aside her emotions to focus on hunting the culprit, or to appear strong. She could just be a young woman who was terrified for her father. There were no tears currently, though; she didn’t have the energy left to cry, not right now. Not in front of her boyfriend, at least.

“Do you think they’re alright?” she asked, turning a glance towards Kai.

The other airbender lifted an eyebrow at her, watching a moment before giving her a reassuring smile. “With everyone that went? Kuvira, Azula, Lord Zuko, Katara, Toph, and we know Korra can handle herself—I’m sure they’re fine. They’ll be back soon with a way to kick this dark spirit’s ass, you’ll see.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Jinor took in a deep breath and held it, unable to let it out. Instead, she held her hands to her stomach, wincing until she was finally able to speak again. “I just can’t shake this feeling…”

“What kind of feeling?”

“The kind of feeling that something bad is about to happen,” she said. Her fingers tightened over her abdomen. “It’s like a sinking deep in my gut… Something spiritual, I think.”

Kai pursed his lips, thinking. Then, he reached out to take her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You probably just ate some bad Water Tribe food. I mean really, who can survive on sea prunes? I guess the arctic hen isn’t so bad, but still.”

“No, that’s not it…” Jinor shook her head and sighed again. “I don’t know, I’m probably overthinking things. Just worrying for no reason.”

Kai started to say something, but he stopped himself when they rounded the next corner. There, lying scattered across the ground in the street ahead, were bodies—dozens of them, men, women, and children alike. His mouth hung open for a long moment, with only a tiny squeak of air exiting his lips. Then, he swallowed the knot in his throat and managed to utter, “Or…your intuition is spot on.”

Jinora’s heart skipped a beat as she approached, her eyes darting back and forth from body to body. She hadn’t even noticed it when she and Kai had started their walk, but the streets had been uncharacteristically empty up until now. She had assumed it was because of the late night hour, but this… This was something else.

“What happened to them?” Kai asked, kneeling down next to one of the victims—a young girl only several years old, lying next to her parents.

Jinora couldn’t stop the pounding in her chest as she came closer to the nearest body lying face down in the snow. She already knew the answer, and yet she hoped against all hope that she might be wrong. Her fears were only confirmed when she examined the body—still alive, but nobody home.

“Oh no…” she uttered, eyes widening in horror as the revelation took hold. “Their essences have been taken… Their bodies don’t have their spirits anymore!”

“What?” Kai shot a look towards his girlfriend, one of equal panic. They both knew what that meant. “Then… Sen is _here_. He came back to the South Pole!”

“Very perceptive, child.”

The voice that replied was impossibly smooth, like silk and honey, and carried a faint echo to it. Both Jinora and Kai spun sharply around to find the source—a giant gejigeji standing behind them, towering atop one of the buildings. _Sen._ In that initial moment, they were both rooted with shock, only able to watch as the spirit leaped down to the street with a thudding crash. Kai was the first to break out of his daze, taking a step back and launching a wind blast at the spirit; the attack had little effect, not even slowing the spirit down as it lunged forward with a surprising quickness. So quick was it, in fact, that before Kai could even blink it was upon him, holding him down with two of its long, spidery legs.

“ _Gah_ , let me go you ugly little—” Kai struggled against the spirit’s hold, but could do nothing to break free.

Sen merely chuckled as he brought his face in front of the young airbender’s. “Relax, child. This will be over soon.”

“Kai!” Jinora called, as the spirit opened his mouth. She leaped forward with a spinning arc of air, but the strike didn’t even make its target flinch. She followed up with another, and then a third, but each time the result was the same; she could do nothing to prevent the bright wisp of light from floating out of Kai’s mouth, or stopping Sen from consuming it. With his essence finally gone, Kai slumped limp to the frozen ground, where he lay unmoving. Jinora watched with wild eyes, heart jumping up and knotting in her throat. “Kai, no! _Kai!”_

Her frantic calls went unanswered, except by a chortling Sen. The spirit turned his beady black eyes onto her and he crept closer, legs clacking across the icy street. “There is no need to be afraid. This is but the proper order of things. Your kind does not belong in this world, and I am here to set things right.”

Jinora took a step back, fighting through a numbing fear that stretched through the deepest parts of her body. Sen skittered closer and made a grab at her, but she leaped backwards with a gust of wind lifting her feet from the ground. She fluttered through the air and kicked a whirlwind out of her feet, but it did nothing to give Sen pause; her airbending was little more than a gentle breeze to the ancient spirit, no more effective than a fly throwing itself at a platypus bear. The only indication Sen gave that he even felt the attack was a slight squint of his tiny eyes as the wind rushed past him.

Sen made a strike at her with one of his many legs, but again Jinora evaded. She ducked and spun herself away, keeping just out of his reach on her way around him. One of the spirit’s sweeping legs came just inches from her face, but she managed to slide herself low to the ground and dart behind him, where she came to Kai’s side. A quick examination told her everything she needed to know—he wasn’t going to be waking up. A sick knot twisted deep in her gut, nearly causing her to vomit. First her father, now Kai...

Who was next?

In the brief moment that Jinora was focused on Kai, Sen caught up to her, swatting her across the backside and sending her spinning to the ground. A sharp gasp of shock burst from her lungs as she landed, and she quickly flipped herself over and attempted to right herself. She was too late, as a pair of the spirit’s legs wrapped around her arms and pinned her in place.

“A slippery little airbender, you are,” Sen said, with a hissing breath. “But no matter. I have you now.”

Jinora made a desperate struggle to tear herself out of the spirit’s grasp, but her efforts were futile. The moment that Sen brought his face in front of hers, she knew it was over; _she_ would be his next victim, and certainly not his last.

_Pop-pop-pop-BOOM!_

An explosion ripped across the side of Sen’s body. The blast knocked him sideways and forced his grip away from Jinora, allowing her to slip to safety just before the spirit recovered. When he did, a frustrated groan grumbled from his throat, and he turned to find the source. His void-like eyes found a tall woman standing atop the roof of a building behind him, a woman with the sides of her head shaved tight around a long ponytail, and a painted third eye across her forehead.

“You!” Sen growled.

“Yeah, me,” P’Li said, as she shifted her stance in preparation to unleash another blast.

“You were _mine!”_ the spirit insisted. “I brought you back! You belong to _me!”_

“I’m afraid that doesn’t work for me.” P’Li glared daggers through the gejigeji spirit and leaned forward with a deep breath. The familiar pop-pop-popping of her combustionbending again ripped through the air, on its way towards her target.

This time, Sen slipped away just before the explosion tore into the ground where he had been standing. He charged P’Li and crashed against the building with a powerful eruption of spiritual energy. The entire face of the building blew to pieces, forcing P’Li into the air. She struggled to right herself mid-fall, but a stray chunk of debris thudded into her side, sending her into an uncontrolled spiral on her way to the ground.

Seconds before she hit the street in a violent face-plant, another figure swooped in through the air and caught her—a figure connected to the end of a long metal cable. It was Lin who caught the combustionbender, setting them both safely to the ground with a swinging leap. Several more figures followed, racing out of the alleys into view—Kya, Bumi, Eska, Desna, and Hari, each one shifting into a bending stance, ready to fight.

“Pick on someone your own level of ugly!” Bumi called, pointing a challenging finger at the spirit.

“Jinora, fall back and regroup!” Lin called, as she righted herself and P’Li to join the others. “We’ll attack him together!”

Jinora looked back at Kai a long moment, her eyes focused on the blankness of his face, the dead-staring eyes and partially open mouth. The sight sent a horrified quiver down her spine, one that required a vast amount of will to tear herself out of. But tear herself away she did, and ran to join the others. She couldn’t stop Sen herself, but perhaps if they worked together…

“You fools…” Sen breathed, rising upright to his full height. He glared down at them all with hate-filled eyes, his multitude of legs spread out wide. “You believe you are capable of stopping me? You are but insects—a blight upon this world that I will cleanse!”

“ _We’re_ insects?” Kya grimaced at the sight of the giant gejigeji. “Someone hasn’t looked in the mirror lately.”

Sen released an annoyed growl. “You will all perish!”

They scattered when Sen lunged towards them, each jumping back in a different direction. Lin struck first, lashing at the backside of the spirit’s carapace with her metal cables. Three separate streams of water followed, courtesy of Kya, Eska, and Desna, each one coiling into frozen drills before impact. The impact rocked Sen off balance, putting him in position to take the full brunt of another explosion from P’Li. With Sen vulnerable, Jinora stood next to her uncle Bumi and glanced at him; he gave her a nod, and they attacked together, unleashing a combined wind blast that lifted the giant insect into the air. To end the assault, a massive fist made of sand swept through the air and caromed directly off Sen’s face to send him spinning towards the ground. After the strike, the sand recalled back to its owner in the shape of a solid cloud, and Hari leaped on.

Sen landed with a crash against the frozen street, and for a moment he didn’t move. Jinora and the others held off, still ready in defensive stances—they weren’t about to make the mistake of thinking it would be that easy. No, surely there would be more. Another moment past, and then Sen’s legs twitched. Before he even got a chance to recover, Lin gave a signal to attack again, and so they did, unleashing a second barrage upon the spirit. Fire and steam and sand and debris clouded the air upon impact, shielding Sen from their view. Still, they waited for the air to clear, waited to see what state their enemy was in.

They didn’t have to wait long. Before the air completely cleared, Sen emerged from the cloud with a shockingly fast lunge. Lin attempted a counter, but one of the spirit’s legs met the front of her armor and sent her spinning across the ice. Jinora and Bumi moved in with another pair of air blasts, but this time their attack had no effect; Sen merely turned into the wind and grinned at them. A flash of red light appeared in his eyes, followed by a concentrated eruption of spiritual energy that tore the ice apart at their feet and threw them into the building behind them. Kya, Eska, and Desna moved in, trying to push him back with a combined water torrent, but their efforts were just as fruitless. He laughed at them and stepped through the water as though it were little more than a harmless trickle. Then, with another swipe of his legs, he knocked them away.

An explosion struck the center of his chest, but Sen barely fell off balance. A second followed, and then a third, but still the spirit stood strong. Even with an added barrage of sand bullets from Hari’s cloud, he remained standing. Turning to the two benders, another flash of energy burst from his eyes and sent them flying. Hari fell from his cloud into a snow drift, while P’Li rolled across the ice and crashed into the water of a nearby fountain. Another boisterous laugh echoed from Sen’s throat, and he turned his sights on his remaining opponents.

“This isn’t working,” Kya said, as she struggled back to her feet. She gripped a hand against her chest, flinching at the dull pain pounding through her body. “We need to try something else!”

“There _is_ nothing else!” Lin replied. She took another stand in front of Sen, staring him down eye-to-eye. “Keep it up, or he’ll run through this entire city and kill us all!”

Sen let out an amused chuckle and took a step forward. “You are all fools. You’ve no hope here, any of you. You cannot stop me. You cannot stop _any_ of us.”

On cue to his words, a water stream twisted out from behind a building and swated Lin off her feet. Bumi lifted himself on an arc of wind in an attempt to assist, but another lash of water whipped him back. Kya and the Northern Twins moved close together to back each other up, and were able to repel another pair of incoming torrents before the new attackers made themselves known. Two figures emerged into view, one a young woman with long dark hair—Megumi—and the other someone that the twins knew well.

“Father…” Desna muttered, with an unamused glare.

“It is so not good to see you,” Eska added.

Unalaq scoffed, and sent forth a spiraling water drill. “The feeling is mutual!”

Eska and Desna worked in unison to defend against their father’s attacks; every shot he threw at them, they swatted away. When Megumi joined him, Kya stood against her, and together she and the twins were able to match them. Watching the entire exchange between the waterbenders was Sen, who did nothing to interfere. He merely smirked at them, his beady black eyes following each shot of water back and forth between the two opposing sides. Even when it became clear that his minions were losing ground, he did not intervene; he didn’t have two.

A third opposing torrent added to the mix, rising from the icy ground and forming into a towering watery pillar. The sudden addition of a new source of water gave Kya and the twins pause. They eyed both Megumi and Unalaq carefully, but when it became apparent that neither was responsible, they stepped back and raised their guards. Neither Unalaq nor Megumi made any move to attack; they simply watched and waited, the same as Sen. That was when the towering water pillar twisted and then fell straight at them. Eska, Desna, and Kya acted together to repel the water, but even the three of them combined could not deter the wave from its path. Instead, it crashed down upon them and swept them away.

Kya screamed when she crashed against the building wall; a shard of ice had broken free from the siding and sliced across her ribs. The cut was shallow but long, and no doubt strung with a biting pain that the frigid water did nothing to help. Eska and Desna soon joined her, bouncing across the ground and smashing into each other before finally coming to a violent stop. They both lay there for a long moment, until finally they were able to push themselves up to their hands and knees. The brief moment of recovery didn’t last, though, as another coil of water came down and whipped them again into the ground.

Jinora watched the scene with wide eyes—three talented waterbenders, each taken out at once by a single attacker. But who…and how? She got her answer soon enough, when a third figure approached, joining Megumi and Unalaq. He was a well-built man, wearing a traditional Water Tribe warrior’s uniform, and a polar bear dog skin atop his head. At first, Jinora didn’t recognize him, but the longer she looked at him, the more familiar he seemed.

“Wait…” she uttered, squinting hard at the man. “I know that face…” But where had she seen him before? She knew that face from somewhere…and that polar bear dog headdress. It seemed so…familiar… 

It took only another moment of staring for the revelation to hit her, and when it did her eyes flew open wide.  _Now_ she remembered where she had seen that face before. But that…was  _impossible_ . Unless… No, she couldn’t worry about that now. She had to get everyone out of here. “Everybody! We need to retreat!  _Now!_ That isn’t an ordinary waterbender! It’s—”

Her words cut out as a sharp blast of some solid force struck her side and tossed her about like a rag doll. She landed on the ground with a violent thud and felt a dull pop in her left shoulder, eliciting a silent gasp of air from her lips—not even an audible cry of pain. She grunted as she righted herself, left arm limp at her side. Any thoughts of pain, though, were erased when she looked up to see yet even more of Sen’s minions—three more to be precise, and these ones far more recognizable, especially now that she had identified the first. She couldn’t even get any words out at the sight of them—the only thing she managed was a shocked gasp.

Bumi, on the other hand, stared in stunned horror at one of the individuals in particular—he knew this one better than most. “What? But that’s… not possible.” Before he could do anything else, the man attacked him with a swift bending strike that sent Bumi rocketing through the window of a nearby building.

Kya, too, stared at the same figure, her mouth agape—as Bumi had said, it seemed impossible. With Sen, though… nothing was beyond his power, it seemed. She struggled through the pain in her side to rise up to her feet, but her balance stumbled and she fell again to her knees. “Lin! We have to get out of here!”

“If we leave, then everyone in this city is done for!” Lin replied.

“If we don’t, then so are we!” she shot back.

Lin stepped back a moment and took a look around. It didn’t take long to realize just how badly they were outmatched—between Sen and his minions, they would have little hope of putting up any kind of fight now; most of her allies were already injured. With a reluctant groan, she turned back to them and called, “Alright, everyone fall back! Get moving to—”

A sudden grunt cut out her words as a thudding force dropped her to her backside. When her eyes regained focus, she found the giant gejigeji poised over her, face-to-face. She struggled against his hold to break free, but Sen’s grip held firm like steel, one that she couldn’t bend.

“That’s it…give me your essence,” he said, as he opened his mouth. Within moments, a bright wisp of light floated out past her lips and into the awaiting maw of the wicked spirit. He swallowed it, and then licked his snake-like tongue around his lips in satisfaction. “Such a strong one, too.”

“ _Lin!”_ Kya shrieked. An all-consuming horror painted her face as she lunged up to her feet, ignoring the searing pain in her ribs. With a cry of fury and hate, she bended a drill of ice up from the street at the spirit. “You _monster!”_

Her efforts were short-lived. Sen darted around the drill with incredible speed and pinned Kya to the ground. She didn’t even have a chance to struggle before he did the same to her as he did to Lin, stealing her essence from her. When he was done, she slumped motionless to the ground, her eyes wide open in frozen terror.

“No…” Jinora uttered, from her knees. She watched, helpless to do anything as Sen’s minions rounded up the others—Eska, Desna, and Bumi in particular, wrapped in frozen bindings and dropped at the spirit’s feet. He swiftly siphoned their essences from their bodies and then turned his sights on her. She tried to move away, but an unnatural fear rooted her in place, kept her there on the ground with her body shuddering and mind racing. The power that this spirit possessed… she could _feel_ it, coursing through her like poison. It brought her heart to a thunderous patter, pounding against her chest like the merciless beating of a drum.

“Don’t struggle, young airbender.” Sen grinned at her as he held her down and brought his face close to hers. “This won’t hurt a bit.”

The last thing Jinora remembered before a swift darkness took her was a massive explosion erupting against Sen’s side. The impact threw her from his grasp into the snow, causing her head to carom hard against a solid patch of ice. Then, everything went dark.

* * *

“So, this is the great Spirit Library, huh?” Kuvira gazed up at the towering atrium of the library, as she stepped across the central bridge. Korra walked calmly beside her, while Katara trailed just behind them. The place seemed dark—darker than it should have been, even with few windows. Various candes and torches lined the chamber, yet not a single one was lit, shrouding the entire library in darkness.

“And Wan Shi Tong is somewhere in here,” Korra muttered, keeping her sharp eyes on the move, darting from shadow to shadow in search of the ancient spirit.

“Do you think he’ll help us?” Kuvira asked.

Katara turned around to walk backwards, keeping her focus to their rear; she didn't want the spirit to be sneaking up on them. “I met Wan Shi Tong once, a long time ago. He wasn’t fond of humans then, and I imagine he’s even less fond of them now. Under normal circumstances, I don’t think there would be a chance of him helping us.”

“Yeah, well these aren’t normal circumstances,” Korra insisted. “Either way, we have to try.”

They continued their search throughout the library, moving from the central chamber to the branching wings. Still, though, they found only shadows and dusty books—no sign of Wan Shi Tong or any of his knowledge seekers.

“It seems so…empty,” Kuvira muttered. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Katara said. “Maybe he abandoned the library?”

Korra eased a disappointed grumble. “Let’s hope not…”

Katara noticed the moving shadow first, floating through the air towards them. She squinted at it, wondering if she was just seeing things, the lack of light playing tricks on her eyes. Moments before it struck, however, she realized that the moving shadow was very real, and acted in an instant. “Look out!” she called, pushing both Korra and Kuvira out of the way and then rolling herself to the side just moments before the figure crashed against the floor where they had been standing.

“Humans!” the voice bellowed. The torches along the walls then erupted in unison, bathing the library in a pale orange glow. A great black owl with a white face towered there with his wings spread, pulled back as if in preparation to attack again. “In _my_ library? Never again! You will all leave this place right now, or suffer the consequences!”

“Wan Shi Tong, please!” Korra said. The owl lunged at her again, but she threw herself around the corner of a bookshelf, out of harm's way. “We need to talk to you!”

“Talk? I have no desire to talk with the likes of you!” Wan Shi Tong spun around and put his sights on the next nearest person—Kuvira. He jumped with his talons spready out to claw her, but she fired her metal cables out to hook onto the top of one of the shelves and pulled herself out of the way. “All talking with humans gets me is tricked and made a fool of. Well no more! Be gone, all of you!”

“We’re not leaving until you listen to us!” Korra shot back. She came back around the side of the bookshelf and stared him down, meeting his gaze as he again turned to her.

“So arrogant, your kind,” he countered, with a deep, unerlying hate in his tone. “You think you can wander in here and do whatever you please. No one comes to this library to show appreciation for knowledge anymore. You only want information to use against other humans. You wish to _abuse_ this library, to abuse _me._ I won’t have it!”

Again, he flew at her with the intention of ripping her apart, but this time she didn't back down. Instead, Korra stood her ground and pulled the water out of the flask at her hip. The water spread into a large shield and froze solid just before impact, forcing Wan Shi Tong backwards. When the attack ceased, she pulled the water back and glared at him once more.

“Sen is free!” she said.

At this announcement, Wan Shi Tong straightened upright and rotated his head nearly all the way upside down. He blinked at her, staring as though confused. Finally, after a long moment past, his head returned upright and he said, “Explain yourself.”

“Sen. The Spirit of a Thousand Faces? He’s been freed from his prison and regained his full power.”

Again, he blinked at her. His posture settled down, losing its aggressiveness. He seemed more contemplative now, more...understanding. “That…is not a good thing.”

“He’s running rampant through the physical world this very moment,” Korra said, “bent on destroying humanity.”

“I see,” the great owl muttered. “If that is true, then your world is surely doomed. How unfortunate.”

“Great Wan Shi Tong, please.” Korra took a few steps forward gazing up at the looming spirit. “We’ve come for your help. Sen has already destroyed the Mother of Faces and… and Raava. We have no other way to stop him.”

Wan Shi Tong blinked and leaned in, extending his neck so that his face came closer to Korra's. “He destroyed his mother, you say? _And_ the Light Spirit?”

“Yes…” she replied, with a heavy sigh. “We were there, we saw it happen.”

“However did he manage that?”

“He used a spiritbender to weaken the Mother of Faces to steal her essence, and as for Raava, he…” She paused, averting her eyes for a brief moment as the memory came back to her. It had been somehow worse than when Unalaq had removed Raava from her, the way it felt. The pain had been deeper, as if inside her very soul. “He ripped her right out of me. I couldn’t stop him.”

“Out of you?” The owl's head tilted again, rotating sideways as he stared at her. “You are the Avatar, then?”

“ _Was_ the Avater. Now, I’m… There is no more Avatar.” Another sigh left her throat, and she returned her gaze to the ancient spirit. “Wan Shi Tong, please, we’ve come for any information you can give us, any way we might stop this monster from ending our world.”

“Hmm, I suppose your plight is understandable.” The great owl brought his head back again and straightened himself. He stared at the former Avatar a long while, as if contemplating her request. Then, a defiant scoff left his beak. “Regardless, I have no interest in helping humans. You brought Sen upon yourself. Now, you...how do you humans say it? Reap what you sow.”

A jolt of panic ripped through Korra's chest. It had appeared as though Wan Shi Tong would help them at first, and yet still he refused. If they didn't get his aid here, they wouldn't get another chance. “Wan Shi Tong, please! Sen will destroy everything in the material world! Humans, animals, the very fabric of everything we’ve built… He’ll transform it into his own Spirit World!”

“How very unfortunate for you,” he replied. “But as I said, I do not help humans. Now be gone. Leave this place and do not come back.”

Korra fumbled for words. She started to say something, but her voice caught in her throat; she managed only a hoarse squeak before the great owl turned around and began to march away.

Noticing the desperation in the former Avatar, Katara ran a few steps forward and yelled at the spirit, her voice scolding. “Oh, so that’s it? You’re just going to run away?”

“I am not running anywhere,” he said, glancing back over his shoulder. “This conversation is over, and now I am going back about my business.”

“I don’t mean from us. I mean from Sen. Are you scared of him, is that it? You don’t want to get involved, because you know he’s too powerful?”

Wan Shi Tong turned around again and glared knives at the woman. “Little girl, I am Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things. I am scared of no one. But Sen is in _your_ world, attacking _you_ humans. It is no business, nor any interest, of mine.”

Kuvira caught on to what Katara was getting at, and then she too spoke out. “What, you think he’s just going to stop there? Have you forgotten what he did before he came to the physical world tens of thousands of years ago?”

The owl's eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you getting at?”

“Before there were humans for him to prey on, he absorbed other spirits. Killed them…erased them from existence. Any spirit he came across. Do you remember that?” Kuvira glanced back at Korra and gave a simple nod—understanding came quick with nothing but that silent look.

“Of _course_ I remember,” he insisted, with a sharp bite to his tone. “I was _there_. He destroyed many spirits I knew.”

Now, Korra stepped closer. The desperation had vanished in her eyes, replaced now by an unyielding resolve. “Then you should know what’s coming for you once he’s finished with us. You really think he won’t come back to the Spirit World? You think he won’t go after other spirits again? He will tear through this world, destroying _everything_ in his path. How long do you really think it’ll be before he comes for you? If you think you can stop him on your own, then I guess you have nothing to worry about, but something tells me you know better. If we don’t stop him now, _no one_ will.”

Wan Shi Tong stared at them a long while, once again mulling over their words. His eyes continued to narrow, until they appeared to almost close shut. “Your logic is…sound. Hmm…” Another long pause, and then the great owl finally straightened himself and relented with a deep sigh, “Very well... I will help you. Come with me. I may have the information you seek somewhere in the deepest recesses of this library.”

* * *

Azula paused in front the gnarled, twisted upside down tree that marked the entrance to Koh's domain. It had been a long time since she had last been here, and she had mixed feelings about it. In a way, her first trip here had been both the beginning of a new life for her, and the beginning of the end for everything else. Had she never come here, she never would have found Sen's essence, and she never would have taken it for herself, thereby ensuring his wrath. On the other hand, she never would have made it out of the spirit world if not for Koh's help, and therefore never would have grown or changed as a person. That meeting had been the sharpest of double-edged swords for her, even if she hadn't known it at the time.

This time would be different, she knew. This time, it was all or nothing. She needed this spirit's help, or her world, and everyone else's world, would end. She doubted this meeting would go in her favor, yet even so she had to try. There were no other options. With a deep breath and a cold glare, she entered through the doorway and journeyed down the winding steps into the underground temple.

She wasted no time with caution or subtleties. They both knew that he couldn't steal her face, since it had been Sen who gave it to her in the first place. Instead, she marched into the center of the chamber and called aloud, “I know you’re here, Koh! Come out. I need to speak with you.”

Within moments, the centipede-like spirit skittered out of the shadows. He approached from the ceiling and made his way along the wall, allowing the top half of his body to hang down in open air so he could look at her, face-to-one-of-many-faces. The one he gazed upon her with now was that of his default face—pale white with deep blue marking around the eyes.

“Ahhh, if it isn’t the Fire Princess, Azula,” Koh said, with an almost amused lilt to his voice. “It has been a while. Come back to exchange pleasantries with the Face Stealer?”

“Hardly. I’ve come to request your assistance with something.”

“Oh, you need my help? I should have guessed.” Koh eased a sigh, and switched his face to that of a young woman with long dark hair. “Visitors only come here when they need something. And what reason would I have to offer you my aid?”

“It’s your brother,” she explained. “Sen. He’s been freed from his prison, and we’ve no way to stop him.”

“Yes, I know this,” Koh said. He crawled down farther from the wall, dropping himself fully to the ground. “I sensed it from the moment his prison shattered… I’m afraid there is little that can be done about it, now that my mother and Raava have perished.”

Azula faltered momentarily, with a pause and a raise of her eyebrow. “You...already know?”

“I know many things. I may not leave my domain, but I keep watch on both worlds. My presence is…far-reaching.”

“Then you know that we’re running out of time,” she insisted. “Sen will obliterate the physical world, and when he’s done with us, he’ll come here. Spirits and humans alike are all at risk of complete annihilation.”

A deep, throaty chuckle emerged from the spirit's lips. His face again changed, becoming that of an older man, wrinkled with a long grey bear. “Such a perilous thing, to face one's own destruction. No matter, I’m afraid I can’t help you in this.”

Azula felt her throat knot, but she didn't let her desperation show. Instead, she let a firm countenance take over, an aggressive one. With a stern glare, she countered, “But this is _your_ brother. _You_ were charged with guarding his essence, but you decided to give it to _me._ It was your negligence that led to this!”

“ _My_ negligence?” Koh's face morphed again, this time to a young child's. The way it contorted with vile disdain was unnatural, and chilling. “Tell me, Azula… How did Sen’s essence come to leave you and find its way to his prison? Was that _my_ doing? Or your own failures?”

“Don’t you talk to _me_ about failure!” she shot back. “I know more about that then you _ever_ will.”

“Exactly my point. This is your fight, not mine.” Koh's face returned to his normal default, and he turned away from her, legs clacking against stone as he crawled back along the wall. Whatever happens, I cannot step in.”

“So you’re just going to sit here while your brother destroys everything? What about when he comes here? What about when he comes for _you?”_

Koh uttered a quiet sigh. “My domain cannot be breached by the likes of Sen, no matter how powerful he becomes; it actively repels him. I cannot be touched here, not by him. So you see, I’ve no reason to risk myself for you humans.”

At this point, Azula let her anger take over. She stepped forward, towering blue flames erupting from her palms. If she couldn't convince this stupid spirit to help them, then perhaps she could threaten him into it. Threats had always worked for her in the past. “You lowsy, disgusting sowbug! If you don't help, I swear, I’ll—”

“You’ll what? Threaten me? Attack me?” Koh twisted his body around so he could stare again at her. “Come now, I know you’re smarter than that. Is that really something you want to risk now, with my brother bearing down on your world? I believe you have far more important things to take care of, isn’t that right?”

He _was_ right; she knew that. If Koh's mind was made up, no amount of fire or lightning would force him into it. Even if she managed to kill him, she would only waste time—time they didn't have. Instead, she let the flames in her palms extinguish and turned back to the exit.  “Fine then, but this isn’t over. When we're done with Sen, I’ll be back.”

“I’m sure you will, Azula. But in the meantime, enjoy the final moments of your world.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, for whoever was asking about what was going on back down at the South Pole, you have your answer now... Nothing good. And it seems that Koh isn't going to be helping them, but at least Wan Shi Tong could see reason! But will the information he have actually help them, that's the question.
> 
> It's been a while since I've had a really long chapter like this, hasn't it? And in fact, this breaks the record for the longest chapter thus far, beating out the previous record holder, Chapter 107! It feels good actually being able to put out that much in one go again, even if it did take a week this time lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy.


	137. The Four Forms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra receives the information she needs to stop Sen, but sudden changes in the Spirit World cause unexpected problems.

Jinora groaned as she opened her eyes. Images were blurry at first, steadily coming into focus the more she blinked. Soon enough, she realized that she was lying in bed, in a small room in some Water Tribe hut. When her vision cleared, she made an attempt to sit up, but a sharp pain in her shoulder gave her pause and elicited a gasp from her lips. She tried to fight through the pain, forcing herself upright. She rolled over beneath the blankets, pushed herself forward…and then promptly fell over the side of the bed onto the floor. Another pained cry burst from her mouth as her body seized with pain, and for the moment she could only lie there.

The door to the room swung open a short moment later, making way for someone to enter. Jinora’s mind didn’t seem to want to work at first, unable to recognize the person who came to her side to help her. Yet, she _knew_ that she knew this person—her mental functions were slow, though, and took a few moments to catch up. _Hari_ , she told herself, the young woman—no, he was a man, she remembered, in spite of his appearance—assisted her back into bed. Now she remembered him.

“Easy, I got you,” Hari said, easing her back beneath the blankets. “You still need to recover from your injuries, so please rest.”

“Right…thank you,” Jinora replied, with a tired breath. She set her head back against the pillow and stared straight up at the ceiling. Her thoughts drifted back to the last moments she remembered before she passed out, of the attack, of her friends falling to Sen…a shudder ran through her spine, and a sickness bubbled in her gut. “What happened? How did we get away?”

“Well, that was a combined effort between myself and…” Hari glanced back towards the open door, where another figure now stood. “Her.”

The woman was tall, her head nearly touching the ceiling. Jinora knew this giant of a woman, knew the tattooed third eye across her forehead—a former enemy now turned ally, but still just as dangerous as ever. “P’Li?”

“I gave us some cover, kept them at bay long enough for Hari here to get us away with his sand,” said the combustionbender. “Managed to grab you on the way by, since you were the only other one that freak hadn’t given the kiss of death to yet.”

Jinora’s throat went numb, and her mind raced faster in a panic. In spite of her pain, she forced herself to sit upright. “The others… did anyone else get away? Are they alright?”

P’Li shook her head. “I’m afraid not. After he was done with us, Sen plowed straight through the rest of the city.”

“Everyone…men, women, children… the entire population,” Hari said, with a distant look in his eyes. “Sen got to them all.”

“When he was done, he left,” P’Li added. “We did manage to move everyone’s bodies out of the cold, for those who were caught outside, but without any healers…”

Jinora knew what that meant. The healers were the ones keeping the victims alive, extending the time that the empty bodies could survive without a spirit. Now that the healers were gone too, there was no way to help them.

With a distraught shudder, Jinora raised her hands and held her head, staring down at the sheets. “This can’t be happening… Everything is falling apart and we can’t stop it.”

“We still might,” Hari said. He tried to sound optimistic, yet the tone in his voice betrayed his true feelings. “There’s still Korra and the others. I’m sure they’ve found a way to help by now.”

Jinora went quiet, her thoughts drifting back to the fight. In particular, she thought of the ones she had seen, the new puppets that Sen had called back to serve him. That shouldn’t have been possible, even for him, and yet…

Perhaps they were already doomed.

“I have to find her,” she said. “I have to find Korra.”

Hari raised an eyebrow. “How exactly? You’re in no shape to be walking around, let alone traveling.”

“I’m a lot tougher than I look, believe me,” she said. “Besides, I don’t even have to leave my bed. If I focus on Korra’s energy and meditate, I should be able to find her by projecting my spirit, no matter where she is.”

Jinora inhaled a deep breath and pressed her fists together, eyes closed. Depending on how far away Korra was, this could take a while, but she had to focus regardless. She had to know what was going on, had to know if Korra and the others had found something, anything.

“Be careful,” Hari said, holding a hand to her shoulder.

“I’ll be fine,” she insisted. With another deep breath, she let her mind slip away. “Please, Korra… let me find you.”

* * *

The area of the Spirit Library that Wan Shi Tong led his three human visitors into was in the deepest depths of the structure, old and dusty as though it hadn’t seen usage in centuries. Here, there were fewer writings, only a scant amount of scrolls scattered about on a shelf or two. This particular wing had been sealed when they first arrived, by an ancient barrier with spiritual markings. Only when Wan Shi Tong had touched the face of the door did it open.

“No one has entered this area of my library in thousands of years,” the great owl said. “It contains some of the rarest and most dangerous sources of knowledge the world has ever known, and as such I made sure that not a soul could access it. Not even my knowledge seekers have been inside.”

“And you’re saying that what we need to stop Sen is in there?” Korra asked.

“I’m saying that if such knowledge exists, then that is where it will be.”

Korra eased a soft sigh and glanced around the musty old bookshelves. “Better than nothing.”

Wan Shi Tong took a few steps forward and reached out with one of his wings, taking one scroll after another and examining them. “Hmm, let’s see here… No. No. That won’t do. No.” He tossed each of the scrolls to the side as he read them, determining that they were not ones that would help. “Ha, as if I’d ever let anyone read that. No. That won’t help. Hrm, I don’t think so. No. No.” Finally, he stopped at one scroll in particular, scanning the face of it with his eyes. “Ah, here we go.” He turned to Korra and passed the scroll to her. “This should help.”

Korra squinted at the scroll, studying the words and pictures drawn across it. The images were of a person in multiple different stances—a series of movements, she realized. “This is…a bending form?”

“Not just one bending form,” Kuvira said, as she urged her wife to further unroll the scroll. “Look, there’s one for each element.”

Kuvira was right—there were four different forms depicted in this scroll, and each seemed to be one of the four elements. Korra looked closely at it, narrowing her eyes. “What does this mean, exactly?”

“Thousands of years ago, you humans as a people were far more…enlightened,” Wan Shi Tong explained. “Your bending was not just a tool to entertain the masses in an arena. It was a way of life, a part your being.”

“It still is,” Korra shot back, raising a glare at the owl. “We may have advanced as a society, but bending is every bit a part of us now as it always has been. Some people might have forgotten that, but not all of us.”

Wan Shi Tong returned the glare. “Your rebuttal is riveting, but are you going to let me finish?”

“Right, sorry,” she muttered, with a wave of her hand. “Go ahead.”

“Anyway, even though the physical and spiritual worlds had been separated for thousands of years by this time, the Avatars, over those centuries, kept alive the spiritual focus of bending,” Wan Shi Tong said. “They passed it on to others, generation to generation, never wishing the spiritual arts to be forgotten. You Avatars were the bridge between worlds, after all. However, over time, these practices were eventually forgotten. The records of that time, I keep here.”

Katara held a hand to her chin, staring intently at the scroll. “What practices are they, exactly?”

“They are a way for control,” he said. “A way to harness and manipulate the very essence of a spirit.”

“Essences?” Korra’s brow lifted, and she turned her gaze back to the scroll. “Just like Sen…”

Wan Shi Tong nodded. “Exactly. I believe these forms may be the key to stopping him. One of them, you should recognize already.”

“Now that you mention it…” Korra focused on the waterbending form. The bender drawn on the scroll stood in a firm stance with his arms spread out, and each new picture in the sequence showed his arms rotating in a distinct pattern. “That looks just like spiritbending.”

“Yes, spiritbending, the spiritual form of waterbending meant to guide spirits back to the Spirit World…or destroy them. The form in that scroll is similar to this, but still very much unique.” Wan Shi Tong turned away from them and began collecting the scrolls he had tossed aside, so he could replace them back on the shelves. “Each of these four different styles, one for each element, accomplishes similar things in different ways, able to purify or annihilate a spiritual essence as the user desires. These ancient methods were once commonplace, a way for humans to match themselves against the powerful spirits that occasionally slipped through between worlds, without the Avatar’s help. Now, they are little more than memories.”

“So you’re saying that any of these styles should work against Sen?” Korra asked, with a raised eyebrow. “I can just spiritbend him, and he’ll lose his essence and free the souls of his victims.”

The owl scoffed. “If only it were that easy. No, I’m afraid that for someone of Sen’s power, a single one of these forms would be insufficient. All four together, though… That, I believe, may have a chance.”

Korra’s gaze drifted downward again. “All four together…”

“Well, you’re a waterbender, and I’m an earthbender,” Kuvira said, turning a glance to her wife. “And we have a firebender. We’d just need an airbender.”

“And there are more of them now than there’s been in a long time,” Katara added.

“Yes, then you should be fine,” Wan Shi Tong said. “Just be sure to study well before you attempt to utilize these methods, for they are not easy to grasp. And remember, this is not something that any of you can do alone. It must be done together, and even then I am uncertain if it will be enough.”

Korra frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that Sen is one of the oldest and strongest spirits to have ever existed, and he only grows more powerful with each essence he consumes. You may be too late for even this to stop him.”

“Then we’d better hurry.” Korra rolled up the scroll and slipped it underneath her shirt. Then, she turned to Wan Shi Tong and placed her hands together, giving him a respectful bow. “Thank you, Wan Shi Tong, for your help.”

“Yes, well, I cannot very well have Sen coming here to destroy this world, now can I?” the owl muttered. “Not me, and not my library; knowledge must be protected, at all costs.”

Korra managed a half smirk at his response. “Right. Still, thanks.”

“Is there anything else you require before you leave?” the owl asked. “Or can I be rid of you humans now?”

“Well, now that you mention it…” Korra thought a moment, holding a hand to her chin. “Sen brought back some of our friends in new bodies and forced them to serve him. When I was still bonded with Raava, I could use her energy to free them from his control, but now…Well, is there any other way to sever his connection with them?”

“Hmm…” Wan Shi Tong stared at the former Avatar a long while, as if wondering whether or not to help further. Eventually, he grabbed one of the scrolls he had just placed back on the shelf and passed it over to her. “Here. I think this may be what you’re looking for.”

Korra unrolled that scroll and gave it a quick look. Her eyes immediately lit up when she realized what it was. “This is...perfect! Thank you!”

“Yes, well, you have what you need now, so I’ll expect you’ll be leaving. Goodbye, Avatar.” Wan Shi Tong flipped up one of his wings in a partial wave, then shuffled out of the room. Korra, Kuvira, and Katara followed him, and when they were safely outside he once again sealed the door. Then, he left them to find their own way out.

When the library exit came into view, Korra made sure that both scrolls were secure and then waved the other two along. “Come on, we have to get this information back to the physical world as soon as possible.”

Just as she turned to leave, an image began to flicker from thin air directly in front of her. She blinked at it, taking a sudden step backwards and bringing her arms up to defend herself. As the image took a more solid shape, however, she relaxed and instead stared with confusion.

“Jinora?”

“Korra!” the young airbender exclaimed, her spirit floating there in midair. “Thank goodness I found you!” She paused a moment and looked around, blinking when she noticed the main atrium of the library. “Are you… in Wan Shi Tong’s Spirit Library?”

“Yeah,” Korra said, with nod. “Things in Forgetful Valley didn’t go…as planned, so we came here for information to help us stop Sen. But why are _you_ here? Is everything alright?”

Jinora returned a dire look. “No, everything is _not_ alright. Everything is falling apart! Sen returned to the South Pole while you were away and he… Korra, everyone’s gone. He took their essences and… they’re just _gone.”_

 _“What?”_ A cold jolt surged through Korra’s chest—she felt numb, distressed. Sen had already decided to act, and they were running out of time.

“Everyone?” Katara uttered, with raised eyebrows. “You don’t mean…”

Jinora’s demeanor sank even further; she could barely bring herself to look Katara in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Gran-gran…”

Katara took a shaky step backwards, legs buckling. “No… “

“Are you okay?” Kuvira asked, focusing on Jinora.

Jinora nodded. “I’m fine. A little banged up, but I was able to get away with Hari and P’Li. We’re the only three left here, and I’m afraid Sen moved on to find more victims.” She went silent a moment and held her arms around herself, eyes closed. “Korra, I’m scared… So many people, and we’re running out of time…”

“We have to move,” Korra said, with a nod. She had already started breaking into a run. “Now!”

“Korra, wait!” Jinora called, floating after them. “There’s one more thing. Sen, he brought—don’t know how—seem okay but—” Her words cut in and out, as did she herself. In the middle of her statement, her spirit began to flicker, fading and reappearing at a rapid rate, so much so that they couldn’t understand the last of what she said. Within seconds, she vanished completely, and she did not return.

Kuvira blinked at the spot where Jinora had been, eyebrows pressed together in confusion. “What just happened?”

“Her connection to the Spirit World must have been cut off…” Korra said, although the tone in her voice didn’t seem convinced.

“But why? That shouldn’t just happen.”

“I don’t know, but we can’t sit around wondering.” Korra turned away and broke into a dead sprint. “We have to move, _now_. We got what we came for, a way to defeat Sen. Now we have to get back to the physical world, find him, and stop him. Let’s go!”

* * *

Jinora screamed when she came out of her meditation, in a way she never had before. Normally, coming out of meditation was simple and calm, and under her own willpower. This time, however, she felt as though something or someone had physically yanked her away. It left her heart aflutter and pulsed a feeling of ice down her veins. She sat there in bed, sitting straight up with her chest heaving deep, rapid breaths, while a cold sweat beaded across her face.

“Are you alright?” Hari asked, coming to her side. “What happened?”

P’Li’s question was more to the point. “Did you find the Avatar?”

“Yes…” Jinora uttered, as she struggled to regain her breath. “She was in the Spirit World looking for help. I told her what happened, but… then something strange happened.”

“What do you mean?” Hari said.

“My connection to the Spirit World broke. It was like… like I was forced out.” A shudder ran down her spine, and she brought her arms around herself. “Almost like it didn’t want my spirit there.”

P’Li folded her arms across her chest. “And that doesn’t usually happen?”

Jinora shook her head. “No, it’s never happened before. I have no idea why, but... I think something about the Spirit World is changing. It must have something to do with Sen’s return.”

“Well, we can’t just sit around here wondering about it,” P’Li said, as she made her way towards the door. “We have to move.”

“Move?” Jinora said. “Move where?”

“There’s no one left here, and Sen is on his way to find more victims,” she replied. “We need to warn people. Or something, I don’t know.”

“Jinora should be resting right now,” Hari insisted. “Not traveling.”

P’Li shot a glare back over her shoulder. “She can rest on the way.”

“But I _can’t_ leave,” Jinora said, with a quick shake of her head. Her reasons, though, had nothing to do with her physical well-being. She closed her eyes shut, and in the darkness behind her eyelids she saw Kai, and her parents, and her siblings, Lin, and Kya, Eska, Desna, and everyone else that Sen had victimized. “My family is here. My friends. They’re…they’re all—”

“As good as dead, if you don’t do something about it,” P’Li countered. The giant of a woman took a step back towards the bed and stared down Jinora, looming at her full height. “We can’t help them here, you know that. The only way to save them is by stopping Sen, and to do that we need to act. So, are you just going to sit there, or are you going to do something about it?”

Jinora was quiet a moment, but there was no point in drawing things out any longer. With a long sigh, she opened her eyes again and nodded. “Right… you’re right.” Then, she forced herself out of bed, fighting through the pain. With Hari’s help, she made it to her feet.” Come on, there should be an airship available at the airfield.” It wasn’t like anyone else would need them right now.

* * *

Korra led the way back to the spirit portal. She knew the way, and knew that the trip wouldn’t take that long, but still she worried. Sen had already begun to make his move, and time in the Spirit World was sometimes different than time in the physical world. There was not telling how long it had really been since they came here, especially without some kind of clock to tell them—what felt like only a couple of hours might actually be far more. She just hoped there was still time. They still needed to meet up with Azula or another firebender, and then find an airbender before confronting Sen.

As they made their way through the Spirit World, Korra began growing aware of something different about the surroundings. She had passed through this forest several times before and knew how it looked, but the farther she led the way down the path, the more things began to change. The trail ahead of her seemed to lengthen, the exit growing farther away. The trees clustered closer together, and the branches extended to greet each other and cover the sky, darkening the world below. What little sky did show through swirled with a strengthening shadow, as though storm clouds had rolled in overhead. She had known the Spirit World to react this way before, but only in response to her own extreme emotions. As things were right now, these changes didn’t make sense.

“Hold on,” Korra said, slowing herself to a stop. She glanced back the way they had come, then forward again. Each time she looked, their destination seemed farther and farther away. “Something’s not right.”

Kuvira lowered her brow and glared back over her shoulder. Somewhere in the distance, a shrill, almost spiritual shriek rang out, one that was enough to stiffen her spine. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Korra replied, with a shake of her head. “It’s like the entire Spirit World is…changing somehow. I can _feel_ it. It feels…not right.”

“Almost like some kind of disturbance is changing the balance of things?” Kuvira said.

She managed a simple nod, as the revelation hit her. “Sen… He must be growing stronger, and causing some kind of spiritual distortion in this world.”

Kuvira’s brow lifted at the suggestion. “Is that even possible? Just how powerful is he?”

“Uhh, guys?” It was Katara, who now had her focus on the trees above them. There, swirling around in the air, was a multitude of spirits. These spirits, however, were not the normal, docile spirits that normally inhabited this forest. Rather, they had darkened, looking more like vile, twisted aberrations than anything. Several began to lower themselves into the branches of the trees, and turned their gaze down on the three travelers below. “I think they see us.”

Korra glared up at the dark spirits above them. She hadn’t seen any spirits like this since Harmonic Convergence, when Vaatu’s presence had twisted them into monsters. Could Sen’s presence—his _power_ —be having a similar effect, and all the way from the physical world? “Forget about them. We need to move. Let’s go!”

Korra turned and broke out into a run, with Kuvira and Katara close behind. They didn’t make it very far, though, before the ground in front of them shook and ripped open, splitting a gaping fissure through the forest path. Korra slid to a stop just in front of the sheer drop into a dark abyss, and just in time to turn around to see a mass of dark spirits flying through the air straight at them. She immediately took a step forward and guided the water out from the flask at her hip to whip it at the front line of spirits and keep them back. Katara joined her, and together they attempted hold the assaulting spirits at bay.

“Kuvira, give us a bridge!” Korra called.

“I’m on it!” Kuvira wasted no time, planting her feet at the edge of the chasm and then raising her fists. The earth below her began to extend, creating a rocky bridge across the gap.

Korra and Katara attacked the spirits without relent to keep her covered while she created the bridge. There were many, though, and they both had a limited supply of water. For each spirit that they swatted away, three more seemed to take its place. A burning mix of emotions surged through Korra’s gut with every lash of water she bended—anger, regret, grief, remorse. If she and Raava were still bonded, she would be able to bend more than just water. She would be able to bend earth, and fire, and air… She would have more options, more ways to defend against these dark spirits. She’d have the Avatar State, as well. If she were still the Avatar, they wouldn’t be so quickly overwhelmed as they were now.

But she wasn’t the Avatar, not anymore. No matter how much she wanted otherwise, no matter how much it hurt, Raava was gone. She was just another waterbender now, one with a small supply of water trying to defend against a growing army of dark spirits. Granted, her skill as a waterbender was greater than her skill with any of the other three elements, and she wasn’t holding back. Katara, too, was a master herself, and now back in her prime. Even so, the two of them together couldn’t hold back these spirits forever.

“How’s that bridge coming!” she called. She didn’t chance a look back over her shoulder; she couldn’t afford to. The spirits seemed to be multiplying, getting closer by the second.

“Almost there!” Kuvira replied, over the sound of earth crumbling and forming together, and the shrieking wails of angry spirits.

“Katara, be ready to run! We have to—!” Korra’s words cut out with a sharp gasp, as she felt a cold grip tighten around her ankle and yank her leg out from underneath her. She fall flat on her backside, head caroming against the ground. For a few seconds, she just lied there, dazed, seeing only bright colors flickering in front of her eyes. Then, the next thing she knew, the spirit that had grabbed her pulled her higher into the air. Before the spirit could further harm her, though, a flying chunk of earth smashed into its side and released her. She fell with a shout, unable to right herself in midair, but a strong pair of arms caught her before she could hit the ground.

“I got you,” Kuvira said, setting Korra on her feet. “The bridge is ready, so let’s—”

“Look out!” Katara called. The master waterbender spun her body and lashed out a slicing razor of ice at a group of spirits, but they were too fast. They ran full force into both Korra and Kuvira, shoving the pair over the edge of the chasm.

Korra made a desperate attempt at bending the earth along the side of the cliff—a simple reflex after her whole life as the Avatar—but remembered too late that she could no longer bend earth. Even in her efforts to recover and save herself with water were futile, as the water she had been using was no longer near her; she had no source left. Her fall, however, ceased abruptly when a metal cable wrapped around her ankle. She yelled as her body jerked and swung back against the side of the earthen wall, but she was able to steady herself shortly thereafter. Tilting her head towards her chest, she looked up above to see Kuvira dangling with her legs pressed against the cliff, one arm raised with a metal cable latched against one of the rocks near the top ledge, and her other arm pointed down, with the cable attached to Korra’s ankle.

“Just hang on!” Kuvira called. “I’ll reel you in!”

As the cables began to retract, pulling them both up towards the ledge, Korra felt a rustling beneath her shirt. She blinked, confused at first to what it was. When the rolled pieces of parchment fell past her eyes, however, she knew—the scrolls that they had received from the Spirit Library. A jolt of panic exploded in her chest as she made a desperate grab for them, but in that single second she was too slow; her fingers just brushed up against the scrolls, pulled out of reach by the retracting cable. She could only watch with wide eyes as they disappeared into the dark abyss below.

 _“No!”_ she shouted, her mouth falling open in horror. They _needed_ those scrolls, otherwise it wouldn’t matter if they survived. The decision came to her in less than a second; reaching up to her ankle, she gripped the end of the metal cable wrapped around her and gave it a tug—just enough to slip her foot free. She hung there only a second longer before falling after the scrolls into the darkness.

“Korra, what are you doing?!” Kuvira shouted. She never received an answer before her wife disappeared from view, and her following decision took even less time to make than Korra’s decision to jump after the scrolls. Releasing the cables, she plummeted down into the abyss, and in a single instant, everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As if things couldn't be bad enough, now the entire spirit world is against them! Because hey, they needed more problems, right? So I certainly hope people enjoyed the past couple chapters, not sure when I'll be able to get the next one up. Shouldn't be too too long, though. Again, we're nearing the end, but it's been a heck of a ride.


	138. Chaos in the Caldera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The changes in the spirit world cause more problem, this time for Azula. Meanwhile, Sen sets his sights on the Fire Nation capital.

Azula paused when the sky darkened, stopping her trek to gaze upward and squint at the black and purple shadows. That kind of change was not normal, she knew. In all her time spent in the Spirit World, the atmosphere had only ever changed like this on rare occasions, and it had never been a good sign. This could be the telling of something sinister, likely a result of Sen’s influence extending all the way here and altering things. Granted, she didn’t know how that was possible, or if it even was, but she couldn’t stand there and gawk forever. If the Spirit World was being affected like this, she could only imagine what the physical world was going through right now.

A whipping wind picked up as she resumed her pace. She wrapped her arms around herself and fought down a sudden shiver that ran down her arms. There was still a ways to go to make it back to the spirit portal and meet up with the others, if they were even there. Hopefully, they had had more luck than she, and had already made it back through the portal without her. So far, this trip to the Spirit World had been a failure. Koh should have had every reason to take a stand against his brother, and yet just like most other spirits, he spurned humans. If Korra and the others hadn’t found anything, then Koh’s refusal to help could very well be all their undoing.

A swooping shadow drew her attention away from her thoughts. Azula’s body snapped into a defensive stance out of reflex, fingers raised and feet spread. The shadow didn’t attack at first, though, instead floating several yards above her head. It was a spirit, she realized, but not a normal spirit like the ones she had seen on her way here. Those spirits had been docile, and tended to ignore her presence entirely. This one was twisted and distorted, with deep, shadowed colors and glowing yellow eyes. She had seen spirits like this before—during Harmonic Convergence, when she had made her escape from the Spirit World. Soon, that one spirit was joined by others, just a few at first but then a swarm of dozens, coming in from all directions. They surrounded her in the air, circling above her head.

“What in the world…” she muttered, narrowing a stare up at the spirits.

For a brief few moments, nothing happened. The spirits simply circled her, as if waiting for her to let her guard down. The peace didn’t last. Without warning, the spirits altered their direction and dove at her all in unison. Azula shifted a step backwards and thrust her fingers above her head. Lightning surged through her and leaped up into the sky, blasting the initial swarm of spirits in a blinding flash of blue and white. At first, it seemed as though her attack had worked in warding away her attackers, as the spirits flew away and scattered. Just as suddenly as the first time, though, they lurched towards her again in another coordinated attack. She released another bolt of lightning from her fingers to push them back, but this time there were too many; no matter the ones that scattered, there were more to keep coming at her.

Azula pulled out of her stance and took off in a dead sprint across a field of sparkling grass ahead of her. Under normal circumstances, this particular field glittered like diamonds. Now, in the darkened, twisted environment that was the Spirit World, it flickered like ghostly lights trying to guide her to her doom. She kept her eyes up in this case, her focus on the spirits in the sky. The faster and farther she ran, the more spirits appeared and the more flew to attack her. She threw fire into the sky, a desperate attempt to give herself some breathing room, but the spirits kept coming. Eventually, she tucked her arms back close against her body and concentrated fully on her sprint; if she couldn’t keep them away with bending, she would have to outrun them.

“Keep away from me, you insufferable apparitions!” she called, as a pair of spirits flew in on either side of her. They reached out to grab her with their twisted arms, but she leaped over their grasp. In the same motion, she spun and erupted a wheel of blue flames from her body to push them back.

She should have known that something like this would happen. She had vowed never to come back to the Spirit World, and yet she had done so twice now. She hated it, and apparently it also hated her. If she made it out this time, then she was certain; she would never return.

Another spirit made a grab at her and she slid beneath its grasp, leaving a trail of flames behind her. “You’re really beginning to piss me off!”

Another crackle of lightning sparked at her fingertips, and in mid-slide she turned and fired the shot back at the spirits. The bolt fried the initial swarm, but after the energy dissipated a second group spread out and came at her from all sides. She spun herself again and ignited a whirl of fire around herself to force them backwards. The tactic worked, at first, causing the spirits to reel back with pained shrieks. She tried again, but this time the spirits fought back. They released their own energy, pushing the bright blue flames back towards her. Azula was forced to shield herself with her arms for cover, and when the fire finally disappeared the spirits were upon her. She made another attempt to firebend, but nothing happened. The spirits smothered her, forced her to the ground. Within moments, she lost all sense of sight and sound—darkness overtook her, and in spite of how hard she shouted, not a sound came out.

* * *

Korra blinked her eyes open, and uttered a deep groan as she felt the pain throb in her head. For the first few moments, she remained lying on the ground, unmoving in reluctance to make the pain worse. When at last she felt well enough, she forced herself upright and squinted through the dim green glow that illuminated the area. She seemed to be in some kind of underground cavern, complete with a small lake fed by a river. All around the walls of the cavern, glowing green crystals jutted out from the rock, and all throughout the air little wisps of light floated like sparkling dust.

“Ungh…my head,” she muttered, clawing her fingers through her hair. A pounding ache throbbed deep between her eyes, so hard that the thought her skull might split in two at any moment.

“That generally happens when you jump down a bottomless chasm,” a voice replied.

Kuvira took a step into view and held a hand down. Korra blinked at her a moment, then took her hand and pulled herself up to her feet. She stumbled a second, but caught her balance against her wife’s shoulder. “Clearly, it’s not bottomless, seeing as how we’re now _at_ the bottom. Besides, I dropped the scrolls…I had to go after them.”

Kuvira frowned, narrowing a glare. “What good are the scrolls if you’re dead?”

“What good is me being alive if we lose the scrolls?” she countered. “If we don’t stop Sen, then we’re all dead anyway.”

A subtle sigh eased from Kuvira’s lips, and she he reached forward to pull Korra in for a tight hug. “Just don’t go doing something crazy like that again, alright?”

“Yeah, alright,” she conceded, returning the embrace. She held on for a long moment, then finally pulled away and looked around the cavern. “Now, where are those scrolls?”

Korra found them floating in the underground lake, unrolled and saturated with water. She was delicate when retrieving them, taking care not to tear or ruin them in any way. Guiding her arms through the air, she lifted a bubble of water from the surface that contained the pair of scrolls within. When she had them over dry land, she immediately extracted every last drop from the parchment, leaving both scrolls bone dry; they were a bit crinkled now, but the ink hadn’t run and they were still legible. With a relieved sigh, she rolled them up and again stuffed them inside her shirt.

“Alright, we got the scrolls,” Kuvira said. “Now how do we get out of here?”

“That’s a good question…” Korra held her hands to her hips and further examined the cavern. From what she could tell, there didn’t seem to be a way out, aside from a narrow passage through which the river flowed. “I’m not even sure where we are. If there’s anything I’ve learned about the Spirit World, though, it’s that there’s always a way to get somewhere. I just hope Katara is doing alright. We left her up there with those spirits…”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Kuvira assured, as she took a step towards the cavern wall. Widening her stance, she held out her fists and pushed the earth inward to create the beginnings of a tunnel. “Katara was a master a long time before we were. She knows how to handle herself.”

“I hope you’re right.” Korra heaved a sigh as she followed her wife through the newly created path. “Let’s hurry. There’s no telling how long we’ve been here, and Sen is poised to make his next move. If we don’t move fast, more innocent people are going to fall victim to him.”

* * *

Shayu stared at the ground as she wheeled herself through the Fire Nation capital. Ever since the events over a year ago, when her sister, Yula, had nearly torn apart the world with the Dragon Empire, she and her mother had been allowed to remain living here. They moved out of the palace, though—too many painful memories for them had taken place behind those walls, memories that they did their best to forget. While at first they had considered moving back to Ba Sing Se, Fire Lord Izumi had offered them a lovely home in the Caldera, an offer they had graciously accepted. Still, in spite of the generosity and lavishness of their lifestyle, the following year had been…difficult, to say the least.

Not at any point during that year had Shayu regained her ability to walk. She had tried, of course; the Fire Nation was home to some of the finest physical therapists in the world, but even they couldn’t make the impossible happen. Regardless of her efforts, her legs could not support her, could not move. She had beaten her fists against her thighs more times than she could count, angrily trying to make them work, but she couldn’t even feel the impact; she felt nothing in those useless limbs of hers.

Many a night had Shayu cried herself to sleep, both over the loss of her legs and because of what had happened with Yula. Coping with the realization that the sister she had known, loved, and grown up with was gone and never coming back had been a near impossible task. Deep down, she still loved her sister—she always would, in a way—but each time she tried to picture Yula the way she had known her years ago, she was reminded of everything Yula did—the grabs for power, the cruelty, manipulation, and the killing…so much killing. Each time she thought of it, her stomach knotted with a sickness that threatened to make her vomit.

Her mother had had it even worse. Ever since the day that Shayu returned in that wheelchair, ever since learning of the horrid things Yula had done, that her oldest daughter would be imprisoned for the rest of her days, Jaya had been a complete mess. To call her depressed would be a callous understatement. Shayu had tried on numerous occasions to cheer her up, yet the results had been lackluster. A constant air of sadness seemed to follow Jaya wherever she went, an air that permeated whoever stepped near her, as if a physical force. There of course were the times that Shayu heard her mother crying, as well—everyday, it seemed. Jaya blamed Yula’s actions on herself, on her failure as a mother, and no matter how many times Shayu tried to convince her otherwise, she would not waver from her self loathing.

Then there was the alcohol. More than a few times, Shayu had come home to find her mother passed out on the couch, still clutching a half empty bottle of some drink or another, and at all times of day—morning, afternoon, night, it made no difference. It pained her, seeing her mother like this, and that pain only deepened with the knowledge that nothing she did could help. Jaya was spiraling farther and farther out of reach each day, and Shayu’s biggest fear was that she would lose her mother the same way she lost her sister.

This was one of those days. On a good day, Jaya would be awake early enough to help her daughter get up, get dressed, cleaned, and fix breakfast. Even in her depression, she didn’t have it in her to neglect Shayu.

On a good day.

Today, however, Shayu had awoken alone in her bed, her mother nowhere to be seen. A long wait later, she had realized that her mother wouldn’t be coming that morning, leaving her to get ready by herself, a task that took far longer and was far more difficult than without aid—two hours to get herself out of bed, wash her face, change her clothes, and fix breakfast. Normally, she would take a bath, too, but that would have taken even longer, and she had already been late for her job at the local tea shop. On her way out the door, she had found her mother passed out in living room, as expected. This time, the bottle had fallen to the floor and spilled the remainder of its contents into the carpet; thta would have to be cleaned later.

As Shayu wheeled her chair around the corner of the next street, she hoped quietly to herself that her boss wouldn’t be upset that she was late. He seemed understanding of her situation, and he had said before that he would be flexible in accommodating her, but still she worried. With the condition that her mother was in, her simple little job at a quiet tea shop was their only source of income. Even if their home had been paid for by the Fire Lord, she still needed this job. They might not have had to pay for housing, but they still needed food, and clothes, and other basic necessities. Izumi had set them up with their new life, but it was up to them to keep it going

Or rather, it was up to Shayu.

A scream wrenched her from her thoughts. She snapped her head upright and blinked, eyes darting around the street. At first, she saw nothing. Then, she realized that that was exactly the problem. She saw no one—no people out on the normally crowded streets, no satomobiles driving by, no idle chatter in the background. A deathly, unnatural silence gripped the air, a silence broken only by that single scream. A second scream soon followed, and was joined by continued shouting of many voices. Shayu’s heart fluttered with a panic, and her hands held frozen on the wheels of her chair.

What on earth was happening?

When her body finally unfroze, she forced herself to continue moving forward. She knew that in any circumstance she should running away from the screams, and yet her curiosity overwhelmed her. She picked up the pace, pushing her wheels harder until she finally made it around the next corner. The scene that unfolded before her, she had no explanation for. She noticed the bodies first—dozens of them, all lying strewn about and motionless, with dead-frozen eyes staring blank with horror. That alone should have been enough to repel her in the opposite direction, to return home and hide, but what she saw next only deepened a growing fear in the center of her chest.

A team of guards stood together, sending shots of fire at a single target—a tall man, lithe, with a thick beard and red and gold robes. That lone firebender expertly defended against the guards with what looked like little effort, deflecting their attacks and countering with his own that sent them scattering. More guards approached from the adjoining street, but a rumbling of earth cut them off. Tall pointed crags of stone erupted from the ground in front of their path, followed by fissures splitting beneath their feet and a veritable explosion of dirt that consumed them. Within seconds, the guards were lost in a cloud of dust and earth, swallowed into the ground below. The culprit appeared moments later, joining the old firebender—a giant of a woman, nearly two heads taller than the man, wearing a billowing green robe and armor, with gold headpiece and white and red facepaint. The remaining guards stood their ground against these two individuals, but they too were obliterated within mere moments.

At this point, Shayu knew she needed to leave. She knew she needed to turn around and head back home as fast as her arms could push herself, and yet her body trembled, unable to act. She could only sit there, staring as the two assailants looked her way. In those few moments when their eyes met, her heart found its way into her throat, and her stomach knotted with a horrified dread.

It wasn’t until a familiar voice called out to her that she broke free of her trance. “Shayu!”

Shayu snapped her gaze over her shoulder, where a man wearing an official's armor now stood at the head of another squad of guards. “General Han? What’s happening? What’s going on?”

“We’re under attack!” Han said. “Couldn’t tell you by who, but you have to get out of here! Men, don’t let them advance! Attack!”

As the new guards raced ahead to meet their opponents, Shayu gripped the wheels of her chair in a death grip. “The-the people, they’re all—”

“I know, I saw them,” Han said. “The city guard is doing everything they can to suppress the attack, but civilians need to get to safety. Where’s your mother?”

“She-she’s back home,” Shayu said. “I have to get to her.”

Han nodded, and grabbed the handles of her wheelchair. “I’ll escort you there. Just stay calm and we’ll—”

A thunderous crash tore through the building next to them, interrupting Han’s words. The wall blew apart in a cloud of debris, and before Shayu could even process what was happening, she felt herself lift free from her chair. The next few moments were a blur, but when she regained her sense of awareness, she found herself lying on her stomach, surrounded by broken bits of wood, metal, and glass. Her first instinct was to pick herself up and stand, but when her legs didn’t respond she scolded herself for even trying; she couldn’t stand, she knew that. A quick look to her left revealed that her wheelchair had taken the worst of the impact; it now was little more than a twisted pile of scrap metal, leaving her helpless on the ground.

The next thing she saw rendered her at a loss of words and comprehension. Lifting her gaze up at the ruined building, she witnessed a towering figure; some kind of inspect—a gejigeji, perhaps. Its size was not the only thing that perturbed her, but also its unnervingly human face that stared downward, scanning the street. The insect’s soulless black eyes spotted Han and made a dash for him. Within seconds, it had the general pinned against the ground with several of its spindly legs, and with a single deep breath it pulled out from his mouth a glowing wisp of light. The insect gulped the wisp into its mouth and swallowed, then released its victim. General Han crumpled to the ground unmoving, eyes frozen open in horror.

Shayu released an indecipherable screech of terror at the sight. She gripped her fingers into the dirt and pulled with her elbows in an attempt to crawl across the ground—the only method she had to get away. She knew it wouldn’t be enough, though. Already she could feel the massive gejigeji towering above her. Wet tears streaked down her face as she looked back over her shoulder to see it looming there, and in that moment she knew her life was over.

Before the beast could lunge at her, though, several balls of fire exploded against its side. It turned, eyes locking onto the four guards attacking it nearby. They threw even more fire its way, but this time the flames dissipated before they even reached their target. Again, the gejigeji inhaled a deep breath. All four guards froze in unison, unable to move with their mouths and eyes wide open. Just as with General Han, glowing wisps of light floated from their lips and into the monster’s open maw, and then each victim fell limp to the ground.

“N-no…please…please don’t,” Shayu uttered, words trembling through choked sobs. The gejigeji turned again to her, slashing a grin across its face. This was her end.

But before the monster could attack, a wall of flames ignited between them, towering towards the sky. A bolt of lightning followed, driving against the insect's side. In that brief moment when it was stunned, Shayu felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her and lift her into the air. She instinctively shouted and struggled against the hold, but it was no use; the grip would not yield. The world flew by her in a blur, until the next thing she knew she was inside a building—an antique store, from the look of it.

The figure carrying her set her down behind the counter and then peered up over the top, towards the window. A moment of silence followed, and then the man lowered himself downward again to look at her. “Shayu, are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Shayu blinked in confusion. “Wha-who—do I know…?”

Her words trailed, though, as she stared at him. It was strange—she was certain she had never met this man, and yet the burn scar across his left eye seemed so...familiar. The longer she looked, the more she felt she recognized him. He bore the face of a young man, with long hair and a topknot, and was dressed in a red and gold combat outfit of regal design. She had seen that face somewhere before... In paintings, she realized—paintings in the royal palace. She _did_ know this man!

“Oh my spirits…” she uttered, with eyes lifting wide. _“Lord Zuko?”_

“Yeah…”he replied, with a subtle nod. “I know I look a little different now, but it’s me. I’m back.”

To say that he looked different was an understatement; he appeared at least fifty years younger than when she had last seen him. That was only one of two impossibilities, though.; the other, of course, was that he was alive at all. He should have been dead—killed by Yula.“How…?”

“It’s a long story, and I can explain everything later, but right now we have to get you out of here.”

She barely heard him. Instead, she threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding tight. The tears in her eyes flowed now with renewed strength, gushing down her cheeks. “Lord Zuko! I’m sorry…for everything. I’m so sorry for what Yula did!”

Zuko eased a sigh, and brought an arm around her. “I know, it’s alright. Let’s just focus on finding your mother and getting out of here right now.”

Shayu sniffled and leaned back again, wiping her eyes. “What’s going on? I don’t understand…”

“That thing that attacked you earlier? That was Sen, a dark spirit bent on destroying humanity,” he explained. “Myself, the Avatar, and a lot of others have been working to stop him, but we haven’t been very successful so far. I came here to warn the Fire Nation about him, but it looks like I was too late. The only thing we can do now is try to escape in one piece.”

“A dark spirit? That’s…horrible.” A sinking dread burned in the pit of her stomach; how could they hope to stop something like that?“Where’s the Fire Lord in all of this? Shouldn’t she be helping?”

“My daughter…” Zuko tilted her head downward, eyes closing. With a heavy breath, he said, “She’s already become a victim of Sen’s. My grandson, too. Their spirits have been removed, and they’re slowly dying because of it. There isn’t much time left for them.”

“Oh my…” Shayu swallowed and looked away, already regretting asking the question. “I’m so sorry.”

Zuko was silent a moment longer, then looked up at her again. “Come on, let’s get moving. Where are you living now?”

“Over in the East District.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Zuko reached forward and lifted Shayu into his arms again. Then, he made his way towards the entrance and peered out the window; the commotion seemed to have died down, at least on this street. When he was satisfied that the coast was clear, he pushed the door open and fled towards the east side of the city.

* * *

Shayu’s neighborhood was uncharacteristically quiet when they arrived, a stark contrast to the terror they had just fled from. She realized soon after they made it outside her front door that it was because there were no people anywhere—just like the street they had come from. The only difference was that there were no bodies scattered across the ground here. Whether that was because everyone was hiding or because they had run away, she wasn’t certain. She only hoped that spirit hadn’t gotten to them.

Zuko wasted no time, kicking the front door open and racing inside the home. He paused for a brief moment inside the main foyer, looking around as if to locate Jaya. Shayu simply pointed towards the living room.

“She’s in there.” Shayu fought back the lump in her throat when they found her mother passed out on the couch, just the same as that morning. Before Zuko got a chance to try waking the woman, Shayu pointed across the room at another wheelchair, this one tucked near the corner of the room. She already hated having to be carried like this—helpless, and nothing but a burden. “My backup chair.”

“Right, here,” Zuko said, as he set her down gently in the chair. He then made his way to the couch and gave the sleeping woman a firm shake on the shoulder. “Jaya. Jaya!”

Jaya stirred with a groan, but did not wake. Shayu pouted at this response, and wheeled herself closer. “Mom! Wake up, please! We have to go!”

Her mother stirred harder this time, eyes squinting tight. Soon, they blinked and opened, until Jaya found herself staring straight up at her daughter. “Shayu? What… is something wrong?”

“It’s—we have to go,” Shayu insisted, not quite sure how to explain the situation. “I just… _please_. Please get up and let’s go, right now.”

Jaya squinted at her daughter in confusion. “I don’t understand. What are you… _mmph_ …talking about?” She had to pause, raising her fingers to her eyes and squinting again—a migraine, most likely, which she frequently received the mornings after she drank herself to sleep.

Zuko cleared his throat. “It’s a long story, one I can explain on the way, but we need to get you both to safety. We’ll head for my airship.”

“You…” Jaya stared at him for a long moment, studying the scar. When the revelation hit her, her eyes finally snapped open, wide awake. “Lord Zuko? Is that…?”

“Yes, it’s me,” he replied. Noting the disbelief on her face, he added, “I know, and that’s another thing I’ll explain later. But we can’t waste any more time.”

“Listen to him, Mom,” Shayu pleaded. “It’s terrible out there…”

Jaya opened her mouth to respond, but before a sound could escape her lips, a distant scream cut her off. She looked to the window, out at the street, but saw nothing. She could hear, though; following that first scream were others, until panic overtook their neighborhood. People sprinted into view, some looking back over their shoulders, others tripping and falling in their haste. From her vantage point, she couldn’t see what they were running from, but she didn’t have to. She rose to her feet, staggering a moment before catching her balance, and then took a step behind her daughter to grab the handles of the wheelchair. “Alright…let’s go.”

When they made it outside, they joined the citizens fleeing down the street. Unlike those who ran and screamed in terror, though, Shayu made an attempt to hold herself together, to at least try and be calm. In spite of her efforts, her heart still thumped like wild against her chest, and a cold feeling of ice tingled through her veins. All around them, she could hear the pandemonium—explosions, trembling earth, sounds of battle, and shrieks of horror, all melded together in a single cacophony of chaos.

“By the spirits…” Jaya uttered, as she pushed her daughter’s wheelchair along as fast as she could manage. Keeping pace with Zuko was a challenge, but she wouldn’t let herself fall behind.

“Keep moving!” Zuko called. He stopped at an intersection and looked both ways, then waved them along to the left. “This way!”

Before he took even two steps more, the wall of the building next to them exploded outward in a shower of glass and metal. A flash of déjà vu flickered through Shayu’s mind, as again she became unseated from her wheelchair. This time, she was more aware of what was happening, but could see only a spinning world of madness all around her as she rolled across the ground. When she finally came to a stop, she found herself staring up at the sky, and even though she was no longer moving, still it spun. Nausea overtook her; any further, she thought, and she would surely vomit.

“Shayu!”The voice belonged to Zuko. He came to her side and assisted in sitting her upright, checking her closely. “Are you alright?”

“Fine... I’m fine,” she responded, with a slow shake of her head. “Where’s my mother?”

Zuko glanced towards the debris from the building. “I think she’s right over… oh no.”

Jaya had fallen some twenty paces away, half buried beneath rubble. A thin layer of dust coated her face, marred only by a long red line down the side of her skull. The laceration didn’t appear too severe, but blood still flowed freely from it, and the blow had clearly left her dazed; she hardly moved, only enough to groan and weakly grab at her head. That, however, was not why Zuko’s tone had shifted into dismay. Rather, it was the giant gejigeji standing above her—Sen, the dark spirit who had caused this insanity.

“Mom!” Shayu called. She already knew what was coming, yet she didn’t want to believe it even as she watched the event unfold before her eyes. Sen lowered his twisted humanoid face, opened his mouth, and then pulled out the glowing essence from Jaya’s mouth. _“No!”_

Before she even had time to process what had happened, she felt Zuko lift her into his arms. With a sudden panic, she looked up at him and shrieked, “What are you _doing?!”_

“We have to go!” he replied, already taking off into a run.

“We can’t leave her! We can’t leave my mom!”

Zuko’s response was firmer, more adamant. “There’s nothing we can do! If we stay behind, we’ll meet the same fight!”

“No!” Shayu snapped her gaze back to her mother. Something broke inside her as she watched them grow farther and farther away, as though someone had reached inside her chest, grabbed her heart, and shredded it into ribbons. She felt like a little girl again, frightened and helpless. “Mooom! NO! _MOMMY!!!”_

* * *

They made it to the airfield without any further issue. It didn’t matter. By the time Zuko brought her inside the airship and set her down in one of the cockpit seats, Shayu’s mind had drifted, as though she had withdrawn into herself and shut out everything going on around her. She didn’t even look at him when he started the controls and raised the airship into the sky; she simply grabbed her legs and pulled them up to her chest, curling into a ball. The stare she gave was not at anything in particular, but rather blank and unfocused.

As the airship floated over the city, Zuko gazed down out the cockpit window at the chaos below. Half the city had been torn apart with fire and earth, and amongst it all were the near lifeless bodies of now spiritless people—innocent people, who did not deserve the fate Sen had given them.

“Damn this spirit…” he muttered, giving a quick look back to Shayu. One might have confused her with one of Sen’s victims; she seemed broken and empty, nothing but a shell. It angered him, seeing her like this, enough so that he turned and slammed his fist against the main console. In such a short time, Sen had already destroyed so many lives—too many lives.

And it would only get worse from here.

* * *

When Azula opened her eyes, a dull throb of pain surged through what felt like her entire body. She forced her way up to a seated position, but as she did so the room started to spin around her. A soft groan left her lips and she wavered, but soon caught her balance and hunched forward, a hand pressed to her forehead. What on earth had happened? She remembered spirits, and darkness, and then… then nothing. Everything was blank.

Where was she now? She forced her eyes open, in spite of the pain behind them—a small room, in what looked like a simple home. She was in a bed, surrounded by old, antique furniture and decorations of green and yellow, and paintings of spiritual landscapes. On the table nearby sat a tea set, complete with cups and a steaming pot—she could smell what she thought was jasmine tea, something she knew only because her fuddy duddy Uncle used to make it all the time. The scent brought back a whirlwind of memories, memories that she didn’t care to reflect on right now. No, she wanted to know only one thing right now.

How did she get here?

“Oh good, you’re awake.” The voice came from the doorway, and a quick look revealed Katara standing there. She immediately crossed the room and sat in the chair beside the bed. “Try to take it easy. You still need to recover.”

“Katara?”Azula’s vision blurred a moment, but still she shrugged away the woman’s hand when it touched her shoulder. “Ungh, I’m _fine_ , thank you very much. What happened?”

“You were swarmed by dark spirits and passed out,” Katara replied. “Same thing happened to me.”

“And you saved me?”

“No, actually. The same person who helped me did, and then he brought us back here.” Katara sat back in her chair and raised a hand to pull out the water in her hip flask. Then, she leaned forward and pressed a glowing palm to Azula’s abdomen. “Now just be still for a minute.”

Azula tried to pull away, but in her position beneath the blankets such a thing was impossible. “I said I was fine.”

“Would you relax? I’m checking on the baby.”

“Oh…right. Of course.” Azula paused with an unsteady blink, still trying to regain her full sense of awareness. The baby… She had almost forgotten. With everything that had happened since learning that she was pregnant, she had barely had time to reflect on it. Thinking of it now brought an almost sick feeling of dread deep in her gut. “How…how is it?”

Katara smiled, then pulled her hand back.“The baby’s fine. Nothing to worry about.”

“Good…That’s good.” Azula heaved a steady sigh and let her eyes close again; she still felt dizzy, but she was starting to settle. “Now, who exactly did you say helped us?”

Rather than from Katara, the voice that answered her came from the doorway, where someone new had entered the room. “Ah, good, you are awake. You’ve been out for quite some time. I was beginning to worry.”

“Wha…?”Azula’s eyes snapped open. She _knew_ that voice, from long ago. Even after so many years, it hadn’t faded from her memory. When she looked to the figure now standing in front of the bed, she gawked, unsure if the plump, bald man with long grey beard really was there, or if she was seeing things. “ _Uncle?”_

Iroh smiled at his niece, folding his hands together inside the sleeves of his robe. “Hello, Azula. It’s been quite some time, hasn’t it? How have you been?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I bet people probably weren't expecting to see Shayu again! But, I needed a focal character for the attack on the Fire Natio ncapital, and she was perfect for that. It was also fun to write her again and catch up with her after everything that happened, and see she's been during the past year. So yeah, I thought that was nice, hopefully you thing so too. 
> 
> And then there's the surprise reunion at the end of the chapter! Azula gets to meet her uncle again, but obviously things will be much different this time around. It's been quite a while since they've seen each other and Azula has changed a lot, so it should be interesting.
> 
> As always, if anyone has any thoughts they'd like to add, leave a comment and let me know what you think!


	139. What Chance Do We Have?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula has an unexpected reunion with her uncle. Meanwhile, Suyin adjust to her new life with her family back in Zaofu.

Azula stared a long while at her uncle before she said anything. It had been so long since she had seen him; she couldn’t even remember the exact moment. She was pretty sure, though, that she had tried to kill him the last time they met. That had been…so long ago. Seeing him here now left her in an odd state of confusion and guilt, as though the universe was again putting one of her past regrets directly in front of her, to mock her. How else was she supposed to feel? She had never been close to her uncle—that had been Zuko—and had only ever been horrible to him, in spite of his good willed nature. A coward and a traitor—that was what she had thought of him.

So why would he have come to her now?

“I don’t understand,” she said at last, holding a hand to her head. “How… How are you here?”

“Ah, you mean how am I in the spirit world?” Iroh said.

“Well yes, that is what I mean. How are you still alive?” Azula swallowed a knot in her throat, as she thought of the likely reason. “Did Sen bring you back to torment me, too?”

But that simple, pleasant old man simply chuckled at her assertion and smiled. “No, no, don’t worry, Azula. Nothing like that, I assure you. When I died, I left my physical body behind and my spirit came here, to the Spirit World. I’ve been living here ever since.”

Azula squinted skeptically at him. “So this is…you’re a spirit?”

“I am,” he replied. “Unlike you, isn’t that right? It’s been nearly ninety years and yet you still look just how I remember you.”

“Yes, well that’s…a long story,” she muttered. She wouldn’t even know how to begin explaining to him everything that had happened over the past near-century.

Again, he merely smiled at her. “I know. Katara already filled me in. A lot has happened to you over the years, hasn’t it?”

Her gaze drifted away from him, instead trailing down towards the bedsheets. “Yes…” That was an understatement, if ever there was one.

Katara glanced back and forth between the two a moment, then slowly backed away towards the door. “Uh, I think I’ll give you two some time alone for a while. I’ll just be outside.” She waved, then scurried out of the room and shut the door behind her.

When they were alone, Iroh made his way over to the table near the bed. He paused a moment, breathing in deep through his nose to take in the scent of the steaming pot. Then, he began pouring the pot to fill two separate cups. “Would you like some tea? I know you never cared for it, but it’s only polite to offer.”

“Well, I…” Azula almost outright refused the tea; she really hadn’t ever cared for it, only ever putting up with it for special occasions, like making up with Mai and Ty Lee. But what was this, if not a special occasion? And a bizarre one, at that. “I suppose I could have some.”

Iroh smiled as he passed her one of the steaming cups. “There you are.”

She stared into her own reflection in the tea, not able to bring herself to take a sip. When finally she couldn’t bare looking at herself any longer, she raised the cup to her lips; the flavor was better than she had anticipated, and warmed her body just the right amount, without scalding the inside of her throat. “Hmm…It’s actually not that bad.”

“And because it’s from the Spirit World, you don’t have to worry about gaining any weight from it,” Iroh added, with a chuckle. “Not that tea is much of a danger to one’s figure in any case.”

Azula raised an eyebrow at him. “I see you haven’t changed much at all.”

“But you have.” Iroh focused on her, somehow making his expression both welcoming and stern. Then, he took a step closer to the bed and pulled up a chair to sit. As he did, his smile returned, but it was different this time—not just friendly, but satisfied, as if admiring the young woman in front of him. As if…proud. “I heard about it from Katara when you were out. I can see it now just by looking at you. You’re a different person from the last time we met. You seem…happier.”

She blinked at him, and raised the teacup back to her lips again. “I suppose I am… It’s still something I’m growing used to, I’ll admit. Not having to be perfect all the time. Not terrorizing people. Not being so…cruel. Having people who actually  _care_  about me, people I don’t have to frighten into liking me.” Her own gaze went out of focus, as she thought back to how her life had changed over the past few years. Her life had been corrupted by so many horrible memories that having pleasant ones to look back on now was both wonderful and frightening. “It’s…nice.”

Iroh watched her for a while, saying nothing as he sipped his own tea. Eventually, though, he eased a sigh and lowered his own gaze in shame. “I feel I should apologize, Azula.”

“What?” The rather absurd claim snapped her out of her own daze. She stared back at her uncle with a puzzled look, brow scrunched together. “What exactly for? I’m the one tormented you and Zuko. I nearly _killed_ you. Several times.”

“I need to apologize for not being there for you the way I was for Zuko,” he insisted. “I knew what my brother was doing to you, how he was raising you. I could see the problems it was causing, and how it was affecting you. After your mother left, you no longer had a positive influence in your life. I should have tried to be that influence. Instead, I sat back and watched as Ozai further corrupted your childhood. Eventually, I simply wrote you off as crazy…foolish thoughts of a foolish old man.” Iroh hummed a disappointed breath—disappointed in himself—and then lifted his eyes to look at her again. “For that, Azula, I am sorry.”

She stared at him for what seemed an eternity—certainly longer than could be considered comfortable. If she said she knew how to respond so her uncle’s apology, she would have been lying. What _could_ she say? She had never been good with this kind of stuff. All she could do was turn her head away and sigh, while her heart went numb inside her chest. The numbness spread up to her throat, until finally she swallowed back another knot and closed her eyes.

“It’s just as well,” she said, with a shrug. “We both know that my father never would have let you influence me, and by the time my mother left I was probably already too far gone to listen to someone like you. I probably would have just insulted you and tried to set your beard on fire.”

“Even so.”

“Yes, well…thank you,” she said, softly. “And, well… I’m sorry, too.” The words sounded strange even as they came out of her own mouth. She had made more apologies in the past year than she had over her entire lifetime, and still she wasn’t used to it. It was even stranger to be apologizing to her uncle—a feat she never thought would be possible, not least of all because he was dead. This entire conversation so far had been utterly surreal.

“Please, you have nothing to apologize for,” Iroh said, raising his hand as if to stave off her apology. “You, like so many others, were a product of your upbringing. Had you been raised differently, I believe you would have turned out a different person, and perhaps things would have gone better for you.”

Azula merely shrugged. “Well there’s no use crying over spilled tea. I can’t change my childhood. I can’t change the things I did. All I can do is just…try to be better going forward.”

“And I think you’re already off to a wonderful start.” Iroh smiled as he stood from his chair, walking back to the table to refill his teacup. “Working with the Avatar, I hear?”

“Uh, well yes…” she replied, with a defiant clear of her throat. She knew the irony of it, working with the new Avatar after having done so much to torment the previous one. “Circumstances demand it, you know. It’s not like I’m _friends_ with her or anything. I mean, not like best friends.” She fidgeted in her bed a moment, then stuffed the rim of her cup back to her lips to take another sip. “More like acquaintances. We tolerate each other.”

“Mmhm. Of course.” Iroh offered a simple smirk as he turned to his niece again, but he didn’t press the matter. The look on his face said clearly enough that he saw straight through her denial. “So, a baby?”

“Oh…yes.”Azula brought a hand down to her abdomen and smiled lightly. “A baby.”

“And who is the lucky man?”

“His name is Anraq,” she said. She paused a moment, then widened her smirk and uttered a quiet chuckle. “Heh, I call him Annie. He hates that nickname usually, but not when it’s from me.”

Iroh sipped his tea and smiled. “Well, I believe you’ll make an excellent mother.”

“I already am,” she insisted, with a more genuine smile than she had meant to give. “At least, that’s what I’ve been told. Annie already has another daughter from a past relationship. Kanna. She’s…the sweetest little thing you’ve ever seen, I swear. I guess I’ve sort of adopted her over the past year.” Her thoughts and focus drifted again, and soon she found herself smiling aimlessly ahead of herself. “She really is wonderful. They both are.” But as soon as she said it, her expression twisted with pain. Her hand tightened over her abdomen and she bowed her head, jaw clenched.

Iroh noticed her shift in demeanor instantly. He took a step closer, and again lowered himself again into the chair. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that I’ve probably lost them both for good,” she shot back. “Sen got to them, stole their spirits, and now they’re… If we don’t stop Sen, they’re both dead. _Everyone_ is dead.”

“Sen…”Iroh brought his hands together and hummed thoughtfully. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of this spirit before now, but I’ve seen the changes around the Spirit World. These changes aren’t normal, and now I understand why that is.”

Azula nodded. “Sen is causing this. He’ll destroy everything if we don’t stop him, which means I can’t afford to sit here and rest.” She promptly set her teacup down and then threw the blankets off herself to get out of bed. As soon as her feet touched the floor, though, her legs buckled and she stumbled forward.

Iroh reacted quickly, reaching forward to catch her before she fell. “Easy, Azula. You still haven’t fully recovered.”

“I’ll be fine. I _have_ to be.” She held on to her uncle just a moment longer before pulling away to stand under her own power. “I appreciate your help, Uncle…really. But the longer we take in the Spirit World, the less time we have. We have to find the Avatar and get back to the physical world.”

“I understand,” he said, with a nod. “Katara mentioned that she and the others found something from the Spirit Library to help, but it won’t be easy. Just be careful.”

Azula scoffed as she made her way towards the door. “I’m always careful. Mostly.”

Just before she left, Iroh spoke out to her. “And Azula, when all this is over, please come back and visit. I’d be happy to make you some tea any time.”

“I…” She had to stop herself before she answered. She had already made the decision never to come back here to the Spirit World. She hated it here, and she hated spirits. And yet, even so…perhaps visiting her uncle every so often wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Rather than refuse his offer, she sighed and glanced back at him. “I guess we’ll see. Goodbye, Uncle.”

* * *

Korra squinted in the darkness of the tunnel. The only source of light was the gentle mist of glowing spirit orbs that floated aimlessly through the air and seemed to follow them wherever they went. In spite of these lights, they were not bright, and offered only a dull glow of illumination. She remained close behind Kuvira, allowing the earthbender to continue digging further through the solid rock around them, the same as the past several hours. At this point, there was no telling when or if they would ever find their way to freedom.

How deep below ground had they fallen?

“I really wish I could still firebend,” she muttered. “It's so dark...”

“Well, it's not like we have to worry about bumping into anything,” Kuvira said, with a quick glance over her shoulder. She took another step forward and pushed her fists through the air—another section of tunnel dug farther ahead of her. “As long as I keep this up, anyway.”

Korra eased a soft sigh and continued following. “I don't suppose you have any idea where we're going? What does your seismic sense tell you?”

“I've been feeling out vibrations in the ground since we started,” Kuvira said. “As far as I can tell, we're in solid earth. That's why I've been tilting the path upwards. I figure if we’re underground, we have to reach the surface eventually.”

“If only the Spirit World was that simple... For all we know, we're heading farther and farther towards oblivion.”

Kuvira raised an eyebrow, lips pursed. “Well, there's a comforting thought.”

“Some honeymoon this turned out to be, huh?” Korra managed a half chuckle to try and lighten the mood. “Here I wanted to surprise you with a trip to a tropical island. Instead, we're trapped in the Spirit World and fighting a dark spirit trying to destroy humanity. It would be funny, if it weren't so horrifying.”

Kuvira looked back again and offered a partial smirk. “I suppose the good news is that when this is all over, we'll be able to take a real honeymoon together. A long one, just the two of us, together, relaxing...” A wistful sigh left her lips, as she turned her attention ahead of herself again. “I'm looking forward to it already.”

“If we succeed...” Korra’s demeanor hardened again, no longer able to keep up a pleasant charade; their current circumstance didn’t allow for it. “It's one thing to be optimistic, but this... Our chances aren't very good, are they?”

“No, I guess they aren't...” Kuvira shifted her stance, carving out a deeper section through the earth. “But that doesn't mean we're going to give up.”

Korra nodded. “I know. We can't give up. We _won't_. Sen has already hurt too many people. My parents, our friends...” She let her words hang a moment and bowed her head, eyes closed. She had been forced to hold her emotions in before, when Jinora had contacted them; she couldn’t afford to slow down. Right now, though, fighting back those feelings was a greater challenge than she could have anticipated. Now, not only was her father at risk, but her mother, too, and most of her friends. So many… Too many. “Whatever it takes, we have to end him.”

“We will,” Kuvira said. “As long as there's a chance, there's hope.” She then paused a second to reflect on her words, and uttered a soft laugh at their irony. “There’s something that eight years ago I never would have thought I’d say. My life seemed so… hopeless back then. Not so much anymore.”

It was at that point that Korra stopped walking, and just gazed at her wife. Both their lives had changed so much in the past eight years, in ways that neither of them could have expected. They had grown close to each other, come together, fallen in love, gotten married…And now all of that could be coming to an end. As much as she wanted to hope, as much as she wanted to be confident, losing to Sen was a very real possibility. Try as they might, they were only human, in the end.

“Kuvira, if we fail… if we don't make it, I want you to know how much I love you.” Korra swallowed back a knot in her throat and eased in a steady breath, trying to settle her stomach. Now that she had time to actually stop and think about everything that had happened, and still was happening, the consequences of their potential failure unnerved her more than ever. “I never imagined my life turning out the way it did, with you, but now I can't imagine it any other way. I know we haven’t been together long, or had much time to really sit back and _enjoy_ being together without something catastrophic to worry about, but… The time I’ve been with you has been some of the happiest moments of my life.”

Kuvira stopped too, turning away from her work on the tunnel to face her wife. For a brief moment, they only stared at each other, deep into each other’s eyes. The spirit lights in the air had become more intense here now, enough for them to clearly see the other’s face. Taking a step forward, she reached out and held Korra’s hands.

“I love you too, Korra,” she said, leaning closer. “And I'll be by your side to the very end, whenever that end happens to be.”

 _Whenever that end happens to be_. Korra could only hope that such an end would be a long time away, and yet deep down she knew that it might be just around the corner. With a gentle breath, she held onto Kuvira's hands firmly and leaned in to bring their lips together. The kiss held for a long moment, a moment that Korra didn't want to end. A part of her wished she could forget about the horrors they had to face, forget about Sen and their impending stand against him. If she could remain here like this, with the woman she loved, she would be happy.

But it couldn't last. She knew that. Kuvira knew that.

They had to go.

When Kuvira finally pulled away, she pulled Korra forward to follow. “Come on, let's find the others and get out of here.”

* * *

The flat metal disc pinged against one of the central posts and ricocheted towards the side wall. When it hit the wall, it redirected towards the net. Wei was ready for it and kicked it towards his teammate; Wing promptly added some extra power to the shot and fired it clean across the field to the opposite net. Their opponent, however, leaped up into the air and met the disc with a flipping kick that sent it screaming back above Wing's head on a curving arc. He made a desperate leap to intercept the projectile, but was too slow, managing only to hit the ground with a thud as he missed it. Now, only Wei stood between the disc and the net. At the arching angle it came in, however, he couldn't adjust his dive in time to block it. Instead, the disc smacked against the side of his face and bounced straight into the back of the net, setting off the buzzer to indicate a goal.

Their opponent took the opportunity to stand tall and brush herself off with a confident smirk. “And that's how it's done, boys.”

“Wow, Mom,” Wing muttered, as he pushed himself up off the ground. “Competitive much?”

“Yeah, geez,” Wei added. He held a hand to his face, where the disc had struck him, and uttered a pained groan. “Take it easy.”

Suyin flipped her jet black hair and chuckled. “What can I say? I’m enjoying my younger body.” She took a moment to strike a pose, flexing the toned muscles of her arms. “It’s not every day you wake up thirty years younger than you used to be. And back from the dead.”

The past few days had been a blur of emotions for everyone. While Su’s family had had a brief time to adjust to her being back before arriving in Zaofu, the city’s citizens had been in for quite the surprise when she reappeared. It had been nearly three years since her death, and almost the entire population of Zaofu had attended to pay their respects. To have their former matriarch back from the dead, and much younger than she had been before, was been nothing short of complete shock.

Su had tried to remain quiet and out of the public spotlight over the past few days, both for her own sake as well as her family’s. Even with Kuvira’s offer to retake leadership of Zaofu, she had thus far refused—even if she wanted to, it wouldn’t have been right to do so without Kuvira there to announce it. For now, she was content with catching up with her family and doing things that her older body would have had difficulty with, such as playing power disc against her sons—and winning. Of course, that hadn’t stopped the visitors. More people than she could count had shown up to the Beifong estate to see her for themselves, not content with the flurry of rumors and gossip that had been traveling around the city. It had been entertaining at first, but now she wanted only to be left to herself and her family.

“Whatever you say,” Wei muttered, still rubbing the side of his cheek; a large red welt had begun to form. “Doesn’t help my face much, though.”

“What are you talking about?” Wing countered. “You look way better now.”

Wei frowned. “Hey, it’s your face too.”

Wing merely punched him on the shoulder. “Says you.”

“Ow!” Wei fought back with a rough shove, pushing his twin off balance.

“Ow, _hey.”_ Again, Wing gave his brother a punch to the shoulder, and this time Wei retaliated by attempting to tackle him.

“Alright, boys, that’s enough,” Su called. Better to stop their roughhousing before they hurt themselves. “Go on inside and get cleaned up. It’s almost time for dinner.”

Wing and Wei continued to shove each other on their way out of the power disc field, leaving Suyin by herself. She took a moment to stretch out, marveling at how much more flexible she was than the last time she had been alive.; physical youth really was a wonderful thing. As she finished her stretches, she looked up to see another of her children standing nearby the edge of the field, watching her with a smile—Opal.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Su made her way towards her only daughter. “And what are you smiling about?”

“Nothing,” Opal replied, unable to wipe the grin off her face. “Just… you.”

Su hummed an amused breath, then cocked her hips to the side and flipped her hair again. “Well, I know I do look good, but please, I’m your mother.”

Opal’s face went red, eyes widening as if horrified at what Su had suggested, even if in jest. “Mom! _Inappropriate_.” When her mother broke out into a chuckle, she huffed a breath and tried to calm herself. “I guess I’m just still not used to it yet. You…being back.”

“Well, that makes two of us. It’ll take a while to adjust.” Su stretched again, then took a moment to look herself over. It really was strange, feeling the dexterity and strength of her younger self again. “Of course, your father is helping me with that.”

“ _Mom!”_ This time, Opal’s face twisted with disgust. “Ugh, I do _not_ want to picture that!”

Su laughed harder, in spite of her attempts to downplay her amusement. “Sorry, Opal. I was a major teaser in my youth. Seems like some of that is coming back to me.”

Opal grumbled her response. “Right…”

“Now, where is that grandson of mine?” Su asked. “I haven’t seen him yet today.”

“With his dad. Bolin took him over to the park earlier to feed the turtle ducks. Actually, they should be getting back pretty…” Opal’s words trailed off as she looked past her mother to see someone approaching from across the estate grounds. “Oh, hey!”

As if on cue, Bolin strolled up to the pair with a beaming smile. He cradled San in his arms, the child fast asleep. “Hey, honey.”

Opal smiled and leaned in to give her husband a kiss. “How was the park?”

“Pretty good,” he said. “San got a little fussy near the end, but I think he really enjoyed the turtle ducks. Pretty tired out now, though.”

Su took a step forward. “Mind if I hold him?”

“No, not at all.” Bolin carefully held out the child so Suyin could take him into her arms. San briefly cooed and fidgeted in her grasp, but remained asleep. “Actually, if you want to watch him for a while, so Opal and I could have some time, uh… you know, alone time…”

“Excuse me?” Su looked up from her grandson to stare Bolin dead in the eyes, insinuating that she knew exactly why Bolin wanted ‘alone time’ with Opal.

Bolin immediately stiffened, with a nervous look on his face. “Uh, I mean, if you want. You don’t need to or anything. I was just, uh… I mean…”

“Mom...” Opal muttered, shooting a glare. “Like _you’re_ one to talk.”

Su held her gaze her just another moment before pulling away and laughing under her breath. “Oh relax, I’m kidding. I’d be happy to watch him. Just after dinner.”

“Oh, right, of course.” Bolin visibly relaxed when he realized his mother-in-law had only been teasing him. “After dinner. Yes. That’s good.”

With a roll of her eyes, Opal took her husband by the hand and started to pull him away. “Come on, Bolin, let’s wash up for dinner.”

Before they made it two steps, however, Baatar, Sr. appeared from the other side of the power disc field. The urgency on his face gave both Opal and Bolin pause, causing them to slow down to a stop until he reached them. “Suyin, Dear?”

“Yes, Baatar, what is it?” she replied, though her focus remained on San in her arms.

“We, uh, have a visitor.”

A sigh immediately huffed from her lips. Yet more people come to see that she was really alive, no doubt. “Well tell them to go away. It’s getting late and I’m not seeing anyone right now.”

Baatar shifted awkwardly on his feet and cleared his throat. “Well, the thing is—”

Another voice cut him off, loud and impatient. “What’s the matter? Don’t have time for your mother anymore?”

“Mom?” Su blinked up from her grandson. Sure enough, strolling up next to Baatar was her own mother, Toph Beifong, just as young as she herself was. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

Toph held her hands behind her head. “Long story. I think it’s best you all come with me so I can explain.”

“Of course,” Su said, as she handed San back over to Bolin. “We’ll be right there.”

“Well hurry it up. We don’t have all day.” Toph turned her head to spit on the ground, then made her way back towards the mansion.

“There’s something else I’m never going to get used to…” Opal said, staring. “Grandma Toph being _my_ age.”

* * *

Ten minutes later, Su gathered into her office with her mother. Opal, Bolin, and Baatar, Sr. joined them—the others weren’t required for this impromptu meeting. There were four other individuals in the room, though, each one bound in metal restraints around their wrists and ankles, and another piece over their mouths. They sat on the far side of the office along the couch, watching the group carefully. Su gave them only a brief look before turning to her mother.

“Alright, fill us in,” she said. “What’s going on?”

“Wait a minute, is that…” Bolin stared at the four prisoners on the couch, eyes squinting.

“Yes, but don’t mind them,” Toph insisted. Someone like Bolin, who had read stories and been a fan of the exploits of the past Team Avatar, likely would recognize Sokka, Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee, but now wasn’t the time to be worrying about them. “They have to be restrained until we figure out a way to free them from Sen’s control.”

Bolin blinked at the four on the couch, then slowly turned his attention back to Toph. “Okay…”

With a clear of her throat, Toph continued. “I won’t waste time beating around the bush. It’s bad. We’ve failed stopping Sen several times, our biggest lead went nowhere, and Korra lost the Avatar Spirit. Now, she, Kuvira, Katara, and Azula are in the Spirit World trying to find something to help.”

Suyin’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Bolin said. “She ‘lost’ Raava?”

“Sen stole Raava’s essence,” Toph explained. “Korra's connection to the other three elements are gone and now she can only waterbend. There’s no more Avatar.”

“I…don’t believe it,” Opal uttered. “No more Avatar...?” The others echoed her sentiment, as a grim silence followed.

Toph broke the silence with a scoff. “Well start believing, because it gets worse. Consuming Raava’s essence finally restored him back to his full power, which means he’s more dangerous than ever. Not only that, but on my way here, Zuko radioed me on his way from the Fire Nation capital. Sen was in the middle of attacking when he got there and he barely got away. Almost everyone there is gone.”

Opal swallowed, coming close to her husband and holding onto his arm. “Oh my spirits…”

“So, what happens now?” Su asked. “What are our options?”

“Well, chances are, Sen is going to keep going after heavily populated locations with the highest concentration of human essences for him to consume,” Toph said. “Nation capitals are especially at risk, which means Zaofu. If he comes here, then everyone in Zaofu is likely doomed.”

Suyin’s demeanor instantly shifted, from concerned and worried to hardened and adamant. “I will _not_ let that happen. I failed Zaofu before, but never again.”

“Look, I’m not here to tell you how to run your city,” Toph said, with a shrug, “but what I _can_ tell you is that trying to face Sen head on without a plan is suicide. That’s why we should regroup with the others back in Republic City. I hear Asami and Varrick are working on something that might help us. Our best option would be to assist them.”

“We can’t just leave,” Opal insisted. “There are still people here who need protection.”

“So get them on a train and send them back to Republic City with us,” Toph said. “My point is, we can’t stay here doing nothing but wait for Sen to show up and destroy us.”

Senior uttered a sigh and shook his head. “But we only just got Zaofu fully restored after what happened with the Dragon Empire. We can’t just uproot everyone again.”

Bolin looked between the others, then offered a sigh of his own. “I hate to say it, but maybe she’s right.” He glanced to Opal now, meeting her eyes with his own. “We saw what Sen did back at the South Pole, and that was when he was still weak. Now that he has his full power back, what chance do we have?”

Suyin answered him with an insistent tone. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”

“Well we’d better make a plan soon,” Toph muttered. “It’s only a matter of time until Sen attacks.”

“Alright.” Su held a hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers, eyes closed. “Just give me some time to think about—”

Her words cut off at the sound of explosions ripping out through the air. They were distant and sounded far off, yet still a quake tremored through the ground and shook the city. Su immediately ran to the window, looking for the source; before she could find it, a second explosion followed. “What is that?” The phone on her desk rang, pulling her away from the window—it was the emergency line, reserved for the city guard to contact the matriarch during emergencies. She reached for it immediately and raised it to her ear. “Captain, what’s going on? _What?_ What do you mean we’re being attacked? A giant insect?”

“It’s too late…” Toph muttered. “He’s already here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long to get out, I've been pretty busy the past couple weeks. But I didn't forget about it! I will finish this, even if it is little by little. A slower chapter this was, but it's building to the next one. Still, I thought it was interesting, from Azula reuniting and ending on good terms with her uncle, to seeing some more of Su being with her family. Also, I realize now that I have a few characters with quite similar names... Sen, Sin, San... Too late to change it, but I hope it hasn't been that confusing...


	140. The Spirit Conductor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zaofu tries to defend against Sen's attack. Meanwhile, Asami and Varrick lead a team in creating something that might help level the playing field against the dark spirit.

Another tremor ran through the ground, shaking the Beifong estate. Suyin stumbled, and was forced to grab onto the edge of the desk to keep from falling. She heard shouting over the line—Hong Li calling to his men, and the sounds of combat in the background. Before she could get another word out, the phone cut out to static; she listened just a moment longer, then threw the phone to the ground.

“We need to get out there and stop this spirit!” Su declared. “And stop him from hurting innocent people!”

“What we need to do is get out of here,” Toph countered.

Su shot her mother a glare. “Mom, we are _not_ running and leaving our people to suffer.”

“Believe me, I’m not one to run from a fight, but if you’d been through what I have the last few days…” Toph bowed her head and sighed. “I’m not saying we should just abandon innocent civilians, but we need to be smart about it. If you all just try to fight this spirit head on, you’re going to pay the price. Let the security force handle defense right now, while civilians evacuate. You might be able to stall him long enough to get everyone to the trains—Zaofu isn’t that big.”

Suyin went quieter as she considered her mother’s words. She wanted nothing less than to stand and fight, to defend her city, and yet she had never seen her mother this…cautious about something before. Whatever this Sen was, he was dangerous. “Fine, then you handle getting people to the trains. Take my family, sound the city alarm, and make sure everyone evacuates as quick as you can. I’m going to join Captain Hong Li and the rest of the security force in repelling this bastard.”

Toph shrugged, then pointed her thumb towards the direction of Sokka, Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee. “Fine by me. I have to get these clowns out of here anyway.”

At her declaration, Baatar, Sr.’s eyes went wide, and he took a quick step towards her. “Su, no, please. Come with us.”

“I’m not running away,” Su said, with a shake of her head. “And I’m not going to ask my people to fight when I’m not willing to do the same.”

“But Honey, I _just_ got you back,” he insisted, holding his hands against her shoulders. He stared at her, a pleading look in his eyes. “I am not losing you again.”

Su merely smiled, and touched a hand to her husband’s cheek. “Relax, I’ll be fine. Promise.”

“If Mom is going, then so am I.” Opal took a step forward, already pulling off her green Zaofu robes—beneath them, she wore her orange and yellow flight suit, which she often did just in case.

“Opal, no, you go with your grandmother,” Su said. “You have a son to look after.”

But Opal stood her ground, her adamant glare unyielding. “San can go with Dad and the others. Bolin and I aren’t going to let you go out there by yourself. Right, Bolin?”

Bolin glanced down at baby San in his arms, then up at his wife. A small sigh escaped his lips, and then he too steeled a determined look upon his face. “Zaofu already fell once, and we weren’t there to help defend it. Well, this time we are. We have your back.”

“Opal…”Su started; she never finished.

 _“_ _Mom_. We’re doing this.”

A small pause passed between them, and then Senior made his way towards Bolin. He reached out his arms, allowing Bolin to pass off San to him. “I’ll take care of him.”

Bolin nodded. “Thank you.”

“Are you all done arguing?” Toph said. “Because we have to move. Now.”

Su huffed a sigh of her own, glancing back at Opal for one lingering moment. Then, she nodded. “Alright. Let’s go everyone.”

* * *

“Hold the line!” shouted Captain Hong Li. “Push them back!”

He stood side by side with the other members of the security force who had yet to fall—a mere fifty men—and worked in unison with them to repel their attackers. The giant gejigeji that led the attack merely swatted away most of the chunks of earth and slabs of metal that came its way, and brushed off any direct hits as though they were mere feathers against a wall. It countered with sudden bursts of spiritual energy from its eyes, bursts that exploded the ground and sent the defending guards flying through the air.

To make matters worse, there were four other individuals working with the spirit—powerful benders, one of each element. With as focused as they were in repelling the hulking insect, they were left open to surgical strikes of water and air, combined with the sheer power of earth and fire that gradually tore apart their defenses and whittled away their numbers. The men that fell were put down permanently by the spirit—with deep inhales, the insect withdrew glowing wisps of light from their mouths that it consumed with its humanoid face.

Hong Li had no idea what kind of enemy this was, or what exactly they were facing, but still he fought just the same. As captain of the security force, it was his duty to protect Zaofu until his last breath. He had already failed this city twice, and he would not fail it again. His convictions meant little, though, in the face of these enemies. With his comrades falling around him, he and the few that were left were forced backwards on the defensive. He raised a wall combined of earth and metal in front of himself and his men, but that was swiftly blown to pieces by a combined blast of all four elements, plus the spirit’s power.

The world spun around him, as Hong Li realized he suddenly was flat on his back staring straight up at the sky. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the blare of the evacuation alarm echoing throughout the city. It sounded distant at first, but slowly became clearer as he recovered from the blow. He blinked, then pushed himself up to his elbows to look around—twenty of his men were left. With a grunt, he tried to get back up, but a sharp pain ripped through his chest and forced him back to the ground. Instead, all he could do was look up as the giant insect lumbered into view, towering above them.

Just as he feared the worst, the ground in front of him lifted up and melted into molten rock. The wave of lava splashed upward and then forward, forcing the gejigeji to skitter backwards out of the way. The scorching wave then hit the ground where it had been moments before and spread wide to keep it at bay. A scowl appeared across its face, and its eyes shifted from the fallen security force to three new arrivals that ran into view—Bolin, Opal, and the back-from-the-dead Suyin. Both Opal and Su combined a follow up attack, launching a series of boulders that were powered by a massive gust of wind. But the spirit didn't even flinch this time. Instead, a sheer earthen wall lifted up in front of it to block the attack, created by the enemy earthbender.

“Ma'am!” Hong Li called, as he finally stumbled back to his feet. “Boy am I glad to see you.”

“We're here to help, Captain,” Su replied. She took formation alongside the other recovering guards, with her daughter and son-in-law at her side.

Hong Li joined them, and he and his fellow men formed a line with what little forces they had left. “You might be too late. I don't know what this thing is, but they're doing a number on us.”

“That thing is a dark spirit named Sen,” Suyin replied. “And he’s here to destroy us all.”

“Okay…” Hong Li swallowed, and took a step backwards. The dark spirit tried to advance towards them, but a combined lava and wind attack from Opal and Bolin managed to hold it back. “So how do we beat it?”

Su slid her foot back and raised her arms, prompting a large boulder to tear up from the ground. “We don’t have to beat it. We just have to stall it until the city evacuates aboard the trains.”

“But…there’s no way everyone gets out that fast,” he said, as he mimicked her stance.

“Then we do everything we can, for as long as we can.”

The remaining security forces hit the enemy hard and fast. With their former matriarch leading the defense, a sudden second wind seemed to fuel them. Their attacks were more coordinated, their defensive walls more sturdy, and their will to fight stronger than ever. Had they been facing an ordinary opponent, then perhaps this renewed vigor would have led them to a victory. This was no such ordinary opponent, however, and such a victory had never been within reach. Not only did Sen learn quickly how best to avoid the streams of molten rock, but the earth and air that did strike him had little effect. He countered with continued blasts of pure energy from his eyes, and gradually whittled away at them.

Then, there were the other benders—the four that Sen appeared to have under his control, and were much stronger than most normal benders should be. That there was one of each element, including the still-rare air element, only added to the mismatch. Those four benders fought together in as one, as though connected to a single thought process. They combined their attacks in ways that Hong Li had never seen before and that he and his men had no way to be prepared for—boulders within watery twisters, fire funneled through rocky walls for added strength, air fanning flames to make them larger. Sen didn’t even need to take the fight seriously, relying mostly on his minions to weaken them. After a while, he stopped attacking altogether and merely stayed back, consuming essences from the fallen guards several at a time.

“Get back!” Bolin shouted, as he ran forward and planted his hands on the ground. The earth in front of him melted into lava and quickly spread from side to side to create a moat between them and the enemy. It was a last ditch effort to give themselves some breathing room, but it didn’t last; moments later, the enemy waterbender swept a torrent across the molten rock, and within seconds the earth cooled back into solid form. The water continued on its path, sweeping around in a circle until plowing square into Bolin’s left side and throwing him through the air.

“Bolin!” Opal spread the wings of her flight suit and took to the air. She darted around a barrage of flames from the enemy firebender on her way to her husband, weaving and countering with spiraling shots of wind. What she didn’t see was the small cloud of stones zipping through the air; the tiny stones pelted the wings of her suit, tearing open holes that quickly shredded. In an instant she fell from the sky, wild and out of control.

Suyin threw herself airborne towards her daughter with an explosion of earth beneath her own feet. Just before Opal hit the ground, she caught the girl and clutched her in her arms, tight against her chest. When she hit the ground she rolled, until finally popping back to her feet and coming to a stop. “It’s okay, Opal, I got you.” As she looked up, she noticed a dark shadow looming above her, nothing but a silhouette against the sun. From its size and shape, though, she knew what it was—Sen. The dark spirit lunged at her, thrusting its many legs to hold her in place.

“Mom!” Opal shrieked, as she made a desperate attack to deter the giant insect. But her air had no effect. Instead, Sen simply swatted her away across the ground.

Sen turned again to Suyin, glowering at her with his beady black eyes. “You were once mine. I brought you back into this world. It’s time I take you back out of it.”

Su flinched as the insect’s face drew closer to hers, prepared to face the sensation of her spirit being drawn from her body. Before it happened, the sound of a metal cable extending reached her ears. The cable appeared seconds later, wrapping around Sen’s multiple legs and tightening them together. His legs were forced away from Suyin and jerked to the side, nearly knocking the spirit off balance. The cable tugged harder to pull his legs farther out from beneath him, and then Hong Li swung into view. He retracted the cable and used the momentum to launch himself up into the air, swinging all the way around and yanking Sen's legs enough to force the spirit to the ground. When he finished, he ended atop the spirit's backside.

“Get out of here!” he called to Su. “Get to the trains while you still can!”

“Captain, no!” Suyin flipped herself back to her feet and shot another boulder at the downed spirit; the enemy earthbender swatted it away.

Hong Li fired out his second metal cable, this time latching it to the enemy earthbender and then reeling the woman backwards. Su and the others had space to retreat, but not for long. “Just go! Zaofu can't afford to lose you again!”

A stream of water collided with his backside, lifting Hong Li airborne. A second later, both his cables snapped. He fell free to through the air, until finally thudding against the ground on his back. Suyin made a move to help him, but a hand on her shoulder pulled her back.

“Mom, we have to go!” Opal pleaded. The look in her eyes said it all: this desperate attempt at stalling Sen had quickly turned to chaos, and if they stayed any longer they would meet the same fate.

Su stared at her daughter with a pang of regret in her chest. Bolin was there, as well, but that was it—the other guards had all since fallen. She snapped her attention back to Hong Li just in time to see Sen looming above him and pulling his essence from him; if they didn't move now, they wouldn’t get another chance. With no more hesitation, she pushed her arms forward and split the ground apart in front of them. The slab of earth they stood upon shot away from the scene, retreating through the city on its way to the train station. Perhaps they had minimized the damage, or perhaps they had simply delayed the inevitable. In either case, one truth remained.

Once again, Zaofu had fallen.

* * *

Varrick frowned to himself, as he studied the readings on the electrical panel—far too low for what they needed. He gave the panel a tap with his screwdriver, then peered over the top of the machine to the other side, where his wife was busy rewiring one of the junction cables. “Zhu Li, we need a stronger output. Try tightening the locking pin in the oscillating chamber.”

With Zhu Li focusing on the oscillating chamber, he worked his way around to the back of the machine, where a series of twelve tubes connected the top half of the device to the bottom half. “Asami, I could use a hand adjusting these energy tubes.”

One by one, he began pulling the tops off to set them in a different pattern. Asami crawled beneath the machine and flipped herself over onto her back to get access to the bottom of the tubes, and began rearranging their order according to Varrick’s new instruction. Looking to the other side of the workshop, he added, “And Junior, how's that modulator coming?”

Baatar, Jr. carefully tightened one of the screws on the side of a small, round device with a hodgepodge of wires sticking out the back. Without looking up from his workbench, he replied, “Almost finished. Just needs a few more modifications and it'll be ready to install.”

“Excellent!” Varrick said, giving the side of the machine a delighted smack. When he finished with the energy tubes, he took a step back and looked it over. It was a fairly heft machine, with a large cylindrical base and an empty chamber connected atop. The chamber began as wide as the base, but tapered off into a narrower opening at the top, with a ring of electrical spokes lined around the edge. “In that case, we should be finished with this doohickey soon. I can't wait to give it a test run.”

“And we’re sure this will work?” Asami huffed, as she crawled her way out from underneath the machine. “From what I can recall, we only have your theories.”

“Of course it'll work!” he said. “If there are ways to harness spiritual energy as a weapon, then you can bet there's a way to drain it. Just trust me on this.”

In response to Varrick’s confident boasting, Zhu Li glanced up from her work on the oscillating chamber and affirmed in a much calmer tone, “Don't worry, Asami, I went over his plans myself. This _will_ work. Or, at least it should.”

Varrick uttered a groan and rolled his eyes. “Oh sure, just let the whole world know that my wife double checks my genius designs for flaws. Talk about embarrassing.”

Zhu Li merely sighed, and lowered her focus back to her work. “If you had let me check your designs for that time machine you tried to build, it wouldn't have exploded. Twice. Not that it would have done anything otherwise, but at least we wouldn't have had to remodel our workshop. _Twice.”_

“I'm telling you, it'll work one of these days!” Varrick said. “It just needs a little more...what do you call it? Finesse? Yes, that's the word.”

“What it needs is to find a scrap heap,” Baatar muttered. “Time travel isn't a thing, Varrick. You'd make better use of your time working on things that will actually help people.”

Varrick scoffed, then gestured towards the machine at the center of the room. “Well why do you think we're working on this thing? This is going to help a ton of people once it's completed! Just imagine the look at Sen's face when we fire it up!”

“But in order to do that, we need to finish it before he makes his way here,” Asami added, as she opened up one of the smaller panels on the front of the machine. From what she could make out, several of the wires had to be reorganized. “So let's work faster, people.”

A short time later, the door to the workshop opened. Sin entered, carrying a pair of full paper bags with her, one in either hand. She immediately smiled when she noticed Asami working on the machine, and headed straight for her. “Hey Asami, I brought you guys some lunch. Thought you might be hungry, since...you know, you skipped breakfast this morning.”

Varrick was the first to respond, though, as he poked his head out from behind the device. “You say you got food? Brilliant! We need some energy for _maximum efficiency_. That makes you the hero of the hour, Sin.” As he started to make his way around the machine, he paused and then pressed his screwdriver to his chin, thinking. “Huh. Sin. Sen. You know, I’ve just realized how closely your name resembles our mortal enemy. Funny thing, that.”

“Uhh, right,” Sin replied, with an awkward chuckle. “In any case, it’s takeout from Narook’s. Help yourselves.”

“Thanks, Hun,” Asami replied, giving Sin a gentle kiss. “Just put mine over on the table. I’ll take a lunch break soon.”

Sin raised an eyebrow. “Soon for you usually means about two hours.”

“What? No...” Asami tried to play off the accusation, but Sin’s continued staring eventually broke through her denial. With a sigh, she grabbed one of the bags and carried it over to the table herself. “Alright, fine. I’ll eat now.”

Sin smiled and gave her girlfriend another kiss. “That's better.” Then, she turned her attention to the machine at the center of the workshop. She squinted at it a moment, as if trying to determine what in the world it was. Eventually, she asked, “So, what is this thing anyway?”

Varrick’s face immediately lit up at the question. With a small bowl of noodles in his hand, he raised his chopsticks and pointed at the machine with gusto. “This here is going to be the great equalizer in our fight with Sen. I call it the Spirit Conductor!”

“That's a stupid name,” Baatar said, with a roll of his eyes. “It doesn't _conduct_ anything; it's meant to _store_ energy.”

“Well sure, but Spirit Storer just sounds silly, now doesn't it?” Varrick shrugged and shoveled a mouthful of noodles into his mouth. After he swallowed, he continued, “Anyway, forget the name! What matters is what it does. This baby, once we fire it up, will pull in all nearby spiritual energy in the area and store it in a specially designed container—basically a battery. Now I know what you're thinking—the last time we tried something like this, we ended up with a giant laser cannon strapped to an even more giant mecha suit. Not to worry! I've made sure that this thing _can't_ be weaponized, although it could power all of Republic City for six months when fully charged.”

“Okay...” Sin said, with a furrow of her brow. “But how exactly does that help us?”

“Well, Sen is a spirit, and spirits are composed of pure spiritual energy,” Asami explained. “By draining that energy, we could weaken him enough to stop him, or at least seriously hurt him. That's the theory, anyway, if we can get it working.”

“I first got the idea when talking to our spirit friends over in the Wilds,” Varrick said. “They kept saying that Sen is too powerful, that he has too much spiritual energy, so I thought, hey! What if there was a way to make it so he had _less_ energy? And _bam_ , the Spirit Conductor was born! Of course, the downside is that Sen has to be basically on top of it, but we’ll figure that part out later.”

A heavy sigh followed, as Baatar opened his own container of noodles. “Still a stupid name...”

Before Varrick could issue another rebuttal, the door to the workshop again opened. This time, however, it burst open with a slam, and a figure came sprinting towards them—Mako, dressed in his full police chief uniform. “Asami!”

The United Republic President stiffened straight at the sight of her friend racing towards them; the look on his face was one of panic and distress, not at all a good sign. “What is it? What's wrong?”

“It's bad...” Mako doubled over when he reached them, hands on his knees and lungs heaving deep breaths. Evidently, he had decided to run up the stairs to the top Future Industries Tower, rather than wait for the elevator. “Just got a couple calls over the radio… Sen has already started his attacks. He's hit the Fire Nation capital, and the Southern Water Tribe again.” Swallowing a deep breath, he stood straight to regain his poise. Then, he looked Asami dead in the eyes and added, “And he's attacking Zaofu right now!”

 _“_ _What?”_ Asami’s own eyes went alight with concern. “Oh no...”

“What about survivors?” The question came from Baatar, who had nearly dropped his bowl of noodles upon hearing the news. “My family?”

“Trains with evacuated civilians are on their way here now from Zaofu,” Mako stated. “Should be here by tonight Your family is on one of them, from what I know. I'm afraid the other places weren't so lucky, though... Only Lord Zuko and Shayu made it out of the Fire Nation. They'll be here soon. As for the South...” Shortly after letting his words trail off, Mako glanced back over his shoulder at the open door. Several moments later, three individuals made their way inside—Jinora, Hari, and P’Li.

“Don’t know why you wasted your breath running the stairs,” P’Li muttered, looking around the workshop. “The elevator didn’t take _that_ long.”

Asami’s initial reaction at seeing the third-eyed woman was a jump of panic in her chest. It seemed like just yesterday that she, Korra, Mako, and Bolin were fighting for their lives against P’Li and the other Red Lotus. She had to mentally remind herself that this woman had been given a second chance, a chance to pay off her debt by helping them stop Sen. Instead of worrying about P’Li, Asami instead made her way towards the airbender.

“Jinora!” Asami gave the young woman a close hug, while easing a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you're okay.”

“Thanks...” Jinora replied, with a sigh of her own. “I just wish I could say the same for everyone else.”

“This is really it?” Sin asked, with widening eyes. “Then the others are all...”

The answer came in the form of a heavy silence, one that clung to the air of the workshop like thick smog. To break that silence, P’Li took a step forward and gave her attention to the president. “We came to help. There's nothing more we could do down south, and if we want to save the victims, we have to stop the source. That means Sen.”

Again, silence followed, although this time it came in the form of everyone else turning to stare with caution at the towering woman. P’Li grumbled a breath and folded her arms tight across her chest, eyes narrow. “Would you all relax? I'm not going to blow anything up.”

“It's alright.” Hari took a step forward, with one of his hands raised as if to quell any potential rise in tensions. “She really is on our side. She saved both me and Jinora.”

“Hmm, so Sen has already hit the Southern Water Tribe, the Fire Nation, and Zaofu...” Zhu Li muttered, holding a hand to her chin. “How is he making it across the world so fast?”

“He's an all-powerful spirit,” Varrick replied, with a shrug. “I think that question answers itself.”

Jinora looked back and forth around the room a moment, and then turned a quizzical look towards Asami. “Where's Korra? The last time I was able to contact her, she was in the Spirit World looking for a way to stop Sen.”

Asami paused, lowering her head with a breath. “She... she and the others aren’t back yet. They're still in the Spirit World.”

“What? But that was over a day ago...” Jinora said. “They were on their way back when I saw them.”

“Do you think something might have delayed them?” Mako said.

Jinora pressed her brow together in thought. “It's possible... With what Sen is doing, the Spirit World could be acting up in some way, and be giving them problems. It would explain why my spirit was rejected and why I haven't been able to meditate there since.”

A deep look of concern creased across Mako’s brow. “So... then what do we do?”

“We need Korra and the others,” Jinora asserted. “I think they found a way to stop Sen and help his victims, but we need to get them back here.”

“But if they're trapped in the Spirit World...” Asami started. She didn’t need to finish her words, though; Jinora nodded with affirmation even before she finished.

“Then they're going to need us to get them out.” The young airbender breathed in deep and turned a look towards one of the windows on the far wall—there, she could see the towering light beam of the spirit portal in the distance. “I'm going after them.”

“Not alone you're not.” P’Li stepped forward, staring down at the much shorter girl. “You still haven't fully recovered from your injuries.”

“I will go, as well,” Hari stated, with a nod. “You know the Spirit World, Jinora. You can show us the way.”

Asami looked from Jinora to the other two volunteers. While she questioned sending P’Li along with them on this type of mission, she knew they didn’t have many options; everyone else was needed elsewhere.  At least with Hari there also, she didn’t have to worry quite as much. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am,” Jinora replied. “Without Korra, without a way to bring down Sen, we're as good as dead. We _have_ to do this.”

“Well gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Varrick said, gesturing towards the Spirit Conductor. “You know, we’ve been working hard on this thing.”

Asami shot him a silencing look, then returned her gaze to Jinora and the other three. She gave them one last look, until finally relenting with a nod. “Alright... In that case, good luck. And be careful, all of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one that took quite a while, but it's here! Chapter 140. I still can't believe I've written that much, but that's what happens when I get motivated. So close to reaching 600k words too.
> 
> Anyway, so Sen's rampage continues, big surprise there. At least most of Zaofu's civilians made it out okay. And now we finally get to see what the Republic City crew has been up to. You can bet that the world's greatest minds haven't just been sitting on their asses this whole time. Hopefully, their methods will be effective, but we'll find out when the time comes! In the meantime, Jinora has to lead a rescue mission to the Spirit World. We'll see how that goes.
> 
> Also, I may have something very special in the works to commemorate the wild ride that has been this fic, for when it ends. Stay tuned...


	141. Escape From the Spirit World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinora, Hari, and P'Li arrive in the Spirit World to find the missing Team Avatar. Meanwhile, Megumi comes to to grips with a troubling reality.

When the trio entered through the portal, the Spirit World looked nothing like Jinora remembered it. The sky was dark, twisted with a whirl of deep colors—violet, red, blue, black—and churned as if alive. Shades of malformed spirits floated high above them, streaking across the clouds like demons, and a harsh wind gusted through the valley. What had once been a field of brilliant purple flowers around the portal was now an empty patch of dirt and dead petals wilted on the ground. A shiver ran through the young airbender's spine, and it wasn't caused by biting wind rippling against her face.

P'Li took a step forward and squinted at their surroundings, lips creasing into a frown. “Zaheer used to visit the Spirit World all the time, but I’ve never been myself. Does it normally look like this?”

“No…” Jinora replied, with a shake of her head. “This is wrong. _Very_ wrong. Whatever Sen is doing to this place by growing more powerful, it isn’t good.”

“So where do we begin searching for Korra and the others?” P'Li said.

“I’m not sure…” Jinora held a hand above her eyes in an attempt to shield her face against the wind. She gazed out across the dead valley to try and gain some sense of familiarity, but nothing looked the same.” Last I know, they were coming from Wan Shi Tong’s library. I… _knew_ where that is, when the Spirit World was normal, but with things like this…”

A sigh grumbled from P'Li's throat as she folded her arms. “Well, can you focus on her spiritual energy, or whatever it is you do?”

“I can try, although I’m not entirely sure it’ll work,” she said. “It should, now that my physical body is here instead of just my spirit, but there’s no telling what might happen with things like this.”

With a deep breath, Jinora lowered herself to the ground and crossed her legs. She let her eyes close, then pressed her fists together and began to concentrate, trying to focus on Korra's spiritual energy. Such a task would be difficult, she knew, given that they were surrounded by nothing _but_ spiritual energy, but she had to do it. They couldn't afford to fail now.

As she sat there and started to meditated, however, the sky above began to swirl faster and grow darker, drenching them in shadows. The center of the disturbance seemed to form directly above where Jinora sat, with sparks of violet light flashing within.

“Something is happening…” Hari said, turning his gaze up at the sky. He took a step back and raised a hand, causing the lid to the stone jar on his back to open, and a small stream of sand to sift out into the air.

“And nothing good,” P'Li added, with her own cautious stare at the sky.

“Hold on, I think it’s working,” Jinora said. She squinted her eyes tighter together and focused harder. “I’m starting to feel something.”

She didn't get much longer to meditate. Moments later, the violet sparks above began to hiss and charge, prompting P'Li to act. The firebender lunged at Jinora and grabbed her by the pit of the arms. With one mighty heave, she threw the airbender out of the way just as a streak of lightning exploded out from the clouds down to where she was standing. In the blink of an eye, P’Li was lost in a flash of light. A sizzle of heat and electricity followed, and a cloud of dust kicked up into the air upon impact.

P'Li crouched with her body turned, both arms held up to shield herself from the blast. Her actions were as unnecessary as they would have been futile; a dome of sand had formed above her, taking the brunt of the lightning strike. The shield held strong, only bits and pieces of grains falling out of form. When all had calmed again, Hari pulled the sand back, allowing P'Li to step away and straighten herself.

“What on earth was that?” Jinora asked, staring up at the sky.

“That was the Spirit World almost frying you,” P'Li muttered. “I don’t think this place likes you trying to establish a connection with anything.”

Jinora paused, then turned a quizzical look to the tall woman. “And you…pushed me out of the way?”

P'Li merely shrugged. “You’re the best chance we have for completing this mission, so yeah.”

“But _you_ could have been fried.”

Again, she shrugged. “Well I wasn’t, thanks to her.” P'Li caught herself a moment after she said it, turning an awkward glance towards Hari. “Him. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” the sandbender stated, with a shake of his head. “It was nothing.”

“Well…thanks,” Jinora said.

P'Li rolled her eyes. “Whatever. We need to get a move on. Did you find anything?”

Turning around, Jinora pointed into the distance. “I thought I felt something coming from that direction. And now that I look closely… I think that’s the right direction to the Spirit Library, so that seems right.”

“Well, it's the only lead we have, so let’s go,” P'Li said, with a nod. “Lead the way.”

Jinora led them across the barren field, focusing on where she had felt the faintest hint of Korra's energy. It hadn't been much, but just enough to give her a general idea of where they needed to go. At least, she hoped. With all the distortions in the Spirit World right now, it would be easy to misconstrue something. She might not have felt Korra at all but rather some other being, perhaps even a dark spirit that wanted to harm them. Whatever she was leading them towards, they needed to be ready for anything.

The atmosphere didn't change as they made their way through a twisted, gnarled forest of dead trees. The sky remained dark, and the air chill. No spirits appeared to greet them, only the ones that flew high above their heads, the spirits that looked warped and anguished. Jinora tried not to pay attention to that. To think that the fate of both humans and spirits alike hinged on their success here was a burden too great to let herself be weighed down. Instead, she shook any thoughts of consequences from her mind, staring straight ahead as she stepped across a bed of tall grass at the edge of the forest.

The instant that her foot met the grass, she felt a tug. She tried to take another step, but her leg remained rooted in place. Again, she pulled her foot, but the tug yanked back harder.. Looking downward, Jinora noticed that strands of grass had crawled up her ankle and grabbed hold of her, squeezing tight. “What the heck?”

“Let go, you stupid plant!” P'Li now struggled the same as Jinora, as the grass grew taller and lashed out like tendrils to grab onto her arms and waist. Hari, too, let out a yelp when the grass attacked him.

Jinora raised her hands to bend her way out, but before she got a chance the grass latched hold of her wrists. She struggled briefly with a shout, only to be silenced a second later when the grass wrapped around her mouth. Before she got another chance to even think of their predicament, the grass pulled harder, until she, P'Li, and Hari all fell backwards, disappearing beneath the grassy bed.

For a long moment, the only thing Jinora saw was an inky darkness that suffocated and consumed her. She tried to scream, but words would not leave her throat. She could feel herself being dragged down farther and farther, surely disappearing into the depths of the Spirit World. Then, there was flash of orange and a rush of heat. Flames whirled around her, burning away the grass. In an instant, her bonds broke and she was able to pull herself back above the surface, back into the open air.

There, she saw P’Li bending a pinwheel of fire in a circle around them to keep the grass at bay, in spite of its efforts to grow back. A cloud of sand followed, forming beneath their feet and lifting them up into the sky. The grass made one last desperate reach for them, but Jinora blasted it away with a shot of wind. Once they were safely out of range of the attacking plant life, she huffed out a deep breath and bowed her head.

“Okay…this isn’t going to be easy.”

P’Li side-eyed her with a frown. “Gee, really? What tipped you off?”

“It’s alright, we should be safe up here,” Hari said. A clap of thunder sounded above him, prompting him to focus on the darkened sky. “Relatively speaking…” Jinora followed Hari’s gaze. The sky definitely seemed agitated, but wasn’t doing anything else to attack them. At least, not yet.

Just as she was about to look away, the sound of an explosion snapped Jinora’s attention back towards the ground, where she noticed a smoking crater the field of grass. All around the edges of the crater, the grass twitched and burned, as if alive and in pain. She then immediately turned a look towards P’Li, whose third eye gently smoked with the release of the previous blast. “What was that for?”

P’Li just glanced back at her and shrugged. “What? It deserved it.”

Her words were answered by an abrupt chuckle from Hari. He tried to downplay his amusement, but couldn’t hide the smirk in his lips, as he guided the cloud of sand through the air.

* * *

Azula huffed a breath as she slid down a large embankment. The dust that billowed out from beneath her feet sparkled like diamonds, only to collect together and liquefy into floating bubbles above her head. She frowned at them and swatted them away; when that didn’t work, she vaporized them with a shot of fire from her fingertips. She was far from in the mood to put up with any kind of special spirity bisoncrap.

“Do we even know how we’re supposed to find them?” she said. “Or the way out of here once we do?”

Katara slid down beside her a moment later, then stopped to look around. They had come to some kind of valley, filled with giant mushrooms that glowed with various different colors. “The best we can do is retrace our steps, I suppose.” She paused to think, hand coming to her chin as she gazed ahead. “From what I remember, Wan Shi Tong’s library is in that direction. We were attacked somewhere between there and here…although Kuvira and Korra ended up underground somewhere. They could be anywhere. And as for finding the way out…I’m afraid I have no idea.”

“Well that’s _real_ encouraging,” Azula muttered. Her eyes flicked up towards the sky—still dark and churning, like some kind of evil maelstrom. “I spent eighty years in this place before returning to the physical world. If it was normal, I could navigate my way through it blindfolded. But like this? Forget it.”

“I’m sure we’ll manage. Just have to keep moving.” Katara picked up her pace again, with Azula close behind. For the following few moments they continued in silence, until finally she looked over to the other woman and asked, “How are you, anyway? Are you feeling okay?”

Azula raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Just wondering, since you’re, you know…”

At this point, Azula stopped walking and glared quizzically at the waterbender. “What, because I’m pregnant?”

“Well, yeah.”

A scoff burst from her lips. “Please, Katara, I’m two months along tops. It’s not like I’m waddling around with a beach ball hanging from my stomach. You don’t need to coddle me.”

Katara eased a gentle sigh and shrugged her shoulders. “Still doesn’t hurt to check.”

“Well I’m fine,” she insisted. “Honestly, you’ve been pregnant what, three times? You weren’t helpless either, now were you?”

“No, but I also wasn’t wandering the Spirit World and fighting dark spirits when I was pregnant.” Katara folded her arms and took a step forward, leaning closer; her expression shifted somewhat, awkward, as though she didn’t quite want to say her following words. In a hushed voice, she added, “I also know very well what pregnancy can do to you. Bloating, cramps, sickness…”

At this statement, Azula immediately recoiled and waved her arms off in disgust. “Okay, _please_ stop talking. I do not want to hear about your cramps.” She shuddered, then refocused a glare on Katara. “Just because we’re not trying to kill each other anymore doesn’t mean we’re best friends.”

“Believe me, I know,” the waterbender said, returning a heated look of her own. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be civil with each other, right?”

“Being civil doesn’t mean sharing unnecessary information like that, thank you.”

Katara stared at her a moment longer, then tilted her head back and sighed again. With a wave of her hand, she continued through the valley of mushrooms with Azula at her side. Again, they said nothing to each other for a while. Even so, she continued glancing back and forth at the other woman; Azula made a point to keep her arms folded tight across her chest, guarded, and not once looked Katara’s way. An unease began to build its way deep in her gut, until finally she could take the awkwardness no longer.

“Just so you know,” she said, as they ducked under a pair of low hanging mushrooms. “If you ever _do_ want another friend, I am willing to give that a try.”

That got Azula’s attention, so much so that she nearly smacked her forehead on the underside of the mushroom before finally coming out the other side. With a furrowed brow, she stared at Katara. “You’re not serious.”

“Actually, I am.” Katara stopped walking again to turn fully to the other woman. She took a deep breath, let it out in a long, steady puff, and brought her hands down to her hips. “Look, Azula, it’s been…ages since we fought against each other, far too long to still hold grudges. And as for the whole Dragon Empire thing, and what you did with the Red Lotus, well… I realize you needed to go through that, in a way, in order to get to where you are now, so I don’t hold it against you. At least, not entirely. You still did terrible things, but then I don’t need to remind you of that.”

Azula frowned, looking less and less amused as Katara went on. “Is there a point to this?”

“What I’m saying is that I’m willing to put the past behind us and bury the boomerang, so to speak. Officially.” Katara extended her hand and looked straight in the other woman’s eyes. “That is, if you are.”

Azula’s eyes didn’t stay on Katara’s long; instead, they drifted down to her outstretched hand. For the longest moment, she just stared at it, as if afraid it would bite. Once, twice, three times her gaze flicked back up at Katara’s face, only to fall again down to her hand. Was this woman being serious? The holier-than-thou peasant girl who had torn Azula down so many years ago, now willing forget the past? To be _friends?_

It was a trick, she thought; it had to be. But no… what would the point of trickery be at this stage? That wouldn’t make any sense. Then again, neither did Katara offering her friendship. Honestly, did Azula even need another friend? She had Mai and Ty Lee, and sort of Kuvira. Korra, to a lesser extent. And… who else? No one, she realized. Aside from Annie and Kanna, but they were more family than friends. Zuzu, she supposed, but again that was family. Friends… _friends._

Ever so slowly, she brought her own arm outward. She paused briefly before they touched, but soon she tightened a grip around Katara’s hand. The shake was slow and awkward, but it was a shake nonetheless.

“I’m not promising anything…” Azula said, focusing at last on the other woman’s face. “But I can try.”

Katara flashed a warm smile. “That’s all I can ask.”

“Hmph.” Finally, Azula yanked her hand back and continued her way through the mushroom trees. “Anyway, enough with this emotional crap. We have a job to do.”

* * *

Megumi couldn't take her eyes off the fallen men. They lied there on the ground, motionless, with their eyes wide open in frozen horror. They wouldn't wake, though; that much she knew. With their spirits gone, absorbed by Sen, they were nothing more than empty husks now. She felt a strange sort of sickness start to bubble up deep in her gut the more she watched. It was almost funny, just how uneasy this made her feel.

When she'd first been brought back by Sen, she hadn't even considered the consequences; she had only cared about getting Kanna. Now, it was impossible to ignore exactly what she was a part of. The worst of it, of course, was that she could not resist that spirit's commands, no matter how much she struggled otherwise. His hold over her seemed absolute, unyielding. He would force her to help him end all of humanity, even Kanna, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Ah, Ba Sing Se…” boomed a sinister voice.

Megumi finally tore her eyes away from the unmoving men, turning instead to look at Sen. The gejigeji spirit loomed at the edge of the massive wall they stood atop—the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, to be precise. Beyond that wall, one hundred meters below them, stretched the Agrarian Zone, the only piece of land left between them and the tens of millions of citizens living in the largest nation in the world.

“So many millions of essences within these walls, waiting to be consumed,” Sen continued. “Once we’re done here, I will be unstoppable.”

“Correct me if I’m mistaken, but were you not already claiming to be unstoppable?” The response came from Unalaq, who stood at Sen's other side. Behind the former chieftain, the spirit's newest minions waited silently for command, not one of them wavering from their blank stare out over the wall.

Sen scoffed. “Even more so. My power continues to grow with every essence I absorb, but the numbers so far have been paltry. But this…Yes, this will bring me to the pinnacle of my power. Never in history has there been so many people gathered in a single place. Feeble humans… they will fall. You will _all_ fall.”

Megumi remained quiet as she watched; she had nothing to add, and knew better at this point than to speak out. Even without being able to refuse Sen's orders, she still had her own mind, her own opinions, her own growing hate for him. Why he hadn't made her as mindless and subservient as his other minions, she didn't know. Perhaps he took pleasure from the distress it caused her, and from her dread and fear that grew stronger every moment.

“He’s not gonna wake up… is he?” The question came from Kanna; she stood next to one of the fallen Ba Sing Se guards, staring down at the man's eyes. Her expression seemed sad, yet somehow also indifferent, as though such a sight did not surprise her in spite of its horror.

“Kanna, get back,” Megumi said. She immediately made a move forward and took her daughter into her arms. With a quick turn, she held the back of Kanna's head close, urging the young girl's attention elsewhere. “Don’t look. Please.”

Even with her gaze pulled away from the guards, Kanna still found something to look at—Sen. “The big bug is hurting people. _You’re_ hurting people.”

“I…” Megumi's response fell trapped in her throat. Kanna was right, of course; she _was_ hurting people, even if she was being forced to.

“The child is perceptive, isn’t she?” Sen turned his beady black eyes towards them and grinned. “She might have grown to be quite the intelligent individual, but alas.”

Megumi gently ran her fingers through Kanna's hair, and held the girl's head closer. “I know, sweetie… I know.”

“I don’t like this,” Kanna muttered, as her fingers curled into tiny fists, grabbing hold tight of Megumi's tunic. “I don’t like the big mean bug and I don’t like those other people, and I don’t like _you_. I just want to go home. I want my Daddy. And I want my Mommy.”

“But I’m—”

“My _real_ Mommy!”

Megumi's mouth snapped shut at her daughter's biting response. How many times had she tried to convince Kanna that she herself was the girl's real mother? And each time, Kanna rejected the notion. It was hopeless, she realized; Kanna would never accept Megumi as her mother. Perhaps it had all been pointless, trying to reunite with Kanna, to take her from her father and from Azula. When first brought back to life, she had been so eager to take her daughter back, so eager to spite Anraq for letting Kanna die once before, so eager to tear Azula down as a terrible maternal figure, that she hadn't even considered how Kanna actually feel about it.

How much of that had been Sen's influence, and how much of it had been Megumi's own selfishness? She didn't know anymore, and perhaps she never would. Whether under Sen's influence or not, she willingly tore Kanna's life apart under the foolish thought that they would be happy together once reunited. Now, Megumi realized that such a thing had never been a possibility. She had only succeeded in destroying her daughter's hope and happiness. Did that not make her just as bad as Azula had ever been? Or even worse?

“Enough waiting,” Sen said, as he began to crawl down the side of the wall. “We have much work to do.”

* * *

With a quaking shudder, the ground ripped apart, splitting open an entrance to a gradually descending tunnel that led far below ground. At the mouth of the tunnel, Kuvira huffed a deep sigh and then doubled over, hands on her knees. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead as she sucked in deep breaths, long exhausted from constant earthbending. When she finally caught her breath, she straightened herself again and wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Phew…Feels good to have some fresh air,” she said.

“No kidding,” Korra replied, as she took a step next to her wife. She glanced back down the tunnel and frowned. “I don’t know how long we were down there, but it was too long.”

“So what direction do we go in now?” Kuvira paused to gaze around at the barren wasteland they now found themselves in; her eyes lingered on the blackened sky above. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this area of the Spirit World before. Or if I have, I don’t recognize it.”

“That’s a good question…” Korra took a step forward and scratched her head, looking in all directions. Several moments of hesitation past before finally she pointed towards a group of rocky crags. “I think that way looks familiar.”

Kuvira glanced at her. “Are you sure?”

“I just said I _think_. So no, I’m not sure.”

Kuvira hummed a thoughtful breath and followed Korra, as they made their way across the dead land. Shortly after, though, she paused when a flicker of movement in the sky caught her gaze. She squinted at it, watching as it came closer into view. “Is that… a giant spirit dragon?”

Korra followed the gaze, until she too noticed the airborne creature streaking across the sky. Within seconds, her eyes flashed with recognition. “I think it is. Actually, it looks like the dragon bird that helped me once before, back when I was fighting Unalaq and Vaatu.”

“Maybe it can help us get out of here?”

“Worth a shot.” Korra ran a few steps forward and waved her arms, trying to grab the dragon bird’s attention. “Heeey! Excuse me! Over here!”

At first, the spirit didn’t see them. It continued on through the sky without so much as a glance downward. As it grew closer, however, the creature finally tilted its head towards the ground. When its gaze fell upon Korra, it abruptly switched directions in the sky and released a shrieking cry that split the quiet air. Its color shifted, morphing from a brilliant gold to a darkened mass of glowing violet, and then it tucked its wings inward to dive straight dowward.

“Uh, Korra…” Kuvira said, sliding a step backwards. “I don’t think it wants to help.”

Korra, too, took a step back, her eyes wide. “Look out!”

Korra pulled her wife to the side and tugged them both out of the way, just as the dragon bird’s talons ripped into the earth where they had been standing moments before. The dark beast remained only for a moment, then took to the air again. It circled back, keeping close as it rained down a breath of spiritual energy at its targets. Kuvira acted fast and shielded them with an earthen wall, only a moment before the blast struck.

“We can’t fight this thing!” Korra said, with a cough. The spirit’s attack had kicked up a cloud of dust, of which she inhaled a lungful. “I don’t have enough water on me to try spiritbending, and you’re already exhausted.”

Kuvira watched as the dragon made another pass. When it came within range, she punched a boulder through the air at it with all her might. In spite of her effort, though, the boulder lacked any real speed or power, and the dragon easily avoided it with a graceful spin. Both she and Korra were forced to dive away to avoid a second wave of heated dragon’s breath.

“Yeah, my tank is just about empty,” Kuvira muttered, with a tired huff. She had been bending for several hours straight now, and wouldn’t last very long in a fight against a dark spirit of this magnitude. “We need to get out of here.”

Korra looked from the dragon bird to the surrounding area—almost completely open land for as far as she could see, save for the crags jutting from the ground in the distance. That meant there were no places to hide; they could only run, and hope they made it. “Let’s go!”

The pair took off in a dead sprint away from the pursuing spirit. Kuvira attempted to give them some breathing room by raising up various rocky walls as they went. She raised them high on the trail of her footsteps, forcing the dragon to maintain an altitude just high enough that it couldn’t breathe another attack. But her efforts couldn’t last forever. The more she tried, the more exhausted she became, until the walls began to shrink and her pace began to slow. She fell several steps behind Korra, and soon a stabbing cramp pulsed just beneath her ribcage. She tried to fight through it, but it was futile; within moments the dragon caught up.

Kuvira bended a desperate wall over herself just as another blast of energy struck, but the shield was weak. The earth exploded into rubble and sent her flying across the ground, rolling wildly to a violent stop. When Korra realized that her wife had fallen behind, she skidded to a stop and reversed directions. Kuvira was still moving in attempts to get back to her feet, but the dragon bird already loomed above her.

“Leave her alone!” Korra shouted. With a whipping motion of her arms, she called the water out of the flask at her hip. The stream lashed through the air and smacked the creature across the face, but with little effect; the spirit simply shifted its attention to her and bellowed an angry shriek. She knew there wasn’t much she could do against this spirit, with only a single element, no Raava, and such a limited supply of water, but she would be damned if she let it harm her wife.

The dragon bird made a lunge for her. She held her ground, calling her meager stream of water back around her body, prepared to strike. She never got the chance. Instead, a sizzling bolt of lightning streaked through the air and struck the spirit square on its side. With a pained screech, it staggered back a step and took off to the sky. Korra blinked a moment, then turned a look towards where the lightning had come from. There she saw them, one with her fingers smoking from lightning, and the other with a much greater supply of water at the ready, swirling around herself.

“Azula! Katara!” she called.

Azula ran closer and took a stance next to Korra. “You can thank us later, Avatar. Let’s put this spirit in its place and get out of here.”

Katara came to Kuvira’s side and assisted the woman back to her feet. Then, she offered some of her water to Korra. “It’s coming back. Get ready.”

The four of them attacked together to drive the spirit back, lighting the sky with shots of water, earth, lightning, and fire. Even with their combined efforts, though, the spirit was relentless. It countered most of their attacks with its own breaths of spirit energy, and dodged whatever it missed. At the very least, they forced it to continue circling and remain on the defensive—for the moment, at least. Korra should have guessed that their partial success wouldn’t last.

When the spirit realized that it wasn’t making any progress, it climbed higher into the sky. Upon reaching the edge of the shadowed clouds, it shrieked again and called down a wave of light. The light engulfed the spirit, empowered it. Then, the spirit grew—slowly at first, then rapidly doubling its size. The light disappeared moments later, and again the dragon made its move against them. This time, their attacks had no effect at all—lightning, earth, and water alike, all exploded against the charging dragon without so much as slowing it down.

“Guys, it’s not stopping!” Katara said.

“We can see that!” Azula replied. She charged one more bolt of lightning at her fingers and fired it directly at the dragon’s face; the spirit merely opened its mouth and unleashed a massive wave of energy at them.

If not for Kuvira’s quick actions to shield them with as dense a wall as she could muster, the dragon’s breath might have obliterated them. Instead, it left them scattered across the ground in the midst of rubble. The four struggled up from the ground, each stumbling on weakened legs. The dark spirit shrieked again, although this time its call was choppy and broken, almost like a twisted laugh. It flew back around one more time straight at them—the final time, if not for a miracle.

The miracle came in the form of a violent explosion against the side of dragon bird's head. The spirit stumbled out of the air before righting itself and landing with a crash on the ground. The attack didn't let up, though, as soon a pair of giant fists composed of sand swept in and gave the dragon bird several quick punches across the beak. The fists then dissolved, sifting out and becoming smaller clumps of sand. In the following seconds, a whirlwind whipped up to surround the spirit. The bits of sand compressed together to become dense, hard, and were then swept around in the vortex; they became like razors, whirling at high speeds to tear into the dragon bird.

“Korra, everyone—together!”

Korra shot a look towards the voice. There, she spotted a familiar individual rotating her arms around in a circular motion, maintaining the whirlwind. “Jinora?”And not just Jinora—P'Li and Hari, too.

“Don’t worry, we’re here to help,” said the combustionbender. She punched out a stream of fire, and in an instant the vortex ignited.

The others wasted no time in assisting. Korra and Katara molded their water into icy shards and threw them forward. As soon as the razor projectiles entered the twister, they were swept away by the powerful winds and repeatedly circled the dragon bird spirit, cutting through it. Kuvira released every single one of the metal plates from her armguards, molded them into sharpened blades, and sent them in to add to the assault, while Azula maintained a continuous stream of lightning to electrify the whirlwind. Within seconds, the dragon bird shrieked in mad pain and recoiled. Within a few moments of struggling, it did manage to break free of its elemental containment, but it made no move to further attack. Instead, it took to the skies and fled, soon disappearing beyond the clouds.

When it was over, and all was calm again, Jinora ran to Korra and the others. “Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Korra replied with a tired huff. When she caught her breath, she turned to the young airbender and smiled. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“Don’t mention it,” Jinora said, returning the smile. “We figured something might have happened, so we decided to come find you.”

“Well, you figured right. This place is more dangerous than ever.” Korra took a moment to look over the area; the Spirit World seemed even more volatile than before the fight with the dragon bird spirit, if that was possible. “How are things in the physical world? How long have we been gone?”

Jinora paused, her gaze drifting downward. “Things are… not good. You guys have been gone almost two days. Sen has attack numerous cities, harmed countless people…” Her voice trailed off into a sigh as she looked up again. “We _need_ you, Korra. Please tell me you guys found something.”

“We did, right here.” Korra reached back into the front of her shirt and pulled out the pair of scrolls from Wan Shi Tong's library. “As soon as we get back, we can prepare for him.”

“Alright, now exactly how do we get out of here?” Azula asked, with hands planted firmly on her hips.

“I think I can help with that,” Hari said. With a wave of his hand, he turned around and raised up a path of sand from the ground, a path that led from their current spot all the way beyond the horizon. The tiny grains of sand were faint, but still noticeable enough to follow. “I left behind a trail when we traveled. This will take us back to the portal.”

P'Li scoffed out an amused breath and folded her arms. “Huh. Good thinking.”

“Alright guys, we know what we have to do,” Korra said, leading the way along the trail of sand. She wasted no time, soon breaking out into a run. “Let’s move.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're getting close guys... I've planned it out and we're less than 10 chapters until the end. It's been a heck of a run so far, but the story has to end somewhere. Thanks to everyone in advance who stuck with me it this long, I owe a great deal to all of you. If not for my readers, I never would have continued this fic for so long. It's become something I'm really proud of, even knowing some people out there aren't fond of it. So, enjoy the chapter and look forward to the coming conclusion!
> 
> (Also, we've now officially broken 600k words. Woohoo!)


	142. The Final Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Korra and Team Avatar safely back in Republic City, our heroes reunite and come up with their final plan to stop Sen once and for all.

The physical world came rushing back in a stream of glowing white and yellow. As they exited the spirit portal in the center of downtown Republic City, Korra huffed out a sigh of relief and then breathed in deep through her nose. The smell of fresh air filled her lungs and put her at ease, for the time being—not that there wasn’t fresh air in the Spirit World, but spirit air had a distinct sensation to it, heavy and almost electric, very different from the crisp breeze that fluttered her hair around her chin.

“Spirits, it’s good to be back,” she said, with a subtle smile.

“Tell me about it.” P’Li folded her arms and glanced back at the portal with a frown. “If I never enter the Spirit World again, it’ll be too soon.”

Jinora offered a reassuring look. “It’s usually not that bad, really.”

“Uh huh.” The combustionbender returned a sidelong glare. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Korra took one moment longer to enjoy the feel of the breeze, during which time her hand strayed and found Kuvira’s. A new feeling welled inside her, a strength and reassurance, as their fingers interlaced and tightened around each other’s. She knew the moment couldn’t last, though; there was too much to do, too much to prepare, and they were running out of time.

“Alright,” she said, “we should all meet up with Asami and the others, let them know what we found. We’ve lost way too much time already.”

She received quick nods of agreement, but before any of them could take a step to move onward, there came a repeated thudding across the ground. Korra was able to glance a brief blur of white before the massive form was upon her, tearing her away from Kuvira and pinning her to the ground. For a brief second, her heart leaped with panic. Any concerns, however, melted away soon thereafter when she felt the wet tongue licking across the length of her face, and the sounds of excited panting and whining.

“Naga!” The former Avatar immediately reached up and wrapped her arms around the snout of the polar bear dog. With a pleasant laugh, she managed to sit upright to hold herself close in a hug. “Hey, I missed you, girl.”

The polar bear dog gave Korra a few more friendly licks, then turned her sights on the Zaofu matriarch. Kuvira blinked at the animal, only becoming aware of what was about to happen when it was too late to escape. In the next moment, Naga was atop her, and she flat on her back. The polar bear dog was sure to give her the same sort of affection as Korra, which meant a giant wet tongue lapping across her face.

“ _Pheh_. Yes, Naga—ack, that’s my _tongue!_ —I missed you too.” With a few squirms and a little help of her earthbending, Kuvira was finally able to slip out from underneath the animal and return to her feet. Naga promptly sat down and wagged her tail, tongue hanging out as she panted happily. Kuvira returned the look with a raised eyebrow, and started to wipe the slobber off her face. “What’s she doing here, anyway? Last I remember, she was down at the South Pole for our wedding.”

“We found her on our way out,” Jinora stated, giving the polar bear dog a gentle rub. “We decided we should bring her along, instead of leaving her all alone down there. I guess Sen doesn’t care much about animal essences.”

Hari nodded in agreement, then took a quick look around the spirit portal. “She must have been waiting right here for you to come back.”

“Thanks,” Korra replied, with a smile. Naga approached her and gave a few gentle nudges, prompting another laugh from the former Avatar. “Alright, alright, enough. We can play later, promise.”

Naga pouted with a quiet whine, and then started circling around the group. When she came to P’Li and Azula, she took a momentary pause and tilted her head at them, blinking. Within moments, a threatening growl surged from her throat and her lips curled back, exposing her teeth.

P’Li glared at the polar bear dog with a raised eyebrow. Leaning towards Azula, she asked, “Is that thing growling at you, or at me?”

“Both of us?” Azula took a step backwards, keeping a careful watch on the angry animal. “Either way, keep that mangy mutt away from me, please.”

The reaction wasn’t entirely unexpected—after all, Naga would have only had poor experiences with either woman, given their hostile past—but was still concern enough for Korra to hurry forward and gently tug Naga backwards by the neck. “It’s okay Naga, they’re friends. _Friends.”_

At the mention of friends, Naga’s demeanor altered almost immediately. Rather than threatening, she returned to her previous friendliness and began to wag her tail again. The moment that Korra’s arms loosened from around her neck, she lunged forward—too quick for either woman to get out of the way. With a sudden thud, both firebenders were pinned beneath the weight of the polar bear dog, one under either front paw. Then, just as with the others, Naga greeted them the way she greeted all her friends, by licking their faces.

“ _Ack!”_ P’Li cried, squirming her face away from Naga’s tongue. “No, get it off! _Off!”_

“Hey, that’s my _hair!”_ Azula slid back an inch and tried to push the polar bear dog away, but to no avail. “Get your slimy tongue _out_ of my hair!”

Naga allowed them up a few moments later, by which time they were both drenched in polar bear dog saliva. They looked at each other, both with their expressions twisted in disdain, looks that were only worsened by the laughter that the others were failing to stifle.

“I guess she likes you,” Korra insisted, through her snickering.

P’Li’s glare slowly turned towards the former Avatar, then down at herself. She held her arms up and groaned, as the slobber started running down her sleeves. “Ugh… I need a shower.”

“Let’s just go now,” Azula muttered, as she furiously tried to fix her hair in place; she failed, only further mussing it up. A shower would do wonders for her, as well. “Please.”

* * *

Bolin exhaled a deep sigh of relief as he stood in the foyer of their apartment. He managed a quick look around to take in the familiarity of his home before Opal arrived next to him and leaned against his shoulder. She closed her eyes and sighed, while gently rocking San back and forth in her arms. The baby had been fast asleep for a few hours now, but through experience Opal knew to keep rocking; if she stopped for even a moment, the fussy child would wake up and start crying.

The trains from Zaofu had arrived in Republic City nearly twelve hours ago, but they had only just now come to their apartment. The time before then had been spent with Opal’s family and the other Zaofu citizens, seeing that they were set up properly before finally departing. Now, they were home, and they were tired, with the events of Sen’s attack still fresh in their minds.

“It’s good to be home,” Bolin said, as he made his way to the living room couch. It seemed like ages since he had last sat on these cushions.

Opal followed and plopped herself down next to her husband. Still, she was sure to continue rocking their son. “Right… I just wish the circumstances were a little better.”

“Tell me about it,” he said. “This thing with Sen has gotten way out of hand. He might be the worst thing we’ve ever faced.” And that wasn’t an exaggeration—outside of Vaatu, he couldn’t recall a foe they had gone up against that threatened the world on such a massive scale. “Do you think we can stop him?”

“Of course we can!” Opal’s voice was sharp and stern, but still hushed to keep from waking San. “We _have_ to stop him, no matter what it takes. We can’t let him hurt anymore innocent people. He’ll destroy everything…everyone.” She swallowed a knot following her words, then hugged her child closer to her chest. The look on the baby’s face was calm, and peaceful, something she knew that wouldn’t last if they lost to the dark spirit that plagued their world.

Bolin leaned closer, with a tender hand to his wife’s shoulder. “We won’t let anything happen to our son, Opal. I promise.”

A knock came on the door, prompting Bolin to straighten himself. Opal gave him a silent gesture with a nod of her head, and so he pushed himself up off the couch and made his way to the door. A second knock came before he got his eye to the peephole, and when he did his face lit up with a smile. Upon throwing the door open, Mako was there to greet him.

“Hey, little bro,” Mako said, with a wave of his hand. “Heard you guys just got back.”

“Mako!” Bolin lunged forward and pulled his brother in for a hug, although his arms didn’t quite make it all the way around; the armor of Mako’s police chief uniform added extra bulk. Admittedly, it was still bizarre to see Mako in the same uniform that had once belonged to Lin, and yet at the same time it was fitting. “It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise,” Mako replied, taking a step back. Then, he glanced down at the floor next to himself and added, “And I brought someone else who I think will agree.”

A shrill chitter called out, followed by a sudden blur or red and orange that ran in a coil up along Bolin’s legs and body, until it finally stopped atop his shoulder. He realized what the fuzzy blur was in an instant, and immediately reached out to grab hold of the animal with an excited laugh. “Pabu! Oh I missed you so much! How have you been?” The fire ferret responded with another happy chitter. “That’s great!” With a look to his brother, he added, “Thanks for looking after him while we were gone.”

Mako replied with a nod and a smirk. “Don’t mention it, that’s what I’m here for. Although, my wallet doesn’t quite agree. He eats a lot for such a little guy.”

“Oh I know, believe me.”

Opal approached the pair with a smile, still rocking San back and forth in her arms. “It’s good to see you, Mako.” Pabu then jumped off of Bolin and landed on her shoulder, settling down and giving her a few licks on the cheek. Her smile grew, and a giggle followed. “And you too, Pabu.”

“It’s good to see you too, Opal,” Mako said. “Glad to see you all made it out of Zaofu alright.”

“Thanks.” Opal’s demeanor then shifted, dropping with a frown. “It was…really close. Mom and the rest of my family are over on Air Temple Island right now though, so they’re fine.”

Mako nodded. “That's good, I'm glad to hear it. Anyway, I came here to let you know that Korra and the others just got back from the Spirit World. They’ll be having a briefing over at Asami’s workshop soon for how we’re going to deal with Sen, if you want to join us.”

The look that Opal and Bolin exchanged was brief, but stern—a wordless communication of agreement. Within seconds, Opal looked back to Mako with her brow low over her eyes. “We’ll be right there, count on it.”

* * *

Back in Asami’s workshop, the team of engineering geniuses remained hard at work on the Spirit Conductor. Currently, they worked on making last second adjustments before running another test to see if they had made any progress. Set upon the table next to the machine rested a chunk of spirit vine with two electrodes and an electronic meter hooked up to it, to measure its level of spirit energy. Unlike previous work with spirit vines, however, these samples had been donated to them by the spirits in the wilds; the spirits wanted Sen gone just as badly as any human, by whatever means they had to take.

Clearing his throat, Varrick took a step in front of the video camera. He made sure to line himself up in the shot so that the Spirit Conductor was still visible, and then said, “Alright, this is test number twenty-three. I have a good feeling about this one.”

“Assuming we made the right adjustments since the last test,” Asami stated, as she closed the front panel on the machine.

“We’ll only know if we try.” Varrick pulled down his goggles over his eyes, then hurried over to the master switch. “Alright, let’s fire it up!”

When the others joined him and put on their own goggles, Varrick pulled the switch down and watched. A low hum emanated from the conductor’s base, followed by a bright spark near the tapered end of the head. The hum soon grew to a high pitched whirring as the head began to spin. A flurry of sparks erupted above the tip of the siphon, with arcing bolts of electricity flowing between each of the nodes. For a moment, everything seemed to be in working order; Varrick even prepared to jump in triumph, fists pulled in close to his body and knees bent, a wide grin spread across his face.

The moment disappeared, though, when another flurry of sparks burst from the front panel, these ones unintentional. A plume of smoke followed, accompanied by the charred scent of burning wires.

“Turn if off!” Baatar shouted, burying his nose against his arm.

Asami was way ahead of him, already hurrying towards the master switch. She pushed the switch upright, and within a few moments the Spirit Conductor died down. The sparks and electricity disappeared, leaving only the spreading smoke that she made futile attempts to wave away from her face. “Uck, what went wrong this time?”

Varrick was already at the machine, plying apart the panel to examine the contents within. With a hand held to his chin and lips pursed, he replied, “Hmm, my initial look leads me to believe it’s something with the oscillator. I’ll need to run a few diagnostics before we try again. Zhu Li, I could use a hand removing the calibrator.”

“Careful not to burn yourself this time,” his wife said, as she arrived next to him.

“Oh, I’ll be fine, don’t worry so much,” Varrick declared. He jabbed a screwdriver into the panel and started prying at the resistor to give enough room for Zhu Li to reach the screws on the calibrator. “That was _one_ time.”

Zhu Li hummed with amusement, using her own screwdriver to remove the screws. “It was three times, actually.”

“It was?” Varrick paused a moment, counting quietly to himself with the aid of his fingers. When the realization hit, his eyebrows lifted. “Huh, I guess it was.”

A smirk snaked its way onto Zhu Li’s face. Turning, she leaned in close to give her husband a kiss. “Anyway, it’s my job to worry. And to correct your mistakes.”

“Ssshhh,” he insisted, with a quick look over his shoulder. “Do you want the whole world to know?”

A scoff found its way out of Baatar’s throat. “The 'whole world' seems like a bit of an exaggeration, considering it’s just the four of us. And we already know.”

“Hey, zip it, Junior,” Varrick countered. “Every brilliant man has a brilliant woman to complement him.” Then, with a challenging smirk of his own, he added, “Well, most of us, anyway.”

Baatar’s eyes narrowed. “Not funny.”

While Varrick and Zhu Li continued to work on the machine, the door to the workshop opened and a whole procession of individuals entered—Korra, Kuvira, Azula, Katara, P'Li, Jinora, Hari, Mako, Bolin, with Pabu riding atop his shoulder, and Opal carrying San. Naga brought up the rear, just barely squeezing her massive frame through the doorway. As soon as they arrived, Asami lit up and ran towards them.

“Korra!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the former Avatar in a tight, welcoming embrace. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“Hey, Asami,” Korra said, with a small laugh. She returned the hug and then glanced past Asami to Varrick, Zhu Li, and Baatar. “Good to see see you all.”

Asami took a step back and eased a breath of relief, turning her focus to the others. “I was worried when you guys took so long in the Spirit World… Did you run into trouble?”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Korra said. “We actually might not have made it out at all if Jinora and the others hadn’t shown up.”

Jinora waved off the acknowledgement with a gentle smile. “It was nothing.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re all okay,” Asami said. “Were you successful? Did you find something?”

“We did. That’s what we’re here to talk to you all about.” Korra reached down the front of her shirt and pulled out the pair of scrolls they had recovered from the Spirit World. For as much as they had gone through to get these scrolls here, it would be worth the trouble; it had to be. “We found a method to stop Sen and hopefully save his victims, but it won’t be easy, and it’ll require a team effort.”

Opal leaned forward, eying the rolls of parchment curiously. “What are they?”

“Ancient bending scrolls, kept deep in the Spirit Library. Wan Shi Tong gave them to us, believe it or not.” Making her way over to the nearby workbench, Korra cleared a space and then set the scrolls down. She unrolled one of them in particular, so that everyone could gather around and see the illustrations and words written upon the parchment. “It describes four different bending forms, one in each of the four elements. These forms were developed specifically to alter and control spirits, much like the spiritbending I already know. In order to get it to work on someone of Sen’s power, though, all four forms need to be performed together, in unison. It’s the only hope we’ll have of removing his essence and all those from the people he’s hurt.”

Jinora studied the images carefully, in particular the airbending form. With a hand pressed to her chin, she hummed a contemplative breath and nodded. “They don’t seem too difficult… Some of these movements are ones I’ve already studied with my dad.”

“Yes, the motions seem simple enough,” Azula said, crossing her arms. “I've studied far more complex forms before. I could do these in my sleep.”

“It’s not just the movements, though,” Korra said. “It’s also the inner control of your own spiritual energy, and combining that in just the right way.” She pointed to the descriptions that were written alongside the images. “These forms require complete inner harmony and focus.”

Still, Azula scoffed and gave a shrug. “I’ll have it memorized in an hour.”

Korra raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue; if anyone could get one of these forms down that quickly, it was Azula. Instead, she rolled up the scroll again and passed it to Asami. “Can you have some copies made? Enough to give it out to as many benders as possible. If something goes wrong, we need as many people as we can knowing how to do these forms.”

Asami nodded. “Not a problem.”

“You can count on us, Korra,” Katara said. “We’ll do whatever you need.”

“Thanks.” Korra flashed an appreciative smile, but soon the sternness returned to her demeanor. “In the meantime, we should all probably come up with some kind of battle plan. Beating Sen isn’t going to be as easy as just confronting him and bending at him. It’ll be a struggle.”

“Well, hopefully this thing will help!” Varrick looked up from his work on the machine, raising his screwdriver like some kind of victory torch. This prompted a sudden spark from the control panel, and a squeal of surprise from Zhu Li to fix the outburst. “I’m sure someone’s already told you about our Spirit Conductor, but I can give you the rundown on the details later if you want.”

Korra nodded. “Definitely. We’ll need every advantage we can get.”

“So then, how exactly are we going to find Sen once we’re prepared?” Bolin asked. “We had a hard enough time trying to hunt him down in the South Pole.”

“We won’t need to find him,” Mako said, with a shake of his head. “He’ll find us. Right now, he’s going around and attacking highly populated areas. I got a distress call earlier from Ba Sing Se… Sen already got to it. As far as I know, Republic City should be his next target, or one of them.”

“But there’s no telling when that will be,” Jinora insisted. “Could be tomorrow, could be a week. We only have a couple of days left at most before his first victims start to expire… if they haven’t already.” A brief pause of silence followed, and the young airbender's expression drooped, an expression that was soon shared by everyone else, as they thought to those of their friends and family who had already been affected by Sen. There had been so many...too many.

“I know… but there’s nothing else we can do,” Korra said, with a heavy exhale. “We have a plan, and we have to stick to it. If it works, then we’ll deal with what comes after when it’s over. If it doesn’t…then it won’t matter.”

Kuvira glanced to her wife, and for a single, quiet moment they shared a mutual look of comfort. Then, she reached out and rested a gentle hand on Korra's shoulder; the reassuring squeeze she gave seemed to settle the former Avatar's nerves, and eased the tension within her. “Then we should start preparing.”

“Right, I’ll go make those copies,” Asami said, as she hurried off to the offices.

Mako, too, started to leave. “And I’ll ready the police force, and make sure the United Forces are up to speed. With General Iroh unavailable, I've had to more heavily coordinate things myself.”

“Mind if I tag along?” The question came from P'Li, who had already turned as if to follow him. When everyone else turned to stare at her, creating a sudden tension thick in the air, she rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Well, I need _something_ to do, instead of just standing around.”

“Uhh… yeah, sure,” Mako said, with a slow nod; the caution and hesitance in his voice did not go unnoticed. “I guess I could use the help.”

Hari, too, followed the pair. “I'll come as well.”

“And we’ll keep working on the Spirit Conductor!” Varrick announced. “We’re so close to getting it working, I can almost taste it!”

Zhu Li glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. “I imagine that would not be a pleasant flavor.”

Just as Asami neared the exit to the workshop, Azula looked to her and called out. “By the way, be sure to hurry with those copies. I want to have my form perfected by dinner.” The only response she recieved was a flippant wave as Asami disappeared through the doorway.

“Actually, Azula, do you mind coming with me first?” Korra asked.

The prodigy furrowed her brow, turning a curious glance towards the woman. “What for?”

“There’s something else we need to do.” Korra made a grab for the second scroll they had recovered from the Spirit World, and held it out for Azula to take. “And I think you’re the only one who can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're drawing closer to the end. This chapter was actually cut because of how long it ran. Originally there was supposed to be more, but it would have taken forever and I already took way too long to get this one out (sorry about that). So this ends up being much more of a bridge chapter than it was meant to be, but there will be some nice character interactions in the next chapter before we get to the action of the final conflict. Honestly this chapter mostly reintroduces a couple of animal companions I may or may not have forgotten about for a while xD Seems like I'm always forgetting about Naga, so I had to make sure I brought her in again. And as for Pabu... Well I suppose 142 chapters late is better than not at all? I am actuall yashamed that I never once mentioned Pabu in this entire fic, in spite of Bolin being in it frequently. So... yeah, there he is! Ha...


	143. The Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the conflict with the Spirit of a Thousand Faces looming, characters reunite and prepare for humanity's last stand.
> 
> *WARNING* Some sexual content.

Azula squinted curiously at the scroll she held in her hands, as she followed Korra through the main hallway of the Sato mansion. The illustrations and wording both confused and astounded her, unlike anything she had seen before in regards to firebending. The style depicted seemed to be a very fluid, graceful style, but also restrained and passive, almost like waterbending. They were not at all like the sharp, powerful motions of modern firebending.

“So this scroll…” she muttered, lifting her eyes to glance at the former Avatar. “It’s supposed to be able to heal Mai and Ty Lee, and the others?”

“According to what it says, yeah,” Korra replied. “It’s some kind of fire healing, meant to restore both spirit and body, rather than destroy. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Itisremarkable.” Azula tilted her gaze back down to the scroll. “To think that firebending at one time could heal. I suppose it’s no surprise that such an ability was lost over the centuries, with how volatile the Fire Nation became. Nowadays, I don’t think you could find a firebender that pulls their bending from life and peace, instead of anger and power.”

“Except for the Fire Warriors,” Korra said. “Plus you and Zuko.”

“Is that why you tasked me with this?”

Korra nodded, and added a smile. “Exactly.”

At this admission, Azula stopped walking, forcing Korra to stop as well. She narrowed her eyes, giving the former Avatar an almost confused glare. “But why not go to Zuko? Surely you’d trust him with something like this more than me.”

“Honestly? Because I believe in your ability.” Korra took a step closer, lowering her focus to the parchment. “The method described in that scroll requires precise control and meticulous attention. Who better than the Fire Nation prodigy, right?”

Azula blinked, and tried to hide her surprise. She played off the comment as though it were an obvious statement, giving a simple shrug. “Well, I suppose you do have a point. I can promise you that your trust in me will not be misplaced.”

“I know.” Korra smiled again, and the look in her eyes made clear that she could see through the firebender’s attempts at downplaying the compliment; Azula’s satisfaction at being given that level of trust showed plain as day.

As the two started walking again, Azula gazed around at the mansion’s elegant décor. “So, why are they being held here, of all places? Surely the Republic City prison would be a better location to contain them.”

“Because they’re not criminals,” Korra said, with a soft sigh. “They’re just… not themselves. Besides, they put Toph on guard duty. I can’t think of anyone better suited at containing prisoners.”

As soon as she said the words, the pair rounded to corner to come face to face with Toph standing just outside the door to one of the mansion’s sitting rooms. The old—or rather not-so-old-anymore—earthbender folded her arms and scoffed out a confident breath. “You’re darn right. Haven’t had the least bit of trouble with those dunderheads.”

“How are they?” Korra asked, with a quick look towards the closed door.

Toph gave a simple shrug. “Fine, I guess. Still firmly under Sen’s control, though. Standing guard is pretty boring, but I make the most of it. I will say, though, I’ve never been happier to be blind than when I have to escort them to the bathroom.”

Azula cringed at the statement. “Alright, that’s enough information right there. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Sure, sure, go right on in, Sparky.”

A pause followed, and Azula glared puzzledly. “...Sparky?”

“Sparky. You know, because your lightning?” When Toph received only a blank stare in response, she huffed out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “It's a nickname, you dunce. I give them to everyone.”

“I see...” Azula muttered. “Don't ever call me that again.”

“Whatever you say, Sparkplug.” Toph stepped aside to let them past, gesturing to the door with her signature blank, uninterested expression. Her blind eyes stared off into a void, paying no mind to the continued glare that Azula shot her on the way way by.

Inside the sitting room, the four prisoners sat quietly on a pair of couches near the far end. They were bound in metal restraints that held their wrists together behind their backs, and their ankles down at the floor. Another strip of metal wrapped across their mouths to silence them. Toph had certainly made sure that they wouldn’t be able to do anything to escape, which did ultimately make the location of their confinement inconsequential. That did nothing to quell the looks of ire that they turned to both Azula and Korra when the door opened.

Azula glanced from side to side, first studying Mai and Ty Lee on one couch, then Sokka and Suki on the other. She didn’t much care for the latter two, but the former two were her closest friends outside of Annie and Kanna. She did have to help them all, though, she supposed. With a sigh, she placed the scroll down on the table and gave it another quick read-through. It seemed like a simple enough process, and yet she had never before attempted a form like this before. She might get it right on the first try, or she might fail miserably.

No, that was no way to think. She was Azula, Princess and Prodigy of the Fire Nation. She _would_ get this right. She would be _perfect._

Korra stood off to the side while Azula got into position in the center of the room, between the other four. The Fire Prodigy took in a deep breath, steadying it with her hands held together in front of her abdomen. As she breathed in, her hands went up, and as she breathed out her hands went back down. Then, she slid one of her feet forward across the floor while whirling her hands around in a sweeping circle in front of herself. Her palms moved around directly opposite one another, never touching and always maintaining the same distance.

A wave of heat emanated from her fingers, made visible by a blue light—not quite fire, but more than simple sparks. When the wave built up to a searing glow, she pushed her palms carefully forward. The wave spread through the air and washed over the four individuals in front of her. The moment that they became enveloped by the heat, they each bolted up straight at attention with their eyes bugging wide open. Muffled gasps of surprise pushed out of their lips from around the metal gags, and soon they fell back against the couches with weak, tired groans. Within moments, they were unconscious, asleep.

Azula took a step back and blinked. “Did it work? Did I heal them?”

“I’m not sure…” Korra replied. _“Something_ happened, though.”

“Well _duh_ something happened.” The comment came from Toph, who had leaned partially in front of the open door to voice her opinion. “They didn’t all just decide to take a spontaneous nap at the same time. Just let ‘em rest a while, I’m sure they’ll wake up eventually. As far as I can detect, their vitals are normal, at least.”

“Well, alright then.” Korra gave the four sleeping individuals a long parting look before making her way out of the sitting room, with Azula in tow. “I suppose we should see if Asami’s made those copies of the other scroll yet.”

“Way ahead of you, Korra.” This statement came from a new voice, which approached them from farther down the hall. It was Jinora, who carried with her a bundle of rolled papers. When she reached them, she handed over one each to Korra, Azula, and Toph. “Here are the copies. Asami sent me out to distribute them to everyone.”

“Oh, thanks,” Korra replied, giving her friend an appreciative smile. “I guess we should get started, then.”

“You all realize I can’t read this, right?” Toph said.

“Oh, uh…right,” Korra muttered, with an awkward shift of her stance.“I’ll send Bolin or Su by later, and they can help you with it.”

Azula unrolled her paper and gave the illustrations a cursory glance. She huffed a moment later, and then rolled it closed again. “As I said, I’ll have it memorized in an hour.” She then tucked the paper beneath her arm and set off down the hallway.

“Hold on,” Korra said. “I’ll come with you. We can train together.”

“Actually,”Jinora said, with a quick raise of her hand, “If it’s alright, I need to talk with you first.”

Korra paused, giving the airbender a curious gaze. “Oh, uh… okay.”

“Oh, what a shame,” Azula said, with an exaggerative sigh. “I suppose we’ll have to take a rain check on that. See you around, Avatar.”

When Azula was gone, Korra followed Jinora farther down the hall, into a small sunroom near the east side of the mansion. “So, what’s this about?”

“It’s about when we were attacked in the South Pole, when Sen came back the second time,” Jinora explained, as she took an idle step towards one of the large open windows. She peered outside, her gaze lost and unfocused. “I tried to tell you before when I meditated to the Spirit World, but I got cut out before I could, and there hasn’t been a good time since then.”

“Okay…what about it, exactly?”

A sigh escaped Jinora’s lips, as she gently turned away from the window. “It’s about the newest minions that Sen brought back to serve him. I wasn’t sure when I first saw them, but I _knew_ I had seen them somewhere before. That’s when I remembered.”

The statement set caution within Korra, but also a distinct curiosity. She took a step forward, eyes narrowing with concern. “Who are they?”

She didn’t get a concrete answer at first. Jinora merely hung her head and ran her fingers through her hair. Then, she uttered, “Korra…we could have a huge problem.”

* * *

The training yard of the Republic City Police Headquarters was quiet at this hour, well into the evening. Fewer officers worked the evening and night shifts, and those who did typically remained out on patrol. Only the secretaries and a few men on call remained at the station itself. That left the training yard open to the three individuals who now occupied it. Mako and Hari stood off to one side, each going through the form of their bending type depicted on the copy of the scroll they had received, much as they had for the past hour. On the other side of the yard, P’Li stood alone, doing the same as they were—practicing the proper form. Every now and then, Mako turned a careful glance towards the tall woman, as if expecting her to make a sudden attack.

He had been more than a little cautious when she had requested to come along with him over the course of the afternoon, while he coordinated things with the police and the United Forces. The decision to give this former Red Lotus member a second chance had never sat quite right with him, and he still wasn’t certain they could trust her. Fortunately, she hadn’t caused any problems yet. She had simply hung back, watching quietly and remaining out of the way. Even Hari had provided more conversation over the past few hours, and he wasn’t exactly a big talker either.

“Are you getting any of this?” Mako asked, turning a glance towards the sandbender. “I can’t make heads or tails of some of these motions.”

“These forms are definitely unique,” Hari replied, as he bent his knees and lowered himself closer to the ground. The motion that followed was a smooth one, flowing his body forward rather than the usual firm steps of earthebending. “The movements for this one are different from most known earthebending styles, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

“Well, that makes one of us.” Mako twisted his body and traced a pattern in the air with his hands. His feet faltered, however, and be nearly tripped in the process before steadying himself.

“If you need help, I might suggest asking someone studying the same form as you,” Hari said, with a quick look across the yard. “I don’t think you’d find my input on firebending very valuable.”

Mako followed Hari’s glance towards P’Li, who seemed to have a firmer handle on the movements so far. With a frown, he looked away again.“Yeah, I think I’ll just keep trying myself. I don’t need that kind of help.”

“You realize I can hear you.” It was at this moment P’Li turned her own look towards them, straightening herself to her full height.

“Well I wasn’t whispering, was I?” Mako said.

P’Li’s gaze narrowed, and a deep frown creased across her face. She made her way slowly towards him, keeping her eyes locked on his the entire way. When she finally made it in front of him, she had to stare striaght down, as she towered over a head taller than him. “If you have a problem with me, say it to my face. You’ve been side-eying me all day, and it’s really starting to piss me off.”

Mako didn’t back down, though; he stared straight back at her, even if he did have to crane his neck upwards. “Can you blame me? My entire experience with you has been you trying to kill me and my friends, starting riots, hurting innocent people, and taking out government leaders. So excuse me for being a little cautious!”

“And that’s why I’m here right now,” P’Li insisted. “To make up for all that.”

“Right, because it’s just that simple,” Mako said, with a shake of his head. He took a deep breath inward, lips pursed. “Korra may have decided to give you another chance, but believe it or not, I don’t always agree with her, even if she is the Avatar. This just happens to be one of those instances.”

At this statement, P’Li huffed and folded her arms square across her chest. “Didn’t you get the memo? She’s not the Avatar anymore.”

Mako glared harder at her, and again shook his head. “You’re wrong. It’s not the ability to bend all for elements that makes her the Avatar. It’s more than that. It’s what she represents, and what she means to the people and the world. She’s shown that every step of the way, ever since she first came to Republic City all the way to now. If you’re serious about making amends, then you might try remembering that and showing some respect.”

P’Li continued looking at him a long while, her eyes flittering slightly. Her eyes pierced his, as if looking straight past them into his soul. Eventually, however, her combative posture faltered a little, and she relaxed—granted, not by much. “Look, I’m trying to make the most of this second chance. That’s why I’m fighting Sen. But I don’t need you to trust me in order to do that, so I really don’t care what you think of me or my opinions. Either way, we’re on the same side here. We all are. So get used to it.”

Mako rolled his eyes, then turned away to continue his practice. Even with his attention focused away from her, though, he asked, “What do you even plan on doing after this is over, anyway? Once we beat Sen, once you’re free to do whatever, what then?”

“How should I know?” she replied. “I haven’t really had time to think about it.” She, too, returned to the stance depicted on the scroll and continued to practice the movements. After a long pause, she glanced back towards Mako and said, “I don’t suppose you have any openings at the station?”

At this question, Mako again nearly tripped. This time, his stumble was greater and his actions to straighten himself more obvious. The look he turned back towards the woman was one of utter shock and disbelief. He found himself at a loss of words at first, but soon he was able to move his lips and say something.“You’re not serious.” The look on her face as she stared back at him, however, indicated that she was, in fact, serious. He blinked at her and held a hand to his forehead, eyes squinted shut; he suddenly had a very strong headache. “Don’t you _hate_ authority figures?”

P’Li didn’t answer at first. She stared at him a moment longer, eyes narrowing further, until finally she looked away and sighed, again crossing her arms over her chest. “I never really knew how much I believed in the Red Lotus and their goals. I believed in it because I loved Zaheer, and _he_ believed in it. At the time, it all made sense. But where did any of it get us?” She closed her eyes, face twisting with disgust. _“Nowhere_. All it got us was dead or locked up. We were never going to change anything that way, I get that now. So, if I’m going to keep moving forward, I might as well do something productive, and I’m going to need a job. Not many jobs out there are well suited for my kind of skillset.”

Mako quirked an eyebrow and studied the woman curiously, as if expecting her to retract her statements, or reveal she was trying to fool him. And yet…she seemed sincere. With a disbelieving shake of his head, he said, “Honestly, it’s mostly paperwork.” He almost chuckled at the near-horrified look P’Li shot him—almost. “I know, right? They don’t tell you that when you first start, but you’ll spend at least half your time at a desk filling out forms.”

P’Li cringed at the thought. “Maybe the military, then.” She contemplated a moment longer, and then curled a slight smirk onto her lips. “Or a bounty hunter.”

“Well, do whatever you want,” Mako said, with a simple shrug. “I still don’t believe you, but I’m not going to argue. We need to get back to practicing.”

P’Li eyed him a moment longer, watching as he went through the form again.“Your style sucks, by the way.”

Mako froze, and shot a glare towards her. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“What, and you’re any better?”

P’Li grew a cocky smirk. “Oh, I’m a much better firebender.”

“You can’t even lightningbend!” he said, with an overzealous point at her chest.

“And you can’t combustionbend,” she countered, giving a simple shrug. When Mako’s glare intensified, she merely sighed and rolled her eyes. Then, she took a few steps towards him and took the initial stance herself. Within moments, she went through the form fluidly for him to watch. “Look, your footwork is sloppy, you’re too stiff, and you’re unfocused. Just follow my lead and let me show you how it’s done.”

* * *

Sokka awoke with a tired grunt and looked around. His surroundings were nothing but a swarm of blurry images at first, but with a few blinks and rubs of his eyes things became clearer. From what he could see, he was in some kind of sitting room. In a mansion. Not a bad place to wake up, he thought. And yet, what was he doing here? He tried to think back to what had happened, how he had gotten here, but nothing came to mind—just a big blank spot in his memory.

The blank spot soon filled, though. It all came back to him in a sudden flood of thoughts, everything that had happened over the past few days. The pounding in his head grew twice as strong as he recalled the events, forcing him to squint his eyes shut and hold his skull between both hands; it felt like a sabertooth moose lion had used his head for a chew toy. What he wouldn't give to go back to sleep and forget it all again.

“Sokka? Is that... Is that you?”

“Huh?”Sokka blinked his eyes open and glanced to the couch opposite him, where a familiar young woman sat looking at him. The pounding in his head suddenly vanished at the sight of her, replaced by elation and an excited smile. “Suki!”

“Sokka!”Suki scrambled off the couch and ran to him, taking him in her arms in a warm embrace and bringing their lips together. When she finally let him go, she took a step back to look him over more thoroughly. “I don't believe it... it _is_ you. And we're back to normal. Or at least... normalish.” She glanced to the mirror hanging on the wall next to them, at their reflections within—a young man and woman looked back at her, certainly not older than their twenties. “We're so...young again.”

“I know, would you look at me? I look great!” Sokka grinned at his reflection and raised his arms to flex. The results left him more than satisfied. “Heh, still got it.”

Suki took a step closer to the mirror and started gently prodding her own face in disbelief. “This is so weird...I was an old woman just a few days ago.”

“Not to mention possessed by some spooky dark spirit like the rest of us,”Sokka muttered, with a shudder. “There's something I'll never forget.”

“Tell me about it. I hope the others are okay.”

Sokka just folded his arms and gave a matter-of-fact nod. “Oh, I'm sure they're fine. Now that we're here, anyway.”

“Sokka?”A new voice spoke from the doorway, prompting the two inside the room to turn their attention. The young woman they saw was familiar, and yet they didn't realize exactly who it was until she ran to them and took Sokka into a tight, iron-like hug. “Oh, Sokka!”

“Katara!”Sokka said, with a spark in his eyes. He returned the hug with the same fervor, not letting go until she chose to pull away and step back. It had been so long since he'd actually seen his sister, he wanted the moment to last.

“I don't believe this,” Katara said, with a smile fighting against the sorrow and grief that threatened to overpower her expression. “It's so good to see you again. I don't... I...” The grief soon won out, though, and forced her to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Sokka immediately stood up and held his hands to his sister's shoulders in reassurance. “Whoa, hey, come on, Katara. No need to get all sappy. It's just me, the incredible Cheif Sokka, back from the dead.” He paused after he said it, brow scrunched and lips pursed. “Huh, you know when I say it like that, it does sound pretty impressive.”

Katara uttered a soft laugh and wiped the rest of her tears away. “With all the horror going on, I needed some good news. This is more than I ever could... Oh, Sokka.” She came forward and gave her brother another hug, this one not quite as tight as the first.

“I know, it's good to see you too, Sis.” Sokka wrapped his arms around her as well and held on tight. “And looking as good as we are, Imight add.”

“Thanks,”Katara said, as she pulled away from him again. Her attention shifted towards the mirror. “It's definitely strange, but we might as well make the most of it, right?”

Suki joined her in the mirror, looking at their reflections. “Absolutely. We're with you, Katara. And the Avatar, and everyone else, whatever you need.”

“Yeah,”Sokka added, coming to Katara's other side. “We'll show this spirit exactly what happens when you mess with the Siblings of the Southern Water Tribe.” Then, he reached over his shoulder and pulled out his signature weapon from its holster on his back. “And Mr. Boomerang, of course.”

* * *

Zuko huffed a tired breath as he knocked on the front door of the Sato mansion. It had been a long day of coordinating things, and he hadn't slept much at all since arriving from the Fire Nation. He felt half ready to fall asleep where he stood, but he couldn't stop now. There was too much to do, too much to prepare. Now that Korra and the others had returned, he knew their inevitable confrontation with the Spirit of a Thousand Faces would be soon. He had to be ready; they _all_ had to be ready.

Right now, though, with a small break in his day, he thought it best if he paid a visit to Shayu. Even though she had been allowed to stay at Asami's mansion, and had Sin looking after her, Zuko still worried for the girl. She had had her life torn apart twice now in the past year, and it left Zuko concerned for her well-being. Shayu had seemed somehow broken since the events at the Fire Nation, and her mental state questionable. It would probably be for the best if he checked in on her. While he was here, too, he could check on Mai, or at least ask Toph if there had been any changes, as unlikely as that seemed. As far as he knew, his wife was still firmly under Sen's control.

So when the door of the mansion opened and revealed not Sin standing there as he expected, but a much more familiar, much more welcome sight, his breath caught short in his throat and his jaw hung open. He coud bring himself to do nothing but stare in disbelief, as a sudden pulse of shock and elation surged through him.

“What's the matter?” Mai asked, with her arms folded square across her chest and a half-smirk on her face. “Can't give your wife a kiss? You could at least say hi.”

“Mai, you're...you,” he uttered, barely able to get out his words. He took a slow step forward, cautious, as if not able to believe his own eyes. “Aren't you?”

“Well, I'm not possessed by a dark spirit's influence anymore, if that's what you mean.” Mai couldn't take her husband's gradual movements any longer and quickly closed the rest of the distance between them. She planted her lips firm against his, holding the kiss for a long, deep moment before finally pulling away again to rest their foreheads together. “I'm me again, Zuko.”

A chuckle found its way out of Zuko's throat. He smiled wide, and held his arms around his wife's waist to pull her closer. “It's so...so good to see you again, Mai.”

“I'm the one who should be saying that,” she insisted. “You look great, by the way.”

“I look great? You always looked better than me.”

At this comment, Mai raised an eyebrow at him. “Zuko, I was old. You were _dead_. You look better by default.”

“Well... aright, I suppose you have a point.” He kissed her again, then sank his head downward and eased a regretful sigh past his lips. “I was going to tell you, you know. About me, about Izumi and Iroh... I _wanted_ to. I just...”

Mai shushed him by placing a finger firm against his lips. “I know why you didn't tell me. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I understand. It's too late to worry about that right now, though. Our daughter and grandson have had their souls taken by a crazy dark spirit trying to destroy all of humanity. Being upset at you for not wanting to worry me would be kind of pointless.”

He gave a simple nod, and then looked up at her again, straight into her eyes. “We'll do whatever we can to get them back. I promise.”

“I know.” Once more, she kissed him. This time, she held their embrace far longer, not wanting the moment to end. When she did finally pull away, she took a step back and folded her arms again. “So, what brings you here anyway? Didn't seem like you already knew I was better.”

“Oh, uh, I actually came to check in on Shayu,” he replied. “She went through a lot during Sen's attack on the Fire Nation, so I figured I should see how she was doing.”

“Shayu?”Mai frowned a little and glanced over her shoulder, back into the mansion. “Yula's sister, right? Poor girl...” She breathed a deep sigh, then turned back to her husband. “Well, I have to take care of something right now with Ty Lee, so you go ahead. Just don't take too long.”

Zuko smiled, leaning in to give his wife one last kiss before they parted.“Don't worry. I won't.”

* * *

The late evening sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows and a dull orange-red glow across the grounds of the Sato estate. Azula looked at the sun briefly, then took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she went through the form again. She already had it nearly mastered, or at least the physical part of it. She still needed to perfect the spiritual side of it, and harmonizing her inner peace. That was proving to be a little more difficult than she had anticipated. Every time she made the attempt, she saw flashes of Anraq and Kanna, or Sen looming over her, and she faltered. She couldn't let that stop her, though. She _would_ get this right, no matter how long she had to stay out here.

“Well, I see you haven't slowed down since we've been out.”

Azula paused halfway through the form and blinked, eyebrows falling low. She turned, glanced over her shoulder at where the voice had come from, and when she did her heart jumped. Standing there just a handful of yards away were two of the most familiar and welcome individuals to her in the world. “Mai? Ty Lee? You're both alright...”

“Yup!”Ty Lee replied, with a big grin. She raised her arms up to the sky and stretched, adding a pleasant giggle. “Thanks to you, Azula. My aura is glowing again, and I feel wonderful!”

“Yeah, what she said,” Mai added, with a much less obvious half-smile.

Azula ceased her practice and turned fully to them, hands placed gently on her hips. She looked them up and down a moment, then raised one of her hands to her chin in contemplation. “Well, you two certainly are looking spry for your age. Almost exactly how I remember you.” Perhaps a little older than she remembered, actually—mid twenties, it seemed—but still far more recognizable to her than they had been as old women.

“It's weird, being young again after so long,” Mai said, with a subtle frown. She glanced down at herself, at her hands that were no longer frail and lined with wrinkles or liver spots. “I'd gotten so used to being an old woman, I never imagined being to handle knives again the way I used to. I got jittery hands in my later years, made my knife throwing impossible to keep up with. Now?” With a flick of her wrists, she popped out a pair of daggers from beneath her sleeves into her grasp. Then, with two simple swipes of her arm, she threw the daggers with pinpoint accuracy into the nearby tree. Both points of the blades embedded deep into the wood right next to each other.“Not so much. It's nice, for sure, but it's still not natural.”

“Well, I think it's great,” Ty Lee said, with a bubbly grin. “I'm so much more flexible now, and full of energy!” With a quick tumble forward, the acrobat raised hersef up straight on her hands and walked forward several paces before stopping. She held herself there on her hands a moment longer, then lowered hersef to the ground with ease onto her stomach, with her legs bent up and over her back so her feet could rest on top of her head. Resting her chin in her hands, she looked up at Azula and smiled even wider. “I haven't been able to do that in over forty years.”

Azula watched them both for a long moment, trying to hide the amusement from her face. She was sure she failed, though, as she could not keep herself from smiling. “Yes...”she said, with a pleasant breath. “Just as I remember.”

“We are still much older than we look, though,” Mai said, pulling her arms across her chest. “Even if we appear young, we've still lived nearly a century and have a life's worth of experience. That kind of experience gives you a different view on the world, so I wouldn't say we're _exactly_ how you remember us.”

“Well, neither am I, remember,” Azula said. “I may have died once and come back to life, but I've still been around in one form or another for just as long as you have. I suppose that makes us the best looking bunch of nintey year old women in the world.” A beat past, and then she added, “Although, I am the hottest of the three, naturally.”

Ty Lee giggled as she flipped herself back up to her feet. “Literally, too.”

Azula's smirk curled just a bit wider before wiping completely from her face, instead replaced by a deep frown. “Of course, none of that will matter if we fail. I need to keep practicing this form and perfect it. If even one hair is out of place, then everyone will die. We will, Anraq will, Kanna will, and my...”

Her words ceased as her hand came down to press against her abdomen. Even though she didn't finish her sentence, she could tell by the sudden looks of surprise on Mai and Ty lee's faces that they knew what she had been about to say. This would be the first they heard that she was pregnant, she realized. Still, they didn't say anything about it. They could discern from the tone in Azula's voice and the grieving look on her face that it wasn't a subject she wanted to talk about right now. So, instead they simply came forward and each held a hand against one of her shoulders.

“We're with you,” Ty Lee said.

Mai nodded. “Yeah, count us in. I have a personal bone to pick with this Sen bastard anyway.”

Azula looked back and forth between the two a moment, and this time she didn't even try to hide her smile. “Thank you, both of you. I mean it.”

* * *

Shayu sat quietly in the Sato mansion sunroom, looking out at the grounds of the estate. She watched Azula practice there, although her out-of-focus eyes and blank expression weren't at all paying much attention to the prodigy. It had been hours since she wheeled herself in here, in her new wheelchair, and so she had already been staring out the window when Azula arrived; it simply added something else to the scenery. Every now and then, her eyes flickered to focus on the firebender, but always drifted off up to the sky in a blank stupor moments later.

Standing in the entrance to the sunroom, Sin watched the young woman with a sigh, arms folded across her chest as she leaned against the wall. The poor kid had seemed so broken since coming here, unable to so much as smile or speak. All she did was sit there, silent and alone.

“How is she?” a voice asked, in a hushed whisper.

Sin glanced to the doorway to see Zuko standing there. She merely sighed and gave small shrug. In an equally quiet whisper, she replied. “If I had to make a guess? I'd say not very good. It's been ages since she said anything. She won't eat, won't sleep, and I think the only reason she stopped crying is because she physucally can't make anymore tears.”

“I'll try to talk to her,”Zuko said, with a gentle nod. “Thank you for looking after her.

“Don't mention it,” Sin replied. “Just trying to do my part as hostess with everyone here, while Asami's still working. Someone's gotta hold down the fort, right?”

“True enough.”

“Anyway, good luck.” Sin gave him a parting wave and headed off down the hallway. “I'm going to check on the others.”

Zuko remained standing in the entrance a moment longer, simply watching the girl at the window. Then, with a deep breath, he entered and sat in the chair next to her. “Hello, Shayu. How are you feeling?” He recieved no answer, only blank silence. The moment lingered a while, before he leaned closer to try and get her attention. “Shayu...”

“How do you _think_ I'm feeling?” When Shayu spoke, her voice was sharp, biting, and filled with an underlying sorrow that cut Zuko to the core. “My mother had her soul taken by a dark spirit, I haven't seen my sister in over a year, my family is...broken, and I can't do anything about it. I'm just... stuck in this chair. _Useless._ All I can do is worry, and be sad, and cry, and...and...” Her words stuttered, and suddenly she sat back with an almost horrified look on her face. She gave a quick glance to the man next to her, then looked down at the floor, head hanging in shame. “I'm sorry, Lord Zuko. I shouldn't have snapped.”

“It's alright Shayu, really,” he replied, bringing a hand to her shoulder. “And please, just call me Zuko. We're friends.”

“Zuko...”Shayu sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out, though it was far from smooth. Rather, her breath was choppy, and uneven. “I am so far from being okay right now, and I don't know that I ever will be. I don't know what to do... there's nothing I _can_ do. Every time I close my eyes, I see my mother, I see that awful spirit attacking her, and I just...” She closed her eyes tight but couldn't hide the tears that started leaking from behind her closed lids.

“I'm sorry,” Zuko stated, in a quiet tone. “I promise you, though, I will do everything in my power to help your mother. Whatever it takes.”

“Thanks... but it's pretty hopeless, isn't it?” Shayu blinked her eyes open and turned a tear-streaked look towards him. “Chances are, we're all going to die. You don't need to sugar coat it.”

Zuko didn't respond. How could he? If he tried to comfort Shayu and tell her everything would be alright, she'd call him out for lying. If he confirmed her beliefs by telling the truth, then he would only add to her grief. So, he could only sit there with her, remaining quiet and at least offering his company.

After a long pause, Shayu looked out the window again. A wistful sigh left her lips. “She's pretty amazing, isn't she? Azula, I mean.”

Zuko followed her gaze, looking outside to see his sister practicing the new form. Mai and Ty Lee were both with her. “She really is.”

“I always admired her, after she let my family stay in the royal palace,” Shayu said. “She was always so nice to me, but still so... intimidating. In a good way, though. Does that make sense?”

A soft chuckle found its way out of Zuko's throat. “More than you realize.”

Shayu was quiet another moment, then bowed her head again. “I'm sorry, Zuko. For everything that Yula did to you. Both of you. I... I haven't had a chance to speak with Azula about it yet, since I'd probably just bother her, but... I want you both to know that.”

At this, Zuko stood up and stepped in front of Shayu. He knelt down, lowering himself so they were both eye level, and held both her hands with his. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, “None of it was your fault, I promise you that. You are a _good_ person, and never deserved any of the awful things that happened to you. The kind of pure heart you have doesn't come along very often, but I've seen it before, and I know. You're the best of all of us. Never change, Shayu.”

The young woman very nearly broke down into further tears at Zuko's words, and yet somehow she managed to compose herself with a deep, shaky breath. She smiled, replying to him with a nod. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome, Shayu.” When Zuko lifted his gaze, he noticed someone standing in the doorway. The two shared a brief, silent look, and then he returned his focus to the young woman in front of him. “Are you hungry? I hear you haven't eaten in a while.”

“Maybe a little...” she said.

“I'll go fix you something, then.” Returning straight on his feet, Zuko made his way past her towards the exit. “I'll be back soon.”

When he was gone, the new arrival entered into the room. A brief moment of silence past between them, until finally the figure walked around into Shayu's field of view. “Um... Shayu? I, uh... do you think we can talk?”

When Shayu first looked up at the woman standing before her, she flinched and recoiled back against her seat. Sudden flashes rippled through her mind, flashes of a shadowed figure plunging at her from the ceiling, a blade biting into her ribs, and that face staring down at her the whole time. Her heart thumped against her chest with terror for a horrifying few moments before she was finally able to calm herself down and start breathing straight agin.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you,” Kuvira said, raising her hands up as though to calm the young woman. I know I'm probably the last person you want see, but... please. I just want to talk.”

Shayu swallowed the knot in her throat and looked away. Her heart still pumped loudly in her chest, but the anxiety seemed to be gradually fading. With a weak nod, she uttered, “O-okay...”

Kuvira lowered herself into the chair that Zuko had previously been sitting in. At first, she couldn't bring herself to say anything, perhaps because of her nerves, but soon she forced herself to follow through.“Shayu, we might not actually know each other very well, or at all, but this is so past overdue...” A sigh left her lips and she raised her head to look the girl straight in the eyes. Her own eyes were soft, filled with regret and remorse. “I am so sorry for what I did to you, for hurting you, for... I realize you probably want me to leave and never talk to you again, but I had to say this. I made a mistake, and it cost you something precious. I hurt you, and I never meant to. You were innocent, and I... Shayu?”

Kuvira stopped herself mid-apology when she realized that Shayu had looked away and started crying. These weren't just simple tears of mourning or sadness—they were heavy, violent, almost crippling tears, broken by coughs and hiccuping sobs. Kuvira wasn't certain how to respond to it, wasn't sure if she should continue apologizing or just leave the girl in peace. She could only sit there watching, feeling her own nerves start to light with fire.

“It's not... not your fault...” Shayu uttered, through her sobs. “Y-you didn't... you thought I was Yula... she made me w-wear... she was... I'm s-sorry. Yula put you in that position. She was the one... the one who...” When her words continued to become trapped in her throat, Shayu pounded her fists against the sides of her head in frustration. “Damn it! Everything is so broken and messed up, and I can't... I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm—”

Shayu's stuttering sobs silenced when she felt the strong pair of arms wrap around her, holding her, comforting her. It took her a moment to realize exactly what had happened, but she soon became aware that Kuvira had reached out to hug her. The surprise gripped her almost as tightly as the matriarch's arms, but still she did not pull away. Rather, Shayu sank into the embrace. She burried her face against Kuvira's shoulder, held her own arms around the woman, and cried even harder, too hard now for any sort of words to follow. She could only weep until she had no more tears left to give.

“Don't apologize, Shayu,” Kuvira said, in a quiet whisper. She eased a gentle breath of her own and ran her fingers through the girl's hair. “Just... let it out.”

* * *

Asami tilted back in her chair and let out a deep yawn, with her arms stretched straight above her head. When she finished yawning, she lowered her arms into her lap and straightened the chair legs flat against the ground again. The workshop was quiet, this late in the night. Varrick, Zhu Li, and Baatar had already gone home to get some sleep, but not before they had worked out the last of the kinks in the Spirit Conductor. Now they could get it running without the circuit board frying itself. They wouldn't know if it would work enough to have any effect against Sen, but it was the most progress they had made yet.

Even so, Asami had chosen to remain behind to make some final adjustments. She wanted to be completely sure that there wasn't anything more they could do to improve the device before they had to rely on it. Right now, she had simply stopped for a quick break, then she'd run a few more diagnostics. After that, then maybe she could finally head home and call it a night.

She never got a chance to run those diagnostics before the door to the workshop creaked open, followed by a sweet, gentle voice. “Hey, Asami.”

Stifling another yawn, the United Republic President looked up from her seat. When she saw Sin approaching, she straightened in herself and tried to appear more awake. “Oh, hey. What are you doing here?”

“Well, it was late and you still hadn't come home, so I figured you stayed to work.” Sin came to the front of the table next to Asami and set down the plastic bag she had been carrying. “And that means you probably haven't eaten yet.”

The instant the bag set on the table, the heavenly scent of Kwong's Cuisine wafted into Asami's nostrils. Within seconds, her mouth began to water. “You know me so well.”

“Well, as your girlfriend, I should hope so,” Sin replied, with a grin.

Asami started pulling out the food containers from the bag, and flashed a smile of her own. “Thanks, this was sweet of you.”

“You're quite welcome.” Turning her attention towards the Spirit Conductor, Sin added, “So, how's the machine coming?”

“Pretty well, actually,” Asami said. “I think we've finally managed to fix all the little problems we've been having with it. We won't know for sure it will work against Sen until he's actually here, but... we have to hope.”

Sin looked at the machine a while longer, then turned again to watch her girlfriend. Even half-starved and almost ready to fall asleep, Asami had a certain glow to her. “You really are incredible.”

“Thanks, but this was a team effort,” Asami insisted. With another deep breath through her nose, she opened one of the food containers and very nearly moaned with anticipation.

“I know,” Sin said, as she made her way closer. “But that still doesn't change how amazing you are.”

The continued praise brought pause to Asami, as she momentarily took her attention away from her food and raised a curious eyebrow at her girlfriend. “Are you trying to make me blush?”

“That depends...” Sin leaned forward, bringing her lips close to Asami's cheek. She hovered there a moment, allowing a warm breath to graze gently against Asami's skin, and then in a very careful, sultry whisper, she asked, “Is it working?”

Asami sank back in her seat and huffed out a pleasant breath of her own. The feel of Sin so close to her, teasing her, made her squirm in her seat. “Maybe a little...”

Sin's lips continued the rest of the way, kissing gently along Asami's neckline. She moved ever closer, soon taking a seat atop her girlfriend's laps with her legs straddled around Asami's waist. The kisses never stopped, and soon they traveled lower, joined by swift hands that expertly undid the buttons of the president's blouse. Pulling the front of the shirt open, Sin continued her kisses against the bare chest beyond. Each graze of her lips brought a new gasp and moan from her girlfriend's lips, which only spurred her on more.

“Sin...”Asami groaned, bring her hands around to tightly clutch the other woman's rear end. “I still haven't eaten yet, you know.”

To this, Sin smirked. “Why do you think I'm here?”

The comment sent a blissful wave pulsing through Asami's body, fueled by a growing warmth between her legs. When the kisses to her bare chest continued, she let her head fall back over the top of the chair and uttered a shrill moan. “Okay... okay yeah, now I'm definitely blushing.”

Sin answered with a pleasant giggle. “Good.”

* * *

Korra sat cross-legged out in the open air of the night, in the middle of one of the training fields of Air Temple Island. The Republic City skyline stood before her in the distance, across the bay, and the lights from the city cast a glowing beam across the water. Under normal circumstances, it would be a beautiful scene. But these were not normal circumstance. The impending conflict looming close on the horizon dominated her thoughts, and made it impossible for her to look at the city without a powerful knot of dread twisting into her stomach.

Ever since her conversation with Jinora, she had been more nervous than ever. She had been practicing the waterbending form from the scroll since then as well, for the past several hours. Only now had she decided to take a break, when she physically couldn't keep going anymore and needed to catch her breath. She'd resume her training again soon, though, and would probably train long into the night. What choice did she have? Sen could attack tomorrow, for all they knew, and she needed to be prepared; this was the only chance they had.

“Hey," a voice said. Kuvira took a step forward next to her and lowered herself to the ground. Her approach had been so quiet that Korra hadn't even heard her--or perhaps she had simply been too lost to her thoughts to notice. "How are you doing?”

“I'm okay," she said, with a shrug. "I still need to practice the form some more, though.”

“Yeah, me too." Kuvira scooted closer to Korra, leaning their shoulders against each other. "I've gotten the basics down, I think, but there's still more to work on. Just needed a break.”

Korra nodded, keeping her focus on the city. “Same. I'll practice as long as I need to, though, as long as it takes to get right.”

“Might as well train together, then.”

“Thanks, I'd like that." Korra glanced to her wife with a smile, but soon turned away again with a sigh. Shifting her position on the ground, she raised her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm worried, though. What if this, if everything we're doing, just isn't enough? What if Sen is too strong? What if we fail?”

“Then at least we'll have tried," Kuvira replied. "That's all we can do at this point." The matriarch inched a little closer and reached out to hold Korra's hand, linking their fingers together. "Still, I know we'll succeed, together. You make me better, Korra. You make _everyone_ better. Because of that, we won't fail.”

A gentle smile curled its way back onto Korra's face. She lifted her gaze again and turned to her wife, leaning closer. “Yeah... you're right. Thank you.”

When their lips came together, they held on longer than either of them meant to. Instead of pulling away after a few moments, the kiss only deepened and intensified. Kuvira crawled the rest of the way to her wife and sat atop Korra's lap, legs wrapped around her hips. Hands began to travel, entering beneath clothing and exploring bare flesh. Shared gasps and moans eased from each other’s mouths, both muffled by their kiss. Within moments, Korra had fallen flat back against the ground, with Kuvira poised above her, still joined by their lips.

“Mmph... we shouldn't...” Korra uttered, only barely getting her lips away from her wife’s long enough to speak. “We need to train.”

“We can train after.” Even as Kuvira spoke, her lips never really left Korra’s, as they grazed each other with each word.

“But we... we can... unnnf...” A deep groan exploded from Korra’s mouth as she felt Kuvira’s fingers plunge beneath the front of her pants and dive between her legs. A sharp twinge of pleasure jolted through her like lighting, bringing her back to an arc, and then she was lost. “Train… after. Okay, we'll train a-afteeerrr....” Even still, she made one last attempt to sway her wife’s actions, as futile as she knew it was. “Th-there are…mmmph…other people on the i-islaaannd…”

Kuvira offered only a smirk as her fingers disappeared inside Korra, while her other hand worked to pull the former Avatar’s shirt off. “They’re asleep. And if we wake them…” She finished her thoughts with nothing but a simple shrug.

Korra assisted in removing her shirt, now making no effort in resisting the pleasure. The repeated pulses of excitement shooting through her body only made her want it more, so much so that her body would have revolted if Kuvira were to stop now. It felt like ages since they had had a real, true moment of passion like this, and there was no sense in stopping it now. With a hot, heavy breath, she reached her own hands up and started pulling Kuvira’s shirt up over her head, followed by yanking her pants down.

When at last they were both completely nude in the open night, Kuvira dove back in for another kiss and returned her hands between Korra’s legs. “I love you, Korra.

“And I lo...love you... tooooo!” Korra replied, her voice cracking in a shrill pitch. All she could manage then was to let her head fall back and enjoy her wife’s touch. “Oh fuuuu….!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this was a looong chapter (actually taking the crown of longest chapter from the previous title holder, chapter 136, by almost 2k words). Yet somehow I still managed to get it out in a week since the last chapter. I think I was probably able to write so much of it so fast this time because I really enjoyed this chapter. There were no fight scenes, no major conflict, just a lot of character interactions that were fun to play off each other, especially some unexpected ones (like Mako/P'Li, and Kuvira/Shayu). That holds doubly true since starting next chapter there is going to be a lot of action, as we reach the climax of the story.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading these scenes as much as I enjoyed writing them. As always, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you thought!


	144. Humanity's Last Stand, Pt. 1: The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sen arrives at Republic City to continue his mission to end humanity, but Korra and the others are ready for him... Or so they think.

It was just after dawn when Korra, Kuvira, and Suyin arrived at the police station the next morning. All three of them had been up since before light, going on as little sleep required to still function. Korra and Kuvira had been up well into the night training and perfecting their respective forms from the spirit scroll, and while they were both still a little rough at it, they had a good enough handle to make it work—at least, they hoped. Su, on the other hand, had been coordinating with the city's defenses to determine how best she could assist, a task that left her awake past midnight making preparations.

Now, they had arrived to continue those preparations. Mako was already there to greet them at the main entrance when Naga ran up the steps; Korra had elected to take the polar bear dog over a more conventional satomobile. Once Naga came to a stop, the trio hopped down to greet the police chief.

“Hey, Mako, how are our defenses coming?” Korra and the others made a move to follow him inside the building, but before they could take two steps, Naga nudged her and uttered a quiet grumble. With a quick sigh, she turned around and pulled a strip of meat out of her pocket. “Okay, okay, here's your treat. No more until after lunch, got it?” Naga chomped down the snack and then promptly sat down outside the door to wait for them. With a smile, Korra rubbed the polar bear dog's snout. “Good girl.”

Mako waited patiently for the two to finish, then led the way inside. “To answer your question, things are going about as well as they can be. We’ve been trying to evacuate civilians a little at a time, but with both Republic City and Zaofu here, it hasn’t been easy. At the very least, we’re used to evacuations by now.”

“Which I still don't understand.” The voice came from the tall woman waiting just inside the doorway for them: P'Li, who stood against the wall with her arms crossed. “Why don’t you just evacuate them all at—” She paused suddenly, when her eyes fell on Suyin; Suyin glared back at her. For a brief moment, a deathly air of silence cut through them. Eventually, P'Li slowly turned her gaze away from the former matriarch and back to Mako, to finish, “—all at once?”

Mako blinked at her, then glanced towards Suyin; while P'Li had looked away, Su had not. Rather, Su held her glare on the former Red Lotus member, eyebrows low and suspicious. “Uh...well...”

“Because Sen is targeting high population areas,” Kuvira said, quickly breaking the tension. “If we move people out of the city a little at a time, he shouldn’t bother with any one group that leaves. If we moved everyone at once, he’d just follow them. At least, that’s the theory.”

P'Li chanced a quick glance back to Su again, meeting the critical gaze with one of her own. The look lasted only a second, though, before she turned to Kuvira again. “And if that doesn’t work? Sen could attack at any moment. I doubt you’ll get the entire city evacuated in time, using that method.”

“We have a system in place for that.” Suyin spoke, but her tone was harsh, as if the answer were obvious and she was judging P'Li for not knowing. “I’ve already taken the liberty of organizing together as many earthbenders as possible, even civilians willing to help out. If Sen should attack before we’re ready, we’ve created an enormous underground bunker to take them while we fight him off. By doing that, hopefully we can stop him before he hurts anymore innocent people.”

“Uh, right,” Mako said, with a slow nod. He looked back and forth at the two women again before taking a small step backwards. “That.”

“It’s not a perfect plan...” Korra said, with a sigh. “Actually it’s not really even a very good one, but it’s all we have. There isn’t enough time to think of something else.”

“Well, we’ll be ready,” Mako stated, with a nod. “Count on it.”

“And everyone knows their role?”

Rather than answer the question right away, Mako motioned for them to follow him farther into the station; up until now, they had stopped to converse in the lobby. Now, he led them into his office and stepped in front of a map of Republic City hanging on the wall. He pointed at it while he spoke, giving them a visual to follow along.

“Right now, the United Forces are maintaining a perimeter around the Republic City, so when Sen shows up we can engage him outside the city limits,” he explained. “Bolin, Zuko, Azula, and Katara have already offered to help on the front lines, while Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, and Suki are helping with evacuations. Jinora, Opal, and the other airbenders will be providing air support and patrolling the immediate area to spot Sen before he gets here. Meanwhile, my police force will be maintaining security inside.” Taking a step back from the map, Mako pulled both his hands behind his back and then nodded towards the woman that stood a head taller than him. “P’Li will be directly assisting me.”

Su blinked her eyes open wide, as if the statement were the most shocking thing she'd ever heard. “Wait, she’s…what?”

“I’m helping,” P'Li shot, her tone biting. “Got a problem with that? Maybe you’d like to wrap my head in metal again?”

The former matriarch offered the woman only a brief glare, but did not respond to the question. Instead, she turned her attention back to Mako. “You’re sure about that?”

Mako looked to P'Li, who crossed her arms and simply shrugged at him. With a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “Yeah, it’s fine. Don't worry about it, really.”

“Okay…” Again, Su's gaze wandered over to P'Li, only to return to Mako a second later. “In any case, Kuvira and I will be joining you, since we’re in charge of the earthbender organization. Hari should be here soon, as well as my mother.”

“Alright, that works,” Mako said, with a nod. “Korra, what about you?”

“I’m going to check in on Asami and the others to see how to best utilize their Spirit Conductor, then I’ll join the front lines,” Korra stated. “I want to be there when Sen gets here. Just make sure that everyone who took the time to learn those forms knows to regroup when that happens; we’ll all need to hit him together, preferably after weakening him.”

Mako made his way around behind his desk and opened the drawer to reach inside. He pulled out a hand radio and passed it to Korra. “Here, take this. We’ll be able to communicate faster that way.”

“Right,” she said, with a nod. “Okay, I’m heading out. Keep me updated.”

When Korra was gone, Mako closed the drawer to his desk and then he too made his way for the door. “I just need to take care of a few things, then we can go.”

P'Li took a quick step forward. “I'll come with you.”

“No need,” Mako stated, with a simple wave. “I’ll only be a few minutes.” Then, he was gone.

The three remaining in the office stood there in as awkward a silence as could be imagined. P'Li tapped her food repeatedly against the floor, with her arms folded and jaw tightening. Every now and then her eyes would linger to her left, only to make contact with Suyin's. Both women would then immediately turn away, so as not to have to look at the other. This happened four times before Kuvira slowly started to make her way to the door.

“Alright, so… I think I’ll wait outside,” she said, with a clear of her throat. She glanced back and forth between the two, then quickly stepped through the doorway. “You two just… talk or something. I guess.”

The two remained in further silence for another moment and side-eyed each other one more time before either of them broke the tension. With a sighing huff, Suyin turned fully around to face the woman. “Well?”

P'Li glared. “Well, what?”

“It’s obvious you have something to say, so say it.”

A grumble followed, and P'Li looked away again. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Oh no?” Su said. “You seemed to have no problem just a few minutes ago.”

“And what exactly am I supposed to say?” When P'Li looked back this time, she locked eyes with Suyin, anger and ire flooding between both gazes. “You _killed_ me.”

“Only because you were trying to kill my sister.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Su frowned. “If you’re looking for an apology, you won’t get one. You were a terror and you hurt innocent people. We were fighting a war with you. If I hadn’t killed you, you’d have killed Lin. So you can take your hurt feelings and shove them.”

The comment elicited a disbelieving chortle from the combustionbender. “You think I’m upset because you hurt my feelings? I was _dead!_ That goes just a little beyond ‘hurt feelings’.”

“Yeah, well you got what you deserved.”

“Maybe,” P'Li muttered. “But guess what? I’m back now, and we’re on the same side, so get used to it.” She took a step closer and leaned forward, lowering herself in such a way that she could stare at the woman at eye-level and yet still impose how much larger she was. “Let’s get one thing straight, though. Whether we have to work together or not, we are _never_ going to be friends.”

“Oh my, how devastating,” Su replied, with a roll of her eyes. “How _ever_ will I survive?”

P'Li frowned. “Are you trying to piss me off, or is that just something you do naturally to everyone?”

“You just make it so easy.”

With an annoyed huff, P'Li took a step away and shook her head. “And people think _I’m_ a terrible person.”

A quietness followed, a brief moment where Su looked out the window with a distance in her gaze. Her response came in a near whisper, almost as if she didn't mean for the other woman to actually hear her. “Well, maybe you aren’t the only one who got what she deserved.”

But P'Li did hear her, and narrowed a curious glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You mean you haven’t wondered why I look younger since we fought back then?”

“I have no idea, because you dyed your hair?” P'Li said, with an unknowing shrug. “How would I know?”

“It’s because I’m just like you,” Su said. “I was dead, and Sen brought me back.”

P'Li blinked, eyebrows lifting. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously.” Suyin sighed, arms folding as she continued staring out the out the window. “Looking back on it, I suppose it was fitting. I made a lot of pretty terrible decisions in my life, and it all just caught up to me, I guess.”

“Well if you’re looking for sympathy, you’re not going to get it.”

“Then it's a good thing I didn't ask for it.”

Another long pause followed. P'Li focused on the door, hoping that Mako would walk in any moment to end the awkwardness. When that didn't happen she tilted her head back and sighed, eyes closed and a hand on her forehead. “So how did it happen?”

Another pause, and then Suyin answered, “I was murdered.”

“Fine, I’ll bite. By who?”

Su breathed in deep and turned away from the window, to look straight at P'Li. Her eyes shifted, as if trying to decide whether or not she should answer. Eventually, though, she uttered a deep breath and said, “Zaheer.”

P'Li tried to keep a straight face, but the revelation forced a laugh from her throat. Even as she held a hand to her mouth to stifle herself, the laughter deepened and an amused grin spread across her face.

“I suppose that would be funny to someone like you,” Su muttered, with a heated glare.

“It’s just so _ironic,”_ she replied. “And people say karma doesn’t exist…” A few moments later, P'Li finally managed to get her laughter under control and quiet herself. Still smirking, she added, “I guess you were right. You _did_ get what you deserved. Maybe we both did.”

Su raised an eyebrow. “And now we’re both back, trying to make up for our mistakes.”

“Well when you say it like that…” P'Li narrowed her eyes, suddenly not amused by Suyin comparing them to each other. _“Don’t_ say it like that.”

Su was quiet a moment, as she paced away from the window to sit in the chair behind the desk. Leaning back, she shot a casual glance towards the other woman and said, “So when this is over, should we worry about you trying to break out Zaheer again?”

“Hardly,” she said. “Zaheer and I will never be together again, I’ve already accepted that. Maybe he could have been released someday if he’d stopped the first time we were beaten. But after everything else he did? Fat chance.” It was P'Li's turn to turn her gaze out the window, aimlessly watching the streets beyond. “I love him… but I’m not going to destroy my second chance at life to keep chasing a fool’s dream.”

“I’d ask how you could ever love someone like him, but what’s the point?” Su said. “You two were a couple of peas in a pod.”

The comment prompted a sharp look from P'Li, an anger that she hadn't expressed in a long time. Coming to the front of the desk, she pointed at the former matriarch and glared a look that could have melted steel. “You don’t know _anything_ about us, or what we went through together, what our lives were like, so don’t you even _think_ about trying to make assumptions about our relationship.”

Su stared back and soon her own combative expression softened. She exhaled an easy breath and turned away, frowning. “Maybe you’re right.”

The door opened a moment later, and Mako walked in. He came halfway across the floor to his desk before pausing as he noticed the two woman across from each other. “I, uh... I'm ready. Is everything alright in here?”

“Everything’s fine,” P'Li said, already on her way by him out the door. “Let’s just go. And if it’s all the same to you, I think we should travel separately from the other two.”

“Fine by me,” Su said. “Kuvira and I should wait for Hari and my mother, anyway. We’ll meet up with you two later.”

“Um…alright.” Mako gave one last look at Suyin, then turned to follow P'Li out of the office. “Let’s go, then.”

* * *

When Su returned outside, Kuvira was there waiting for her. The current matriarch gave the former a curious look and asked, “So, how did that go?”

“About as well as you'd expect,” she replied, with an almost amused sigh.

“So not very good then.”

Suyin shrugged, as she followed Kuvira down the front steps of the police station. “Pretty much. I mean, the last time I encountered her, she was trying to blow us up. And I killed her. It'll take some time before I'm willing to be around that woman without looking over my shoulder.”

“Fair enough,” Kuvira said, with a nod. She herself didn't have as much experience with P'Li from back then—she'd been on the other side of the mountain during their assault, to back up Korra and Tonraq and save the latter from falling to his death—so her own opinions on the woman weren't quite as harsh. Still, she knew the things that P'Li had done, and knew why people would be hesitant in trusting her. As for herself, well, she had done far worse things and yet she had made up for them, so she was willing to give P'Li a chance. “So, uh, Su, there's something I've been meaning to ask you.”

“What is it?” Su asked, raising a curious brow.

“Have you...thought about what you're going to do when all this is over? _If_ it's over.” Kuvira paused at the bottom of the steps and turned to Suyin. “I already said I'd gladly hand Zaofu back over to you if you wanted it.”

“Ah, that.” Su gave a slow nod and folded her arms across her chest, while pacing a few steps off to the side. “You know, Kuvira, Zaofu isn't some trinket you can just pass around to whoever. It's a city, and a nation, with its own structure and prestige.”

Kuvira's eyes widened, suddenly flustered. “I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean—”

“What I'm saying is that Zaofu should keep the matriarch it has,” Su said, bringing a reassuring hand to the woman's shoulder. “My time leading is over. It's your turn now, and you've been doing a great job so far. I think it's in good hands.”

“You're...sure?” Kuvira blinked, eyebrows furrowing.

Suyin smiled. “Of course I'm sure. I didn't raise you to follow in my footsteps for nothing.”

“Thank you, Su. I...” Kuvira shook her head, hardly able to get the proper words out. Eventually, she managed a smile of her own. “Thank you.”

* * *

Getting the Spirit Conductor out of Asami’s workshop in Future Industries Tower down to street level had been a trial that no one had been prepared for—or at least, the workers that Varrick had hired were prepared for. With a system of dollies, carts, and careful maneuvering, however, they had finally managed to get it out front—in pieces. In order to transport the entire machine, Asami, Varrick, Zhu Li, and Baatar, Jr. had been forced to disassemble parts of it. While those pieces had made it out of the main lobby and out onto the street, they needed to be reassembled to perfection while loaded onto the back of a utility truck. That task fell to all but Varrick, who had taken it upon himself to supervise the workers with due diligence.

“Careful with that!” he said, as a pair of workers carrying one of the larger pieces of the machine bumped into the side of the truck. “This is some highly sophisticated technology you’re handling there. Easy…. Easy…” The workers made it halfway up the ramp before the edge of the machine again bumped into the side rail. “I said _easy!”_

“Perhaps you should calm yourself a little, dear,” Zhu li said, glancing up from her work. Flipping around her screwdriver, she carefully began to tighten the fastenings on the bottom panel of the conductor.

“Well maybe I _would_ be calm if they didn’t keep manhandling our newest invention,” Varrick countered. With a disbelieving huff, he marched towards the truck and picked up a loose bolt on the ground. “Look at this! They’ve already knocked a piece loose! This is what’s going to give us the edge against Sen, and they’re ruining it!”

From the front of the truck, Asami peered around the side of the opened hood. “I can’t believe it, but I’m actually inclined to agree with Varrick on this. Be careful with that machine, please. Our lives might depend on it.”

The two workers instantly sank, as though the life had been drained out of them with shame “Yes, Madame President. Sorry.” As carefully as possible, they placed the piece down on the back of the track and retreated down the ramp to continue their task.

“Oh sure, you listen to _her,”_ Varrick muttered.

Without so much as glancing up from his work, Baatar scoffed. “Gee, I can’t imagine why they would ever want to ignore someone as charismatic as yourself.”

“I know! It’s baffling.”

Baatar replied with a simple sigh, and shook his head.

Shortly after the workers returned with the next piece of the Spirit Conductor, a white blur raced around the corner of the street and quickly covered the distance between them—Naga, with Korra atop her back. As soon as the polar bear dog arrived at the truck and came to a stop, Korra jumped down to greet them.

“Hey, everyone. How are things coming here?”

“Hey, Korra.” Asami closed the hood of the truck and reached for a nearby rag to wipe the oil off her hands. The oil was a stark contrast to the proper business attire she wore, and yet anyone who knew her wouldn’t be surprised by that in the least. Asami Sato was every bit a mechanic and an inventor as she was a CEO and president. “Things are going about as well as we can hope. The Spirit Conductor has a limited range, so in order for it to work against Sen, it needs to be near him. We’ve decided to solve that by making it mobile.”

“Zhu Li and I will be on board to run that thing when Sen gets here,” Varrick affirmed. “Whenever that is.”

“Oh, well that’s a good idea,” Korra stated, with a nod. She briefly glanced over the truck, with her eyes soon wandering towards the front seat. “And who’s driving?”

“I am,” Asami said.

Korra blinked at her friend, then back at the truck. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Going against Sen like that… it’ll be dangerous.”

“There isn’t a better driver around, you know that,” Asami insisted, matter-of-factly. “Especially when it comes to operating a vehicle with a high payload during high pressure and dangerous situations. Besides, this is _my_ city, and I’m damn sure going to protect it.”

“And who’s going to protect you?”

“That’s what I’m here for.” The voice came attached to another individual, who approached the group dressed in full Zaofu guard armor—Sin. Trailing her were ten or so Republic City police officers. Asami lit up the moment she saw her, and came forward to greet the woman with a kiss.

“Oh, well I guess that answers that,” Korra said, with a partial chuckle.

“Don’t worry, I’ll look after her,” Sin said, holding an arm around the president’s waist. “Not that she needs looking after, of course.”

Asami smiled, then leaned in for another kiss. “There’s still no one else I’d rather have protecting me.”

With a huff, Varrick looked over and piped in, “On the other hand, Junior over here is chickening out.”

Baatar looked up from his work this time, eyes narrowed into a glare. “How is wanting to be with my family ‘chickening out’?”

“As a scientist and a co-inventor to this technology, you have a responsibility to see the mission through to the end!” Varrick insisted. “Besides, everyone but your father and artiste brother is going to be involved in the big fight, and really those two should try to evacuate as soon as possible. Zhu Li and I had the sitter take Iknik, Jr. out of here during the first wave.”

“I hardly think you can judge me for not wanting to be here when an almighty dark spirit descends upon us,” Baatar fired back. “I’m not a fighter, and two geniuses is already enough to run the machine.”

Varrick merely shrugged. “Sure, sure, think whatever you want. It’s _your_ conscience.”

“In any case, I’ll let you guys get set up,” Korra said, as she climbed back up atop Naga’s saddle. “If you need to contact me, I’m on radio frequency thirteen.”

“Roger that, Avatar.” Varrick gave a firm salute, then turned back to the others. “Now, let’s get this thing loaded already! Move it, people!”

* * *

The diner was quiet, deathly so, and bathed in a darkness borne from closed blinds and no lights. Even the slivers of sunlight that crept in through the cracks in the blinds did little to brighten the interior, and for Megumi those shadows were overpowering, suffocating, as if she had been sentenced to some dark realm to suffer for all eternity. In reality, she had simply come to this closed diner to hide, waiting for the proper moment when she and her partner would strike. Sen had sent them ahead, to prepare for the inevitable conflict—a conflict that unsettled her stomach the more she thought of it. How close were they to the end of humanity? How close was she to losing the most important thing to her in the world?

No matter how close or how far off it was, it was too close.

“It’s just as Sen predicted.” Unalaq stood by the front window of the diner, peering between one of the slits in the blinds. “They’re ready for us this time. I’d expect nothing less from my niece… They were smart, evacuating fractions of the city at a time. Sen won’t go after small groups, not yet. But it won’t matter. Not even half will make it out before he arrives.”

Megumi didn’t really hear him; she wasn’t much paying attention. Rather, she stood watching the young girl in one of the booths across from her. Kanna sat with her arms folded on the table, staring straight down with her head hanging. There was a distant look in her eyes, a look of depression and defeat that shredded Megumi to her core. In that singular moment, she felt so small, so insignificant, so…wrong.

How had this happened?

“Kanna…” Megumi said, as she carefully approached the booth. Her daughter didn’t even look up at her.

“What do you want?”

“Kanna, whatever happens… please stay here,” she said. So much was about to happen—so much horror, and pain, and destruction. She couldn’t have her daughter mixed up in it. Having her there to witness the fall of Ba Sing Se had been bad enough. “There’s nowhere else for you to go, and I—”

“Why would I listen to you?” Kanna muttered, turning her head away. “I hate you.”

The words were like a knife to Megumi’s chest. A sharpness struck her heart, and it pushed her back a step. Even as the tears welled in her eyes, though, she pushed forward until she sat across from Kanna in the booth. For several long moments she was quiet, and when she finally spoke her words came out in a mere whisper. “Sweetie, please… I just want you to be safe. Please…”

Kanna glanced at her mother with a curious stare, unsure how to react to the woman’s sudden display of sorrow. Even as much as she disliked Megumi, her good-natured heart found it difficult not to feel bad when she saw the tears. With a huffing sigh, she gave a shrug and said, “Okay… fine, I guess.”

“ _Promise_ me,” Megumi said. “Please.”

She was cautious when she replied, but soon Kanna nodded. “I promise.”

A flood of relief washed over Megumi, and even so the tight knot in her gut did not loosen. “Thank you…” Her words never did make it beyond that pale whisper. Deep down inside, she knew things wouldn’t end well. Not for her, not for Kanna, not for anyone.

* * *

Azula tapped her fingers impatiently against her arms, as she stared out across the open fields beyond the city limits. She had been here since dawn, waiting with the rest of the United Forces for the imminent attack. It wasn’t as though they knew Sen would be attacking today, or even any time this week, yet still they needed to be ready. No matter how long they had to wait.

“I wish he'd just get here already,” she muttered. “We need to end this _now.”_

To her left, Bolin raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at her. “You... _want_ the killer dark spirit to attack?”

“We’re running out of time,” she said. “The sooner he gets here, the better. Besides, we're ready for him this time.”

“Well, I mean I guess...” Bolin said. “That doesn't make this whole thing any better.”

From Bolin’s other side, Zuko leaned over. “Try not to worry. It may be difficult, but we can do this. We _will_ do this.”

“It's impossible not to worry,” Bolin countered. “At least for my son... Opal's dad is looking after him, and they were supposed to be in one of the next waves to evacuate, but what if they don't make it in time? What if Sen attacks while they're still here and...”

Azula grumbled in annoyance. “Would you just focus? You'll be no use to us if you're all depressed when Sen attacks.”

Katara, on the other hand, approached Bolin and held her hand to his shoulder, in attempts to reassure him. “I know how you feel. Tenzin, Bumi, Kya... my children… Sen got them all, and if we don't succeed here, then they'll...” She eased a deep breath and stood straighter, steeling a look of determination in her eyes. “That's why we're doing this. For them, for our families, for everyone that spirit has hurt. For humanity. We'll stop him.”

It took a moment, but soon Bolin replied with a smile. “Yeah, you know, you’re right. We will.” He then hurried over to the radio station just behind them and made a grab for the transmitter. “Might as well check on Opal and the others, see if they’ve found anything.

* * *

Opal was leaning over the side of her air bison’s saddle when the call came in. At first, there was only a hiss of static, but soon her husband’s voice followed. “Hey, Honey, how are things going up there?”

A smile curled its way onto Opal’s lips, as she made a grab for her radio. “Hey, Bolin. It’s been pretty quiet so far.” She made a quick glance to her left, out onto the horizon. From how high she was in the sky, she could see all the way to the mountains from here. “We haven't noticed any changes yet.”

Jinora was the closest other airbender to her, riding aboard Pepper. Beyond her were several other airbenders, including Daw, Ryu, Otaku, and Yung. For as much as they had been patrolling the United Nations territory, so far they had come up with nothing, which managed to be both a good and bad thing at the same time.

“Are you doing okay?” Bolin asked.

Opal eased another smile as she raised the radio back to her lips. “I'm fine, but thank you for asking.”

“I love you.”

Opal’s smile was softer this time, almost distant—too many thoughts of what they would lose if they failed. “I love you, too. But we should probably get off the radio now. I'll keep you guys updated.”

“Yeah, okay,” Bolin replied. “We'll be here.”

With a gentle sigh, Opal lowered the radio and turned another gaze out onto the horizon. This time, her eyes narrowed at a strange inky darkness in the sky, as though black clouds had begun to swirl and churn. Lightning flashed across the shadows, which had already started to spread across the sky like some kind of disease.

“Jinora!” she called, glancing back over her shoulder and pointing. “Do you see that?”

“I see it,” Jinora replied, as she guided her sky bison closer.

“What do you think?” Opal asked. “Could it be Sen?”

With a deep breath, Jinora narrowed her eyes at the darkness. The logical answer seemed obvious, but they still had to see for themselves. “Let's find out.”

“Come on, Juicy,” Opal said, urging her bison forward. “Let’s go.”

While the other airbenders remained behind, Jinora and Opal made their way closer, over the mountains. As the dark clouds spread farther above them, a dense shadow followed, as though the sun had suddenly set and brought the night. Lightning streaked around them, forcing them to fly lower to avoid being struck, but still they continued. Opal kept her eyes strained on the ground below, trying to make out anything that might be Sen approaching, even if deep in her gut she already knew it was him.

Then, the ground began to shake. It was slight at first, but then rapidly picked up with little pause. Even up in the air, Opal could feel the vibrations, hear the rumbling, see the trees and mountains quivering.

“What on earth _is_ that?” she uttered, panning her gaze wildly around the valley. Was it the spreading storm that caused it? Or something else?”

The answer came when a shadowed figure skittered around the corner of a mountain. At first, neither Opal nor Jinora saw it, beneath the blackened clouds. When a streak of lightning lit up the valley, however, there could be no mistaking it.

“Oh no...” Jinora’s brow lifted, and her mouth fell open in horror. For a brief moment, she sat there frozen atop her bison, but soon managed to guide Pepper around to return from the direction they had come. “We have to get back to the city!”

“Bolin!” Opal shouted over the radio. “Do you read me? Come in! Bolin!”

* * *

-Bol... ead me... ome in... here!” Opal’s words were broken and garbled over the static, but the panic in her voice was unmistakable. “He's... ive... ready...”

“Opal? Opal what is it?” Bolin tried to adjust the frequency on the radio, but he got only a steady hiss. “Damn it, there's too much static!”

“What was she trying to say?” Zuko asked.

“I don't know,” Katara said, “but it sounded urgent.”

Azula folded her arms and frowned. “If I had to make a guess, I'd say... Wait, do you feel that?” A rumble followed, and soon steady vibrations began to ripple up their legs. “Is that an earthquake?”

“I don't think so...” Bolin said, as he stared down at his feet. “But the ground is definitely shaking. What could be causing...?”

A commotion interrupted his thoughts, as the United Forces soldiers began shouting and pointing into the distance. Within moments, dark clouds spread above them and bathed the land in a thick darkness. Rain and lightning followed, along with a sudden wind that nearly blew them off their feet. The wind died down shortly after, but the storm remained—as did the massive figure that now loomed above them, staring down with dark, beady eyes.

“Oh my spirits...” Katara uttered.

“This isn't...” Azula stammered, voice catching in her throat. She took a step backwards, craning her neck to look straight upwards. “That can't be possible.”

“Well, well,” a voice boomed. “The humans are making a stand, it seems. How quaint.”

Sen had arrived, and yet in a way that could not have been expected. When Azula had seen him last, he had been the size of a small building, no bigger than a house—large, yes, but nothing out of the ordinary for a spirit. Now, however, the giant gejigeji stood as tall as any skyscraper in Republic City, at least thirty stories tall, with his spindly legs stretching out for what seemed like miles. Even in the darkness of the storm that followed him, he cast a shadow that covered the entire valley all the way to the city beyond.

At first, the response from the soldiers below was that of silence. They stared up at their foe, some of them shaking in fear, and others frozen in terror. Yet, moments later, one of the commanders managed to muster a single word. “Attack!”

“Wait!” Zuko called out. “You can't just blindly assault—!”

But his protest came too late. The United Forces unleashed a massive barrage of water, earth, and fire. Even with the use of armored tanks, however, the result was pitiful. The attacks landed harmlessly against the spirit’s giant carapace. Sen merely chuckled, his voice booming like dynamite.

“Foolish humans.” A flash of spiritual energy erupted from his eyes and swept across the battlefield, scattering and engulfing half the army. Then, with a single breath inward, the essences of all those who met his gaze flew from their bodies into his awaiting maw. “You will all perish.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins! The final conflict of this fic, the ultimate battle between Sen and humanity, is here, and as you can see, our heroes were not quite as prepared as they thought they were. You knew Sen wasn't going to make it easy for them, but who could have expected this? All those essences he consumed in Ba Sing Se really put on the pounds. At least there were a few more little character interactions before the battle started (P'Li and Suyin most amused me). Sit back and enjoy the ride folks, it's going to be wild!


	145. Humanity's Last Stand, Pt. 2: Ghosts of Avatars Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Republic City's forces desperately attempt to to fend off Sen, while Team Avatar prepares to enact their trump card. The arrival of new foes, however, threatens to throw a wrench in their plans.

Azula grumbled as she crawled her way out from under a partial layer of dirt and rocks. Sen’s blast had carved a line in the ground and strewn earth in all directions, nearly burying her. Some, she assumed, hadn’t been quite as lucky and surely taken a direct hit. Others, she could already see had fallen victim to the dark spirit’s insidious gaze, lying about the ground with wide open eyes and blank expressions. Her own eyes lingered on those fallen soldiers for mere moments before her attention was drawn towards the center of the battlefield.

Sen towered above the United Forces, shrugging off their desperate barrage with cynical laughter and countering spirit blasts from his soulless eyes. The air force’s biplanes had already arrived to drop a volley of bombs atop the creature, and yet the explosions that ripped across the insect’s backside did little more than tickle him. When Sen turned his sights to them, he fired his beams in a sweeping line, catching nearly half the fleet in a single pass. The planes spiraled out of control, some on fire and others exploding. Several pilots managed to eject into the skies and descend with parachutes, but they were no safer when they landed than they were in the air. Within seconds, Sen drained their essences, along with anyone else he focused on.

With a groan of frustration, Azula tore her gaze away and searched around her immediate vicinity. When she noticed Zuko lying nearby and unmoving, she raced to him and dropped to his side, furiously attempting to shake him awake. “Zuzu, get _up_. Don’t you quit on me now!”

A quiet groan followed, as Zuko stirred and started to roll over. “Don’t worry; I’m not out just yet.” He briefly winced and then sat upright with a hand held against his head. “Where are Bolin and Katara?”

“We’re right here!” came a response. Several moments later, a large slab of earth quivered and flipped over, revealing Bolin and Katara beneath.

As soon as she was free, Katara took several steps forward and watched the scene of battle before her with widened eyes and mouth half agape. “How on earth did he get so massive?”

“It must be all the essences he’s stolen, increasing his power,” Zuko said. “Ba Sing Se probably put him over the edge. That was hundreds of millions more souls for him to absorb.”

“Well we can’t just stand around doing nothing,” Azula stated. “He’s here, and we fight. Just try to stay behind him.”

Bolin raised a confused eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Because he has to _see_ you in order to steal your essence,” she replied. “Before now, you needed to actually meet his gaze as well. I don’t know if that still holds true, but better safe than sorry. He’s stealing essences hundreds at a time, and we can’t afford to get caught.”

Planning to attack Sen and actually getting that chance, however, were two different prospects entirely. Before they could make a move from their spot on the battlefield, another sweeping blast cut across the ground, spewing up a wave of earth and rocks. Bolin reacted quickly, lifting up a tilted shield of stone overhead to block the raining debris. They each hurriedly ducked for the cover, waiting until the air was clear to reemerge.

As they did, a voice called out to them. “Azula! Katara!”

A quick turn behind them revealed Korra, riding atop a sprinting Naga. Within moments the two closed the gap, prompting a small scoff from Azula. “Oh, Avatar, good of you to arrive. You can help us attack.”

“Hold on,” Korra urged, still seated atop the polar bear dog. “We need to start regrouping, those of us that learned the spirit forms.”

“Korra, _look_ at him,” Azula said, pointing behind her at the monolithic spirit. A second wave of biplanes arrived to attempt a bombardment, but again Sen blasted them out of the sky. “If you thought we needed to weaken him before in order to subdue him, then that holds infinitely true now. We _have_ to attack!”

“That's exactly why we _can't_ attack him,” Korra countered. “Believe me, I want to, but the situation is far more dire than we thought. There are only so much of us who know those forms. We can’t afford to have our essences taken before we get a chance at him.” The former Avatar's eyes flicked forward to watch as Sen drained the essences from another entire platoon of soldiers. “The United Forces will hold back Sen from the city for as long as possible, but civilians are still being evacuated to the underground bunker. Right now, the plan is to regroup with the others, help get the citizens to safety, and then make sure we get Asami’s Spirit Conductor close to Sen. That is going to be key in weakening Sen enough for us to try and subdue him.”

Azula frowned. “Are you being serious?”

“Yes, I am. As much as I want to smack that stupid look off Sen's face right now, we need to be smart about this.”

A small sigh emanated from Zuko. He took a step forward and reassured his sister with a gentle touch to her arm. “She's right, Azula. We won't win this with brute force.”

With a roll of her eyes, Azula shook her arm away from her brother's touch. “Very well.”

As the others stepped forward to follow Korra back to the city, however, Bolin took a step backwards and glanced behind him, at the battle. “You guys go on ahead. I’m going to stay and help hold off Sen.”

Korra blinked at him with lifted eyebrows. “But Bolin—”

“But _nothing_ , Korra.” He turned again to face her, now with a stern look across his face. His eyes were like steel, unbending and resilient. “I know how important it is for all of us who learned the forms to regroup, but it’s just as important to delay Sen long enough for people to get to safety and to get our plan ready. I’m the only lavabender we have, and I _know_ I can be of use here. Plus, you have plenty of other earthbenders who know how to do it. This is _my_ call, and I’m staying.”

Bolin was right, in that there were plenty of other earthbenders who had learned the spirit forms. Of all four elements, earth was the one they had the most of. Aside from Bolin, there was Su, Toph, Kuvira, and Hari. Firebenders came next, with Azula, Mako, P'Li, and Zuko. It was waterbenders and airbenders that they had too few of, with only Korra, Katara, Jinora, and Opal between the two elements that had been able to learn the forms in time.

Seeing that Bolin wasn't going to change his mind, Korra was forced to relent. With a small sigh, she said, “Alright…just be safe. Please.”

“I will,” he said, with a firm nod. Then, he turned back towards the battle and propelled himself forward across the ground on a free floating slab of earth. “Now get out of here already!”

When Bolin was in range, he leaped forward and planted his feet flat across the ground. With several quick, hard motions, he bended the earth beneath Sen and spread a pool of lava in both directions. He had grown both in power and skill with his lavabending over the years, and within moments the pool spread wide and far, engulfing nearly all of the spirit's legs on one side. The pool was deep, too, as Sen abruptly sank into the ground a quarter of the way up his legs. Sen immediately growled with frustration, turning to discover what had happened; Bolin was already gone, on his way to do the same to Sen's other side.

The distraction pulled Sen's attention away from the sky, where figures descended from the clouds—airbenders, gliding along with their wingsuits. The airbenders floated within range and worked together to deliver combined air blasts to the joints of Sen's legs. In tandem with the loose footing caused by Bolin's lava, Sen actually stumbled off balance, forced to catch himself before falling. It was only a small, brief success, but it revealed to the human defenders that Sen could be stymied, could be flustered. Perhaps, if they worked hard enough, he could be beaten.

As the others climbed atop Naga to join her on the saddle, Korra raised her radio to her lips. “Jinora, can you hear me? We’re regrouping back in the city with the others. You and Opal meet us there!”

* * *

Even up in the clouds, even through the rain and the wind, Korra's message crackled through the radio receiver that Jinora had strapped to her wingsuit. As she circled around behind Sen, she glided up a ways and then clicked the button on the side. “I read you, Korra. On our way.” She quickly let go of the button and spread her arm out again to regain control of her flight. Adjusting her path, she darted towards another nearby airbender. “Opal, we have to move! We're meeting Korra and the others back at the city!”

 _“What?”_ Opal circled around next to Jinora and glanced downward, noting the massive pool of lava below them. She could feel the heat emanating from it even all the way up in the sky, and at its edge she could just make out her husband working to maintain and empower it. “But Bolin is still down there! I’m not leaving him!”

“I know, but we’re the only two airbenders who learned the spirit form,” Jinora said. “Sen is a lot more powerful than we thought. We can’t risk staying behind.”

“But Jinora, I—”

“Opal, please!” Jinora's insistence was harsher than she meant it to be, harsher than she usually ever was. But the situation called for it. “Everyone has their part to play in this. We need to make sure that we do ours.”

Opal bowed her head and gave Bolin one last look before turning away, eyes closed. She breathed in deep and swallowed, trying to ignore the fluttering in her heart. “Alright…”

“Daw, Ryu, you two are in charge!” Jinora called, as she led Opal back towards Republic City. The other two airbenders returned a thumbs-up in affirmation, on their way by to attack another set of Sen's legs. “Show that dark spirit what the Air Nation is made of!”

* * *

The scene within Republic City could best be described as controlled panic. Citizens flooded the streets, some pushing and shoving to get ahead, others with their eyes turned upward, captivated by the supernatural storm that ravaged the skies above. They were all stricken by a deep fear that spurred them onward, but after the Earth Empire, the Red Lotus assassination of President Raiko, and Yula’s attack on the city, they were used to these kinds of situations by now. Even in spite of the pandemonium, they followed the guide of designated officers to the various entrances of the underground bunker, to safety. That wasn’t to say that corralling everyone was easy, but it was, at the very least, controlled.

“Please remain calm!” Mako said. His voice echoed from the megaphone raised to his lips, or rather from the speakers atop his police vehicle that the megaphone was connected to. “We’ll get you all to the nearest bunker entrance as soon as possible, don’t worry!”

Nearby, P’Li assisted in the evacuation efforts along with Suyin, Wing and Wei, and Toph. They had each spread out amongst the crowd in attempts to keep the peace and make sure that no one panicked beyond reason.

“Right this way, people!” Wing called, ushering a line of citizens down the street.

“Just remain in an orderly line!” Wei added.

For several minutes, everything went well—better than expected, even. The citizens, in spite of their murmuring and frantic looks up at the sky, followed orders quickly and efficiently. It didn’t last. A far off explosion lit up the darkened sky, followed by the distinct hum of a spirit blast. The beam swept across the skyline, clipping a pair of buildings and blowing them to pieces. Fire ignited and debris plummeted down to the streets below; Mako could only hope that his metalbending officers intercepted the falling rubble before innocent people below were hurt, or worse.

The police chief’s thoughts on potential casualties quickly dissipated to focus on more immediate matters, as the citizens who had up until this point followed orders without trouble devolved into a panicked mess of screaming and running. Mako shouted a few desperate commands into his speaker phone, but no one listened. It was all the earthbenders could do to build barriers around the crowd and keep them from running off.

After Mako made several more futile commands to the crowd, Toph huffed out an annoyed sigh and marched over to him. Without a word, she snatched the megaphone from his hand and then, with a simple kick of her heel, propelled herself upwards on a tall pillar of earth so everyone could see her. “Listen up and listen good, maggots!” she called, her voice booming over the storm and sounds of battle. “In case you haven’t been listening, you’re supposed to remain calm! Unless you dunderheads all want to fall victim to a crazy dark spirit, you’ll shut up and stay moving in a nice orderly fashion! _Got it?”_

The greatest earthbender in the world was answered with stunned silence. No one screamed, no one ran, no one panicked. The fear remained, and yet the chaos subsided, giving way to quiet anxiety. Wordlessly, they all fell back into line and continued moving in line with the officers’ orders.

As Toph’s pillar shrank back into the earth, Su gave her mother a concerned look. “I don’t think you needed to be quite that harsh, Mom.”

Toph merely shrugged, blank eyes staring straight forward. “Hey, they got the point.”

A short moment later, the sound of a satomobile grabbed their attention—a transport truck, to be precise, pulling up from the street behind them. When the truck came to a stop, the door flung open and Kuvira jumped out.

“Su, how are things coming on your block?” she asked, as she hurried to the group.

“We have things under control,” Su said, though her brow raised as she answered. “What are you doing here? You should be helping Hari over in Dragon Flats.”

“Hari has everything under control there,” Kuvira stated. “I’m heading back to Asami’s mansion right now to get Shayu; she’s by herself over there. Just wanted to make sure everything is good here.”

Su’s apprehension over Kuvira’s unexpected arrival disappeared at the explanation. Instead, she gave a simple nod and said, “We’re fine here. You get Shayu, and meet us back here. Just be quick… And be safe.”

Kuvira returned a firm nod. “I will.” She hurried back into the truck, and seconds later she was gone, heading back down the street.

Shortly after Kuvira left, Toph turned from the group with a look of puzzlement creasing her face. She spread her bare toes out farther apart, pressing them as close as possible against the ground. She focused, blind gaze falling towards the earth beneath her feet, until finally she actually knelt down to add her hands, fingers splayed across the earth.

Su noticed her mother’s odd actions and shot a curious glance. “Mom, what is it?”

“Something's coming,” Toph replied, her voice soft and low. “Feels almost like... water?”

They had no further warning before the water that Toph sensed arrived, flooding around the corner of the street in a massive torrent. The citizens and officers didn’t even have a chance to scream or react before the waves washed over them, and seconds later froze them all solid within a massive block of ice.

With the few seconds warning that Toph had given, she and Su were able to shield themselves with an earthen dome, a dome that they expelled outward after the ice had hardened to fracture themselves free. The others, however—citizens and officers alike—were all trapped within the frigid prison, Mako and P’Li included.

But for those two, their imprisonment did not last. Firebenders to their very core, the ice around them soon began waver and melt as their body temperatures fluctuated to extreme degrees. Within seconds, the pair was able to walk free, if a little wet. Wing and Wei, on the other hand, were not as fortunate. They remained trapped within, arms raised and faces frozen in abject surprise.

Su ran up to them, hands pressed against the face of the ice. “Wing! Wei!” Her worried calls went unanswered, as she knew they would. Still, she didn’t slow down. With a furious shout, she flicked a pair of armblades out from beneath her bracers and began to chip away at the frozen surface, piece by piece.

“Damn it, somebody get a waterbender over here!” Mako turned, expecting there to be another officer there to follow his order. When he saw none, however, he spun back around with his jaw clenched. An abrupt look of uncertainty and anxiety had gripped him, a look of unknowing that he didn’t often experience. “Who did this?”

The answer came swift, and calm. “I did.”

A tall, lithe figure dressed in blue Water Tribe robes strode out into view, from around the side of the ice wall he had created. Mako immediately took a defensive stance, fists raised with daggers of flame ignited from the sides. “Unalaq…”

“Well, well, look who it is,” P’Li said, eyes narrowing. To say that she had a history with Unalaq would have been an understatement. He had been the one who led her, Zaheer, and the rest of the Red Lotus twenty-four years ago, only to leave them to rot in prison when their attempt to kidnap the Avatar had failed. She immediately took a step forward, cracking her knuckles in preparation for a fight. “I’ve been wanting this for a long time.”

Unalaq stood straight with his hands held behind his back, nose turned up as if the woman addressing him were nothing more than a rancid-smelling pile of garbage. “Is that right?”

P’Li glanced towards the ice, at the citizens frozen within, then darted her gaze back to focus on the former chieftain again. “Bad move on your part, coming here. Enslaved by Sen or not, you have no idea what you just got yourself into.”

He merely scoffed. “I'm afraid the opposite is true, actually.”

In the moment after Unalaq spoke, P’Li and the others became acutely aware that another figure had appeared behind them. Their reaction had been delayed, though, only just realizing the newcomer’s arrival. Even Toph hadn’t noticed, as focused as she had been on Unalaq. P’Li was the first to turn around, only to pause in surprise as her eyes met a woman’s neckline. She had always been so tall that few people could match her in height, and had, throughout most of her life, been the one looking down on others. Now, however, she found herself forced to glance upward to meet the gaze of this woman, a woman with white and red face paint and green robes that stood at least a head taller than her.

P’Li hesitated only a second before lunging several steps backwards, an attempt to put enough distance between herself and the woman to unleash a combustion blast from her third eye. She did create that distance, and did get off her attack, but the explosion that popped out from her forehead managed only to collide with a solid earthen wall that did little more than crack at the impact. Seconds later, the ground beneath her feet exploded upwards, sending her flying in a cloud of dust and debris.

“Look out!” Toph shouted, with the most fearful expression that Suyin could ever recall seeing on her mother’s face. In the following moment, the mystery woman’s earth wall exploded outward as a cloud of rocky shrapnel, a cloud that Toph redirected only an instant before it would have torn them all to shreds. She herself did not escape damage, however, as the slicing stones raked across her arms and sent her sliding off balance.

The giant woman in white face paint glared at them, and then finally shifted into an offensive stance. Rather than fists, she pulled a pair of fans from her sleeves and flipped them open at the ready. “Fight back, if you wish,” she spoke, her voice low and smooth, “but the result will be the same. You will all die.”

* * *

Kuvira had barely brought the truck to a complete stop before throwing the door open and leaping out to the ground. She wasted no time, sprinting straight through the front door of the Sato mansion, into the main foyer. “Shayu! Shayu, we have to go!”

A brief pause followed, before the sound of rolling wheels across the tiled floor made its way into the foyer. Shayu appeared moments later, hurrying forward in her wheelchair. “Kuvira? What's going on? I looked outside and saw the storm, and now there are explosions and—”

Her words were cut out by a sudden blast of wind the burst the windows of the mansion. Glass showered the floor, followed by a second gust that ripped the curtains from their rods and knocked over expensive pottery off their pedestals, adding clay shards to the countless glass ones that now littered the floor. Kuvira raced forward and positioned herself behind Shayu, grabbing the handlebars on the back of the chair. Without further pause, she raced them both forward out the door.

“It's Sen!” she shouted, forced to raise her voice to be heard over the wind. The storm had picked up, both wind and rain increasing. Lightning flashed across the sky in bright streaks, like spidery fingers reaching to the clouds. One bolt in particular strayed outward from the clouds and blasted the top of a nearby tower. “I'm here to get you to safety!”

Shayu could only watch with wild eyes at the chaos around them, her mouth hanging open in stunned silence. Even as Kuvira lifted her from her chair to place in the passenger's seat of the truck, she could not tear her gaze away from it all. Both horror and awe flowed through her, rooting her in place while her mind fought to grasp the gravity of what was happening.

With Shayu now seated in the truck, Kuvira folded the wheelchair and brought it around to the back. She placed it gently in the rear and closed the doors behind it, then ran back to climb into the driver's seat. Once she slammed the door shut behind herself, she floored her foot against the pedal and took off towards the street. The nearest entrance to the underground bunker beneath the city was only two blocks away, which meant they should be able to make it before they ran into any trouble.

Or so she thought.

The moment that she turned the truck around the corner of the next street, she noticed a man standing in her path. She had only a few moments to glimpse him before a wall of fire arose in front of her but she noted his long brown hair complete with topknot, his bushy beard, and the red and gold Fire Nation robes he wore, of a style that had fallen out of fashion centuries ago. Everything after that was a blur, as Kuvira cut the steering wheel to avoid the scorching wall of flames. In doing so, the truck lurched sharply to the side, teetering up on two wheels before falling completely on its side and crashing through the front of a corner store. The last thing she remembered before the airbag greeted her face, leaving her in a stunned daze, was Shayu screaming.

* * *

Naga raced through the streets of Republic City as fast as her powerful legs could carry her, but with four passengers that proved more difficult than usual. Korra, Azula, Katara, and Zuko hung on tight to remain seated in the saddle without falling off, while both Opal and Jinora glided alongside, their wingsuits spread open wide. As Naga turned the corner of a street, Korra looked down in frustration at the radio in her hand. All attempts so far to reach Asami or anyone else had resulted in nothing more than static, but they weren't far now. All they had to do was keep going this way, and—

Korra looked up in a hurry when Naga slid to a halt. The stop was so sharp and sudden that only she and Azula managed to hang on; both Katara and Zuko lost their grips and stumbled off the polar bear dog's back to the ground. Meanwhile, both Jinora and Opal fluttered down out of the sky to land next to them. While Korra was about to ask Naga why she had stopped, the question left her thoughts in favor of another when she saw what was in front of them, blocking their path—a sheer wall of ice that stretched across the entirety of the current street they were on, as well as branching down the connecting streets.

“What is this?” she uttered, as she hopped down off Naga to investigate further. When she drew closer, she stopped with a sudden gasp upon the realization that the ice was not empty. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of people were trapped within. She watched with wide eyes, her mouth falling open. “How...?”

“They're... frozen,” Jinora said, as she stepped next to Korra. “But who could have done this?”

Korra stared for a moment longer, but then took a firm waterbending pose in front of the ice. “I don't know, but we need to help them. Katara, come on, let's—”

Before she could finish her words, a new line of ice cut across the street. This one, though, slashed straight between the pair of Korra and Jinora, and the others behind them. The wall spread and thickened, and then rose higher, becoming tall enough that climbing, or even gliding over it would have been a difficult task. Within those few moments, Korra and Jinora had been effectively cut off from the rest of their party.

“Korra! Jinora!” It was Zuko's voice, muffled as it was coming through the thickness of the wall. “Are you alright?”

At first, they were both silent. Two figures appeared before them, one a man in Water Tribe garb with a polar bear dog headdress atop his head, sliding across a wave of ice beneath his feet. The other was a man in the yellow and orange robes of an Air Nomad, his head bald with a thin beard across his jaw, and blue airbender tattoos along his arms and atop his head. He stood atop the mass of ice that imprisoned the citizens, a folded up glider held in his grasp. Korra stared at them, unable to tear her gaze away. While Jinora had warned her about their resurrection at the hands of Sen, she hadn't quite been prepared to face them like this. Hearing about them and actually seeing them were two different things.

“Jinora!” This time, it was Katara's voice, her tone frantic with worry over her granddaughter.

“We're fine, Gram Gram,” Jinora said, finally breaking their silence. “But you guys need to go. _Now.”_

“What? What's going on?”

This time, Korra answered. “Katara, you guys go. Find the others and regroup. We'll catch up.”

“But—”

“Just _go!”_ Korra's tone was stern, adamant. There was no more time to wait around, no more time to second guess themselves.

On the other side of the wall, Opal gave the others a concerned look. “Are we sure we can leave them?”

“You heard them,” Azula said, giving a long look up to the top of the ice wall. Indeed, getting over or through such a barrier would take time they didn't have. With a simple gesture to the back of Naga's saddle, she ushered them to join her. Katara and Zuko hesitated only a moment before returning atop Naga's back. “Alright, you smelly mutt. _Mush.”_

The polar bear dog gave a gentle whine, looking back at the ice wall with a longing in her eyes. Soon, though, she bounded off in the other direction in search of an alternate route.

When they were gone, only Korra and Jinora were left to face the two individuals before them. Korra took point, positioning herself between them and Jinora. The act lasted only a moment, though, before Jinora joined her at her side again; Jinora was not a little girl anymore, but rather the New Air Nation's spiritual leader. She stood by Korra's side as an equal, prepared to help in whatever way she could.

The Air Nomad flipped his glider open and floated gracefully down to the ground. When he landed, the glider folded again and he spun it around as a staff until bringing it to rest beneath the crook of his arm. “It's good to see you again, Korra.” His voice was calm and gentle, yet carried with it a stern weight, the kind of weight present only in the authority that was the Avatar. “But I'm afraid that this time will be the last.”

Korra breathed deep and stood tall, staring the man straight in his eyes. She could bring herself to utter only his name. “Aang...”

And with him, Avatar Kuruk, the waterbender at his side. Together, two of the past four Avatars stood against them, enslaved by Sen's will. Korra wished nothing less than to avoid this conflict, and yet she knew now that it was impossible. All she could do was shift herself into a bending pose alongside Jinora, and prepare for the inevitable fight.

“Guess we don't have a choice,” she muttered, with a deep breath through her nose. She calmed herself, emptied her mind and closed her eyes for but a moment. When she opened them again, her brow lowered and her gaze ignited like fire. “Alright, let's do this.”

* * *

Toph sucked in a deep breath of air and slid her foot back across the ground. Even though she couldn't see, she could still feel the area around herself. Her allies had already fallen, and she could sense them nearby, motionless on the ground. P'Li had been the first, followed soon after by Mako. Su had managed to put up a fight for a few moments, but she too had swiftly fallen. They were still alive, Toph could tell that much, but unless this battle turned around then they wouldn't last much longer.

She might not have been an old woman anymore, but still her body ached and her lungs felt ready to burst—not because she was out of shape, but because she had never exerted herself this much in such a short period of time. Never had she had to work so hard in battle before, and gained so little ground. This opponent was different, though. This opponent was, perhaps, the only one who could match her.

“So, you're the one who claims to be the greatest earthbender in the world?” The woman in white facepaint took a step forward, leaving behind a large footprint in the softened dirt beneath her. She flicked her wrist, twisting one of her fans and causing a fissure to crack across the ground. Toph was forced to leap out of the way, just in time to avoid the result explosion of stone in the spot where she had been standing just a second before. “How very disappointing.”

“Hey, I'm just getting warmed up,” Toph replied, in her usual cocky and smug tone. A smirk slashed across her face, and she cracked her neck. “It's been sixty years since I've had a body this young, _plus_ you got the jump on us, so cut me some slack here. I'll hand it to you, though; you sure are giving me a run for my money. But I guess I shouldn't have expected any less from you.” She cracked her knuckles next, and then shook herself loose before taking her signature bending pose. The smirk never left her face. “Alright, here we go: the Earth Rumble to end all Earth Rumbles. Toph Beifong versus the big bad Avatar Kyoshi. Let's get it on!”

* * *

Kuvira forcefully blinked herself awake, trying to ignore the incessant ringing in her ears. As far as she could determine, she had been out for only a few moments, and yet that was a few moments too long. Whoever had caused their truck to crash could be approaching in preparation to finish them off. Fighting the throbbing in her head and the partial vertigo that spun the world around her when she unclipped the seatbelt that held her in place, Kuvira kicked the driver's side door open with a single blow and pulled herself out. She then immediately turned back around to help Shayu.

She found the girl slumped against the passenger door, which in the truck's current state rested flat against the ground. Shayu didn't move or even say anything, her eyes closed and lashes flickering. A soft groan emanated from her lips as Kuvira reached inside to lift her out of the truck, but she did nothing more. The crash had left her dazed and near unconscious, evident from the large bruise and cut across the front of her forehead. Kuvira was gentle with Shayu, cradling the girl in her arms as she climbed down from the truck onto the ground.

“Don't worry, Shayu,” she whispered, brushing the girl's hair back out of her face. “Everything will be alright. I'll get you out of here.” As soon as she turned to the street, however, she came face to face with the firebender who had forced them to crash. He stood there calmly, not advancing towards them but also not getting out of the way. Kuvira retained her hold on Shayu, but turned her body defensively just the same. “Who are you? Explain yourself!”

“Your struggle is futile,” the firebender stated, with a soft breath inward. “Give in, and make this easier on yourself.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.”

The firebender said nothing else, merely sighing as though he had expected Kuvira to make such defiance. With a simple shift in his stance, he punched a fist forward and expelled a spiraling stream of flames at her. Kuvira ducked low and stomped into the ground, bringing a wall of earth in front of herself to block the attack. At the same time, she turned her body to shield Shayu from the heat. Her efforts last only a moment, as the sheer force of the flames were enough to crack and then rupture the wall.

The impact slid Kuvira backwards, but she retained her balance enough to roll behind a newspaper dispenser. Such a cover would only shield her for a few seconds, but she needed every second she could get. She couldn't fight off this man while protecting Shayu, and yet she wouldn't be able to get away if she didn't. She could put Shayu down and attempt to fight him normally, but then she risked Shayu getting hurt in any errant crossfire. Her mind raced to come up with an idea, but those couple seconds went by quicker than she could think.

Another blast of fire erupted against the newspaper dispenser and caused it to explode, sending Kuvira and Shayu both flipping end over end across the ground. When they finally came to a stop, Kuvira pushed herself upright with a groan and glanced up at their attacker. The firebender now finally approached, walking forward with long, smooth strides. Kuvira forced herself back to her feet, putting herself between the man and Shayu. She had no choice left now; she _had_ to fight, and do the best she could to keep Shayu from being harmed.

Before either of them could make an attack, though, another blast of flames appeared, this one racing in from the side. It struck the ground between them and exploded, pushing the man back a step and causing Kuvira to shield her eyes. There was no need to wonder who had created this fire, as not only did the deep blue hue give it away, but the woman herself appeared standing between them when the flames dissipated.

As the heat of the fire died away, Kuvira lowered her arm and lifted an eyebrow at the woman. “Azula?”

“Looks like I'm here just in time, as usual,” Azula replied, with a haughty sigh. Never taking her eyes off the firebender man, she shifted her stance into her own signature pose, fingers extended. “You guys take Shayu and get out of here. I'll handle him.”

It was then that Kuvira noticed the others nearby—Zuko and Katara, seated atop Naga. She didn't hesitate, immediately retrieving Shayu from the ground and hurrying over to the polar bear dog to join the others atop the saddle.

Zuko, however, gave his sister a concerned look. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, Zuzu, don't you worry about me,” she stated, as she whirled her arms to create a circle of blue flames around herself and her opponent. “Just going to fight fire with a little fire. Besides, he’s _our_ ancestor. I should be the one to do this.”

Zuko’s eyes flicked carefully back and forth between the two for just a moment. The hesitation was brief, though. As soon as Kuvira and Shayu had climbed atop Naga, he urged the polar bear dog into motion. “Just be careful.”

When they were gone, Azula lowered her eyebrows and snaked a confident smirk across her face. “You should know, I’m well versed in fighting Avatars. This won’t be easy for you.”

“Nor will it be for you,” the man replied, taking a simple firebending stance.

“Just don’t say I didn’t warn you, when I’m standing over your charred body.” Azula stared him straight in the eyes, the smirk never leaking her face. The man looked much younger than she recalled from many of the paintings in the royal palace, but she remembered a few that depicted him as such, and as an enemy of the Fire Nation ever since Sozin began the Hundred Year War, so long ago. _“Roku.”_

* * *

Asami leaned forward in her seat, fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. Her eyes shifted upwards, scanning back and forth at the raging sky above. It seemed that the storm had only strengthened since it arrived, bringing brighter flashes of lightning and heavier rain. Large droplets pounded the windshield, their rapid patter keeping in sync with the pulsing of her heart. A part of her worried about the Spirit Conductor, which sat out in the open on the back of the truck, but she reassured herself that any electrical pieces were well shielded against outside interference. Right now, only a few remaining peripherals were left to assemble. Sin was supposed to be with them, but Asami had sent her away a while ago to assist with helping the citizens, once things had gotten bad. Sin had been reluctant of course, but had eventually listened, claiming she would return to protect Asami. In spite of that, Asami knew they couldn't just wait around for her. As soon as the Spirit Conductor was finished they had to leave.

With a glance behind herself, she leaned her head out the side window and asked, “How's it coming back there?”

“Almost ready!” Varrick replied. Even shouting, the howling winds nearly drowned out his voice entirely. “Just a few more bolts in place and then we can get moving!”

“I think we'd better hurry, though!” Zhu Li wiped her wet bangs out of her eyes and returned Asami’s gaze. “I'm not sure how much longer the United Forces will be able to hold Sen!”

“Oh quit your worrying.” Varrick jammed his screwdriver into the side of one of the panels and gave it a few more twists. “Just about...got it! Alright, Madame President, let's book it!”

Asami didn’t waste a single moment. As soon as Varrick gave the okay, she shoved her foot as hard as she could against the gas pedal. Tires screeched across the pavement of the street, and seconds later they shot forward. She knew she had to be careful, given the weather conditions and the payload they were hauling, but every second they took was more innocent people that Sen harmed. They had to get out of the city, find Sen, and activate the Spirit Conductor as soon as possible if they were to have any chance of succeeding. 

Before she even made it to the end of the street, she found her foot shifting from the gas pedal to the break. Tires screeched once again, only this time it was to bring the truck to a sudden halt as Asami desperately swerved sideways to avoid a solid blue and white blur that exploded upwards directly in her path. When the truck came to a full stop, she took a longer moment to examine what she had almost hit—an ice wall, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“What the heck?” she uttered, with a confused stare.

Rather than waste time wondering where it had come from, she immediately shifted the truck into reverse and began to turn the truck around. If she couldn’t go this way, she’d have to find a way around down another street. The truck made it only ten feet before a second ice wall arose behind her and cut her off, effectively boxing in the truck between the ice running across the street, and the buildings on either side.

“What's going on over there!” Varrick called, sitting upright from his seat in the back of the truck.

Asami rolled the window back down to answer, but her voice stopped when she noticed a figure standing twenty paces away. It was a woman, she realized, dressed in a blue and white Water Tribe gown. The woman did not move, nor make any further attack, but her presence made it clear that she had been the one who trapped the truck. Asami’s jaw clenched at the sight of her, and in a brief instant she made a decision. They had to get through this blockade, and there was only one way to do that. Reaching into the glove compartment, she pulled out a familiar object and then shoved the door open, sliding out of the truck onto the street.

“I don't know who you are,” Asami stated, as she pulled her Equalist glove over her right hand. She gave it a firm squeeze, causing a spark of electricity to pulse out of the palm. The rain that met the manmade lightning hissed and popped, turning instantly to steam. “But you need to get out of our way. _Now.”_

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the woman replied, with a deep breath. In spite of the clear opposition she posed, her expression was distant, almost sad, as though she didn’t even want to be there. Still, she shifted into a waterbending stance all the same, prepared to fight. “If you wish to know my name, it’s Megumi.”

Asami narrowed her eyes, shifting into her own fighting stance. “Why would I care about your name?"

Megumi merely shrugged. “A courtesy, I suppose. I am sorry for this, you know… but I don’t have a choice. I _have_ to stop you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you probably saw it coming because of how heavily it had been hinted at before, but now we have definitive confirmation. Sen brought back the past four Avatars to serve him! You see now why he didn't need to enslave anyone else. Not just because of his now massive size, but because he had all the power he needed in Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, and Kuruk. The only question now is, will Korra and the others be able to defeat them? There are some serious fights coming in the next chapter, so prepare yourselves. I hope you're all enjoying this finale so far, because it only gets more intense from here!
> 
> Also, for those of you who do not follow my tumblr, there is now more fan art of this fic! You can see the newest piece here: http://signmeupforkuvirasarmy.tumblr.com/post/142496170108/a-day-at-the-park-by-yleyn-lovely-commission-done


	146. Humanity's Last Stand, Pt. 3: Legacies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sen's minions have been revealed as the past four Avatars resurrected, leaving Team Avatar to defeat them if they're to have any hope of stopping the dark spirit!

Toph slid herself across the ground to avoid an incoming chunk of earth, torn up from the street beneath their feet. She felt the giant mass brush through the air only inches from her face. She never stopped moving. In one swift moment, she turned away from that rush of wind from the evaded attack and turned directly into a counter of her own. With a flick of her wrist, she split the pavement apart and blasted a fissure towards her opponent. A simple stomp from Kyoshi’s foot, however, redirected that fissure with an eruption of dirt and stone.

A frustrated cringe came to Toph’s lips, as Kyoshi kicked another series of boulders at her. Each one, Toph was able to dodge, but only barely. She ducked, slid, and spun around the projectiles, but each one came far too close for comfort; one even brushed the bun of hair atop her head. Despite every effort she made to keep moving and evade, and to counter with attacks of her own, she couldn’t gain any ground on the past Avatar. It was in those first few series of exchanges that Toph realized just how powerful Kyoshi was, and why she had been so feared and respected in her time. Toph had to work harder than she ever had just to keep up with the woman, let alone trying to gain ground and defeat her.

Sensing Kyoshi’s actions through the vibrations in the ground was unlike anything Toph had experienced before. There were no wasted actions, no unnecessary movements. Every motion was one of purpose, stiff and strong. Her motions were also quick, so rapid and unrelenting that Toph had trouble keeping track of them. Against most opponents, Toph could tell what they were going to do before they did. With Kyoshi, the best she could do was react as quickly as possible; most of the time that meant after an attack was already on its way. Never before had she felt at a disadvantage being blind. Kyoshi was different. Right now, Toph actually wouldn’t mind being able to see.

Toph propelled herself upwards on a pad of earth, leaping above another of Kyoshi’s attacks. She hated having to remove her feet from the ground, but all other routes had been cut off, leaving upward as the only possible way to dodge. She tried to meet her feet with another mound of earth to safely descend, but in that brief moment of complete blindness Kyoshi seized the opportunity and met Toph with a melon-sized stone to the chest. A wheezing grunt erupted from Toph’s throat as she fell back to the ground and rolled to a stop.

As she pushed her way back to her feet, worried thoughts flooded through Toph’s mind like water through a broken dam. All throughout her life, she had been so much better than anyone else. She had never had to work this hard before, never tested her skills against another opponent of such a high level. Now that she was fighting her equal—or perhaps even her superior—she wondered if she wasn’t as good as she could have been, had she been constantly pushed like this. If she didn’t buckle down soon, Kyoshi really would destroy her.

Before Toph stood straight again, Kyoshi made another attack, splitting the ground apart at Toph’s feet. The self-proclaimed greatest earthbender in the world kicked her legs apart and slide her way towards the side of the street along a wave of dirt. There was one advantage she still had over Kyoshi, although currently she didn’t have much of it. As soon as she neared a newspaper dispenser set at the edge of the sidewalk, she twisted her body and tore the entire metal structure from its fastenings on the ground. Next, she split it apart into several pieces, warping them into jagged metal spears. Then, with a swift guide of her fingers, she launched them at her opponent.

For the first time since the battle began, Kyoshi’s eyebrows lifted with surprise. She took a step backwards and made her own attempt at bending the metal pieces away, but soon realized that her attempts would be futile. Instead, she stomped up a wall of earth in front of herself just as the metal spears reached her. The points pierced several inches through the earth, finally coming to a stop just inches from Kyoshi’s body. With a frown, the past Avatar let the wall drop, and the metal spears along with it.

Toph grumbled another breath of frustration, and began feeling out for more metal in the area; there was precious little. Although most of the buildings around them were composed of metal, she couldn’t start tearing apart pieces from them. If she did, she risked the buildings collapsing and hurting the innocent civilians that were still frozen within the ice all throughout the streets. There weren’t any cars nearby, either—only Mako’s police vehicle, but that too was frozen within several inches of ice. There were a few light poles nearby, but they were few and spread too far apart for her to get to in a practical manner. Aside from the metal of that newspaper dispenser, she would be limited to only earth.

“You’re bending metal,” Kyoshi muttered, her eyes locked on the metal spears at her feet. She didn’t say it as a question, but rather a matter-of-fact statement, with a mix of confusion and intrigue.

In spite of her position, Toph attempted to retain her cocky demeanor. With a smug grin, she replied, “That’s right. Developed the ability myself, actually. Why, you jealous?”

“Intriguing…” Kyoshi examined the metal a moment longer, then returned her focus to her opponent. “Still, it won’t help you. You’re starting to tire already, aren’t you?”

“As _if._ I could do this all day!”Toph scoffed out a laugh and stood straight, hands on her hips. In spite of herself, though, she could feel her lungs and her muscles throbbing—not for a lack of conditioning or a weak body, but because she had never before been pushed so hard for so long.

Kyoshi frowned, her eyes narrowing. “You’re a poor liar.”

When Kyoshi attacked again, it was with an even greater ferocity than before. Her attacks came with more power and greater rapidity. Toph ducked and weaved through them again, deflecting what shots she could, but within moments the barrage became too much for her to keep up with, or even keep track of. It took only one mistake to end it. Toph ducked low beneath jagged boulder, avoiding it so closely that the edge raked a scuff across her cheek. She kept moving, twisting herself around and bringing her wrist up and prepare a counter attack. The instant before she flicked her fingers to release the attack, she realized it was over.

Toph felt the chunk of rock just a second before it actually struck her—no time to get away or defend herself. All she could do was let it hit her. The projectile blasted into her gut with such power that Toph’s mouth reflexively popped open, spittle and blood misting the air. She managed to remain on her feet just a moment longer before her knees buckled and she collapsed, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Another moment on her knees and then she dropped to her side, curled up and unable to move.

“The greatest earthbender in the world?” Kyoshi uttered a mocking scoff as she raised another boulder from the ground and hovered it up into the air, intent on letting it crash down and finish Toph off once and for all. “Maybe in your time, but I am the greatest earthbender to ever live. I will give you credit, though—you lasted longer against me than any of my previous opponents. Take solace in that.”

Just as Kyoshi prepared to bring the boulder down, a low whistling reached her ears, like some kind of projectile spinning through the air. She raised an eyebrow and turned her head to find the source, but by then it was too late. A spinning blue and white boomerang collided squarely with the back of her head, a shot that staggered her and brought her to one knee. A second later, her boulder fell from the air and thudded against the ground several paces away from where Toph lay.

Kyoshi made a move to return to her feet, but she was too stunned from the sudden attack to realize a figure approaching her with expert purpose. As soon as she straightened upright, a woman wearing a remarkably similar outfit to the past Avatar, right down to the facepaint, appeared at her side and twisted her arm. The following few moves flowed together in one swift motion, like water through a stream. Kyoshi made an attempt to pull herself out of the hold but only fell further against the assailant’s momentum.

Within seconds, Kyoshi’s entire body lifted from the ground and swung over the other woman’s back, only to land on the other side with a violent thud. Still in the same motion, the new woman twisted Kyoshi’s arm farther and spun around, bringing her knee squarely into Kyoshi’s jaw. The attacker made an attempt at one more strike, but this time Kyoshi was able to create distance by bending the ground apart between them. The other woman was forced to back off, but did not let her guard down. Rather, she simply took another combat stance, complete with a pair of golden fans.

When Kyoshi finally returned to her feet, she set her eyes upon the other woman and glared, taking in everything about her. The robes and armor the woman wore were nearly identical to her own, as were the fans. Even the facepaint was the same. “That uniform… You are one of my warriors, aren’t you?”

“My name is Suki,” she responded, shifting her stance. “I am the head of the Kyoshi Warriors, as I have been for the past eighty years.”

“I see...” Kyoshi’s eyes narrowed further, but she did not question Suki’s young appearance. It was an easy conclusion to draw, that she had been affected by Sen the same as so many others.

“Throughout my entire life, I’ve worked to follow your teachings and continue your legacy,” Suki said. Her eyes never once flinched, never once dropped their steel. It was the gaze of a warrior. “Avatar Kyoshi… I consider this a great honor, but I must stop you. And I will do whatever it takes.”

Kyoshi responded by taking an identical stance, mimicking her own fans with how Suki held hers. “To do whatever is necessary to protect the innocent and bring peace and balance to the world. That is my way. I too consider this an honor.” Then, with a simple shift of her footing, she propelled a jagged line of earth towards the woman. “I’ll make this quick.”

In spite of Suki’s confidence and opposition, there was only so much that a nonbender such as herself could do against one of the most prolific Avatars to ever live. Her entire effort went into dodging Kyoshi’s attacks and focusing on staying alive. Although there was no way she could win, it didn’t matter; she wasn’t trying to win, only to buy time. While Kyoshi’s attention was focused completely on Suki, another figure ran around the side of the street and made his way towards Toph, who had still yet to recover from the previous blow.

“Alright Toph, come on, get up,” Sokka said, as he attempted to pull the woman back to her feet. “This is no time to be playing games.”

“Hey, I am _not_ playing games.” Toph wheezed a small groan as she pulled her arm away from Sokka and made it the rest of the way to her feet under her own power. Even so, she had to stand still a moment, fighting the pain in her abdomen. “I’m perfectly fine. See?”

Sokka offered a hurried thumbs-up. “Okay, that’s great. Now how do we beat her?”

Toph simply shrugged. “You tell me. You’re the idea guy, remember?”

“Oh, so just because I’m the idea guy means I _have_ to come up with an idea?”

“Pretty much.”

A heavy sigh huffed from Sokka’s lips, as he dropped his forehead into his hand. “Fine, fine, sure, I’ll get right on that.”

A moment of silence passed between them. Toph took a step forward, her legs shaking a moment before she steadied herself. “She’s strong, that much is clear. I can’t just walk over her like I do most of my other opponents. If I had some metal, maybe that would even the playing field.”

“Hmm…” Sokka raised a hand to his chin and pursed his lips, the gears turning in his mind. “I think I have an idea. You just keep her busy for a few minutes.”

Sokka ran off a moment later, leaving both Toph and Suki to deal with Kyoshi. By the time Toph managed to recover well enough to continue fighting, Suki had reached the end of her ropes. The Kyoshi Warrior ducked and spun away from as many attacks as she could, but eventually she lost her footing on an open notch of earth. Her knee buckled and she fell half a step off balance—not much, but enough of an opening for Kyoshi to unleash a finishing blow.

The blow never landed, though, as Toph intercepted it with a countering wave of earth. Within seconds, the two engaged in another heated exchange of earthbending. Even with the pain in her gut, Toph fought harder than ever, sending as many attacks as she received. It prevented Kyoshi from getting a clear shot at either her or Suki, but she knew she couldn’t keep it up forever. While Kyoshi found a way to avoid or block every one of Toph’s attacks, Kyoshi’s own attacks struck her target with increasing frequency.

At first, it was only a few glancing blows, but soon Toph’s defenses wavered and she began to suffer violent strikes to her body, bits of stone and earth bruising her arms and legs. Suki attempted an attack from the side to give Toph a moment of respite, but Kyoshi was prepared for her this time. With a simple wave of her fans, the past Avater lifted a crag of earth from the ground and knocked the warrior away with all the effort of swatting a spider fly.

Just as Toph began to wonder what was taking Sokka so long, a loud horn split the air. Turning around, they noticed the former Water Tribe chief driving a large truck straight towards them down the side of the street, taking out benches and light poles as he went.

“Toph! Suki!” he called, sticking his head out the open window. “Out of the way!”

Toph and Suki were the first to react, leaping out of Sokka’s path so that the truck was aimed straight at Kyoshi. The past Avatar turned her attention to the truck and lifted a sheer wall in front of herself, directly in its path. Moments before the collision, however, Sokka shoved the driver’s side door open and jumped out, hitting the ground with a thud and rolling to a stop.

“Toph, now!”

The truck never did collide with the wall, as Toph immediately took her stance and spread her arms apart. In an instant, the vehicle tore in two down the middle, each half splitting around the side of Kyoshi’s wall. With a second flick of Toph's fingers, the metal peeled clean off the truck and snaked through the air as fluidly as cloth sheets. In the next moment that followed, Kyoshi didn’t have a chance to react. She turned her head from side to side, trying to keep track at the metal panels as they rippled towards her. She made an attempt at least, to bend the earth around her before it was too late, but her efforts were futile. In an instant, the metal wrapped around her like a tight cocoon, effectively trapping and imprisoning her.

When it was over, Sokka blinked at the metal cocoon and then let his head drop back against the ground. “Whew… well that was a thing.”

Suki smiled, as she limped her way over to him. “Good thinking, Sokka.”

Toph, on the other hand, raised her arms and flexed, a smug grin slashing across her face. “And the winner of the Ultimate Earth Rumble: Toph Beifong!”

The other two stared at her, clearing their throats as loudly and as obviously as they could.

“Yeah, yeah,” Toph remarked, waving off their annoyance with a simple shrug. “And friends.”

* * *

There was a strange calm in the air, during those few moments before the fight. Korra’s eyes held sharp on both Kuruk and Aang, watching them for even the slightest bit of movement. Jinora did the same, keeping her breaths deep and even. There was a certain peace amongst them, as though there weren’t about to be a battle. It couldn’t last.

Kuruk made the first move, sliding along a wave of ice towards Korra. He leaped at her, fist pulled back. As he brought his fist forward, ice trailed behind it in the form of a solid spear, until eventually overtaking his punch and firing at Korra. She held her ground and switched her stance, dragging her arms back and causing the frozen spear to liquefy back into water, which she coiled around herself in a steady stream that redirected back at her opponent. Kuruk split the stream down the middle and continued its path around himself. With a shift in his footwork, he brought the water around his arms in the form of two whips, and again advanced on his target.

With Korra engaged with Kuruk, Aang went for Jinora. He flipped himself forward through the air with a burst of wind beneath his feet. Body spinning in a tight spiral, he swiped his staff down to greet the ground. A massive gale erupted from the point of the staff at Jinora, but the younger airbender pinwheeled her arms and shielded herself with her own bubble of air. Tightening her air bubble, she sharpened it and pushed it forward, splitting Aang’s gust down the center with her own. Aang spun out of the way and swung his staff again.

Jinora was ready for it. Rather than wait and react, as an airbender should, she raced forward and dropped to her knees, a rush of wind propelling her forward across the ground beneath the staff. She immediately jumped back to her feet and spun a kick at her opponent, trailing a hard blast of wind behind her heel. When Aang again spun away, she continued her assault with fierce, direct attacks. Each of her strikes missed their target, as Aang turned to a defensive style and effortlessly evaded each blast of air she sent at him.

“You attack without relent,” he said, with a spin of his staff. Jinora lunged again and spun herself with her arms extended at her sides, creating a whirlwind. “You’re almost ferocious, even. That is not the airbender way.” Aang merely poked her away with his staff, then swept the pole beneath her legs to trip her. “You will never win like that.”

Jinora grumbled with frustration as she flipped herself back to her feet. “I _know._ I’m just… trying to end this quickly. There are too many people counting on us.”

She struck again, but just as before Aang dodged her attack and countered with one of his own. This time, the butt of his staff met her square in the gut, pushing her away off balance.

“And that is why you will lose.”

Jinora swallowed the numbness in her throat that the blow had caused. Her legs buckled, but she didn’t fall. Instead, she retained her balance. As she looked to Aang, her eyes quivered with pleading intent. This was the first time she had met her grandfather, and she wished so much that it could have been under better circumstances. She didn’t want to fight him, and yet she knew she had to. It drove a sickness through her stomach worse than anything brought from the blow she received from Aang’s staff. “Granpa Aang, please… you can _fight_ this. Fight Sen’s hold over you. If anyone can do it…”

Aang breathed in deep and closed his eyes a moment. When his breath returned out his nose, he said, “I’m afraid that isn’t possible. Know that I do not enjoy this… but I do as I must.”

Korra was doing better in her fight against Kuruk, but the man was still a master waterbender and a past Avatar. Most of their exchanges revolved around a near endless flow and counter flow of attacks, one constantly redirecting the other. Here and there, a lash of water or chunk of ice would break through one of their guards and land a hit, but for the most part such strikes were inconsequential. Waterbending was all about using your opponent's strength against them, but with two masters fighting against each other, the result was a constant push and pull that was difficult to break.

As Kuruk countered with another whipping wheel of water, Korra blocked it with a rising wall of ice, a wall that she then broke down into pieces and fired towards her opponent. Kuruk simply deflected the barrage away, and then again turned the attack around at Korra, forcing her to back off and create more distance. Their constant exchange continued, and Korra's mind began to swirl with activity.

While Korra had questions about how Sen had revived past Avatars, deep down she already knew the answer. The spirits of each Avatar were tired directly to Raava. Even though Korra's access to them had been broken during Harmonic Convergence, they still remained, forever a part of the great Light Spirit. Under normal circumstances, Sen would not have been able to access any of their essences, as he could with any other person who had died throughout history, or with anyone who's essence he absorbed himself. But he had already consumed Raava, which meant in doing so he had also consumed all the spirits of every past Avatar. If Sen wanted to, Korra did not doubt that Sen could bring them all back at once, but he likely didn't want to bring back any more than was necessary. Sen despised humans, saw them only as prey to consume. When he was done with his minions, he would end them as well.

There was also the question of why these resurrected Avatars could use only their native element, rather than all four, but again Korra thought she already knew that answer. Raava was what gave an Avatar the ability to use all four elements. With Raava absorbed within Sen's essence, it meant that she could not be bonded with any Avatar that Sen brought back. That meant that Aang could only airbend, Kuruk could only waterbend, Kyoshi could only earthbend, and Roku could only firebend. As far as she knew, those were the only four Avatars that Jinora had mentioned Sen enslaving, but if there were others then the result would be the same.

Kuruk advanced for another attack, lifting himself up upon a pillar of ice. He tossed a series of frozen blades at her, all the while pushing himself closer. “Such a waste, the Avatar cycle ending with you. When we were still a part of you, I could sense so much potential. But now?” When he drew close enough, he leaped towards her, a spear of ice wrapped around his arm. “Nothing but a disgrace!”

Korra deflected each of the blades Kuruk threw, and when the past Avatar made his leap she threw herself backwards evade the strike, only moments before the point of his spear drove into the ground and shattered. “No, that’s not fair! I have done _everything_ I can to keep this world in balance. I’ve succeeded so many times, stopped so much evil…” She paused a moment and then hung her head, both hands grabbing at her hair. “But it just keeps coming back. No matter how hard I try, there's always another threat to throw the world out of balance!”

“That’s the thing, though, isn’t it?” Kuruk stood straight, and for a moment he made no move to attack. “The Avatar must always succeed, always keep the world in balance. The evils we fight only need to win once. With you, they finally did.”

“No, we’re not done yet!” she countered, with hands curling to fists. A sudden anger shot through her, a heat of defiance and unwillingness to resign to failure. “Even if I’m not the Avatar anymore, even if the cycle is over, I’m _not_ stopping, and I’m _not_ giving up! _None_ of us are! I will _never_ stop fighting, never stop protecting this world. Even if we have to fight past Avatars… we _will_ beat you, and we _will_ stop Sen!”

Before she even realized what she was doing, Korra charged straight at Kuruk. He watched her momentarily, then took a stance and began launching a series of large ice chunks at her, each the size of a watermelon. Korra didn't flinch, nor did she stray from her path. She continued running straight at him, straight through his barrage. With each frozen projectile that came at her, she punched it out of the way, knuckles cracking against the ice and bloodying in the process. Halfway to her target, she failed to deflect one of the attacks and took a shot to the shoulder. The blow staggered her briefly, but she kept coming, fueled by the rage and determination burning within her.

With a furious yell, she backhanded another projectile away, only to receive another in the knee, and then to her shoulder. She stumbled, but kept moving. She received only one more direct hit, this one to her ribs, before she finally closed the distance. By the time Kuruk realized his assault wasn't going to stop her, it was too late. Korra reached him and swung her fist upward in as brutal an uppercut as she could muster, a strike that was only further empowered by a trailing geyser of water. Her knuckles and her water both struck Kuruk's jaw at the same time and lifted him several feet into the air, before he finally came crashing down onto his backside. He didn't move.

Korra's legs buckled momentarily, as the adrenaline from her frontal attack wore off and the pain began surging through her body. When she turned around, though, she forgot that pain, and her heart leaped with a sudden panic.

Jinora and Aang were still fighting, and a quick look told her that Jinora was losing—badly. Aang came at Jinora with his staff, spinning it around and cracking it across the side of her head. The younger airbender stumbled but retained her balance, attempting to make a counter. Aang avoided the shots of air, then flipped his way over to the other side of her and delivered a concentrated wind blast to her backside, sending her face first to the ground.

“Jinora!” Korra made a desperate move to assist her friend, but before she made two steps a wall of ice arose in front of her. The wall spread wide, cutting her off from the other fight. When she turned around, she saw Kuruk there on one knee, clutching his jaw.

“We're not finished yet,” he said, with an angry grumble.

Korra's brow lowered over her eyes, and she took another waterbending stance. “Yes we are.” With a quick lift of her arms, she raised ice from the ground directly beneath Kuruk, trapping him within a solid block.

What she failed to realize as she imprisoned Kuruk was the last motion he made with his left arm. Just as the ice encased him, he managed to bend one last frozen block through the air. By the time Korra lowered her arms and saw the projectile, it was already most of the way to her. The only thing she could do before it struck her square in the face was tilt her head back to lessen the damage. Even so, it caromed clean off her jaw and filled her vision with a blur of stars and colors. Moments later, everything went black.

* * *

The frustration continued to mount within Jinora. With every attack she made, every time she was evaded and countered, she tried harder to land a blow. Her attacks were fiercer, even wild, only making it easier for Aang to continue avoiding and landing counter blows against her. After one particularly brutal blow from the past Avatar's staff, one that lifted her into the air with a following burst of wind, Jinora's mind raced and struggled to find calm. She spread the wings of her wingsuit to steady herself, and glided back to the street in as ungraceful a manner as she ever had. She hit the ground hard, bounced twice, and then rolled to her backside, finally coming to a crashing halt.

She really wouldn't win like this, that much was becoming apparent. But what chance did she have against her opponent otherwise? This was Avatar Aang, her grandfather. She had heard so many amazing stories about him, awe inspiring tales of his strength and compassion, of what a wonderful person and Avatar he had been. Surely, that wasn't an image Jinora could ever live up to.

 _No._ She couldn't think like that. If she worried about living up to Aang's legacy, if she doubted herself, then she would lose. Everyone would lose. She didn't need to live up to his image... she only had to live up to her own expectations of herself. She just had to overcome this obstacle, in this moment. She had to pull herself together, and start acting like an airbender.

With a deep breath, she flipped herself back up to her feet and faced her opponent once more. This time, she didn't rush him or try to take him head on. She waited, watching him until he finally made the first attack himself. Taking a step back, she spun herself to avoid it. Keeping her palms up, she worked her way around him and evaded another swing from his staff. A blast of air followed, but still she kept spiraling, kept dodging. Several steps later, she found herself behind Aang and was able to deliver a crisp palm thrust of air to his backside. He fell to one knee briefly, but shot upright a second later. Spinning around, he attempted a kick to his opponent, but Jinora merely ducked out of the way and again countered with a shot of air. This time, it drove Aang back several steps, forcing him to stop a moment and reanalyze the situation.

“Now that is the way of an airbender.” Aang breathed in deep and examined Jinora, watching her for a long moment. He made no move to attack yet, merely standing there and taking her in. “I never did live to see my legacy live beyond Tenzin, but I see now that any worries I had about the future of the Air Nation were baseless. You are a phenomenal airbender, and I am proud to call you my granddaughter.” He finished his words with a respectful bow, his staff straight at his side and forehead tilted low.

“Grandpa Aang…” Jinora's breath trailed off, and soon she returned the bow. “Thank you.”

“But that still doesn’t change things.” Aang straightened himself again, and took another combative stance. “I will stop you. You know that you can’t win.”

As Jinora took her own stance, Aang's words were answered by a different voice, one that arrived from above them. “Maybe not alone, but she’s not the only other airbender!”

A second later, Opal swooped in from the sky, gliding along with her wingsuit. Before Aang realized she was there, she was able to land a kick against his back, and blast him forward with the following burst of air. While he stumbled and recovered his balance, Opal continued her glide and landed next to Jinora.

“There are a lot of us now,” she said, “and together we have strength.”

“Opal!” Jinora's heart pulsed, and her eyebrows lifted with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“We had to split up to cover more ground,” she replied, with a gesture towards the frozen citizens. “It’s happening all over the city. Sen made sure we couldn’t get them to safety, so they’re ready for him when he gets here. If we don’t stop his minions as soon as possible, we’re not going to win.”

When Aang's attention fell on Opal, his breath caught in his throat. His eyes flickered across her, glimpsing the flashes of blue that were her tattoos, just the heads of the arrows that showed on the back of her palms and on her forehead. Even though the rest was hidden beneath her suit, it was enough to bring something resembling a smile to the past Avatar's lips. “Another airbender…” Once again, he straightened himself and bowed. “It is an honor to meet you, Opal.”

Opal glanced back at him, turning so that she could return the bow. “And you, Avatar Aang…” Then, she joined Jinora's side and they both sunk into an airbending stance. “But we have to do this.”

Aang nodded, and did the same. “I know.”

The remainder of the fight was quick. The three collided in a series of high speed airbending maneuvers, with blasts of wind firing rapidly in all directions. Even though Aang was clearly the superior airbender amongst the three, Jinora and Opal worked expertly together. They complemented each other's weaknesses, watched each other's blind spots, and pressured Aang more than he could keep up with. In spite of his skill, he was still fighting two other master airbenders. Within moments, it was over.

Aang made a swing with his staff, aimed square at Opal's shoulders. Opal ducked below it and the wind that trailed behind it, while Jinora flipped herself up and over, floating around behind Aang. Aang turned to greet her with a counter, but Opal had already sent a strike behind his knees. The quick shot buckled his legs and bent him backwards, at the same time Jinora jumped again to position herself above him. As he fell backwards, Opal thrust her palm against his back and pushed him straight upwards with a blast of air, and in the same moment Jinora struck with a similar attack to his chest. The two air blasts collided with either side of Aang's body and sent him spinning wildly back towards the ground.

Aang hit face first, rolling to a violent stop at the edge of the sidewalk. The grip on his staff broke, allowing the wooden weapon to clatter across the street until it too rolled to a halt. He was slow to get up, but get up he did, pushing himself with his arms. He made it to his knees before Jinora retrieved the fallen staff. With one mighty blow to the back of the head, she sent him straight back to the ground. This time, he didn't get up.

Jinora's eyes fell down to the staff in her hands, and with a deep sigh she let it fall from her grasp.“I’m sorry, Aang.”

* * *

Fire raged through the streets as Roku and Azula clashed, each of their strikes delivering an even more intense jet of flames than the last. Their strikes were crisp and powerful, delivered in rapid succession and without relent. Each blow was meant to be the last one, to finish their opponent in a single strike, and perhaps they would have if any of the strikes had landed. As the two engaged, however, they matched each other step for step. Whenever one delivered a punch, the other blocked and avoided the following flames. When the other arced a burning kick, the other ducked and flipped out of the way, then countered with another. The surrounding streets and buildings took more damage than either combatant, as their fire strayed and scorched their surroundings.

This continued for several minutes. Azula focused herself, eyes locked onto her opponent in intense concentration. She leaned to the side and pushed away one of Roku's incoming strikes, then thrust two fingers forward to release a blast of blue fire at him. Just like before, Roku countered with a swift spin, ducking low to deliver a rising kick up at her jaw. Azula leaned back, allowing his foot and the fire that released from it to travel harmlessly in front of her face. Her eyes narrowed, while her mind flurried with thoughts of how to best this man, how to break through his guard and leave him broken on the ground. After a few more quick strikes from either fighter, Azula leaped back to create some distance between them. If she couldn't beat him up close, then perhaps her ranged attacks would overpower him.

A large ball of blue flames erupted in either of Azula's open hands. She threw one at Roku, then followed it up with the other. Even before they reached him, she bent back into her trademark firebending pose and shot off several more fireballs from the tips of her fingers. Each one, Roku merely chopped his hands at, cutting them in two and dispersing them in a blast of heat. He returned a burning bombardment of his own, but Azula did the same as he; with a few expert strikes she deflected each one.

Azula's next attack was stronger. She breathed in deep and filled her body with her chi, then turned to create a circle of fire around herself. The fire arose above her head, raging into a whirling cyclone of blue fire. With a push of her arms, she sent that cyclone screaming towards her opponent. Again, Roku met the attack with an equal one. Bringing both hands together, the front two fingers of each extended, he thrust his arms forward. In an instant, his entire body engulfed with fire that shot outward to greet Azula's blast. The two fire streams met each other and swirled around at a central point before bursting apart as nothing more than fading embers.

In spite of her best efforts to remain calm, Azula felt a twinge of aggravation fuel her. She wasn't holding back, wasn't going easy on him, and yet Roku was able to keep up with her just fine. Azula's skill far surpassed most other firebenders, even Zuko. When it came to firebenders these days, Azula could fight circles around any of them. Roku was different. Never before had Azula been forced to use every ounce of her skill and cunning to match an opponent. The only other who had ever given her these kinds of problems was Yula, and even then that had been only because Yula had been powered by Sen's essence. Well, and Zuko, she supposed, when they had fought their last Agni Kai, but her mind had been falling to pieces then.

Now, though, there was no such excuse, no reason for her to be having that kind of difficulty. She could feel her lungs working overtime to keep her going, her body exerting every bit of effort she could muster. This man needed no excuse to match her; he was just that skilled. Azula supposed she shouldn't have been so surprised—Roku was a past Avatar, after all—yet still it frustrated her. One way or another, she would beat him. She would come out on top.

She always did.

Roku watched her with careful eyes, his intrigue growing as he took her in. “Your style of firebending is… different from most other firebenders.”

Azula replied with a cocky scoff, grinning as she held up one of her hands. A blue ball of flame sparked to life between her fingers. “Yes, well I am a prodigy. If you haven’t noticed.”

“No, I don’t mean your skill, nor the color of your flames,” he replied, holding a hand to his beard.“The source of your bending, your breath of fire—it comes from a different place than when I was alive. Though you strike with the intent to win, and without mercy, there is no hate or anger in your bending. Your flames may cause destruction, but do not come from a _source_ of destruction. There is a different sort of warmth in them…full of life.” He thought a moment longer, then eased out a gentle sigh. “I don’t suppose that would make any sense to you.”

“Actually…it makes a lot more sense than you think.” Azula's eyes narrowed slightly, though it was out of thought and concentration, not hostility. The fire in her hand dimmed and dissipated, and her gaze lowered. “I’ve met the Fire Warriors, learned their methods. I used to pull my firebending from more hate and rage than you could ever imagine… but now it comes from a place of peace.”

Roku nodded in satisfaction at the answer, his eyes glowing in understanding. “Ah, I thought as much. Just the same as Aang when he was the Avatar, and your brother, Zuko. Firebending like yours is rare indeed.”

“Don’t let that fool you. I’m still just as lethal as ever.” Azula took an offensive stance again, fire burning in both hands this time, The flames lit her body with a blue glow in the shadows of the storm. Rain droplets hissed and popped as they met her fire, emitting lines of steam from their points of impact. “I am the most powerful firebender in the world, and I’m more than a match for you.”

Roku did not retort or refute Azula's claim as he prepared himself to fight again. Rather, there seemed to be something of a smile on his face, lips curled ever so slightly. “I suppose should have expected nothing less from a descendant of mine. The blood in you is strong, just as it was with me.”

“Oh don’t get all sentimental,”Azula muttered, with a roll of her eyes. “I’m still going to char you like an overcooked steak.”

“We shall see.”

The pair engaged again, coming together up close and personal. Rather than dodge and evade this time, they met each other's attacks with their own, striking with such ferocity that each collision of flames created a small explosion from the impact. Neither combatant let that deter them. Neither relented, throwing attack after fire fueled attack. In the last series of exchanges, they each turned to the side and delivered a kick at each other. Though their boots never touched, the flames that expelled from them did, and the resulting blast threw both of them backwards across the ground. Neither was down for long, though, flipping back to their feet seconds later.

Now at a distance once again, Azula swirled two of her fingers through the air. Lightning began to spark at the tips, charging with as much chi as she could hold. “Alright, I think it's time to end this.”

Within seconds, Roku did the same, charging his own fingers with an equal display of lightning. “I think you are correct.”

The two bolts fired at each other, coming together in a flash of blue light and heat. When the two opposing streams of lightning met, a high pitched electrical whir split the air. The point of each bolt briefly coiled around each other, then in the following instant they exploded in a wave of sizzling, electrified air. It was a small blast at first, only at the point of impact, but in the time it took Azula to blink, the explosion spread and engulfed the entire city block. Windows in the surrounding buildings shattered, parked satomobiles caught fire, and even the falling rain evaporated for a time, before being swiftly replaced by the rain above it.

When the air cleared and everything was calm again, Azula found herself lying flat on her back, staring up at the sky. The falling raindrops stung her eyes before she regained the sense of awareness to blink them away and try to sit up. Her body screamed with agony with every movement she made. Each muscle in her body fought against her will, threatening to rebel against her if she continued, but still she persevered. By the time she made it to her feet again, her stomach churned and she wanted to throw up. Somehow, she held the nausea down.

Roku, on the other hand, had been knocked back into one of the satomobiles parked on the side of the street. The frame of the vehicle had caved inward upon the man's impact, creating a human sized dent in the side. For a long moment, Roku merely lied there, unmoving. Eventually, he began to stir and pull himself out of the dented car. His actions were sluggish and pained, each movement drawing an agonized groan from his lips, but he was not yet down for the count.

Azula fixed that. Fighting through all the pain in her body, all the fire in her burning muscles, she raced towards her opponent in a dead sprint. By the time he returned to his feet, she was already upon him, leaping forward with her fist pulled back, engulfed with blue flames. When her knuckles met the man's jaw, she released a massive eruption of fire that swiftly engulfed the man's entire body. The fire did not persist for long, soon extinguishing as the man flew through the air, but the damage had been done. Roku landed with a thud against the wet ground, his clothing singed and charged. He did not get up.

“ _Hmph.”_ Azula scoffed, bringing an arm around her ribs to hold herself. It did little to lessen the pain. Turning from her opponent at last, she limped slowly down the street in search of the others. “Told you so.”

* * *

The moments that followed the defeat of Kyoshi were sluggish and tired. Toph could barely stand after her fight, and Suki hadn't escaped injury either. It made gathering together their unconscious friends a more laborious task than it should have been, but soon enough they had carefully lined up Mako, P'Li, and Suyin out in a row, and tried to make them comfortable with a few rolled up blankets as pillows from a nearby store. They had since tried to wake the unconscious trio, but so far such efforts had been fruitless.

Only Sokka had escaped the conflict relatively unharmed, only moderately banged up from his tumble out of the truck. Right now, he stood in front of the frozen citizens with a hand pressed against his chin, as he considered the best options in freeing them. “How to get them all out of there... If we had a waterbender this would be easy. Anybody know where Katara is?”

“Last I heard, she was on the front lines to fight Sen,” Suki replied. “Same with Korra.”

Sokka hummed a contemplative breath. “I suppose a firebender could melt the ice, but it'll take a lot longer.”

Toph scoffed at the comment. “Not to mention the only firebenders we have are a little out of it right now.”

“We can figure something out later,” Suki said. “Right now we should try to find the others and regroup with them. All those who learned the special spirit forms still need to get together so they can stop Sen.”

With a defeated sigh, Sokka turned away from the ice and made his way back over to them. “I guess you're right. Let's take these guys and get out of here. In any case, at least we stopped the giant lady over there.”

The moment that Sokka made a gesture towards the entrapped Kyoshi, the metal surrounding the past Avatar creaked and groaned. All eyes darted warily towards towards the sound, watching with worried reservation at what had caused it. A few moments past, and then the metal started to twist and bend, denting outward. In the next instant, the makeshift prison exploded, forcing Toph and the others to duck for cover.

They never had a chance.

The attacks came suddenly and without mercy. Sokka and Suki both took a block of earth to the chest, flying backwards and rolling into the wall of a nearby building. Toph managed to defend herself for a brief moment, but her body was still exhausted from the previous fight; she couldn't keep up for long. Soon enough, her guard broke and she received a block of stone to the stomach, followed by another to the forehead that left her sprawled out on the ground in a daze. She made a desperate attempt to get up, but her body refused. She could only lie there, gaze pointed up at the sky as the world spun around her.

Kyoshi brushed herself off as she stepped free of the metal prison. Her eyes narrowed, and then she glanced back to study the broken and twisted metal. “In all my years as the Avatar, I never once considered trying to bend metal. But seeing you do it and knowing it's possible... Well, it really isn't that difficult once you figure it out.”

Toph made one more attempt to recover, but she managed only to to lift her head for a brief moment. Instantly, nausea flooded through her and her head flopped limp back to the ground. The last thing she saw before her vision started to go dark was Kyoshi stepping into her field of view and lifting a massive boulder above her head.

“Now, we end this,” Kyoshi stated, lifting her arms higher in preparation to let the boulder come crashing down.

With a swift pull of her arms, Kyoshi dropped the boulder. But it never hit its target. Instead, it fell halfway to the ground and then exploded in a cloud of dust and rubble. Kyoshi had little more than a second before realizing why, as the figure of a new opponent came crashing through the remains of the boulder. She could do nothing to defend herself in time before the attacker's knee met her jaw and shoved her backwards. The next thing Kyoshi knew, a metal cable had wrapped around her wrist and yanked her end over end, throwing her through the air. She landed in a heap on the ground, half crumpled with her knees pulled up into her chest. Kyoshi recovered quickly, though, springing back to her feet a moment later to face her opponent.

“Nice try, but if you want them, you have to go through me.” Kuvira retracted the metal cable to her wrist, then took a wide stance, arms raised in a traditional earthebending style. It hadn't been long since she split off from the others, but it was a good thing she had. Zuko and Katara would be able to get Shayu to safety, while she dealt with this woman.

“You...” Kyoshi stated, with her brow lowering over her eyes. “You are the one formerly known as the Great Uniter.”

Kuvira flinched ever so slightly at the sound of her old title, but she quickly shoved the thought away. “My name is Kuvira. I am the Matriarch of Zaofu, and I _will_ stop you.”

Kyoshi's response was terse. “You will try.”

Their first exchange was brief, more a test of each other's skill than anything. In spite of her newfound ability to metalbend, Kyoshi continued to favor earth. Her skill with metal was not nearly as sharp as with her earthbending, which Kuvira realized by mixing in attacks with the metal strips around her bracers in addition to her own earth. The past Avatar was able to deflect the strips, but not with grace or elegance. Her deflections were crude and direct, breaking the metal apart rather than swatting them aside. Kuvira used that to her advantage, adding more and more metal to the mix, both with the strips and with the cables beneath her bracers. Even so, Kyoshi's mastery of earthbending was enough to counter what metal she couldn't bend away herself.

The second exchange was fiercer, more violent. Having suitably sized up her opponent, Kyoshi attacked with every bit of her might. The ground split apart at her command and assaulted Kuvira with a storm of rocks and earth of all different sizes, from the smallest of pebbles to massive boulders. Had Kuvira been forced to directly block everything, she would have decimated. Fortunately, she didn't need to. Although an earthbender by nature, her training with Korra had given her the basics of all four elements, even if unable to bend those elements herself.

Kuvira blocked the smaller attacks, while gracefully dancing away of the larger ones, moving in spirals like an airbender. Each time she dodged an attack, she redirected it back towards Kyoshi, like a waterbender would. Each of those strikes were crisp and powerful, fueled with the perfect breathing of a firebender. Though only able to bend metal and earth, Kuvira applied techniques of all four elements in her style, and with that she was able to match Kyoshi step for step.

Of course, the same was true for Kyoshi, given her time as the Avatar, and in that they were equals. Unable to be so direct with Kuvira, Kyoshi began to apply similar techniques, until they met again in close combat and their fight appeared to be more like a dance than anything—Kyoshi striking with swift cuts of her fans, and Kuvira with the elegant swirl of her cables. They each suffered equal blows, chunks of earth and rock colliding with each other's bodies in violent fashion, yet still they both pressed onward and refused to give in to the other.

After one particularly brutal exchange, in which Kyoshi found herself tripped by the metal cable to greet a rising earthen pillar to her backside, while Kuvira's shoulder suffered the impact of a large stone that twisted it half out of place, the two separated and created distance between themselves. They both took that moment of respite to catch their breaths and try to work through the pain and throbbing in their respective bodies.

Kyoshi did more than that, though. She watched Kuvira closely, analyzed her, as if searching for something. Her eyes seemed to be looking into the other woman's very spirit. “There is something different about you, Kuvira. I can sense it... deep within you.”

Kuvira hesitated, pressing her eyebrows together in curiosity. “What are you talking about?”

“There is something...familiar about you.” Kyoshi's eyes focused harder, unblinking in their examination of Kuvira. “I may not be able to bend all the elements anymore, but I am still closely attuned to the spirits. I can sense a person's spirit, to know their character and their worth. It isn't much, but sometimes this sense reveals astounding things. Right now, it's telling me that there is a spiritual connection of some kind.”

Kuvira's confusion only intensified. “You mean between us?”

“Yes... I know this feeling.” Kyoshi closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. A moment later, she seemed to come to a revelation, and offered a simple nod. “There is no mistaking it.”

Without warning, Kyoshi unleashed a swift attack, with barely a twitch of her left foot. A fissure cracked its way across the ground in an instant, giving Kuvira only a single breath to step back and counter with an equal strike. Both their fissures collided, causing the ground to erupt with an earthy geyser.

As the dust settled, Kuvira resumed her defensive stance, her glare never leaving her opponent. “You're not making any sense.”

“I would have thought it obvious,” Kyoshi said, taking the same stance. Her eyes were open again, and they focused directly on Kuvira's. “You are a descendant of mine.”

“ _What?”_ Kuvira's stance faltered at the statement, but Kyoshi made no move to capitalize on her moment of shock. A long moment of calm drew out between them, as Kuvira's mind raced with questions. Surely that couldn't be true; this was a ploy by Kyoshi to throw her off and gain an advantage. But if that was the case, then why hadn't Kyoshi attacked yet? The past Avatar remained standing there, staring.

Kuvira strengthened her stance again, but still her mind swam. Could it really be true? She had few memories of her biological parents. It had been nearly thirty years since Su took her in at eight years old, so long ago now that their faces had faded from her mind. She remembered being angry at them for a long time, hating them even. They had cast her aside like she meant nothing to them, forgotten about her and left her to fend for herself. That hate and anger had dwindled to apathy over time, and now nothing came to her when she thought of them. Had one of them been descended from Avatar Kyoshi? Was Kuvira really standing face to face with her ancestor, an ages old relative?

“You seem unsure,” Kyoshi stated, without a hint of surprise in her voice. “Hardly unexpected, but this is something I'm certain of. Just looking at you, fighting with you, seeing within your spirit... I see myself in you.”

Kuvira swallowed the knot in her throat and eased a steady breath out her lips. “You're...not lying.” It wasn't a question, but a matter-of-fact statement. Even with the uncertainty in her tone, there was a part of her that felt the same connection the longer she gazed at Kyoshi. Somewhere deep inside her, she felt like she knew more of this woman than what she had read about in stories. She felt almost...close to her.

“Indeed,” Kyoshi replied. The steel returned to her gaze, and again her stance shifted. “A pity then, that I must end you.”

Their final exchange was far briefer than their previous ones. It lasted only a handful of moves, a mere few moments. When Kyoshi struck, it was with the full might of her earthbending. Kuvira discerned that the woman was putting everything she had into one finishing blow, and had this attack come a few minutes before now, it probably would have worked. Now, however, Kuvira felt suddenly more focused, more at peace with herself than she had in a long time. She felt as though she had just gained a final piece of understanding about her own being, and in that moment she knew she would triumph.

The boulder that Kyoshi ripped from the ground was massive, nearly the size of the small buildings that lined the streets. Kuvira didn't even flinch as it launched towards her, instead darting straight towards the center of the earthen mass. She met the boulder with the tips of her fingers, focusing her own earthebending at one central point and causing the stone to split clean in half. As the boulder parted around her arm, she released the metal cable from her bracers and snaked it through the air. The cable then wrapped around Kyoshi's ankle and retracted a couple of inches, just enough to pull the past Avatar off balance.

Kyoshi made an attempt to redirect the flow of the attack, pulling back on the cable with her own limited metalbending. It did bring Kuvira inward, but never made her lose control. Kuvira merely retracted herself along the length of the cable, bringing herself the rest of the distance toward her opponent in a fraction of a second. She met Kyoshi with a knee to the jaw, leaving the woman staggering in a daze. Kuvira never slowed, continuing her momentum beyond Kyoshi with a firm tug on the cable. This time, Kyoshi dropped to her knees.

Kuvira turned and spread her arms, pushing the metal breastplate around her chest free of her body. The armor hovered in midair for just a moment, then shot forward and latched onto Kyoshi's chest. Kyoshi grabbed at it, attempting to rip it away with her own metalbending, but she stopped when she realized that it was impossible; the armor was made of platinum. Kuvira ended the fight in one more swift motion, bringing her arms up to lift both the armor and Kyoshi into the air. Kyoshi then flipped around in midair and dropped square on the top of her head. Her body remained stiff for a moment, and then collapsed limp against the ground.

For a long while, Kuvira stood there watching, waiting just in case Kyoshi got back up; she didn't. Huffing out a large breath of relief, Kuvira allowed her legs to buckle and then she dropped to her knees. That was one problem down, and one bigger problem to go.

* * *

Asami's fingers twitched as she prepared to engage her opponent. In those brief few moments of pause, her mind flashed back to a short time ago, when she had sent Sin away to help with the citizens. At the time, it had seemed a logical decision. Sen was here, things were dire, and the people needed as much help as possible. Plus, the Spirit Conductor hadn't been ready yet anyway. Why not send Sin and the other officers away to provide assistance where they were needed? Sin had argued against it, of course, but Asami's insistence won out, in spite of her reservations. After all, they were still in the city, and Sen was still engaging the United Forces. Asami wouldn't need any protecting yet.

Perhaps Sin had been right in her reluctance to leave. As Asami stood there before Megumi, one of Sen's minions, she quietly scolded herself for her lack of foresight. She had underestimated their enemy. Still, all was not lost. Asami was certainly capable of protecting herself, even against a bender. The shock glove that sparked at her side, hissing in the rain, was all she needed. One touch to Megumi, and that woman would be out of commission. Asami just had to get close.

Megumi struck first, pushing an arm forward and shooting out a stream of water through the air. Asami reacted instantly and dodged to the side. She entered into a run all in the same motion, heading straight for Megumi. Her focus remained sharp, prepared for any other attack from the waterbender, but she never actually saw the next strike coming. A whip of water lashed out and struck the back of her legs, tripping her to the ground. Asami fell forward, but was able to use her momentum to catch herself against the ground with her hands and push herself back to her feet in the same instant.

Asami turned to look for where the attack had come from, but again she didn't see it. This time, an icy block collided with the back of her shoulder and sent her spinning to the ground. She flipped herself back to her feet as soon as she could, but was once more greeted with a blow from a different angle. Her mind raced with confusion for a brief moment, wondering why she couldn't see the attacks and how they could be hitting her from all directions. Soon, the realization hit her.

 _The rain_.

Megumi was using the rain, a massive water source that fell all around them. With it, she could pull water from wherever she wanted, using it to attack Asami from any direction. Asami was _surrounded_ by water. Against one who could control every individual drop on its way to the ground, she was little more than a turtle duck trying to take down a platypus bear. Still, she didn't give up in spite of that fact. Asami concentrated and focused, trying to predict where the next attacks would come from. For a few moments, she was even successful, able to dodge and jump out of the way of any water and ice that came for her. All the while, she made sure to advance closer to Megumi.

Her success didn't last. With every attack that Asami dodged, Megumi doubled her efforts. Soon, Asami suffered an endless, relentless barrage of water tendrils that swiped out from the air, mixed with icy shrapnel that spread farther than she could ever hope to avoid. Asami wasn't sure what hit first, but she felt a flurry of blows pound against her body, and the next thing she knew she was lying on her side, her body throbbing with a pain so fierce that she couldn't tell where one bruise ended and another started.

“You're fighting a waterbender in the rain,” Megumi said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Her tone sounded almost sad, reluctant even. “You have no chance... Just stop.”

“I _can't_ stop” Asami pushed herself upright with one arm, the other wrapped across her ribs, trying to overcome the pain. “I _can't_ give up. If we lose here, then this entire world is done for. I'm not going to let that happen.”

Megumi looked at her with distant eyes. There it was again—the sadness. “I know...” Raising her arms, Megumi pulsed her chi out into the air. Instantly, the falling raindrops froze in midfall under her control. With another motion of her arms, the flew outward to surround Asami. Each droplet elongated into sharpened needles—thousands of them, all around her. There was no escape.

Asami vaguely heard Varrick and Zhu Li shouting for her from the truck, but she couldn’t make out their words. She tried to think of a way out of this, but there was nothing she could do, nowhere to run. With a simple flick of the wrist, Megumi would bring the needles down and shred her to pieces. With the pain in her body beginning to warp her vision, she let her head fall, resigned to her inevitable fate. She waited for the following pain, the last she would ever feel.

It never came. She heard the needles fire through the air, but they didn’t strike her. Instead, they thudded against some other surface, close to her but leaving her unharmed. With a blink of surprise, she lifted her gaze again to find herself surrounded by a dome of sand. The barrier swirled and quivered, then with a simple shake it threw the frozen needles outward into the sky. In the moment that it took her to process what had happened, Asami heard another voice split the rain-filled air, fueled by a blinding rage.

“Leave her _alone!”_

Sin appeared a moment later, propelling herself airborne with a boost from the ground beneath her. She spun in midair, extending a pair of metal whips from her bracers as she did so. The whips coiled rapidly as she spun, and when she landed she sliced them in a vicious arc at Megumi. The waterbender recoiled with wild eyes and brought an ice wall in front of herself at the last moment, just as the metal whips cut gashes across the frozen surface.

Following Sin’s attack, the sand surrounding Asami pulled back into a single stream and exploded through the air, snaking its way towards Megumi. This time, Megumi didn’t see the attack coming. The sand wrapped tight around her ankle and pulled her upward. It was then that Hari stepped into view, his hands raised and fingers clenched to fists. With a simple yank of his arms, his sand slammed the now helpless Megumi into the ground.

“Sin!” Asami called, as a pulse of relief washed through her body. She couldn’t hide the smile from her lips.

Sin glanced back at her with a knowing glare. “Didn't I tell you not to send me away? I _knew_ something like this would happen.”

Asami flinched, then bowed her head with a sigh. “Okay, maybe you were right…”

“Yeah, well you can make it up to me later.” Sin returned her attention to Megumi. “Right now, we have to take this bitch down.”

Hari attempted to lift Megumi again with his sand, but the waterbender cut herself free with a blade of ice. She washed the rest of the sand from her leg with a quick stream of water, and then retook a combative stance. Both Hari and Sin struck fast. Sin lunged in to attack from close range, while Hari covered her with small, condensed shots from his sand cloud. With her attention now split between two opponents, Megumi struggled to keep up. She defended what she could—mostly Sin’s sweeps from her metal whips—but couldn’t react to everything. Hari’s sand clumps pelted her body repeatedly and methodically, gradually softening her and wearing her down. It wasn’t long before Sin broke through her guard.

Ducking around a slashing tendril of water, Sin came close and thrust a fist upward. A block of stone followed her motion, shooting straight up into Megumi’s chest. The waterbender staggered two steps backwards, stunned. It gave Sin the opening she needed to deliver a follow-up—a brutal elbow to the gut. Even without any earth or metal to aid it, the strike brought Megumi to her knees, arms wrapped around her abdomen.

“It’s over,” Hari said, as he recalled his sand to the stone jar upon his back.

Sin nodded and refocused her stance, prepared to deliver one more knockout blow to the woman. Megumi stared up at her with surprise, but could do nothing to stop the impending attack. It never came. Instead, a new voice called out to them.

“I agree. It _is_ over.”

In the next moment, a wave of water washed across the street. It swept over both Sin and Hari before they could make any move to get away, and in an instant the water froze, trapping them inside. Asami’s eyes blinked twice before her brain processed what had happened. With a horrified shout, she bolted back to her feet and ran to her girlfriend. But she could do nothing to free her, Asaim realized. The only thing she could manage was to beat her fists against the surface of the ice in desperate futility.

“I see you haven’t finished your job yet, Megumi.” It was the same voice that had called out before the water froze Hari and Sin, and within moments a figure appeared to match it to—Unalaq. He strode through the rain, coming to Megumi’s side. With a firm grab to her arm, he lifted his fellow waterbender back to her feet. “Pathetic.”

“Let's just end this...” Megumi muttered, with a wince creased across her face. Her back was still bowed, arms tight over her gut.

Unalaq merely sighed, turning his attention towards Asami. “Very well.”

Asami met his gaze with a searing glare. “Let them go! Now!”

“I don't think I will.” Unalaq sank into a waterbending pose and prepared to strike, gathering water from the falling rain to coil around himself.

Although her odds had just fallen from zero to worse, Asami held her ground. She could barely stand upright, but still she faced the man. The palm of her shock glove sparked to life, while her other hand tightened into a fist, fingers clenching so hard she thought she felt blood drawing from her palm. As Unalaq shifted his stance to attack, Asami readied herself.

Rather than attack, Unalaq instead recoiled in sudden pain. His legs seemed to drop out from beneath him, and in a mere moment he was on his knees, holding himself up with his hands. Asami blinked at him in surprise as she wondered what had just happened, but soon her eyes focused on a pair of red and silver throwing knives, one jutting out of either of Unalaq’s thighs. He made an attempt at pulling the knives free, but before his fingers even reached them another figure appeared through the rain. The woman was dressed in bright pink and practically cartwheeled her way towards him. When she reached Unalaq, she made a few swift strikes to his left arm, instantly deadening the limb at his side. Unalaq recoiled again, a wild look of panic across his face. With a sweep of his good arm, he was at least able to force the attacker away with a water whip.

“What... what did you do to me?” Unalaq attempted to move his left arm, but it simply dangled there, useless.

“Oh nothing,” Ty Lee replied, with a bubbly smile. “Just putting your body to sleep for a while.”

“Even though we should probably do a lot more.” Mai approached, making her way next to Asami with a pair of knives clutched between the fingers of either hand. “Looks like we’re a little late. Sorry about that.”

Mai tossed her knives again, this time aimed at Megumi. In spite of her pain, the waterbender was able to shield herself with a wall of water, although she stumbled backwards as she did so, falling to her behind on the ground. Ty Lee flipped herself across the ground again towards Unalaq, but before she could close the distance the former chieftain pushed himself away to a greater distance with his waterbending. Even with only one good arm and crippled legs, he could still be a threat. He made an attempt to launch a counter attack at the approaching Ty Lee, but he was stopped by a third knife, this one piercing through his shoulder. His lips burst apart with a pained yell, and he crumpled closer to the ground, only barely held up with his good arm.

As Ty Lee came closer, Unalaq’s eyes flickered towards the woman. A realization came to him, bringing his attention past Ty Lee towards the truck some distance beyond the battle. A frown creased across his face, and with an angry shout he whipped his uninjured arm forward. Ty Lee nimbly evaded the following wave of ice that slashed across the ground, but in the following seconds she realized that Unalaq had never been aiming for her. The ice continued beyond her, beyond both Mai and Asami, straight towards its true target—the truck.

Time slowed down for Asami. All she could do was watch as the ice drew closer to the truck, powerless as she was to stop it. Somewhere lost in the background, she was sure she heard herself screaming with desperation, but any sounds were drowned out by the horror unfolding before her. All outside senses were lost, her full attention on the truck as a massive spear of ice erupted from beneath it and lifted it into the air. Varrick and Zhu Li were both able to leap out at the last moment to safety, but they could do nothing to stop the truck from flipping end over end, or the Spirit Conductor from crashing to the ground.

Bits and pieces broke off from the machine, nuts and bolts clattering across the street pavement, and paneling tearing away in violent fashion. Asami couldn't tell if any of the electrical parts had been exposed to the rain, but it didn’t matter either way. With the amount of damage just done to it, there was no way the Spirit Conductor would be functional. To make matters even worse, before Varrick and Zhu Li could make it very far, the ice spread from the truck and consumed them, freezing them both in a solid block of ice.

In the moments following the destruction, Ty Lee acted. She closed the distance between herself and Unalaq, and with a few quick strikes she finished chi blocking him. He fell with a thud to the ground, still conscious but unable to move; Ty Lee remedied the consciousness part with one more strike to the back of the head, putting Unalaq out cold. Mere seconds later, a stream of water forced her to backflip out of the way and rejoin Mai and Asami. Though still injured, Megumi had recovered enough to continue her attack.

“We told you, you don't have any chance!” Megumi’s voice was shrill, almost pleading. The rain had already soaked her face, and yet still there appeared to be tears welling in her eyes. “Everything you're doing here, trying to stop Sen... It’s _hopeless._ It’s _all_ hopeless.”

Megumi pressed her attack with a relentless barrage of ice and water. Both Mai and Ty lee scattered in attempts to gain an edge, but without the element of surprise their efforts were not nearly as effective. The best they could do was to dodge the waterbender’s furious assault, but they couldn’t keep that up forever. Soon enough, they faltered and Megumi’s water reached them. Their struggles lasted only another moment before they too were lost within an icy prison.

Asami blinked, but didn’t move. She was too far gone in her shock over the last few moments that her body didn’t want to obey her commands. Even as her eyes flickered back and forth from each of her friends frozen within ice, and to the Spirit Conductor broken on the ground, the only thing she could hear or focus on was the thumping of her own heart. It was like thunder in her ears, booming louder than anything the storm above her could throw. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. It couldn’t end like this. Not now, not here… she couldn’t let it.

Asami caught only a brief flicker of movement in the corner of her vision, but it was enough to jolt her out of her daze. With a quick lean backwards, she avoided the water torrent with mere inches to spare. If the destruction of the Spirit Conductor had slowed time down for her, the following moments only sped it up. Without a thought, Asami spun herself around and sprinted towards Megumi. Another blast of water came her way, but she dropped into a slide across the ground to duck beneath it. Then came an icy spear, which she leaped over with a quick pop upright on her feet. As her body twisted in midair, she caught sight of a thin blade of ice cutting towards her. She merely tucked her arms inward and turned her body sideways. The blade cut away loose strands of her hair, but left the rest of her unharmed.

When she landed again, Asami was a mere three paces from Megumi. The waterbender took a step back in surprise and attempted one final strike to repel the nonbender, but Asami had already closed the rest of the distance. The coil of water blasted harmlessly over her shoulder, and with a simple reach forward Asami grabbed Megumi’s arm with the palm of her Equalist glove. The sizzle of electricity pulsed through Megumi’s body, releasing a shrill scream of pain from her lips. Seconds later, the scream cut out and Asami withdrew her hand, allowing Megumi to collapse motionless to the ground.

In spite of her victory, Asami felt no sense of triumph. She could only turn around, her attention falling again on the Spirit Conductor in pieces on the ground. Her eyes then turned to find Sin, frozen in ice. A bubbling sickness tore through her stomach, and with a weak shudder of her legs she fell to the ground. She had failed… and now they were all doomed.

* * *

Out on the battlefield outside Republic City, Sen stood tal above the fallen United Forces. Thousands of bodies lay strewn about the field, each motionless on the ground with their eyes open and blank. Their essences were gone, all freshly consumed by the Spirit of a Thousand Faces. There were no more planes bombarding him, no more airbenders attacking his legs. There was only silence.

Only one man remained, though he could do little more than gaze up at the dark spirit from his spot on the ground, barely able to move. His legs had long since given out, exhausted and injured from his efforts against the spirit.

“Foolish humans,” Sen bellowed, with a pleasant chuckle. “You never had a chance.”

“No...” Bolin uttered, with a heaving breath. He tried to climb back to his feet, but his tired body fell limp. His lava had long since cooled, in spite of his best efforts to maintain it. Try as he had, he had and the other defenders had done little to slow Sen down. “We have to... have to stop you...”

A wide grin spread across Sen's human-like face. “You cannot stop me.”

With a simple gaze, Sen drained the essence from the lavabender. It was only one more after thousands consumed that day, yet somehow it tasted sweetest. Even so, there were still plenty more to come. Turning his sights on the city, Sen skittered towards the mass of buildings. By now, his minions should have prepared the city's citizens for him.

It would all be over soon.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew... so that was one heck of a long chapter. The longest I've written in fact, and by a huge margin. I think it's actually the size of like 3 or 4 normal chapters, but I didn't want to split it into multiples since that would just drag the story out further when it's so close to finishing. Yet in spite of its length, I still finished it a day early! Even more shocking is that the entire chapter was a bunch of fight scenes, which I usually hate writing. This time I really enjoyed it, though. I really plowed through this chapter, and I think I ended up with some pretty cool scenes. When I first started the climax of this plot, I was worried I wouldn't have enough content to fill the planned 4-parter, but now I'm worried I might have too much xD I don't want to turn it into a 5-parter, but we'll see what happens with the next chapter. Until then, enjoy!
> 
> Also, with this chapter we've reached a huge milestone: 20k views! I never could have imagined anything close to this when I first started writing, so thank you so much to everyone who's taken the time to read this story and stick with it for so long. Your interest makes this entire story possible by keeping me motivated, and I've been thrilled to share it with you for so long. Even though the story will be over soon, I will forever appreciate you all!


	147. Humanity's Last Stand, Pt. 4: Raava's Judgement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Avatar makes one final stance against Sen's onslaught, but is the power of the Spirit of a Thousand Faces too much?

Asami worked frantically, digging through the toolbox she had pulled from the truck. She grabbed at the first screwdriver she found and then set one of the peripherals on the side of the Spirit Conductor in place. Ignoring the rain pounding down around her, she carefully turned the screws through the fixtures. After a few moments, the peripheral remained in place, allowing her to move on to the next piece. It had taken every bit of effort she had in her body to lift the machine upright again, but she had managed it without straining herself too much. Now, though, she had to try and reattach all the pieces that had broken off, no easy task considering how much there was.

As far as she could figure, Asami was fighting a losing battle in that regard. There were too many pieces to fix by herself, and even if she did manage it, she would have to open several of the panels to check the wiring, an act that would open the inside up to the heavy rain and undoubtedly short out the circuitry and damage the machine beyond repair. Try as she might, she knew it was hopeless, and yet she couldn't bring herself to stop. Somehow, just maybe, she'd pull off a miracle.

“Asami!”

The voice called over the wind and the rain, prompting her to look up momentarily from her work. As she did, she saw Naga bound up to her. On the polar bear dog's back were three familiar individuals—Zuko, who had called out to her, Katara, and Shayu.

When the trio arrived, Katara took a quick look around, noting the damaged truck and their frozen friends. “What happened here?”

“ _They_  happened here.” Asami glanced to her left and pointed out the unconscious Megumi and Unalaq. She hadn't had time to bind them, so she quietly hoped that they would remain that way for a while. “They attacked us, froze the others, and broke the Spirit Conductor to pieces... I'm trying to fix it, but there's too much for just myself.” Returning her focus back to the machine, she huffed a deep sigh and ran her fingers back through her wet hair. “This was the one advantage we had against Sen, and now it's gone.”

Shayu looked down at Asami, her lips opening briefly as if to say something, but she hesitated. Soon enough, though, she fought through her shyness and managed to ask, “Could I help?”

Asami blinked up at her. “What?”

“Shayu, we still need to get you to safety,” Zuko insisted, with a quick look back at the girl.

“But I can't just run away!” she countered. “Sen is coming, and Asami needs help. I may not be a genius or an engineer or anything like that, but I can use a screwdriver and follow directions.” Shayu’s gaze returned to Asami. “Would you be able to fix it with an extra pair of hands?”

“Well, I... it's possible,” Asami said. “If Katara could keep the rain off us while I reattach some of the wiring.”

Katara gave another glance to their frozen friends—if she had time, she could free them, but she knew that getting the Spirit Conductor up and running was their primary objective right now. Looking to Asami again, she nodded and hopped down off Naga. “I can do that. Zuko, you take Naga and find the others. We'll handle this.”

Moments after she spoke, a loud crash split the air. The group turned to find the source—Sen, towering above the city skyline in the distance. The giant spirit had made it through the United Forces defense, and was now making his way into the city, crashing against buildings as he went. Even though in the distance, they could see him siphoning the essences of the civilians below that had been frozen and prepared for him.

Zuko quickly returned his attention to Shayu. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” she replied, with a firm nod. Already, Katara was helping her down off Naga; Shayu wasn't waiting for his permission, in spite of her verbal request. “Please, Zuko... I have to do something. I don't want to be helpless anymore.”

Zuko watched her a moment, then eased out a sigh. With both Katara and Shayu now with Asami, he guided Naga past them to search for the others. “Alright... just be careful.”

* * *

Korra awoke to someone gently shaking her awake, a gentle hand on her shoulder. A voice spoke her name, but it sounded cloudy, distant, as if spoken through water. With a weak groan, she fluttered her eyes open and squinted, trying to make out the blurry images above her. She saw buildings around her, felt raindrops falling against her face, and could just make out the image of someone kneeling over her.

“Come on, that's it,” the voice said, as the figure helped her sit up. “Take it easy.”

“ _Mmph_...Kuvira?” As her vision began to clear, Korra found that her initial assumption had been correct. Her wife eased her upward, gently supporting her head and back.

“That's right,” Kuvira replied. “I got you.”

Korra groaned quietly as a dull, throbbing pain pounded in the side of her skull. It wasn't a strong pain, but it was lingering, enough to aggravate her as she rubbed her eyes and tried to recover. She was dazed, but she could feel herself already pushing past it. Just a few moments of rest and she would be fine; she'd have to be.

Once her vision cleared completely, she glanced up to see that there were more people surrounding her—Opal, Jinora, Suyin, Mako, P'Li, Topth, Suki, and Sokka. They all looked exhausted and injured, some barely able to stand on their own two feet. The battle had only just started, and already their team was on their last legs. Off to the side, she noticed Aang, Kuruk, and Kyoshi, all three of them unconscious and bound with the platinum from Kuvira's armor.

“What happened?”

“You took a pretty good hit, but you're okay.” The answer came from Jinora, who had since approached the pair. “It looks like we were able to defeat the past Avatars that Sen brought back, although I'm not sure about Roku. There's still no sign of Azula.”

“What about Asami and the others?” Korra asked. “Did they get the Spirit Conductor to Sen?”

Kuvira sighed, shaking her head slowly. “We don't know. No one's been able to get ahold of her on the radio. We just met up here and took some time to recover before we figure out our next move. The fight's already taken a lot out of us.”

Korra paused a moment, looking around at the group again. With as spent as they already looked, fighting any further would be a struggle for sure. “Well, we can't let it slow us down. We still have a job to do, and—”

Her words were cut out by a loud crash in the distance. Korra blinked up at the skyline, straining her eyes to see through the rain. She didn't have to try too hard to see what had caused the commotion, though; Sen was clear enough with as massive as he was, towering above the surrounding buildings. The spirit's focus was on the streets below, stealing the essences of those civilians that had been frozen and left behind. Even from here, Korra could see the glowing wisps pulled into the spirit's open maw.

“He's still so huge...” Korra uttered. “Asami must not have been able to activate the Spirit Conductor.” She watched a second longer, then immediately sprang up to her feet. She wobbled there briefly on shaky legs before catching her balance. “We have to find them!”

“No,” replied a new voice. “We have to keep him busy.”

Korra and the others turned to see Zuko standing there, with Naga right next to him. “Zuko? What do you mean?”

“Asami and the others were attacked, and the Spirit Conductor was damaged,” he explained. “Right now, Shayu and Katara are helping her fix it, but they need time. That's where we come in.”

It took Korra only a second to understand what Zuko meant. With a long look back at Sen, her eyes narrowed and she nodded. “You're right. Sen is far too powerful as he is right now. Without the Spirit Conductor draining his energy and weakening him, then we don't have a chance. We have to keep him occupied while they get it running.” She brought her gaze back down, focusing now on the others, her friends and comrades. “This is it... the last chance we have. Humanity's last stand. Are you ready?”

Suyin took a step forward. “You know we're with you, Korra. All of us.”

“You're darn straight we are!” Toph announced, pumping her fist up into the air. “Let's show this overgrown insect what we're really made of!”

* * *

Sen released a thunderous chuckle as he gradually made his way through Republic City. He kept his beady black eyes focused down on the streets below, draining the essences from all the frozen civilians that his minions had nicely prepared for him. This wouldn't take long now. Soon, all of humanity would fall, and he would have this world to himself.

As he turned the corner of the next street, however, a sudden massive torrent of water lifted from one of the nearby canals and plowed directly into his face. He recoiled at the impact, but it did little damage. When he steadied himself, he swept his gaze across the city to find what had attacked him. He found it moments later—the Avatar, standing on the rooftops of one of the surrounding buildings. A rage suddenly burned through the dark spirit, and he set his sights on her.

The assault didn't stop with the water, though. Within seconds, a barrage of earth pelted against him. It was a mix of stone and concrete pulled from the rooftops of the city buildings—massive, solid chunks that each rocked Sen's massive form off balance. Kuvira led the bombardment, with Su and Toph following her lead. They never gave Sen a chance to recover.

The next attack came in the form of fire, two large, sweeping jets that burned against the giant gejigeji from either side, courtesy of Mako and Zuko. P'Li joined in a moment later, releasing a series of explosions from her third eye. Each blast erupted against the front of the spirit's body, pushing him backwards and further shaking his balance.

It opened him up for a combined attack from above. Opal and Jinora glided in over Sen and began to rapidly circle each other. They descended at him, bringing down a concussive cyclone of air directly atop his head. The result impact shook the entire block, as Sen drove straight down against the ground.

He didn't stay down for long. With a frustrated growl, Sen burst up onto his many legs and swept a beam of spiritual energy from his eyes across the buildings in front of him. “Foolish humans! You only delay your inevitable demise!”

The group was forced to scatter, as the buildings ripped apart and began to crumble. Kuvira, Toph, and Su acted quickly, sliding back down to the streets to shield the frozen citizens below from the falling rubble. They utilized their combined efforts to both create a wall above the civilians and bend the debris away, to avoid any of the helpless victims being crushed. Meanwhile, Sen attacked again, this time in the air. Both Jinora and Opal glided sharply to the side to avoid the beams, but the resulting shock wave sizzled the air and knocked them out of the skies. Both airbenders plummeted wildly out of control and crashed atop one of the nearby buildings.

Sen's next attack sent Mako careening through the air. He landed on the street, sliding to a sudden stop as he hit the side of a parked satomobile. The world spun around him momentarily, as he tried to right himself. A wave of vertigo tore through him, though, and a second later he collapsed to the ground again. It was only then that he noticed part of the building above him breaking away. A large chunk of concrete tore from the side of the structure and came crashing down towards him. In seconds, it would crush him.

Mako could only utter a desperate yell and shield himself with his arms as he waited for the concrete to flatten him into a smear on the pavement. It never came. Instead, a familiar _pop-pop-pop_ reached his ears, followed by a wave of heat as an explosion tore apart the falling concrete into a cloud of dust and loose pebbles before it hit the ground. With a confused blink, Mako sat up and looked to his left. There, he saw P'Li making her way towards him.

“Uh, thanks,” he said, reaching up to grab the arm she offered.

“Yeah, yeah, save it for when this is over,” she replied, as she pulled him back to his feet. “Just get up and keep going.”

Sen continued his assault, this time sweeping his spiritual beams at the ground. Kuvira, Suyin, Toph, and Zuko were lost somewhere in the resulting blast, amidst the dust and debris. Jinora and Opal swooped down to find them, while P’Li and Mako made a few desperate strikes of their own. This time, Sen shrugged off the explosions and countered with another shot from his eye, forcing both firebenders to find cover.

When Sen turned his gaze back to the building rooftops, he found himself face to face with the former Avatar. He glowered at her, a scowl curling across his too-human face. “Your resistance is pointless, Avatar. You will all perish here.”

“Maybe...” Korra replied, tightening her hands to fists. “But if you think we're going down without a fight, then you're even dumber than you look.”

“So be it.” Sen straightened himself up to his full height and glared down at her, his eyes already glowing for another attack. “I will revel in your destruction.”

The moment before he could release his beams, Korra extended her arms. The falling rain instantly redirected itself in front of her and swirled into the form of a massive, icy spear. She pushed the spear forward, sending it directly into the dark spirit’s face. On the moment of collision, Sen’s eye beams released, only to explode the frozen mass in front of his own face. He recoiled at the impact with a pained groan, crashing into the building behind him.

Korra then lifted herself up on a pillar of water and continued her assault, using the rain around her to strike Sen from all sides. “Revel in that!”

* * *

Asami worked as quickly and carefully as she could on the Spirit Conductor, making certain that everything was in the right position and properly calibrated. She could hear the signs of battle in the distance, feel the shake of the ground with every impact; they didn’t have much time left. Shayu had been offering what assistance she could, following Asami’s directions to the letter. It wasn’t much, but it did speed up the process. Meanwhile, Katara kept the rain off them by bending the droplets outward, keeping them in a dry bubble so they could work on the wiring without fear of ruining the machine.

“Okay, just hold that wire in place while I tighten it,” Asami said, pointing to the proper wire. Shayu scooted herself forward across the ground and did as she was told, allowing Asami to fixed the problem. “Just like that. Okay... good.” When she finished that particular wire, she pointed out the next step. “Now reattach those screws to hold the top chamber together.”

Shayu did as she was told, but her progress was slow. She had no real experience with any kind of engineering or mechanical work, but still she was careful and diligent. When she tightened the first screw as much as it would go, she moved on to the second. A series of explosion in the distance shook the ground again, causing her to fumble the screwdriver, but she caught it before she lost her grip completely and continued working.

“You guys, we have to hurry,” Katara said, craning her head to catch glimpses of the distant battle above the skyline. “I don't know how much longer they're going to last.”

“We're going as fast as we can!” Asami replied, as she dug into the front panel again. She could just make out several more wires that had come loose. “There's just too much that needs to be done, even with the two of us. I don't know how much longer this is going to take.”

Asami was answered not by Katara, but by a different voice—a male voice. “Sounds like you could use another pair of hands.”

With raised eyebrows, Asami lifted her head to see the person standing just several paces away. _“Baatar?_ What are you doing here?”

Baatar, Jr. sucked in a few deep breaths before responding; it looked like he had just finished running a marathon, no doubt in his efforts to find them as quickly as possible. His glasses had fogged up, and even though he quickly made his way into the dry bubble surrounding the machine, the rain had already soaked him through to the bone. “Well, I did some thinking and decided I should come back to help. Varrick was right. It _is_ my duty to see this through to the end. It's a good thing you didn't make it far from the tower, though, or I might not have found you. But enough about that. What needs to be done?”

“We just need to reattach some of the larger pieces and fix some more of the wiring,” Asami explained. She dug into the toolbox and pulled out a wrench, handing it over to Baatar. “Shayu, you follow Baatar's lead while I work inside the rear panel.”

Shayu nodded. “Yes, Ma'am.”

Together, the three of them worked hurriedly to fix the Spirit Conductor completely. Shayu did her best to follow Baatar’s instructions, while Asami worked around the back of the machine. What would have taken twenty minutes or more with just Asami and Shayu instead took a mere five minutes with the three of them. When the last of the pieces were in place, Asami shut the final panel to shield the circuitry from the rain. With the repairs complete, Katara was finally able to drop her bending; the rain could no longer harm the machine.

“That's it, it should be good now,” Asami stated. “We just need to make sure Sen is close and then flip the switch.”

No sooner than when she had said it, one of the nearby buildings exploded. Just a couple of blocks away, they could see Sen crashing along, defending himself from a relentless assault by Korra and several others. Another pair of his beams missed his target, instead obliterating the nearest tower to where Asami and her team were situated.

“I think he's close enough!” Baatar called, his eyes widening behind his glasses.

“Right,” Asami said, turning her focus to the Spirit Conductor. “Time to end this.” She made a grab for the switch to turn on the machine, but before her fingers made it, Katara cut her off with a shout.

“Look out!”

A stray spirit beam swept through the shop across the street, heading directly towards them. All that Asami, Baatar, or Shayu could do was watch with horror as they were moments from behind disintegrated; there was nowhere to go. Fortunately, Katara reacted in an instant, jumping in front of the group and creating as thick an ice wall as she could from the surrounding rain. Her defense formed just an instant before the spiritual wave struck, and the resulting explosion ripped it to pieces. The following shock wave threw each of them from their feet. Katara took the worst of it, crashing through the window of the building behind her, while Asami and Baatar were thrown into a satomobile and a street vendor cart, respectively. None of them moved to get up.

Shayu, however, while taking much the same impact as the others, landed in such a way in the opposing alley that she was still awake, if a little dazed. She blinked several times, her mind screaming at the throbbing pain pulsing through her body—her upper body, anyway, as her legs were just as dead as always. When the world finally stopped spinning, she managed to sit upright, realizing that she had been thrown into a pile of cardboard boxes and bags of garbage, the likely reason she hadn’t taken as much damage as the others.

She blinked a few times and looked around, rain stinging her eyes. There was no sign of Asami, Baatar, or Katara. Were they okay? Or had they… She shook the thought from her mind; that wasn’t something she could think about right now. Instead, as her gaze fell on the Spirit Conductor, still standing intact after being protected by Katara’s quick thinking, she realized what she had to do. If the others weren’t in a position to activate that machine…then she was the only one left. Shayu hesitated only a moment as she swallowed the pulsing fear that had formed a knot in her throat, and then began the long, agonizing crawl.

Those ten meters were the longest, most arduous of Shayu’s life. She fought and clawed herself forward, using her elbows to scrape across the ground and pull her dead weight forward. Her legs dragged uselessly behind her, and still she fought for every inch. By the time she made it back out onto the street, she couldn’t even feel her fingers anymore, with how cold, wet, and numb they were. She ignored her pain, though. She couldn’t focus on that. She had to get herself up to the switch, had to activate the machine. If she couldn’t, then they were doomed.

Shayu quietly cursed the fact that the switch was near the top of the machine, as her arms strained to pull herself upward. She made it halfway there and then reached with her fingers, pushing herself forward inch by inch. The tips of her fingers brushed the tip of the switch just a moment before her grip slipped and she fell down a few inches, but she caught herself before falling too far. All around her, she could hear the sounds of battle, could feel the explosions, the hum of Sen’s spirit beams destroying more and more of the city. By the time she regained those lost few inches, she could see Sen in her peripheral vision, emerging at the end of the street she was on. Korra and the others were still giving him everything they had, but they wouldn’t last much longer.

Just a few more inches… just a couple more inches… just one more inch…

When Shayu’s grip finally wrapped around the switch, she released a triumphant shout and yanked it downward. Almost immediately, she lost her grip completely and crumpled back to the ground. A low pitched hum trembled through the air, as the top of the Spirit Conductor began to glow. The metal spokes around the tapered end began to spin and charge with electricity, and then in an instant a beam of light burst outward from the tapered end, igniting the sky like fire.

* * *

When the Spirit Conductor activated, Korra and her team were on their last legs. In spite of their efforts, in spite of everything they threw at Sen, the dark spirit simply shrugged them off and kept coming. Nothing they did faltered him for longer than a few moments. Even when they thought they might have finally gained an edge, he found a way to counter them, tearing apart more and more of the city with his spirit beams. As the fight dragged on, Korra knew that Sen could have ended things sooner, could have simply taken one breath and drained their essences from their bodies, but he prolonged their suffering. He toyed with them, wanted them to feel pain, wanted them to realize the magnitude of their inevitable failures. He mocked them, laughed at them, berated them. He _knew_ they couldn’t stop him, and he was going to drill that fact into each and every one of them until their bodies and their minds broke apart.

But when the pillar of light from the Spirit Conductor arose into the sky, it brought with it a glimmer of hope. Korra and her team could only fall back and watch, all of them weary on their feet and barely able to stand. Sen twisted himself around to witness the beam; it looked almost like the beam from the spirit portal on the other side of the city, but much brighter, a searing white iron across the darkness of Sen’s storm.

At first, nothing happened other than a steady hum emitting from the light. Soon, though, Sen’s figure began to morph and distort. A thunderous howl of pain erupted from his throat. He tumbled forward on his legs, falling as waves of pure energy pulsed outward from his body, draining directly into the light beam. He tried to fight it, tried to get away, but the more he struggled the more energy he lost. As the Spirit Conductor pulled in more of his power, Sen’s body began to shrink. The change was small at first, but then rapidly increased. Sen disappeared from above the buildings, his body compacting and losing its monolithic form. Within moments, he was no larger than when he first emerged from Shin Tsang’s body.

As the final waves of energy sheared away from Sen’s body, the beam of light wavered and collapsed in on itself. That pillar of searing white soon fell out of the sky and returned into the tapered end of the Spirit Conductor, and the metal spokes then closed inward to seal the chamber tightly. In the following moment, all was quiet, aside from the gentle patter of the rain. Then, without warning, the Spirit Conductor ruptured to pieces, with the top half splitting away from the bottom in a shower of metal pieces and glowing sparks. Shayu held her hands over her head to shield herself from the blast, but it passed harmlessly above her regardless.

A long, quiet moment lingered through the city. Sen writhed on the ground, struggling to right himself. His legs quivered and he fell flat on his face several times before finally standing again to his full height—a paltry ten feet tall, compared to his previous size. “What... what did you do... to me? My power... you've ruined my power!”

Korra limped forward a step, watching with wide eyes. “They did it... They activated the Spirit Conductor! Everyone, now's our chance! Together!”

And come together they did. In spite of their current state—injured, tired, wet, and miserable—the entire group used the last of their energy to move forward and surround the weakened Sen. Kuvira, Toph, and Suyin went first, guiding themselves through their spirit form. A churning swirl of earth coiled beneath the spirit and lifted upward, coating Sen in a thin film of dirt. Almost immediately, he became unable to move, as the earth hardened him in place. Korra went next, using the rain to create a pair of water rings that circled around Sen, one crossed over the other. Then, Jinora and Opal created a spinning bubble of air that tightened around the spirit. Fire came last, as Mako, Zuko, and P'Li formed a towering, swirling cyclone of flames to complete the four elements.

Every bender continued their motions, guiding their respective elements all the way through the form. Deep at the center of the elements, Sen's body began to glow a bright yellow in color, a glow that pierced all the way through into the outside world. Korra took that to mean that their efforts were working, that in just a short time it would all be over and they would have won. She wasn't expecting their hold on Sen to suddenly falter, and for the glow to explode outward, tearing away all four elements in a resulting shock wave that lifted all of them off their feet.

Korra's head slammed against the ground as she landed, stunning her in a daze. She blinked, lifting her gaze to try and see what was going on, but a sudden wave of nausea forced her back down. The only thing she could make out before darkness took her was Sen standing tall, grinning at her, and the sound of his mocking laughter echoing through the night air.

* * *

“You foolish, wretched humans,” Sen chortled, as he turned his gaze around the street to see that all of his enemies had been put out of commission by the explosion. Not a single one of them moved to get up. “I told you... you cannot win. I will not be stopped!”

In spite of the way his legs trembled, Sen found a way to remain smug. Even at his weakest, he was stronger than any of these powerless insects that tried to stop him. They had done a number on him, though, and had severely reduced his power. The spirit limped as he walked, his multitude of spindly legs shuddering with each inch he skittered across the ground. He had worked so hard to gain that power, and now he would have to start all over again. No matter. There were still so many humans left in this world for him to consume.

When Sen turned, his gaze found the remains of the Spirit Conductor, the machine that had crippled him. Next to that machine, he noticed a young, helpless girl sitting there, watching him. That had been the girl who activated the machine, who did this to him... Oh, she would suffer for it. Immediately, he made his way towards her, little by little. The anger surged through him as he drew closer, until by the time he stood over her he was seething, his beady black eyes locked onto her in loathing.

“You... You did this to me, didn't you?” he asked, lowering his gaze towards the girl. “I had so much power, and you tore it all away from me!”

The girl cowered in terror, trying to crawl away from him. It seemed like her legs didn't work, which meant she wouldn't be going anywhere. Sen merely grinned at her and stood straight again. With a deep breath, he prepared to take her essence and be done with her. At least, he would have, had he not been interrupted and thrown backwards by an incoming lightning bolt that ripped through the air. The lightning struck him square in his carapace, surging his body with a sudden pulse of painful electricity. In spite of himself, Sen howled in agony and crumpled closer to the ground, only barely holding himself up on his legs.

“Not so fast, Sen. You and I still have business to settle.” When the air cleared of lightning, another woman stepped forward through the rain, the tips of her fingers smoking from the previous shot. She was clearly injured, favoring her left leg as she limped forward. Her clothes were torn and singed, and she was bleeding from several small cuts across her body, but she didn't let any of that falter her poise. She stood tall and proud, ready to fight. “I would have been here sooner, but this city is too damn big for its own good. Shayu, be a dear and crawl yourself out of here. This could get messy.”

Shayu obliged, and immediately began her slow retreat back to the safety of the alley.

“Azula...” Sen muttered, as he forced his weakened body to straighten itself again. “How good of you to show yourself. You're right; we do still have business to settle.” When the spirit returned to his full height, he glowered at the prodigy, his gaze piercing straight through the woman. A grin slashed across his face. “I am so going to enjoy this.”

* * *

Within the shadows of the abandoned diner, Kanna poked her head up over the bottom edge of the windows on the front wall. She had been hiding here up until now, as Megumi had asked her, but with everything she had heard outside, her curiosity got the better of her; she needed to see what was going on. As her gaze focused through the pounding rain, the girl scanned the entire street, left to right. At first, she saw nothing, only debris from crumbled buildings and large raindrops pounding against the window pane. Then, she saw two figures in the distance.

The first brought a disgusted pout to Kanna lips. It was the mean insect, the one who hurt so many people and who creeped her out. She really _hated_ that bug. The second figure, however, was the one that truly grabbed her attention. Kanna felt a sudden surge of relief and happiness flow through her, bringing a delighted smile to her lips. As soon as she saw the woman, she stood up and ran for the door.

“Mommy!”

* * *

The fight between Azula and Sen did not last long. Although Azula was one of the strongest benders in the world, and Sen was weakened to a point that had nearly crippled him, Azula was still injured and Sen too powerful. She struck relentlessly with shots of fire and lightning, but the dark spirit managed to evade most of her attacks. He moved faster than she would have expected in his state, and in her own state her reflexes were slower than they should have been; her battle with Roku had taken more out of her than she'd realized. Azula did manage to land a few strikes, but they did little more than slow Sen down. Within moments, Sen overpowered her and swatted her to the ground with a simple swipe of his many legs.

Azula coughed out a pained breath as she tried to push herself up from the ground. Her arms trembled and her body shook, but she did manage to get to her hands and knees. It didn't last long, though, as Sen reappeared above her and batted her flat against the street once more.

“How pathetic,” Sen chided, bringing his gaze low so he was level with Azula. “You were such a promising puppet of mine, had so much potential, but you threw it all away to betray me. Now look at you. You're _nothing_. Without the power I provided, you are but one of many feeble human specs in this world. Perhaps you haven't suffered enough for your transgressions, hmm? What else must I do to torment you?”

Sen continued to swat her around, each strike rolling her several feet across the ground. Azula tried to get up and defend herself, but her body refused to obey. The only thing she could do that was of any help was to keep her arms shielded over her abdomen, so none of the brutal strikes would damage the child she carried. As Sen beat her, the action did not go unnoticed. After several moments of this unrelenting assault, the dark spirit paused and focused on Azula's arms, how they wrapped over her stomach; it was not a reflexive action, but a purposeful one, meant to protect that specific area of her body.

Sen focused a moment longer on Azula, staring at her abdomen. Within seconds, he came to a revelation and spread an amused grin across his face. “Oh my... So you carry life within you? Yes... perhaps there is still more I can take from you.”

The gejigeji spirit lifted one of his legs and pointed it at the woman's stomach, aiming it like a spear. He thrust forward, intent on ripping the child out of her very womb, but Azula's body reacted out of sheer instinct and reflex to throw herself out of the way before the strike could hit. This time, Azula managed to right herself to one knee, arms still held over her abdomen.

“No!” she countered, glaring up at the dark spirit with a rage so fierce that her body actually began to radiate a fiery heat. “Don't you _touch_ my child!”

Sen's grin only grew wider. “Ah, it seems as though I've struck a nerve. This will be most pleasant.”

Azula's body shook as she prepared to dodge the next attack again. She watched Sen's legs carefully, ready for any one of them to pull back and thrust at her. It never happened, though, as instead a weak stream of water glided through the air and splashed harmlessly against the side of Sen's face. The attack did little more than grab his attention, turning his gaze to the side to see what had caused it.

“Leave my mommy alone!” Kanna yelled, crouched into a waterbending pose. She made another attack, pulling water from the rain and sending out a weak splash towards the spirit. Again, there was no effect.

“ _Kanna?!”_ For a single moment, Azula's mind was trapped between an overwhelming sense of relief and confusion. This entire time, she thought that Kanna had had her essence taken just like Annie, and yet there the girl was, standing up against the dark spirit that tormented them all. All of Azula's relief swiftly turned to panic, however, as she finally grasped the situation. With wide eyes, she forced herself back up onto her quivering legs, and called to her daughter. “Kanna, no, get away!”

“Oh that's right,” Sen said, with a low chuckle. He glanced back at Azula and flashed another grin. “There is still this child, as well. This just keeps getting better.”

Kanna made a third attack, but just like her previous ones it had no effect against the mighty spirit. Sen simply turned his attention back to her and crept forward, prepared to strike.

“Kanna!” Azula ran forward to protect her daughter, but her body gave out halfway there. She stumbled, legs flying out from underneath her, and fell flat against the ground. All she could do was lift her head and watch in horror. _“No!”_

Suddenly realizing the situation she was in, Kanna gazed up at the spirit and scrambled backwards, trying to get away. She didn't make it very far before Sen towered straight above her. He sneered at her, slowly lifting his legs to attack.

But the attack never came. Just as he prepared to strike, a spinning lance of ice rocketed through the air and pierced through the spirit's body with little resistance. A gaping hole opened up through his carapace as the lance passed through, a result that seemed to surprise him. Sen stumbled backwards and fell, legs giving out a moment later. Although the hole swiftly reformed with his spiritual energy, it left him stunned and confused. His soulless eyes blinked and lifted, scanning the street for the source of the attack.

“You will not touch a hair on her head!” The shout came from a woman with singed Water Tribe robes, her body weak and shaking as she tried to stand straight—Megumi. A blinding anger pulsed through the woman, eyes burning. Had she been a firebender, she very well might have shot flames from her eyes.

“You!” Sen raged. “How...? You are my puppet! I _own_ your mind! You serve me!”

“ _No!_ I don't care how powerful you think you are, you will not destroy a mother's love for her child! Try all you want, but I will not follow your orders anymore!” Megumi made another strike, bending the rain into another icy spear. She launched it forward, again piercing a hole through Sen's body. “And you will never hurt Kanna!”

The hole was slower to reform this time, but reform it did. When Sen's body recovered, he forced himself back atop his legs and skittered toward the woman. “Then you will die!”

In spite of Megumi's resistance, their exchange was brief. She made two more attacks, but they both missed as Sen darted around them. He was on her in an instant. Megumi took a step backwards to prepare another attack, but Sen was faster. With a single thrust, he pierced the spear-tipped point of one of his legs clean through her gut and out the other side, spraying the air with a mist of blood. Megumi's eyes shot open in surprise, unable to blink or do anything but stare straight forward. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a single, blood-filled cough. When Sen wrenched his leg back out of her body, Megumi crumpled motionlessly to the ground, a growing pool of crimson spreading beneath her in the rain. Throughout all of this, Kanna watched with horror stricken across her face.

“You are nothing!” Sen declared, his tone lost in a rage that seethed through his entire being. “You are _all_ nothing!”

Sen made a move to finish the woman off, but as he did a white blur bolted across the street and leaped onto his back—Naga. The polar bear dog clamped down with her jaws and tore a chunk out of the spirit before Sen finally threw her off of him. The spirit turned to face the downed animal, but before he even got a chance to process that he'd just been attacked by a polar bear dog, his body locked up with a searing surge of electricity pulsing through his body.

In the time since Megumi had revealed herself, Azula had made it back to her feet and begun charging lightning at her fingertips. She used the entirety of those few minutes to concentrate as much of her chi as possible, supercharging the bolt to a point where her fingers had glowed brighter than the sun, and sparked with smaller bolts that leaped out in random directions, unable to be contained. When she finally released the lightning, the air sizzled with a heat so fierce that the rain in its path evaporated in an instant.

A shrieking howl of pain erupted from Sen's throat as the lightning seared his body. He tried to remain standing, but those efforts lasted only a few moments. Instead, he tumbled to the ground in a heap, left there to writhe in agonizing pain as he attempted to recover. In those following moments, all was quiet aside from the spirit's wheezing, pained breaths.

“Mommy...” Kanna's voice was soft, quiet, and barely audible over the rain. The girl sat in a puddle and stared at Megumi, whose life drained away more each second with the growing crimson pool beneath her body.

“Kanna, sweetie, don't look,” Azula said, as she neared her daughter. With a quick grab, she lifted the girl into her arms and turned around so she wouldn't be able to see. “Just close your close your eyes, alright?”

Kanna gave no response, instead quietly burying her face into her mother's shoulder.

“Naga!” Azula called, turning to find the polar bear dog. “Get over here, you mangy mutt!”

In spite of the rudeness of the request, and the fact that Naga still didn't know Azula that well, the polar bear dog sensed the urgency in her voice and obediently came scampering over to them. Azula promptly lifted Kanna up onto Naga's saddle, urging the child to hold on tight.

“Take her away from here,” she said, giving the animal a pleading glare. “I don't care where, just get her to safety, do you hear me?”

Naga uttered a quiet whimper, and then turned around to race down the street. In moments, they were gone. Azula then turned her gaze over to Sen, noting that the spirit was still writhing on the ground. She had maybe a few minutes before he would recover. In the meantime, she brought her focus downward and stepped towards the bloodied woman lying motionlessly in a crimson puddle. For a long moment, the two stared at each other in silence, both unblinking. Eventually, Megumi turned her head so she was staring straight up at the sky, raindrops falling into her eyes. With a wet, gurgling cough, she at last spoke.

“I was so foolish...” she uttered, barely getting her words out through her nearly blood-drowned throat. “Even though I was... enslaved by Sen I... I truly did b-believe that I... was doing the right thing for Kanna. Now I... I realize.... I was being selfish. So selfish...” Another cough hacked through her body, spraying red into the air and onto her face. “I never should have taken Kanna away, never should have... tried to be a mother to her. All I did was... make her hate me. She already... has a mother.” Megumi then turned to look at Azula once more. There seemed to be a quiet understanding in her eyes, an acceptance that brought her peace. “A mother she loves... so much.”

Azula mulled over the woman's words for a long moment. In spite of everything that Megumi had done, she found it difficult to hold onto her anger. Now, as she stared down at this dying woman in front of her, she felt pity more than anything.

“Don't expect me to forgive you,” Azula said, in a soft voice. “Whatever your intentions, you hurt Kanna, and you hurt her father. I won't forgive that. But... I do understand it.”

Megumi's bloodstained lips curled gently into a partial smile, the most she could manage as her life washed away in the pouring rain. “Azula... before I... before it's too late, I have... one request. Please... raise Kanna... love her... protect her... as if she were your own.”

“I already do,” Azula replied. “But I promise.”

Megumi's smile grew just an hair at the response. A second later, her body shuddered and then was still, eyes blank as they stared off into nothing. Azula's own eyes narrowed slightly, and she knelt down beside the woman's body. With a simple gesture, she closed Megumi's eyelids and then stood straight again.

By this time, Sen had finally made it back atop his legs. As he stood there, though, teetering back and forth in attempts to steady himself, Azula knew something was off about him. He writhed and retched in pain, mouth open with fierce coughs hacking from his throat. The coughs grew harsher, and harsher, until finally it sounded closer to vomiting. With one more violent retch, Sen expelled a glowing white essence from his throat, an essence that took no noticeable form before it raced out of sight behind a pile of rubble. Azula couldn't take time to wonder about it, as Sen finally managed to compose himself and turn his attention back to her.

“You... You've meddled for the last time...” the spirit growled, taking slow steps towards her. “I am going to end you, Azula. Slowly... painfully... Before it is over, you will beg for me to kill you.”

Azula stood firm in the face of her foe, but deep down she already knew it was over. She was spent, too tired, too injured, and too weak to put up anything resembling a fight. Still, she didn't back down. If she was going to die here, she would do it with dignity. A prodigy, a princess, a warrior—she did not give up.

* * *

“Korra.”

The voice called out to her, but Korra's mind swam in darkness. She struggled to find the voice, searching around through the shadows and the haze. It had sounded so close, so clear... so where was it?

“Korra.”

When the voice came again, her body jolted. The darkness dissipated somewhat, opening up to a single bright spot in front of her. She made a dash for it, leaping out and holding on. The light burned brighter as she neared it, until all the shadows disappeared behind her and the brilliant white glow embraced her spirit. It filled her body with a comforting warmth, a familiar presence that she had been without for so long. Even before the gentle voice spoke her name again, she knew who it was.

“Welcome back, Korra.”

“Raava… is that really you?”

“It is indeed.”

The glow dimmed somewhat, revealing the form of Raava, the great Light Spirit, floating amidst the shadows. Korra gazed at her with wonder. “But I don't understand. How...?”

“Thanks to the efforts of you and your friends, I was able to free myself from Sen,” Raava replied. “However, I am still very weak. I cannot stop Sen on my own.”

“What about together? Just like we were going to do before Sen absorbed you.”

A deep sigh followed, and the Light Spirit slouched, as if bowing her head. “I'm afraid that still would not be enough. I do not know how to perform the feat with just the two of us, as the Mother of Faces was going to teach us.”

Korra felt a twinge of disappointment and dread flow through her. “But then what are we supposed to do? We tried the four spirit forms on him but that didn't work! He was just...too strong. If you and I can't stop him together, then what else is there?”

“Fear not, Korra.” Raava’s voice was gentle, almost motherly. It comforted Korra, gave her a powerful reassurance that they still had a chance. “There is still one thing that we may be able to do. All is not lost... Not yet.”

Raava then began to glow again, even brighter than before. Korra shielded her eyes but watched curiously, wondering what her friend had planned. In a final burst of light, the Light Spirit split apart into four separate, glowing pieces. One of those fractions shot forward into Korra’s chest, fueling the former Avatar with a familiar surge of power. But Raava didn’t stop there.

Through their connection, Korra could see the outside world again, as though her spirit were standing next to her own body. She saw herself and her friends lying scattered across the ground, injured and unmoving. A quick look to her left revealed a bloodied woman lying dead in a puddle—Megumi. Korra flinched momentarily at the sight, then turned her gaze to the right. There, she witnessed Sen standing above a barely moving Azula. The fire princess made a desperate reach forward, her arm and fingers quivering against the wet pavement. Sen merely laughed and lashed out one of his many legs, striking his victim square in the ribs, a blow that tossed her several feet in the air. Azula made no sound when she hit the ground, nor did she move. A jolt of panic ripped through Korra’s chest. Whatever Raava’s plan was, she needed to do it fast.

Three separate pulses of light caught Korra’s attention. She turned her head and noticed the three other pieces that Raava had split into. They floated there in the air just a moment, before one of those pieces shot across the street into Kuvira’s body. The second descended into Jinora’s body, and then the final piece made its way in the other direction, filling Azula’s body. In the following moment, Korra felt a sudden connection between the three other women, a shared power that burned in all four of them.

“What…is this?” It was Kuvira’s voice, echoing somewhere in Korra’s mind.

“It feels… warm,” Jinora’s voice said. “And powerful.”

“Is this what it feels like to be the Avatar?” Azula hummed an intrigued breath, and if Korra could see her face she would surely be smirking. “I like it.”

Korra took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She understood now. “This is how we stop Sen for good..”

Raava’s voice followed, echoing through the minds of all four women. “Now, it is time to wake up."

* * *

In a single instant, all four women opened their eyes at the same time. Each of their eyes glowed bright white with the power of Raava, just the Avatar’s would in the Avatar State. Sen, who had been poised to continue his beating on a barely conscious Azula, reeled backwards at the sudden display from his victim. He turned, watching frantically as all four women began to rise in the air, fueled by each of their respective elements—Korra atop a pillar of water, Jinora on a cyclone of air, Kuvira on a floating boulder, and Azula with jets of flame burning out of her feet. Confusion twisted upon Sen’s face, but it was overshadowed by a stronger, deeper emotion that burned in his gaze, an emotion he hadn’t experienced in tens of thousands of years—fear.

“What is this?” he uttered, stepping backwards as the four women surrounded him. The air trembled with such power that raindrops ceased to fall, instead hovering in midair. The entire storm calmed above them, as well—no more thunder, no more lightning. “What are you doing?”

“ _Sen.”_ The four women spoke in unison, their voices echoing with the might of Raava. _“Your time is over. You must pay for all the pain and suffering you have caused.”_

The dark spirit remained defiant. “You fools! You cannot stop me!”

Sen made a desperate attack with a blast of spiritual energy from his eyes, but it had no effect. Korra simply raised her hand and caught the blast against a sudden shield of water that formed out of the frozen raindrops in the air. Sen recoiled at the display, stepping backwards again and shrinking away; his too-human face quivered with terror. With a sharp shift of their stances, Korra, Jinora, Kuvira, and Azula all commenced their respective spirit forms.

Just as before, each separate element surrounded Sen—water, fire, earth, and air. The only difference was that this time, he screeched with a shrill, horrific cry of pain. Moments later, the four separate elements collapsed in on him and merged into a single, blazing glow, a glow that began to dissolve away the remainder of Sen’s power.

As the dark spirit’s body gradually decayed and faded away, his mouth fell open. From within that soulless maw burst countless glowing lights—they were essences, all those that Sen had taken from his victims. They shot like fireworks into the sky, most disappearing beyond the horizon. Others fell back down to the city, returning to the bodies from which they had been stolen. A small handful of those essences, however, did not go anywhere. They simply remained there, floating above the city as if lost.

In another short moment, Sen faded away into nothing more than a memory, his body completely consumed by the blaze of elements overtaking his very existence. The only thing that remained was few glowing specs of light, but they were caught upon a strong gust of wind and soon scattered into nothing. When it was over, the four women fueled by Raava’s power descended back to the ground, their elements disappearing as their feet touched the ground. Their shared power then left them, each piece of Raava’s essence expelling from their bodies to reform into the single, whole Light Spirit.

Finally, each of them fell forward and crumpled to the ground, their exhausted minds lost to darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy... yet another very satisfying chapter to write, finally bringing an end to the blight that was Sen. Another long chapter, and again I was able to get it out even earlier than expected, but I really enjoyed writing that. It feels good finally getting to so many moments I'd built up to in my head. Everyone working together, Shayu getting a moment to shine, Raava coming back, a shared Avatar state between four different people, and humanity safe once again! I tried to make this conclusion as big as possible, so hopefully you're all satisfied with it. Hope hear your thoughts! Just a few chapters left now to wrap everything up, and then this fic will finally be complete.


	148. Service and Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the battle against Sen, those affected by the conflict reunite with friends and family, while others find that their victory may be more bittersweet than they first realized.

Korra awoke to a gentle shake of her arm. At first, she almost didn’t want to wake up. She was content there, lying peacefully in a dreamless sleep. When the shake came again, however, she knew she couldn’t ignore it any longer. So, with a tired groan, she blinked her eyes open and sat up.

“Korra...” a voice said, in a soothing tone. A hand that matched the voice then came to her shoulder and began to help her up. “Hey, that's it, easy.”

“Kuvira?” Korra blinked again, and within moments the image of her wife’s smiling face appeared through the blurriness of her vision. “What happened?”

She didn’t get an answer at first. Rather, Korra sat up straighter and looked past her wife. They were still in the rubble-cluttered streets of Republic City, although they had since moved over to the sidewalk. All around her, though, she saw other people lingering nearby, friends and strangers alike, most lost in their own smaller interactions. She saw Azula sitting on an overturned newspaper box nearby, with Kanna clutched tenderly in her arms. Bolin and Opal stood together, talking to and comforting each other. Just next to them were most of the other Beifongs—Suyin, Wing, Wei, and Baatar, Jr. Just beyond them, Mako was making his way back and forth through the gathered civilians, checking to see how they were holding up. Several of his other officers joined him, assisting with the process.

Both Varrick and Zhu Li knelt over the remains of the Spirit Conductor, gathering together spare parts and examining them, possibly cataloguing data they could use in future projects. On the other side of the street, Asami leaned tiredly against the hood of a wrecked satomobile, while Sin held her from behind. It was a simple but tender embrace, offering a quiet comfort between two lovers. Next to them, Shayu sat calmly in her wheelchair, her gaze lingering back and forth amongst the crowd. Hari and Jinora stood behind her, both engaged in conversation with the wheelchair-bound girl.

Outside the front of a phonograph shop with shattered windows, a familiar, even legendary group stood together in conversation. Katara, Zuko, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee had all gathered around the one individual who had been missing since this all began. Aang stood with his arm around Katara’s waist, smiling and laughing with his friends and family. The original Team Avatar was, at long last, together again.

The other three Avatars sat together a good distance away from the rest of the crowd, each of them cross-legged and silent, meditative. One other individual who had separated herself from others was P’Li, who had taken a perch atop a ten-foot tall piece of concrete that had fallen from the building above. She sat there with her arms folded, eyes closed. The only other person of note that Korra’s gaze passed over was her uncle. Unalaq was bound and gagged at the center of a ring of police officers, each of them watching him carefully, as if they expected him to attack at any moment. He didn’t; he just sat there, his head bowed and eyes closed.

Kuvira’s voice called Korra back from her observation. “They've already been told what happened, how we ended it.” The matriarch broadened a smile across her face and looked deep into her wife’s eyes. She eased herself closer, gliding her hand forward and linking both their fingers together in a loving squeeze. “It's over, Korra. Sen is gone. _We won.”_

“We... we did it?” Korra blinked, lost in a haze of shock so strong that she almost didn’t return the squeeze of her hand. Everything had seemed so hopeless, so impossible. To hear that they had pulled it off, a miracle of miracles, was almost unbelievable.

“Yes, we did. Just like I said we would."

The two brought their lips together in a deep kiss, one they couldn’t hold as long as they wished. No sooner than did they kiss, a wet tongue lapped against the sides of both their faces. Korra turned to see Naga sitting there and immediately gave the polar bear dog a hug. Moments later, the others began to notice that Korra had awakened, and gave their own greeting to the former Avatar. Some approached her to see how she was; others waved and smiled, content to remain where they were at the moment. A few merely glanced her way with little reaction, or didn’t acknowledge her at all.

Soon after the greetings were given, and people returned to their own smaller groups to continue conversing or sitting quietly, Korra noticed a new presence nearby. She blinked in surprise, recognizing that familiar warmth. Spinning around, she saw her—Raava, sitting just behind them near the front of a building.

“Raava...” she said, in a quiet, wistful breath. “It's so good to see you again.”

“And you as well, Korra,” replied the great Light Spirit.

“You're still outside me, though. We...aren't bonded anymore. We _can’t_ , can we?”

A brief silence passed between the two, before Raava finally eased a gentle sigh. “I am only able to permanently bond with someone during Harmonic Convergence, and that time has passed for the next ten thousand years.” Another pause, before she finished her thought in a sorrowful tone. “It would seem that the time of the Avatar is over.”

Korra closed her eyes as the finality of Raava’s statement hit her. The Avatar was always meant to be a beacon of hope, a protector of the world who would maintain balance to the best of her ability. Throughout history, there had been those who thought to destroy that beacon, to snuff it out and destroy it. She herself had fought to her very last in order to overcome those obstacles, to keep the beacon lit and remain that image of hope for the world. Yet now, in spite of all her efforts, in spite of everything she had done to be the best Avatar she could be, it was over. She was no longer the Avatar, and never would be again.

And yet, Korra found herself oddly okay with the fact. Although there would never be another Avatar, she thought perhaps it was time for the world to move on without one, to guide itself towards a different future, one not bound by ancient traditions. The more she thought about it, the more she felt as though a massive weight had lifted from her shoulders. She would always fight to keep the world safe, to maintain balance and do what she thought was right, but now she would do it not as the Avatar, but as Korra, a simple waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe.

“Yeah...that’s what I figured,” she said, finally opening her eyes again. She offered a small smile, gazing up at Raava with a deep appreciation glowing in her eyes. “Still, I'm grateful for everything we went through together. No matter what the future holds, I'll always consider you a friend.”

Raava gave a bow, a gesture that Korra returned in kind. “And I, you.”

* * *

Katara gave a long look around at the others gathered along the battle-torn street. After the intense struggle of bringing down Sen and saving humanity from inevitable destruction, it felt unreal to be able to see all of her friends safe, happy, and recovering, offering each other comfort after so much pain and suffering. Of all the trials faced by the Avatar or the world as a whole, this might have been the worst. A well of tears came to her eyes as her focus returned to her husband, and she did nothing to hide it.

“This is still so unreal...” she said, offering a gentle smile. Her gaze then turned to the others next to them—the original Team Avatar. “Seeing us together again. All of us.” Once again, she looked to the airbender who had captured her heart so long ago. “I missed you, Aang... so much.”

He smiled at her, warmly, lovingly. “I know, Katara. I missed you, too.”

“And can you believe we're all young again? _Ha!”_ Toph wound of her hand and gave Aang a firm smack on the shoulder. “Just think of all the adventures we can have now, Twinkletoes! It'll be just like the old days!” Then, a moment later, she shifted her body to face the general direction of a certain scarred firebender. She pointed at him, with an accusatory frown. “You still owe me a life changing field trip, Zuko!”

“Uh... right,” Zuko said, with a cautious chuckle. “I'm sure we can plan something.”

To their left, Sokka uttered an uncertain sigh, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeeeaaah, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm kind of adventured out for one lifetime.”

“Technically, this is your second lifetime,” Suki commented, as she held her arm gently around his waist.

Sokka tilted his head back and huffed. “Exactly my point!”

“Well, I'm not going to complain about the hand that fate dealt us.” Mai approached her husband, bringing her hands to his shoulders and gazing deep into his eyes. “When you get a second chance at something... I say you take it.”

Zuko smiled, leaning closer to his wife. “Well, whatever happens, it should definitely be interesting. I know I'm looking forward to it.” Moments later, they came together in a long, passionate kiss.

Ty Lee held her hands together and swooned at the sight of them, a bubbly smile spreading across her face. “Aww, look at you two. Just as cute as I remember.” She then glanced over at the other two couples. “And the same goes for the rest of you.”

They took their cue, with Aang holding Katara close, and Suki dipping Sokka low as the two couples each kissed their respective partners. The moment lasted a handful of breaths, until finally they broke apart at the behest of Toph's groan.

“Oh come _on,”_ the earthbender said. “I can't even _see_ you and I know you guys need to get a room.”

Aang held his smile, leaning close to Katara as he took a moment to look around the city. “This is wonderful, seeing you all again, seeing how the world has progressed. Seeing all the new airbenders…” His gaze fell on a group of sky bison flying down from above the buildings. They landed near the far end of the street, allowing their riders to jump down as well. Soon, they were joined by several other airbenders gliding down with their wingsuits. Aang's throat went numb when he saw them, and his eyes began to glisten. “It's been far too long.”

* * *

Azula breathed in a deep gulp of air and held it several moments. When she could no longer, she eased it back out of her nose. Her chest throbbed from the aftermath of her confrontation with Sen, and every time she turned her body, there was a new muscle screaming at her to stay still. She was certain that someone with similar injuries would have been rushed to the hospital by now, but she knew she would be fine.

After being briefly empowered by the might of the Avatar, she felt she had a better understanding of herself and of life in general. It had been an eye opening experience, seeing the world through the same eyes as those she had once hunted. She knew now that she would be fine. Kanna would be fine, Annie would be fine... _everyone_ would be fine. They had done the impossible, saved the world, stopped the greatest menace the world had ever known... A few bumps and bruises wouldn't slow her down now.

“Mommy?”

Azula blinked out of her thoughts and glanced down at the girl held gently in her arms. Kanna looked up at her, blinking with curious eyes. “Yes, sweetie?”

“Are we going to see Daddy again soon?”

The question gave her pause, as Azula’s thoughts drifted to Anraq. Sen had taken Annie’s essence, but now that Sen had been defeated, his essence would have been returned. Still, there was no telling what kind of condition his body would be in after lying helpless for several days as an empty shell. As soon as she was able, Azula knew she had to go find him. He had been on Kyoshi Island when he was attacked, so that's where she would search for him. If she could convince the airbenders to let her borrow one of those bison, she could probably make the journey in half a day. Hopefully, she would find him there, no worse for wear.

“Yes…” she replied, with a soft nod. “Yes we are. Very soon, I promise.”

Kanna smiled at the answer, then snuggled herself close against Azula's chest. “I love you, Mommy.”

The words brought a smile to Azula's lips. Leaning forward she gave the girl a kiss atop her head, and replied, “I love you too, Kanna. I always will.”

Before she could settle in against Kanna for too long, Azula became aware of a new presence, someone approaching her. She glanced up with a curious gaze only to see a familiar waterbender standing there. Unfortunately, it was not the waterbender she most wanted to see, but rather one she had only recently made amends with.

“Hey,” Katara said, with a small wave.

“Oh, it's you...”Azula paused with a frown, turning her glance over to where she had seen Katara's group earlier. The others were still there, talking amongst themselves, and yet Katara had come to see her for some reason. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to ask if you'd like me to heal your injuries,” Katara said, offering a friendly smile. “You took quite a beating.”

Azula quickly shook her head. “I'll be fine. I don't need you to heal me.”

“Oh, well... alright.” Katara paused, then glanced back towards Aang and the others. “Do you…want to join us?”

The question very nearly made Azula snort with laughter, but she held it down and composed herself. With a smirk curling up one side of her mouth, she said, “Please, Katara, let's not kid ourselves. We may be on good terms now, and we may even be...friends, of sorts, but that's not a group I'll ever be part of. We both know that.”

Katara eased a sigh from her lips, but she didn't protest the comment. As much as she might have desired to try otherwise, somewhere deep down she knew Azula was right. “Alright, well I'll leave you be then. You and Kanna take care.”

At the mention of her name, Kanna looked up and smiled, giving Katara a wave. Katara waved back, and then made a move to return to Aang and the others. Before she could, though, Azula sat up straighter suddenly and reached out to grab the waterbender's wrist.

“Wait,” Azula stated. She shifted herself in her seat and moved Kanna off of her lap momentarily. “Could you...check the baby?”

Katara smiled, and then approached her. As she did, she called a bubble of water out of her hip flask and surrounded her hand with it. “Of course.” She held her hand to Azula's abdomen, and within moments the water began to glow. A few breaths passed, and then Katara pulled away, her smile growing wider. “The baby is fine.”

Azula immediately huffed out a relieved sigh. “Good... that's good.”

* * *

While most everyone else was concentrated on each other in the battle's aftermath, Asami focused on something else. Rather than the people, her gaze traveled along the tattered skyline, the broken and collapsed buildings, piles of rubble, streets torn apart into unrecognizable scars, overturned satomobiles, tiny shards of glass littering the ground like snow; everywhere she turned, she saw some new damage that made her gut churn.

“I can’t believe I have to rebuild this city _again,”_ she uttered, her head slowly shaking as she came to terms with the revelation. “This will be the…fifth? Sixth time? I don’t even know anymore.”

Varrick appeared behind her, bringing one hand to her shoulder and lifting his other into the air as a show of determination. “Oh don’t you worry, Asami, we’ll have this place good as new in no time! I mean, this is nothing compared to what the Dragon Empire did to the place, and things were back to normal in a under a year. I give it two months tops before Republic City is better than ever! For the fifth time!”

No sooner than had Varrick come next to Asami, Sin slid in to push him out of the way. She gave him a side-eyed glance, then wrapped her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders. “And I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

Asami chuckled as she watched Varrick mutter something and straighten out his jacket. Then, she turned her glance towards Sin, growing a smile and leaning in close to give the woman a kiss. “Thanks.” When the kiss broke, she turned her gaze to the other two. “All of you, I mean it. We did this together.”

“Just doing our jobs, ma’am.” Zhu Li gave a respectful bow, but when she straightened herself she had a smile of her own. “Plus, saving the human race is pretty much its own reward.”

“And thank _you_ , Shayu.” Asami turned to face the wheelchair bound girl, who sat just a few paces away. “We wouldn’t have won today without your help.”

Shayu blinked in surprise at the sudden attention from Asami. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she almost didn't notice someone else had started speaking to her. “Oh, uh… you’re welcome. I just…wanted to do something. You know, so I wasn’t useless…”

“Well you did just that,” Asami stated, with a nod. “You have my sincerest appreciation for everything you did today. And you know, I’ve been looking for a good assistant, someone to help me with my day to day tasks. I could use an intelligent and determined young woman like you.”

“Wh-what?” Shayu's eyes went wide at the statement, and she stiffened with surprise. “You mean you’re…offering me a job?”

“I am.”

“Oh, w-well thank you…” Still stunned by the offer, Shayu took a few moments to recover and compose herself. When she did, she relaxed in her chair and gave an appreciative nod to Asami. “Right now, I have to get back home to see my mother and make sure she’s okay. But, um…maybe after that. I’ll think about it.”

Asami nodded again and held her smile. “That’s all I can ask.”

* * *

The remaining three Avatars—Kyoshi, Roku, and Kuruk—were seated quietly together, away from most of the others in the crowd, when Kuvira approached them. At first, Kuvira stood there a slight distance away, focused on one of the Avatars in particular. She shifted nervously on her feet before sucking in a calming gulp of air and closing the rest of the distance between them. By that time, Kyoshi had already looked up to watch her approach.

“Kuvira, was it?” the past Avatar said.

Kuvira nodded. “Yes, Avatar Kyoshi…might I have a moment?”

“Just Kyoshi, is fine,” she said, as she stood up from her spot on the ground to follow. “I haven’t been the Avatar in a very long time.”

“Right, of course.” Kuvira gave another nod, then led the two of them to a secluded spot to talk, near the face of an alley.

“So, what do you need?”

“Well, I just…”Kuvira breathed in deep, looking the past Avatar square in the eyes—an act that required her to strain her neck to gaze upwards, as tall as the woman was. “Is what you said true? About me… _us?”_

Kyoshi gave a sudden nod of understanding. “You mean to ask if I was telling the truth when I said you are my descendent.”

“Yes.”

“Would it make a difference either way?”

Kuvira paused, her gaze lowering away from Kyoshi's. With a soft breath outward, she said, “It’s just…my whole life, I’ve struggled with my identity, wondering who I was and where I came from. My parents abandoned me when I was young, you see. I had a lovely family take me in after that, but I’ve never really known anything about my past, about my lineage… Honestly, it never even mattered to me until now. I actually resented my biological parents for a long time, and wanted nothing to do with them. But if what you said is true, if we _are_ related, then… I suppose that would just be another measure of peace for me, like the last part of the puzzle that’s been my identity finally falling into place.”

“I see.” Kyoshi took in a deep breath of her own, and then placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder, prompting the other woman to look up at her again. “Well, Kuvira, when I look at you I see someone who embodies many of the same ideals that I once did. I see a woman who would do anything for her people, and anything to protect the world, and keep it in balance. As I told you before, I see myself in you, and part of that is because we share the same blood. I am…satisfied to see my legacy continued with you.”

In the moment that followed, Kuvira spread her lips into an accepting smile. She tore her focus away from Kyoshi's face, but not out of shame or nerves. Rather, she did it to lower herself into a respectful bow, an act that Kyoshi herself returned in kind. “Thank you, Kyoshi. I promise to live up to that legacy.”

It was just one of several legacies Kuvira had to live up to now, she realized, in addition to Suyin's, and her own that she was forging for herself. Yet, in spite of the added responsibility and expectations, she didn't shy away from it. Instead, she felt herself fueled by satisfaction and determination. She was a descendant of one of the most prolific figures in history, and she would be sure to live up to that image to the best of her ability. It was a challenge she looked forward to and would meet head on. 

* * *

 High atop her perch of the partially collapsed building, P'Li watched the people below with a frown and her arms folded across her chest. They all seemed so happy together, now that the threat of Sen was gone. She heard laughter, idle conversation, words of comfort—none of it had any meaning to her. No, she didn't have anyone she could reunite with and be happy with. The only person who could do that for her was in prison, and she would never see him again.

When at last she could stand listening and watching no longer, the combustionbender muttered a quiet grumble under her breath and stood up. With a few skillful leaps, she jumped down from her spot and made her way to a nearby alley to escape it all. She could use some alone time right now to clear her head. At the very least, she didn't want to be anywhere near those people right now. However, as she turned the corner of the alley towards the next street, she heard footsteps following her. She turned sharply to face the person behind her, prepared to attack; it was a reflex that she wouldn't ever get over, ready to destroy any perceived threat. When she saw who it was, though, she relaxed slightly and glared at the man with a frown.

“Going somewhere?” Mako said, his arms crossed over the breast of his police armor.

“I don’t do mushy stuff,” P'Li responded, with a single nod back towards where they'd come from. “There’s nothing back there for me.”

Mako frowned. “So you’re just going to leave? After all that talk about wanting to do your life right this time?”

P'Li took a step back and rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m running away to go free Zaheer or anything. I’m just taking a walk. Is that a crime now?”

“Right…” Mako narrowed his eyes at her, but he didn't argue. Instead, he took a few steps closer and relaxed his arms to his side. “Well, do you want some company then?”

The question prompted a quizzical glare from P'Li. She studied the man, her eyes shifting across his face as if to detect something sinister in his request. When she couldn't find it, she simply huffed out a disapproving scoff. “Not really. Shouldn’t you be back there with everyone else being all merry, anyway?”

“Maybe,” he said, with a shrug. “But I’m still the chief of police. I need to start organizing my officers and seeing to the civilians in other parts of the city, not to mention returning those who were evacuated. They’re probably more than a little restless after what happened.”

P'Li just shook her head and waved him off as she turned to continue her walk. “Yeah, well good luck with that.”

“You could give me a hand, if you wanted.”

P'Li stopped, glancing back over her shoulder at the man. Her eyes went narrow, critical. “And why would I want to do that?”

“You said it yourself, you have nothing else to do right now,” Mako replied. “This will keep you occupied.”

Again, she studied him, trying to determine whether his offer was genuine, or just some misplaced attempt to keep her out of trouble. The way he looked back at her, his eyes stern yet welcoming... she couldn't tell. She suspected it was the latter, and yet he didn't actually seem overly concerned with whether or not she accepted. After a long moment, she groaned out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever. But I’m not doing any damn paperwork.”

Mako smirked slightly as he made his way past her, waving for her to follow him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

Korra was in the middle of readjusting Naga’s saddle, preparing to head around the city to help where she could, when she noticed several figures approaching her. She didn’t need to look, though, to know exactly who they were. There was a connection between all five of them, a connection that, even though the Avatar cycle was no more, would never go away. They didn’t speak until she was ready, and so she didn’t hurry. She simply continued to tighten the straps of Naga’s saddle, then gave the polar bear dog a few friendly pats on the snout before turning to face them.

“Hey,” she said, with a warm smile. Three of the other four Avatars returned the gesture; Kyoshi gave only a respectful nod, but it was as much a friendly gesture coming from her as a smile was from any of them.

“You did well today, Korra,” Aang said. “Just as you've done for a long time.”

Kuruk shifted awkwardly on his feet and cleared his throat. “Yeah... and contrary to what I said under Sen's control, I believe you're a great Avatar.”

 _“Was_ a great Avatar, you mean,” Korra said. Her tone wasn’t with sadness or regret, though. There was a calming acceptance in her demeanor. She had already come to terms that she wasn’t the Avatar anymore, and at this stage in her life she wasn’t going to mope about it.

“Even so, the world will remember what you did today for ages to come.” Kyoshi stepped towards her and lowered herself into a bow. “Avatar or not, your legacy will live on.”

“Indeed,” Roku said. “Able to bend all four elements or not, you are an important part of this world, and I believe you will be so for a long time to come.”

Korra grew her smile wider across her face. “Thank you, all of you. It's been so long since I've been able to speak with you like this... Well, it means a lot to hear.” She then went quiet a moment, a look of contemplation coming to her eyes. With a gentle turn of her head, she said, “There's just one thing I can't get out of my head.”

Aang returned a questioning gaze to her. “What do you mean?”

“It's probably nothing, but... When we destroyed Sen and all the essences of his victims were returning to their bodies, there were a handful that didn't go anywhere. They just... stayed there, like they were lost.” Korra turned her attention up to the sky, where those essences she was referring to had halted, with nowhere to go; they weren’t there anymore. “I don't know, there's just something about it that doesn't sit right with me.”

“Hmm.” Aang raised a hand to his chin, fingers gently rubbing across his beard. “That does seem a little odd.”

“It's probably nothing to worry about,” Kuruk said. “Just a delay, perhaps, before they returned to their bodies. Or you might have just imagined it.”

Korra eased a sigh, turning back towards Naga to rub down the polar bear’s fur. “You're probably right... Still, I can't shake it.”

“I believe I can explain that.” The voice that answered her did not come from any of the other Avatars, nor did it seem to come from their world at all. It was a smooth, feminine voice, but carried a powerful authority to it, an echo that rang with the essence of the Spirit World. Yet, it wasn’t Raava’s voice. The Light Spirit remained some distance behind Korra, watching them quietly. No, this voice came from a different spirit entirely. It wasn’t until Korra looked past a distant pile of rubble that she saw the new spirit, growing larger with each passing second. Within moments, the gnarled figure towered twenty feet above them, looking down with her multiple faces.

“Mother of Faces!” Korra announced, as she gazed up at the spirit in surprise. “It's good to see you're alright.”

“Yes, thank you, Avatar,” the great spirit replied, with a gentle bow of her head. “Because of your aid, my son's reign of terror is no more.”

“You're welcome.” Korra held a palm against her fist and returned the bow, straightening herself a moment later. “Now, what were you talking about explaining?”

“The essences that remained behind,” the Mother of Faces said. “They remained so because they had no living bodies to return to. Likely, they were some of Sen's earliest victims, whose physical shells expired before you were able to free their spirits.”

“Wh…what?” The explanation caught Korra off guard, sending a sharp stabbing dread through the center of her chest. At first, she couldn’t even bring herself to speak, unable to process what the Mother of Faces was telling her. The revelation grew steadily, building up in her mind like an overflowing river, until finally it slammed into her gut with the force of a speeding train. If those had been Sen’s earliest victims, whose bodies had expired because they had been without their spirits for too long, then that meant her father. It meant Tenzin, and Iroh, and Izumi, not to mention all the guards of the Southern Water Tribe palace. In a mere few breaths, the peace and contentedness that Korra had been feeling turned to a sickening grief that crippled her down to one knee, an arm held over her stomach. They had been too late. “No… not that’s not… That can’t be right.”

Korra wasn’t the only one taken aback by the spirit’s words. Although the Mother of Faces had spoken to her directly, she was a large spirit and had been noticed almost immediately by the others nearby. They had slowly gathered towards the spirit, listening with curiosity. Just as with Korra, though, their curiosity shifted to fear and panic in an instant, at least for those most closely affected by the news.

Jinora stared in shock, her eyes open wide. There was a disbelief in those eyes, an unwillingness to accept what she was hearing. “Dad…no… _no.”_ When she collapsed to her knees in the following moment, Katara and Aang hurried to her side, each one attempting to console the other.

“No, that can't be right.” Mai shook her head furiously, swallowing a knot in her throat. Her legs shook, appearing ready to give out at any moment from shock, but Zuko came to her side in an instant to hold her upright. She collapsed against her husband, arms tightening around him. “She's mistaken. She _has_ to be.”

“I am _not_ mistaken,” the Mother of Faces replied, in an almost insulted tone. “Those individuals, whomever they are, are dead.”

A deathly silence gripped the crowd. For those who the news affected directly, those moments were filled with suffocating sorrow and grief, as what had been a day of triumph and joy turned to one of horror. For the others looking on, they shared a mutual sympathy for the lives they witnessed falling apart before their very eyes. No one spoke a word, though, other than quiet whispers amongst those attempting to console each other, and the growing sobs of disbelief.

Korra felt her wife kneel down beside her. She felt Kuvira’s hand come to her shoulder and heard her whisper that things would be alright, that they would get through this. She wasn’t listening. Korra remained kneeling there for only another moment before her grief turned to anger and unacceptance. Tearing herself away from Kuvira’s hold, she shot back up to her feet and looked up to the Mother of Faces. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go; she wouldn’t let them.

“But there must be something you can do!” she said, gazing up at the great spirit. “Please, _help_ us. I know you can create new bodies for their spirits. You did it for Kanna. Please, do it for them too.”

The Mother of Faces’ answer was quick and decisive. “I am sorry, but I won't do that. I have already meddled in human affairs far too much, and those who have passed shall remain so.”

The anger burning in Korra’s heart ignited to new levels, pouring through every inch of her body. She took an aggressive step forward, hands balling into fists as she yelled her response up at the spirit. “You _owe_ us! We stopped _your_ son from destroying _our_ world! We _saved_ you! We saved _everyone!_ This is the least you can do for us! Please, you _have_ to!” When she finished shouting her demands, she took a step back and breathed deep, trying to calm herself. Her head bowed, and her fists unclenched. As quick as her anger had built, it returned to sorrow just as fast. “Please...”

“Korra, I am grateful for you bringing an end to Sen,” the Mother of Faces said. “But the answer is still no. I will not bring back so many human spirits. I will not alter the world's balance anymore.”

In that moment of defeat, Korra realized that no amount of pleading or demanding would change the spirit’s mind. The only thing she could think to do was collapse back to her knees. Kuvira came to her side again to hold her, but she barely registered the act. She simply knelt there, staring blankly at the ground even as her wife’s arms held her tight. All around her, the same sentiment grew throughout the others present, most strongly with Mai and Zuko, as well as Jinora, Katara, and Aang. Several others approached to offer their support, but they were met with only with grief.

As the sorrow took root and began to spread, Aang surveyed the group. He took note of his family, his friends, broken by this sudden revelation. It was in those moments that he came to a decision, or rather an idea. He wasn’t sure how likely it was that it would work, but he still had to try. So, with a deep breath he pulled away from Katara and approached the Mother of Faces. His act did not go unnoticed, as he felt multiple sets of eyes looking to him, watching, wondering what he was doing.

“Mother of Faces, please, listen to me,” Aang said, his arms opening at his sides. “There must be some way we can work this out. You claim you wish to maintain balance, but there are those here that Sen brought back who should be dead, myself included. Surely, that is just as unnatural, isn't it? Instead of freely bringing back the others, perhaps we can make an exchange of sorts.”

The great spirit tilted her head, bowing herself lower to get a better look at the past Avatar. “I doubt anything you say will sway me, but I am listening.”

Aang breathed deep once again, and gave one brief glance back to those watching. When he refocused on the Mother of Faces, he said, “I propose that you take those of us who Sen brought back, return our spirits to where they belong, and in exchange you bring back the victims he killed.”

The Mother of Faces straightened herself, still glaring down at Aang as she considered his suggestion. A deep, contemplative hum carried from her lips. “This…may be something I am willing to do.”

A surprised murmur ran amongst the crowd. Those who had just begun to grieve their losses now focused intently on the exchange between Aang and the Mother of faces, breathless as they awaited what would happen. Their hopes had been crushed only moments ago, and to get those hopes up again so soon seemed like a dangerous risk to their emotions, yet still they wanted to believe. Even so, the price it would require was not small, and that fact did not go unnoticed.

Katara was the first to voice her concerns, approaching her husband with a cautious look. “Aang, what are you doing? Please, you can't go... not again.”

“It's alright, Katara,” he said, with a gentle touch to both her arms. “If this is what needs to be done to help our son and everyone else harmed by Sen, then it should be done.”

“I…” Katara blinked her eyes shut, attempting to hide the growing wetness. “I know you’re right, but still, I… I don’t know if I can lose you all over again.”

With a simple gesture, Aang held her hand firmly with his own, and lifted them both to her heart. “We will always together, Katara, one way or another, in this life or the next.” He leaned in to give her a kiss, which she returned in earnest. This time, she didn’t bother to hide her tears. When the kiss broke, Aang pulled away and then looked to the others who Sen had brought back. “I'm not forcing anyone to go along with this, but it would be the right thing to do in order to maintain balance. You’re free to make your own decisions.”

Sokka was the first to respond. He held his hands behind his head and let out a deep sigh. “You know... I lived a good life already. Doesn't seem right to rob someone else of that chance just so I can get another go around. Count me in.”

“Sokka...” Suki reached out to him, staring him deep in the eyes. Her words never made it beyond his name, though, as she knew there would be no changing his mind. Given the circumstance, the outcome was inevitable, whether she protested it or not.

“Don't worry, babe...” Sokka leaned in close to give her one final, parting kiss. “We'll still see each other again someday.” When they pulled apart, Sokka flashed a smile and then made his way to join Aang.

Katara looked at her brother with a knot a in her throat. She knew the reasons, and she knew this had to be done, but that didn’t make it any easier. “I... I just got you both back.”

“I know, but hey, it was more than most people get,” Sokka replied, with a simple shrug.

Zuko watched Aang and Sokka carefully, glancing back and forth between them and his wife. Mai seemed to know what he was thinking almost instantly, and a look of dread flashed across her face. She knew him, and knew exactly what decision he’d come to before even he did. Her fingers tightened against his arms, trying to hold on to him for as long as possible.

“Zuko...”

“Mai, this is for our daughter, and our grandson,” he whispered, bringing a hand to her cheek. “I _have_ to do this...for them.”

“I know, but...” Mai shut her eyes, tears trickling out from behind the closed lids. With a shuddering breath, she held her forehead against his. “I love you.”

As the two embraced for what would be their last time, Azula approached them. Kanna trailed behind her, holding her hand. “Zuzu, I... We were just starting to get things right between us.”

Zuko gave his wife one last kiss, then looked to his sister. He smiled at her. “It's alright, Azula. You've come so far... you don't need me. You're strong enough on your own, just like you've always been. I'm proud of you.”

Azula clenched her jaw, fighting down her own emotions. Even after so long, she hated showing vulnerability around others. She hid her sorrow well, and gave a simple nod towards Aang and Sokka. “Well, get going then.”

Once Zuko had joined the other two, Kyoshi stepped forward. “And I suppose we should go as well.”

The remaining Avatars soon joined her, Kuruk first. “Yeah, the world doesn't need a bunch of has-been Avatars roaming around. We've already lived long lives of our own.”

“Some of us longer than others,” Roku said, with a glance towards the Kyoshi.

The giant of a woman huffed out an amused scoff. “It's not my fault Death was afraid to take me for so long.”

“And it’s no wonder Death came for her in her sleep,” Kuvira added, folding her arms across her chest. She smirked as she recalled a direct line from one of her favorite books she had read while in prison. “For had Death come for her when she was awake, there surely would have been a fight.”

Kyoshi offered a smirk in return. “Yes… I like that book.”

As the past Avatars joined Aang and the others, Suyin looked to her family. Most of them weren’t focused on her, but rather the scene before them. If they had, they would have noticed the relenting gleam in her eyes, a resigning to a fate that she knew she couldn’t escape. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and took a step forward.

“I’ll go, too.”

 _“What?”_ Opal snapped her attention to her mother, eyes wide with panic. “Mom, _no!”_

“Mother, please, you can’t…” Baatar said, with a cautious step towards her. “You were already taken from us once. We can’t lose you again.”

Suyin gazed at them with longing. She breathed outward, head shaking. “I wish I could stay…so much. But Avatar Aang is right. The world needs its balance, and Sen altered that. This is how we fix it.”

“Screw the balance!” Wei countered.

“Yeah! You’re our mother!” Wing added. “Don’t go… not again.”

“I love all of you so much…” she uttered, struggling to hold her composure. Somehow, she managed a smile. “More than I’ll ever be able to express. But this has to be done.”

“Mom… mom please, don’t…” Opal’s throat quivered, eyes already brimming with a flood set to burst at any moment.

“Come here, all of you.” Suyin held her arms open, and her children came forward immediately, all of them embracing her in warm hug, no one wanting to let go. It was at this point, when her children started to break down in her arms, she finally lost her composure, letting her tears fall freely.

“I’ll miss you…” Opal sobbed, burying her face against her mother’s shoulder. “I’ll miss you so much.”

“We all will,” Baatar said, swallowing the knot in his throat. Of all of them, he was the one most able to hold himself together. Even so, he couldn’t hide the wet streaks falling out from behind his glasses.

“I know,” Su replied, with a deep, shuddering breath. “And I’ll miss all of you. Tell your father, and Huan... tell Lin… Tell them I’m sorry, and I love them.”

When Su finally pulled away, Opal broke down completely. She fell to the ground and sobbed harder, face buried against her hands. Bolin was the first at her side to comfort her, and soon her siblings joined her.

Upon turning around, Suyin came to a sudden stop at the woman now standing in her path, and she eased a soft sigh past her lips. “Kuvira…”

“Su…” Kuvira uttered, her voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I am.”

Kuvira gazed back at her mother not with regret or sorrow, but with a quiet understanding. There was still a lingering, underlying sadness in her gaze, but it was overshadowed by acceptance. “Su, I… I love you.”

“I love you too, Kuvira. I always will.”

The two embraced briefly, but strongly, arms tight around each other. There was nothing else that needed to be said between them. They had already discussed everything they needed to discuss before now, and this was their goodbye; there was no need to make it more painful than it already was. When they finally parted, another woman had joined their presence. Toph watched them, not with her eyes but with her feet. Her blank gaze stared straight forward into emptiness, and yet still it emanated a deep sadness.

“Well, at least I get to say goodbye this time,” Toph said, with a defeated breath.

“Mom…”

Toph raised a hand before Suyin could continue. “Save it. I get why you’re doing this, and I know I can’t stop you. So I’m not even going try. I just want to say…I’m proud of you.”

Suyin smiled, coming forward to take her mother in a loving hug. “I know, Mom. I love you.”

“And I love you,” Toph replied. As her eyes closed, a gentle trickle of tears began to run down her cheeks. “Goodbye.”

Once Su had joined the others, Kuvira glanced towards the back of the crowd, her eyes narrowing at one specific individual who was still bound and gagged next to a pile of rubble. “There’s still one more.”

“Right…” Korra muttered. “It’s about time he went back too.”

Korra approached her uncle, giving him a long look as she stood over him. Unalaq lifted his head to return the gaze, and for a lingering moment they merely stared at each other. There was no defiance in Unalaq's eyes, though. There was no resistance, no trying to argue or escape. When the moment past, he simply lowered his head again and awaited his fate. Korra's own eyes faltered for just a moment with regret, before she finally reached down to lift him and carry him over to the others.

Soon, all those present who had been returned to life by Sen were ready, and the Mother of Faces looked down upon them. “I find this…suitable. I accept your terms, and will return those lost to you in exchange.”

Before the deed was done, Korra looked out at them with a gaze of appreciation. She smiled at them, trying not to let her tears show. “Thank you... all of you. You didn't have to do this.”

“But we did,” Aang replied, with a single nod. “To maintain balance in the world... That is and always shall be our ultimate duty. Still, you are welcome. Continue to serve and protect the world, Korra, that's all we ask. Goodbye.”

In a blinding flash of light, the group disappeared, melting away once again into the afterlife that they had been brought back from. When the light faded, there were a handful of new figures left behind in their place, all of them dazed and confused as they sat there on the ground, struggling to make sense of where they were and what had happened—Tenzin, Tonraq, Iroh, Izumi, and a dozen or so Water Tribe guards.

A flood of relief and elation pulsed through Korra at the sight of them, and she immediately raced towards her father. “Dad!”

Tonraq uttered a soft grumble, rubbing the back of his head. He looked to his daughter, still caught in a partial daze as she threw her arms around him. “Korra?”

“I’m so glad you’re alright. I thought…” Korra couldn't finish getting her words out. She simply tightened her arms around her father, holding him close as tears flowed ever freely down her face. Tonraq responded with a hug of his own, taking his daughter into his arms and offering her comfort.

Jinora and Katara were the next to run over, making their way towards the lone airbender who had started to rise back to his feet.

“Dad!” Jinora called, her face alight with joy.

Tenzin blinked awareness back into himself and looked to his daughter. He reacted in kind, hurrying to her with his arms open wide. “Jinora!” When they reached each other, Jinora leaped into his arms and he tightened a loving embrace around her, sinking back to his knees. “Oh, it’s so good to see you.”

“And you too, Tenzin,” Katara said, as she approached the other two.

Tenzin blinked in surprise, lifting his gaze up to her. He took a moment to look her over, almost unable to process what he was seeing. “Mother? But… what…you’re so young!”

“Yes, I suppose I am,” Katara said, with a gentle chuckle. “Younger than you now, it looks like.”

“Well that’s…going to take some getting used to,” Tenzin muttered. “How…?”

Katara just shook her head, then joined the two on their knees to wrap her own arms around them. “Worry about that later. For now, just enjoy the moment.”

Iroh and Izumi both managed to shake themselves out of their daze soon enough, taking in their surroundings. If they were confused at how they got there, they didn't show it. Rather, they simply accepted it and then turned to each other. At first, they smiled, but a moment later Iroh lifted his eyebrows in surprise at his mother.

“Mother, your scars,” he said. “They're… _gone.”_

Izumi blinked and looked down at her right arm. The burn scars that Azula had given her during their Agni Kai were indeed gone, and a quick touch to the right side of her face revealed the same. “How is that possible?”

“Because it's a new body, I suppose.” The reply came from Mai, who approached the two with a loving smile. The moment that they saw her, they both hurried forward and met her with open arms. Mai let her eyes close to hide her tears. “It's so good to see both of you alright. I was so... I thought...”

“And you as well, Mother,” Izumi said. She then pulled back, giving Mai a curious stare from behind her glasses.

Iroh paused a moment, blinking at her with confusion. “Grandmother, you’re…”

“I know,” Mai said, cutting off her grandson’s comment. She couldn’t hide her smirk, though, as she glanced down at herself, at her rejuvenated youth. “I’ll explain that later.”

Izumi, too, took a moment to look over Mai, but she didn’t press the subject. Instead, she asked, “So what was that about a new body?”

This time, the answer came from a new arrival approaching them. “That's something else that’s also best explained later. There's a lot of to get through, trust me.” When they turned to her, Azula offered a simple smirk and nodded her head to them. “Iroh, Izumi… it’s good to see you both.”

Iroh returned the bow. “And you too, Great Aunt Azula.”

Azula flinched at the title. “…don’t ever call me that again. It makes me sound so old.”

“I believe you are technically far older than either of us,” Izumi said, giving a quick glance from Azula back to her son. “Just the same as my mother.”

“Please, just _look_ at me,” Azula said, gesturing to herself with a scoff. “I’m not a day over eighteen.”

“Of course.” Izumi managed a pleasant smirk of her own, and then brought her gaze down to focus her attention on the young girl holding Azula's hand. She lowered herself to one knee and warmed her smile. “And it’s good to see you too, Kanna.”

Kanna grinned and gave the woman a welcoming wave. “Hi, Auntie ‘Zumi!” The words prompted cursory glances from the others, but no one bothered to correct the girl. Although Izumi was technically the girl's cousin, there had never been a point in saying otherwise with how messed up so many of their ages were now. It just wasn't worth the effort.

“Fire Lord Izumi!” called a new voice. The group turned to see another woman approaching, this one wheeling herself towards them atop a wheelchair. “I’m so glad to see you’re okay.”

“Ah, Shayu.” Izumi gave the woman a bow in greeting. “It’s good to see you, as well. I’d ask how you are, but I get the feeling the answer to that is a complex one right now.”

“Yeah…” Shayu gave a brief sigh and shook her head. “But I’m sure we can talk about it later. I mean, if you want.”

Izumi smiled. “I look forward to it.”

Shayu returned the gesture, then lingered her gaze past them. She looked at the others, at Tenzin reuniting with Jinora and Katara, and at Korra reuniting with her father. It was so nice, seeing this kind of joy amongst them, after they had been gripped by so much grief only moments ago. Thoughts of her own mother ran through her head, and it brought a smile to her lips. She couldn't wait to return to the Fire Nation to see her mother again.

As her gaze fell on the group of Water Tribe guards still recovering from their return, Shayu's eyes stopped at one particular individual sitting there, an individual who did nothing but stare blankly at the ground, as if lost in her despair. Shayu blinked at the woman, and a moment later realized who it was. A pulse of trepidation surged through her, mixed with worry, and anger, nervousness, even relief.

A dull nausea twisted itself in her gut, but still she wheeled herself over to the woman. She _had_ to... It had been too long. When she reached the woman, she stopped there just several paces away and remained silent, thinking of what to say. She managed only a single word. “Yula?”

Her sister blinked up with surprise, meeting her gaze. “Shayu…? Is that…you?”

“Yeah…” Shayu gazed back at her sister, a sudden sadness emanating between the two. Even without any words, so much was said in those few moments that they stared at each other. There was so much baggage between them, so much pain and anger and sorrow. Shayu had every right to hate Yula for what she had done, and Yula knew she had no right to even begin to ask for forgiveness... and yet, they were still sisters, and as much as that bond might twist or bend, it was unbreakable.

“Shayu, I…” Yula started, though her voice caught in her breath only moments later. A wet, hiccupping sob racked her throat, and in an instant she broke down into blubbering mess. Tears flooded from her eyes and she sank in on herself, almost collapsing on the ground. “I’m so sorry… for everything. I… I did all of this. Everything that happened, everything you went through. The Dragon Empire, Sen… it was my fault. It was _all_ my fault. I-I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t… _I’m sorry_. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...”

As Yula repeated the words over and over like a mantra, Shayu couldn't bring herself to say anything else. She didn't need to. Instead, she raised herself up on her arms and then slid forward out of her wheelchair. Free of the chair, she let herself drop down next to her sister and took the woman in a tight embrace. Yula immediately collapsed against her, sobbing like a child into her shoulder. In that moment, Shayu became the older sister, offering comfort and reassurance.

There was a lot of healing that needed to be done between them to even begin to fix everything that had happened, with everything that Yula had done to Shayu and their mother, and to the world... but they could try to move past it. Yula would of course still need to be taken back into custody, but now that she no longer possessed Sen's essence, perhaps she could be sent to a normal prison this time. Perhaps they could try to visit her, and perhaps they could find peace, as a family again.

Time would tell.

As the reunions began to wind down, Tenzin briefly parted from his family to make his way over to Korra and Tonraq. He gave the latter a nod in greeting, and then focused on the former. “It seems that you did an amazing job here Korra, just as you always do. I can’t thank you enough for your service and dedication to the world and its people.”

Korra smiled. “Thank you, Tenzin, but it wasn’t just me. It was all of us. We did it together.”

“I’d still like some details about everything that happened,” Tonraq said, rubbing a hand on the top of his head. “The last thing I remember, I was fighting intruders in the palace down South.”

“We’ll explain everything as soon as we can,” Korra replied. “There’s so much to tell. In the meantime, though, there are a lot of people still at the South Pole waiting for us.”

Tenzin nodded. “Of course. We should concentrate on reuniting with all of our family and friends first. Everything else can come later.” He then gave her a bow, and turned to rejoin his family.

Korra watched him a moment, then focused on her dad again with a smile. “I swear I'll explain everything soon. I just really want to go see mom again.”

“I know, sweetie,” Tonraq replied, pulling his daughter in for another hug. “Me too.”

As Korra sank into her father's hug, a new voice called out to her, a soothing voice with a soft echo to it. “Korra.”

Pulling away from her dad, Korra was met with a warm glow as she looked up to see a familiar spirit standing there. “Oh, Raava. What is it?”

“I believe that this is where I will leave you, for now,” the Light Spirit replied. “Now that we have been separated, I feel I should revisit the Spirit World for a time. It's been ages since I've been there of my own accord.”

“Of course, have fun,” Korra said, with a smile. “It'll be good for you, I'm sure.”

Raava gave a simple bow, and then turned to leave. “Thank you, Korra.”

Before she could leave, however, another spiritual voice interrupted them. “Wait a moment.”

“Mother of Faces,” Raava said, giving her fellow spirit a small bow. “It's been quite some time.”

“Indeed it has,” she replied. “But what I come to you two with now is an offer of most importance.”

Korra creased her brow, glaring curiously at the spirit. “What do you mean?”

“If ever there was an important piece in this world to maintaining balance, it is the Avatar,” explained the Mother of Faces. “I believe it imperative that you two bond once again.”

“Oh...” Korra muttered, with a wistful sigh. “I know, and that's a great sentiment, but we can't bond again outside of Harmonic Convergence. And even then, it's okay. I'm ready to not be the Avatar anymore. I'm ready to help the world as just me.”

The Mother of faces merely shook her head. “That is not true.”

Korra blinked, eyes narrowing with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“There is another way that you and Raava can bond together once again.”

An air of silence followed, as Korra gazed in shock at the Mother of Faces. She had been so ready to accept not being the Avatar anymore that she didn't even know how to react to this news. She could only glance back at Raava, who in turn looked at her.

“This is not something I know,”Raava stated, as she moved her focus to the Mother of Faces. “Please explain.”

“Bonding you with a human vessel requires an enormous amount of energy,” the Mother of Faces said. “The energy created by the spirit portals during harmonic convergence is one way. A second way to generate the required energy would be for another powerful spirit to offer that energy to you. I offer my own energy, to make the Avatar whole once more.”

Raava recoiled, stiffening straight up to her full height. “Mother of Faces... such an act would destroy you.”

“I know,” she replied. “But this is a sacrifice I am willing to make. The world needs its Avatar—it is essential to maintaining balance in the world. If I must offer up my own essence to restore this balance, then I will.”

Korra lifted her eyebrows and stared at the Mother of Faces. “I... I don't believe it. Such an offer is... I don't even know what to say.”

“You can say yes,” was the simple reply.

Looking back to Raava, Korra offered a warm look, her lips curling into a small smile. “Well, what do you think?”

“I think...” Raava said. “...the world needs its Avatar once more.”

The Mother of Faces nodded, and then reached out her arms to touch the both of them. “Then it shall be.”

A blinding flash of light filled the city, drawing the attention of all those nearby. Enraptured by the sudden display, the onlookers watched as best they could with their arms shielding their eyes against the intense glow. A pulsing wave of energy flowed outward, fueling a strong gust of wind down the street, a gust that nearly knocked over several of those closest to the center. Within moments, the wind died down and the glow faded. As the light disappeared, it revealed only Korra standing there, with her eyes closed; both Raava and the Mother of Faces had vanished.

Water bubbled beneath Korra's feet, and then in an instant lifted her up on a towering pillar. Her eyes opened, glowing white with the power of Raava. Another burst of air flowed out from her, though this one remained circling around her body in a sphere. A ring of flames followed, erupting around the wind sphere. Then came an orbiting line of rocks and stone, flowing around in a second ring. The water beneath Korra joined them a moment later, lifting up and adding a third ring to the collection of elements. In one final, powerful display, all four elements erupted outward in a combined blast that filled the sky, and soon after that, Korra returned to the ground, landing on her feet.

“Raava...” she said, holding a hand to her chest. For a brief moment, the image of Raava glowed against her torso. “It's good to be with you again.”

 _“And so we shall be,”_ Raava replied, her voice echoing in Korra's head, _“for all time.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so please try not to hate me ^^;; Events turned out a little more bittersweet than was probably expected, with Suyin, Zuko, and all the others that were brought back having to return to the afterlife. As cool as it would have been to have everyone back and happy...you had to know it couldn't happen. Nothing can ever end too perfectly. But! At least there were a lot of pleasant reunions, my favorite of which was the entire Gaang finally coming together, with Aang finally getting to see the new Air Nation. Then there was perhaps the biggest surprise, Shayu reuniting with Yula. That was an emotional scene to write.
> 
> But the saddest moment of all? Toph still won't ever get her life changing field trip with Zuko.
> 
> As for Korra finally bonding with Raava again... this was a decision I struggled with right up until I got to that scene. I really strongly considered keeping them separate and ending the Avatar Cycle. It seemed like it could be a good conclusion, a way for the world to develop in a new way. But the more I thought about it, and after watching some old Korra episodes that happened to focus on what being the Avatar means to her, I realized that having Korra no longer be the Avatar would have been taking away an important piece of her character, and I didn't want to ruin that. So, at the very least, the Avatar Cycle will continue.
> 
> And now this is where we get to the sad part of these notes. We're very close to the end here, with just three more chapters remaining. In light of that I'm going to so something I've never done before, which is give you a little preview of the remaining chapters by revealing their titles. Here you go-
> 
> Chapter 149: Life Goes On  
> Chapter 150: Ember Island Nuptials  
> Chapter 151: All's Well That Ends Well
> 
> So, what do you think will happen? Feel free to speculate on what those titles could mean, and in the meantime I'll see you soon with the next chapter!


	149. Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world moves forward after the Sen crisis, as Korra and others move on with their lives and settle back into a sense of normalcy.

It was raining when the sky bison landed on the beach of Kyoshi Island. Azula raised an arm to shield her eyes against the incoming droplets, and with her other hand she pulled up the hood on the back of her traveling coat to keep her head dry. The rain wasn’t coming down too hard yet, but it had been increasing steadily in force for the past ten minutes or so, and showed no sign of letting up. She wouldn’t be surprised if it began to pour soon.

As Azula stood up in the bison’s saddle, the airbender next to her sat back and eased a tired sigh. “Alright, here we are.”

“Yes, thank you, Jinora.” Azula turned to her other side to pick up Kanna into her arms, then with one swift movement she leaped down into the sand of the beach, landing nimbly on her feet. “Feel free to leave now. I know you need to get back to your family, or whatever.”

Jinora leaned in close against the edge of the saddle, looking down at the other woman with a raised eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t want me to wait?”

She nodded. “We’ll be fine. I’m sure I can find another way back.”

“Well, alright then. Good luck.” Jinora gave a parting wave, then pulled back on the bison’s reigns. “Come on, Pepper. Let’s go.”

Once Jinora and her bison were gone, Azula led Kanna up the path from the beach, a path that winded through trees and dense brush. The walk wasn’t a long one, and soon they came out to the entrance of a small village. In spite of its small size, though, it was more active than she had expected. People ran to and fro, some children chasing after each other and playing, parents trying to reign them in, customers shopping in the outdoor market, carpenters working on repairing damaged buildings, a group of Kyoshi Warriors training outside a dojo, and others. It had only been eighteen hours since Sen had been defeated, yet this small little village seemed to go on as though nothing had happened.

Then again, Azula supposed that made sense. She couldn’t imagine that these people had put up much of a fight against the dark spirit that attacked them, even with their Kyoshi Warriors. That, and Sen hadn’t been the size of a skyscraper. Aside from the initial confusion upon waking up with their essences returned to them, there wouldn’t have been much for them to do except get back to their lives as normal. How nice it must have been, to have that kind of simplicity in their lives.

Azula asked around for nearly an hour, questioning every person she came across if any of them had seen Anraq. Not many of them knew who she was talking about, forcing her to get her point across with physical descriptions of the man. That wasn’t much more help; although Anraq had been the only Water Tribe native to stay on the island for any amount of time in the past few decades, no one seemed to know where he was. Only a few of the people Azula asked could recall seeing him around at all, but even then they hadn’t paid him much mind. The Kyoshi Warriors were a bit more knowledgeable, having spent some time with Anraq when he brought Kanna to watch their training sessions along with Suki and Ty Lee, but they too hadn’t seen any sign of him since they had awoken. It was as though he had simply vanished from the island.

Azula’s mind began to race, as her fruitless efforts continued. What if Annie had been too injured when his essence had been stolen? What if his body had expired before his spirit could be returned to him? Or what if Sen had simply killed him outright? Azula had to take a step back and remind herself that that couldn’t be the case; if it were, then Anraq would have been there when the Mother of Faces brought back Sen’s other victims. No, Annie was still alive, he had to be. But then…where was he?

As they came to the far end of the village, Kanna tugged on Azula’s sleeve and looked up at her. “Mommy, where’s Daddy?”

Azula swallowed the anxious knot in her throat, returning the gaze. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere, sweetie. We just have to look a little harder.”

Kanna said nothing else, but she nodded and followed her mother out of the village. They followed another path and made their way down to the beach again, although this area of shore was quite a distance away from where they had started. Perhaps Annie had come this way after he woke up, or perhaps he had been attacked on the beach itself. It was possible that he had been so injured before he lost his essence that, when he got it back, he couldn’t make his way back to the village. Or maybe he just didn’t want to return to the village. Or maybe he had already left to go find her…

Azula shook her head with a grumble. There were too many possibilities, too many variables. Trying to think of them all made her head hurt. She just had to keep looking, and if she didn’t find him here then she would search somewhere else. She wouldn’t stop until she found him.

When a shadow darted above her, Azula tilted her gaze upward to find the source. Her eyes were met with a few stinging raindrops as she squinted into the sky, but soon she was able to make out the figure flying down towards the beach. As much as she would have liked to remain stoic and indifferent, the moment she recognized what it was, she felt herself smirking with a gentle relief. Druk landed in front of her, immediately lowering his face to nuzzle his snout against her. The force of the great beast knocked her back a step, but she caught herself and gave his snout a welcoming pat.

“Yes, it’s good to see you too, you lazy dragon. Did you enjoy your nap?”

The dragon replied with a snorting growl that sounded somewhat like a scoff. Then, he lowered himself farther, enough so that Kanna could reach up and pet the tuft of fur that covered the scales across his jaw.

Kanna giggled, looking up at her mother. “Look, Druky’s okay!”

“Yes, I suppose he is.” Azula held her smirk a moment longer, then gave the dragon a more serious stare. “I don’t suppose _you_ know where Annie is, do you?”

Druk shrugged off the question with a simple grumble, turning his head to look further down the beach. The dragon's gaze settled on the line of tropical trees and grass at the edge of the sandy shore, where a figure had just stumbled out into the open. It was Anraq, limping along with a long stick pushed up underneath one of his armpits like a crutch. The moment that Azula spotted him, Anraq raised an arm to wave at her.

“Heeeey!” he called.

Azula found herself almost frozen in the following moment, only able to stare at him the closer he approached, as relief and joy began to flood through every facet of her spirit. “Annie…”

Kanna, on the other hand, was not nearly as rooted as Azula.

“Daddy!” The excited yell came with a big grin and a happy giggle as the little girl raced across the sand towards her father. The moment that she got close enough, she leaped up into Anraq's arms and wrapped her own arms tightly around him. He caught her, sinking down to his knees with his arms wrapped around her in return. Kanna buried herself against his chest, trying to hide the tears that were already starting to flow. “I missed you!”

“Hey, Sweet Pea.” Anraq brushed his fingers through his daughter's hair, and gave the top of her forehead a gentle kiss. “I missed you too…so much.”

After father and daughter had been given a suitable moment to reunite, Azula approached them with an amused smirk. “Well, looks like you’ve seen better days.”

“Oh, this?” Anraq glanced down at the makeshift crutch he had been forced to discard when he caught Kanna. He scoffed at it and then returned to his feet, although he couldn't hide the shakiness of his legs, or the cuts and bruises that still lined his body, as faded as they were. The torn clothes he wore didn't help his image much either, but still he played it off with a dismissive wave. “Please, I’ll be good as new in no time. Spent most of the afternoon healing myself up. Granted, I couldn’t make it very far from those trees over there, but I managed. So, I take it you guys showed that overgrown insect who’s boss.”

“We certainly did.” Azula's smirk faded the longer she stared at Anraq. Her gaze turned almost fearful, as the thought of what might have been nagged at the back of her mind. A second later, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tight around him, pulling him close into a hug. He returned the act, and the feel of his strong grip embracing her put Azula at ease. “Annie, I’m… glad to see you’re alright. I wasn’t sure if…”

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” he said, pulling back so he could look her in the eyes. “Everything’s fine, see?”

With a deep breath, she stared back at him and managed another smile. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

The two came together in a deep kiss, lips pressed tight together. Azula's arms came down around Anraq's waist, while Anraq raised his hands to her cheeks, and in that instant Azula thought there couldn't be anything more perfect. Not even the rain could ruin this. She melted forward into the kiss, put all of her passion into it, and she could feel Annie doing the same. If not for Kanna standing just two steps away watching them, Azula was sure that the kiss would have exploded into something far more intimate.

When at last the kiss was over, Anraq stepped back and stared at her, his eyes softening and a warm, almost distant smile coming to his lips. “This is…heh, this is it. It _has_ to be it.”

Azula raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? What’s 'it'?”

“The moment… the right moment.” Anraq looked down at himself momentarily, reaching into his pockets and fumbling around in search for something. He found it soon enough, but when he pulled his hand back into the open, he didn't reveal what it was he was holding. At least, not yet. Instead, he returned his gaze to her and stared deep into Azula's eyes. “Azula… I know when we first met, things were, well, more than a little rough between us. Being enemies trying to kill each other generally has that effect.” He offered a small chuckle, then continued. “But since then… you’ve become one of the two most important people in my life. I never want to let you go. I want to be with you for as long as we live, I want to wake up next to everyday, and I want us to be a family, officially.”

Azula blinked, eyes narrowing with curiosity. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, and that made her nervous. “Annie, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I love you more than I’ll ever be able to show…but maybe this will be a good start.” Finally, Anraq brought his hand forward and revealed what he was holding: a small velvet box. He allowed one brief moment to pass as a way to draw out suspense, and then opened the box to reveal the ring inside. “Azula… will you marry me?”

To say that Azula was stunned by the question, as well as the sudden appearance of a wedding ring, would have been a vast understatement. Her throat went numb as she gazed down at the ring in the small velvet box. Her palms began to sweat even in spite of the rain, and she swore that wolf bats were now flapping around inside her stomach. It was a long moment before she could bring herself to say anything, but Anraq never pushed her to answer before she was ready.

“Annie, I…” Azula paused, allowing her gaze to linger away. Her brow furrowed together, deep thoughts racing through her mind. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, and thick with disbelief. “Throughout my whole life, I never thought about being a wife…much less, a mother. I never imagined having anyone show me the kind of love you have, or loving them in return just as strongly.” She shook her head, eyes closing as she brought a palm to her forehead. A gentle chuckle surged up from her throat, and then she finally looked up to Anraq again. There was no smile on her lips, though—only a deep, loving gaze. “Ever since I let you in my life, everything has been like a dream. Of all the ways for my life to go, I never would have imagined this. But now, I… I can't ever imagine my life being any other way.”

Anraq raised his eyebrows expectantly, leaning closer to her. “Is…that a yes?”

“Well, it _is_ a lovely ring. I suppose I wouldn't mind wearing it.” Azula promptly plucked the ring out of the velvet box and slipped it onto her left ring finger. She then held it up and tilted her hand to get a better look at it. The band was gold, carved with a pattern of twin dragons on either side, and the stone was a perfectly cut garnet, its color a deep blood red. Annie knew her so well. With a teasing smirk, she returned her focus to the man across from her...to her new fiancé. “Yes, Annie, I will marry you.”

“Ha, _yes!”_ Anraq shouted with excitement, throwing his arms up in triumphant jubilation. He managed to calm himself a moment later, but that didn't stop him from reaching forward to grab Azula by the waist, lift her up, and swing her around, all the while laughing with joy. When he finally set her back down on her feet, he leaned forward and pulled her in for another kiss.

Kanna looked up at them with big eyes, reaching forward to tug on her father's pantleg. “So you guys are gonna get married? Like really, completely married?”

Anraq chuckled, then broke the kiss to look down at her. “Yes, Sweet Pea. We’re getting really, completely married.”

“Awesome!” Kanna gave a big, excited grin, but it soon turned to a surprised revelation. She looked back up at her father again, this time with a pleading gleam in her eyes. “Oh, _oh!_ Can I be the flower girl? _Can_ I?”

“Of course you can,” Azula said, with a matter-of-fact nod. “But I want to have this wedding as soon as possible, no waiting around for a year and planning every little detail. I want to be walking down that aisle while I can still fit into a dress.”

Anraq blinked, squinting his eyes at his fiancée as he attempted to piece together what she meant. “While you can…wait, what?”

“Oh, did I forget to mention?” Azula smiled, then reached down to grab Anraq's hand. She promptly brought it forward and pressed it against her abdomen. “We’re having a baby, Annie.”

“You’re…serious?” Anraq blinked again, trapped in a moment of shock that he didn't look like he would break out of. Within a few moments, though, his face broke out into excitement and he let loose a delighted laugh. “Haha! That’s _fantastic!”_ He dropped down to his knees, then held his head gently against Azula's stomach, as if trying to listen to the growing baby inside. “You hear that, Kanna? You’re going to have a little brother or sister!”

Kanna grinned. “Yup, Mommy already told me!”

Azula snorted a small laugh, as she gazed down at Anraq in front of her. “Honestly, Annie, you’re excited enough for all three of us.”

“You’re damn right I am!” Anraq returned to his feet a second later and then reached forward again to embrace his future wife. The rain had started falling harder now, but it didn't bother either of them. Anraq merely smiled and leaned in closer, while brushing away a few loose strands of Azula's hair out of her face. “I love you, Azula.”

“And I love you, Annie.” Azula softened her smile, and then leaned in the rest of the way to once again join their lips together, embraced in the pouring rain.

* * *

Two days after the defeat of Sen, a ship from the South Pole pulled into the Republic City Harbor. Korra was there, waiting on edge for the ship to dock and for the passengers to disembark. Kuvira stood next to her, along with Tonraq. Others had gathered, too—Tenzin, Jinora, Katara, Opal and Bolin, as well as the entire Beifong family, and even Hari. It had been an agonizing couple of days, waiting for the arrival of their friends and family who had been attacked down South, but the steady communication that had come in from the ship was enough to quell their anticipation while they waited. Now that the ship had actually appeared, however, that excitement built up with renewed vigor.

The first one off the ship when the gangplank extended down to the dock was Senna. Korra and Tonraq both immediately ran to greet her, although it was Korra who reached her mother first.

“Mom!” she exclaimed, as she wrapped her arms tight around the woman.

Senna sank into the embrace, holding her daughter close. “Oh, Honey…I’m so glad to see you’re okay.”

“Me too, Mom. Me too.”

“Hey, aren’t you forgetting someone?” Tonraq stepped forward with a grin, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

Senna eased away from Korra and turned a pleasant smile towards her husband. “You too, dear. It’s so good to see you safe.” The two came forward a moment later and embraced, joining their lips in a deep kiss.

When the kiss finally broke, Tonraq gave his wife's cheek a gentle caress with his hand, gazing deep into her eyes. “It’s good to see you too, hun. I missed you.”

The next group off the ship was a familiar family of airbenders, in Pema, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan. In spite of the significance of their arrival, both Ikki and Meelo were talking excitedly to their mother, while Rohan trailed slightly behind pulling at Pema's robes. Pema tried to calm them, responding with a sigh and a roll of her eyes; it had, evidently, been a long trip from the South Pole. Only when her husband's voice called out to her did Pema pull her attention away from the kids to the docks.

“Pema!” Tenzin ran to his family, followed closely behind by Jinora. The moment that they reached each other, they all came together in a warm embrace. “Thank goodness you're all okay.”

“Oh, Tenzin…” Pema held her husband tight, head resting on his shoulder. “I was so worried.”

Jinora concurred the sentiment with a pleasant smile. “It’s so good to see you, Mom.”

“Hey, what about us? We all had our spirits sucked out too, you know.” Ikki folded her arms and huffed, offering a mock pout. Both Meelo and Rohan mimicked the action, as they seemed to go unnoticed by their sister.

“Yeah, yeah, you too,” Jinora said, giving her siblings a side glance.

“So, I hear you all beat the big bad spirit, huh?” Meelo sucked in a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest, which he made sure to puff out as best he could. “Took you long enough. But I guess that’s because you didn’t have the Mighty Meelo to help you out.”

“Dork.” Jinora turned to her brother and gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. Then, she came forward and wrapped her arms around all three of her siblings. “It’s good to see you.”

Their embrace was interrupted a moment later when a new voice spoke. “Now there’s a beautiful girl I haven’t seen in a while.”

Jinora's heart leaped at the sound of the voice, and she immediately turned around with an excited smile. “Kai!”

The fellow airbender grinned. “Miss me?”

Jinora said nothing else, instead lunging into her boyfriend's arms and bringing him in for a deep kiss. The act prompted immediate groans and gags from Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan, but she ignored them. They certainly weren't going to ruin this moment.

The next few to make their way down the ship's gangplank was Bumi, Lin, and Kya. Bum-Ju perched atop Bumi's shoulder, chirping quietly as he watched the other three interact. Kya had her arm around Lin's waist, while Lin herself tightened her arms across her chest, an annoyed grimace on her face.

“No, I’m serious!” Bumi insisted, as he held his arms up in a boxing pose. “I could have taken that ugly bug if I’d just had one more good opening. A little one two combo, and _bam!”_ He threw a couple of quick punches, punctuating them with successive blasts of air. “Would have knocked him for a loop.”

“Riiight,” Kya replied, giving her brother a sidelong glance. “Bumi, you’re lucky you didn’t pull something when that spirit handed you your ass.”

“Handed _all_ of us our asses,” Lin muttered. “We’re all lucky to be alive.”

Kya smiled, then gave her wife a gentle peck on the cheek. “But we _are_ alive, so there’s no point in complaining.”

Lin grumbled. “If you say so.”

As the three arrived at the docks, one particular individual came forward to greet them. Her focus was on Bumi and Kya specifically, eying them with a loving smile. “Well, there’s a couple of sights for sore eyes.”

Kya looked up, and when she saw Katara standing there, she huffed out a relieved sigh and came forward to hug the woman. “Mom…it’s good to see you.”

Bumi joined them, wrapping his arms around the two of them. “We missed you.”

“I know…” Katara said. “I missed you too.”

“But you’re, uh…” Kya paused, taking a step back to look over her mother. A frown creased across her face. “Still so young...”

Katara took a moment to look down at herself, then gave a soft chuckle. “Yeah, looks like that’s one thing from this whole Sen debacle that isn’t going to change. Not that I’m complaining too much.”

Kya immediately responded with a groan, while taking a look at her own silver hair. It had lost its color nearly two decades earlier, but now it was her mother whose hair had returned to a rich, deep auburn. “Oh that is just not fair.”

“We’re going to die before you now, aren’t we?” Bumi muttered, with a deadpan.

In spite of Bumi's comment meant mostly as a joke, Katara actually paused a moment to consider the words. They had truth in them; Katara was much younger now than any of her children, no older than her mid-twenties. Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya were now all at least thirty years older than her. What that meant for the future... She didn't want to consider it. The thought sent a sudden twinge of sadness through her, but she quickly shook it away. “Let’s…not think about that right now. Let’s just enjoy this. I love you both.”

“Yeah, we know,” Kya replied, with a gentle sigh. “We love you too, Mom.”

Meanwhile, Lin had broken away from Kya and gone to greet the rest of her family on the dock. Kuvira was there, along with Opal, Bolin, Toph, Baatar Sr. and Jr., Wing, Wei, and Huan. She gave them as subtle a grin as she could manage when she saw them. “Well, I see you all managed to pull through no worse for wear.”

“Meh, it was nothing,” Toph replied, with a simple shrug. “That dunderhead Sen never stood a chance.”

Opal hurried forward in an instant, and wrapped her arms around Lin. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Aunt Lin.” Her words were broken by choppy shuddering, as if she were trying to hold back sobbing, and her hold was tight, strong, not wanting to let go.

“Yeah…you too.” Lin blinked down at the woman holding her, and after a moment of confusion she returned the embrace. She looked up at the other members of her family, her gaze narrowing as she looked back and forth amongst the group. It was then that she realized something was wrong—that someone was missing. “Where’s Su?”

“Lin…” Kuvira started a response, but couldn't get anything else out. She didn't need to. Lin understood instantly, and in the following moment an air of sorrow descended across the entire family.

“I knew it was too good to be true, Su coming back like that. I should have… I should have expected this.” Lin closed her eyes, a knot starting to rise up in her throat. She sucked in a deep breath as she tried to steady her emotions, but the breath cracked with a partial sob. “And I still didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.”

Lin managed to keep herself together just a moment longer. She returned Opal's hug tighter than before, offering her niece as much comfort and support as Opal was for her. It was when the remainder of her family came closer and joined the embrace that the strong, resilient old woman finally allowed her emotions to show, and her tears to flow.

The final pair to emerge onto the ship's gangplank was Eska and Desna. The twins shuffled along towards the dock, their expressions just as indifferent and unamused as they always appeared to be. Only when they were greeted by the person they had come for did they finally shift and show any sign of intrigue. They didn't even make it all the way down gangplank before Hari appeared before them, offering them both a respectful bow.

“Ah, Hari,” Desna stated. “It is good to see you unharmed.”

“Yes, we would have been most displeased had you fallen to Sen,” Eska added.

“Thank you, Chief Eska, Chief Desna.” Hari straightened himself out of his bow, offering both twins a pleasant smile. “I’m glad to see you both alright, too.”

Eska returned an ever so slight smile of her own, the corner of her mouth jus barely turning upward. “We heard how you assisted in bringing down the terror that was Sen’s assault against humanity. This pleases us.”

Desna nodded. “Indeed. We were right in taking an interest in you. You have done well.”

Each twin then came closer to Hari and leaned in to give him a kiss on either cheek. Hari stiffened slightly at the show of affection, responding with a growing blush. He almost didn't even realize that the twins had then each grabbed one of his hands, tugging him along back up the gangplank towards the ship.

“Now, let us celebrate by copulating together while we return to the North Pole,” Eska stated.

Desna concurred with a firm nod. “Yes, it has been far too long since we've had intimate relations with one another.”

Again, Hari blushed, stumbling as his feet caught up to the pace at which both twins were leading him. “O-oh, okay, uh… okay.” When he finally did manage to pull in stride with them, his lips curled into a delighted smile, and the three disappeared into the ship.

Soon after the reunions had come to a close, Kuvira made her way back over to Korra. She gave Senna and Tonraq both a warm greeting, and then pulled her wife aside. They stood together in silence for just a moment, watching the others gathered on the dock with a smile. After all the pain and torment that Sen had caused, balance had finally been restored.

“Looks like things can finally start moving forward,” Kuvira said, as she wrapped her arms around her wife's waist. “Mostly, anyway. There’s still a lot more work to do.”

“Yeah…but we’ll handle it,” Korra said. “We always do.”

Kuvira grinned, and then brought her lips tenderly against her wife's. “Yeah, we do.”

* * *

Later that night, Bolin and Opal had returned to their apartment, which had miraculously been spared during the battle. Several buildings in their neighborhood had been decimated during Sen's attack, and yet somehow their home had come out of it unscathed. It had been a relief to know that they wouldn't have to dig through rubble for their belongings, or find a new place to live in the meantime. Still, the view outside their front window wasn't exactly pristine anymore.

Bolin sat at the window, watching the streets down below as construction crews worked to clean up the street. Earthbenders moved the rubble into neat piles and loaded dump trucks, which hauled it away to be recycled into raw materials needed for reconstruction. It was a laborious process, but the crews worked quickly. With the efficiency at which they worked, the streets would be clear in a couple of days or so. Then, the rebuilding process would begin.

“Looks like things are really coming along down there,” Bolin said. “Asami and Varrick should have Republic City back to normal in no time.”

Opal glanced back over her shoulder to look at her husband. The gaze she offered was distant, as if not all there. “Yeah, looks like it...”

For the past hour, Opal had been playing with baby San, holding out toys to the young child and making funny faces. The pleasant laughter from the child brought a warmth to the young mother that had been sorely missing the past few days. Ever since Suyin had gone once again, there had been a small piece missing from Opal's heart, an underlying grief that didn't seem to go away no matter the other joy that she should have felt. She had lost her mother not once, but twice now. The first time had been bad enough, but the second time ate away at her like some kind of gradual disease eating at her health, slowly whittling her down to nothing.

Bolin turned his focus away from the window and back to his wife. For a moment he just looked at her with curiosity, but soon he got up from his spot near the window and made his way to her. “Hey, are you doing okay?”

Opal held out a small, jingling bell above her son's face, causing the baby to wiggle with delight. In spite of this, Opal's expression drooped. “I... I don't know. It's just... I was _just_ getting used to having my mom back, having her alive, and now she's gone again.” Opal finally held the bell lower, allowing San to reach up and grab it. San giggled, shaking the small toy to make it jingle louder. “I shouldn't have been stupid enough to think that she could stay.”

“You weren't stupid.” Bolin knelt closer to his wife, bringing his arm around her shoulders. “You just missed your mom. Anyone would. Besides... it's not like it's every day that people come back from the dead, right? I don't think any of us knew what to expect.”

“I _know_ that, and I know why she did it, why she left, but still...” Opal swallowed, reaching up to wipe away the growing tears at the corners of her eyes. “I've lost her twice now. It was hard enough the first time around, but now this...”

“Hey, hey, come here.” Bolin leaned in closer, bringing his arms around his wife. Opal fell against him, her chin resting on his shoulder. “It'll be alright, Opal, we're here for you... both of us.”

Opal managed a smile, her gaze turning from her husband back down to their son. “Thank you, Bolin.”

Moments later, a knock came on their front door. Bolin started to get up, but Opal assured him that she would be okay to answer it. So, while Bolin continued entertaining San, Opal made her way to the door. After taking a second to make sure her eyes were clear, she pulled it open to see who was on the other side. When she saw the two women standing there, she snapped to attention and gave a welcoming smile.

“Oh, Aunt Lin, Kya!”

Lin gave an ever so slight smile, as though the act was a great effort for her. “Hey, Opal. How are you holding up?”

“I'm... doing okay. How are you?”

“Doing about as well as I can be,” Lin sighed. “All things considered.”

Kya smiled, giving her wife a gentle nudge with her elbow. “Fortunately, she's one tough old woman. Plus, she has me.”

Opal returned the smile, and then took a step back into the apartment so they could enter. “Well, that's good. Please, come in. What brings you here?”

“Well, since downtown was mostly spared from the battle, Lin and I thought we'd head to a bar tonight,” Kya said, as she followed Opal into the apartment. “Thought maybe you two might want to join us.”

“Oh...” Opal glanced back over her shoulder at Bolin and San, easing a gentle breath out her lips. “Well, thank you for the offer, but we can't exactly bring San with us, and it's a little short notice to get a babysitter.”

Lin gave scoffing chuckle, pointing towards the still-open doorway with her thumb. “We got you covered, kid.”

On cue, Bumi poked his head into the open and waved to them. Bum-Ju was with him, fluttering around the corner through the air into the apartment. “Not to worry there, Uncle Bumi's got everything taken care of! Bum-Ju and I are great with kids. The little guy and I will have a blast together.”

Opal blinked in surprise, taking a step back as Bum-Ju flew past her. “Oh, uh, then yeah. I suppose I could use some time out to clear my head. What do you think, Bolin?”

Bolin gave one more look down at San, then stood up to join the others. “Sounds good to me. We haven't actually had a good night out in a while.”

“Well alright then!” Bumi announced, on his way towards the baby. Bum-Ju had already made it there, and San had taken to tugging at the dragonfly bunny spirit's floppy ears. “You kids get going and leave everything to me. You got nothing to worry about, that's my honest soldier's salute to you.”

“Okay, the instructions we leave for the usual babysitter are on the fridge, so just follow that,” Opal said.

Bumi replied with a firm salute. “Yes, ma'am!”

Lin waved them along, already heading towards the door. “Alright, let's get going before I fall asleep. Not as young as I used to be, you know. Unlike my mother…”

Opal quickly followed, grabbing her coat off its hook on the way by. “Right, let’s go. And Aunt Lin?” A smile flashed on her face. “Thank you.”

* * *

P'Li stood motionless in front of the heavy metal door, just staring at it. For the past twenty minutes, that was all she had been able to bring herself to do. It had taken several weeks since Sen's defeat for this moment to arrive, and yet now that she was here, she couldn't bring herself to proceed. She found herself nervous, more so than she had been about anything in her entire life. Deep down, she knew how this would play out, knew that she had to go through with it, and yet still she stood there frozen, unable to take the next step forward.

As the minutes continued to tick away, Mako took a step next to her, eying her curiously. He had come with her, of course. After all, he had been the one who actually made this happen. P'Li still wasn't exactly sure how he did it, but she decided not to question it. This was a moment she hadn't thought she would ever have, so there was no point in trying to analyze it now that it had happened. She just had to accept it and go through with it. If only she could take that next step...

“What are you waiting for?” Mako asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I guess I didn’t expect to ever have this chance. Just need a minute to prepare myself.”

Mako folded his arms and smirked at her. “Didn’t take you as one to get flustered in the face of big moments.”

P'Li's gaze shifted towards Mako, narrowing with annoyance. “Shut up.”

Mako simply chuckled. A moment later, he turned his focus to the heavy metal door in front of them and said, “You know, I pulled a lot of strings and called in most of the favors people owe me to make this happen, so don’t waste it.”

“I’m not going to waste it. I’m ready.” P'Li took another deep breath inward and then finally stepped forward. On command, the pair of White Lotus guards on either side of the door activated the locking mechanisms. Slowly but surely, the metal doors began to slide open.

“Just keep in mind,” Mako said, “the interior steel walls are ten feet thick and reinforced with concrete. Even you can’t blast your way out of there.”

This time, it was P'Li's turn to smirk. “What’s the problem, still don’t trust me?”

“Just obligated to inform you.”

“Right…”

As the first set of doors opened, P'Li made her way into the next small antechamber. The doors then closed behind her, and the next set opened. Again, she stepped through the doors, waiting for them to close behind, and then for the next set to open. This continued four times until finally the main doors opened up into the prison cell beyond. It wasn't a large cell, a mere ten foot by ten foot, with walls, floor, and ceiling all composed of concrete-reinforced steel. Mako had been right; if she tried to blast her way out of here, it would take her hours, if at all. It was fortunate then that she didn't plan on trying.

When the final set of doors closed behind her, P'Li turned her focus towards the center of the cell. There sat the reason she had come here, floating in midair with his legs crossed and eyes closed—meditating into the Spirit World most likely, she thought. That was fine, though; she could wait. For now, she simply strode forward and stood in front of the man, patient. She did, however, utter a single word in hopes of calling him back to their world sooner.

“Zaheer…”

The sound of her voice caused Zaheer to sit up straighter, brow furrowing with confusion and recognition. For a moment, he didn't dare open his eyes, as though afraid he might be hearing things. When at last he did, he fell from the air in shock, only barely catching himself on his feet. His chains rattled behind him, almost tripping him as he righted himself. He took a few steps forward, coming as close to P'Li as he could before the chains pulled tight. The look in his eyes was one of pure astonishment and disbelief.

“P’Li…?”

She nodded, giving a sweet smile as she came forward to embrace him. “Yes, Zaheer. It’s me.”

Zaheer stared a moment longer, almost unable to believe what his own eyes were telling him. When he came forward, he tightened his arms around the woman and pulled her close into a kiss. P'Li was forced to brush aside his long, ragged hair, and find his lips through the bushy beard he had grown, but still their embrace was exactly how she had imagined it, a reunion she had long awaited for since returning to life. If only she weren't about to destroy it...

When the kiss finally broke, Zaheer stared up at her. “I don’t understand. How? I saw you…”

“It’s a long story,” she said. “The gist of it is that I was brought back to this world by a powerful spirit. Since then, I’ve been given a second chance at life.”

“You mean Sen…” Zaheer's gaze shifted momentarily in thought. “I’d heard news, rumors, about what happened. I even saw the catastrophe his very presence wrought on the Spirit World. After a while I couldn’t even meditate there anymore. But I never imagined this…”

When Zaheer's focus shifted back to her, P'Li offered another smile. This one, however, was more strained, and apprehensive. “Yes, it is... remarkable.”

A beat passed, and then it happened. Zaheer's eyes moved, glancing downward to take in more of P'Li than just her face. The moment that he realized the clothes she was wearing, his gaze narrowed. “That uniform… It’s United Forces military.”

“Yes…” P'Li took a step backwards, and looked down at herself. “I enlisted last week.”

“You _what?”_ Zaheer's stance faltered. He stumbled back a step, lifting his gaze to stare at P'Li, eyes wide with shock. _“Why?”_

“Because I needed a job, and this was really the only position suited for someone of my kind of talents,” P'Li said, with a small shrug. She knew it wasn't the answer Zaheer was searching for, but she wasn't quite certain if she was ready to launch into her full explanation. “It was either that or a police officer, and I don’t like paperwork.”

“I mean, why did you conform to a poisoned society?” Zaheer shot back. His expression shifted now from surprise into anger, only barely containing himself from flying into a full rage. “Our whole life we’ve fought against oppressive governments, made it our mission to bring the world back to its natural order, into chaos! And now you’re telling me you’ve forgotten all of that? You’ve become part of the very thing we stand against!”

P'Li remained unshaken at the accusations. She simply took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and then finally prepared to deliver the news she had been building up to this entire time. “No, Zaheer. That is what _you_ stand against. I believed in it because _you_ believed in it, because I loved you and vowed to follow you to whatever end.

“I never had any other option when I was younger, when we were first brought into the Red Lotus. I grew up with it, never knew anything else. I thought it was the only way. But now that I have a chance to do things differently, to take a step back and look at the world in a new way? I realize how foolish we always were. Our methods, our goals, our mission… what did any of it get us?”

A soft breath exhaled from P'Li's lips, as she let her eyes close in thought. “I died, Ghazan and Ming-Hua are still dead, and you’re in prison for the third time. The Red Lotus has been beaten time and time again, but still you never change.” When her eyes opened again, she softened her gaze at the man she loved, a mix of sorrow and regret. “We were never going to make a difference, Zaheer. We were always doomed to fail. I’m not going to keep chasing a fool’s dream. I’m going to find a new way to help people, a new way to change the world, a better way. _My_ way.”

Zaheer took a moment to digest the information. An angry grimace twisted across his face, as though the information had poisoned him. “Then why did you come here? Why restore my heart only to shatter it again?”

“Because I needed to see you,” she stated. “I needed closure. Zaheer… I will always be grateful for having you in my life, and I will always love you, but our time together is over. After today, I don’t think we’ll ever see each other again.” With another deep breath, P'Li swallowed the growing knot in her throat. “This is goodbye.”

Zaheer didn't say anything. He stared at her a long moment, pain and anger shifting back and forth across his face. Eventually, he looked away, still silent. With several small steps, he returned to the center of his prison cell and again hovered into mid-air with his legs crossed, his back to P'Li. Only then did he finally offer any words.

“Then go.”

“Zaheer…” She tried to reach out to him, but he quickly rebuffed any attempts at mending things.

“ _Goodbye_ , P’Li.”

When she realized that it was finally over, P'Li turned from Zaheer and made her way back to the cell entrance. The journey through the series of doors was an agonizing one, taking far longer for her than the trip inside. She barely even registered each set of doors as they opened, far too absorbed in her thoughts to care. Even as she finally made her way through the final set and out into the long hallway beyond, her focus remained lost and unsteady.

“So…how did that go?” Mako asked, taking a step next to her.

P'Li said nothing, remaining silent as she walked past the police chief without giving him so much as a glance. Mako watched her a moment, then gave a sigh and followed her out of the prison.

* * *

Shayu looked around in awe as the elevator doors opened up to the top floor of Future Industries Tower. While she had seen all sorts of grandeur before, from Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation royal palace, she had never been to the top of a skyscraper, and certainly never imagined one of this magnitude. It was, quite simply, an engineering marvel, and that fact did not escape her. Gazing up from the streets towards the top, so far above her, had been awe inspiring enough. Being at the top floor and looking down, however, was an entirely different story. A quick glance to her left revealed an entire wall of windows that gave a clear view of Republic City beyond. She could see all the way across the city from up here; it took her breath away.

As Asami led the way down the proceeding hallway, Shayu quickly shook out of her astonishment and wheeled herself forward to follow. While Asami had offered to push the chair herself, Shayu had politely refused. She was grateful for the offer, of course, but she had to prove to her future boss that she was capable of getting herself around just the same as anyone else. When they reached the end of the hallway, Asami stopped in front of a large pair of doors with the Future Industries logo painted across them. Just outside the door was a small desk, set up as a semi-circle and placed against the wall.

“And this is my office,” Asami said, planting her hands on her hips. “The desk out front is where you'll be working most of the time, unless I have to go out and need you to come with me. I do have to split my time between here and City Hall. Running a company and being president keeps me quite busy, as you can imagine.”

“This place is so amazing...” Shayu continued to look around, her eyes darting from the doors to Asami’s office, and to her new desk. When she finally settled her focus back on the president, her body was practically shaking with excitement. “Thank you so much for this opportunity, Asami. _Oh_ , I mean, Miss Sato. Uh, wait, I mean, Madame President?”

Asami chuckled softly. “Asami is just fine, thank you.”

“Right... okay.” Shayu eased a nervous breath, sinking slightly in her chair.

“So, how are you and your mother settling into Republic City?”

“Pretty well,” she said. “It was sad to leave Fire Lord Izumi and the Fire Nation behind, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up. My mom is fixing up our new apartment right now... which is something else I won't be able to thank you enough for.”

Asami merely held up her hand and shook her head. “Think nothing of it. Just work hard, and you can consider the debt repaid.”

Shayu smiled, and gave a respectful bow of her head. “Thank you, Asami.”

“So, should we head out now? I have a limo waiting out front.”

“Yeah... I think it's time.”

The drive from Future Industries to the Republic City prison was a short one, but for Shayu it seemed to last an eternity. She found herself fidgeting the entire way, fingers repeatedly gripping and letting go her pantlegs. If she had any feeling left in her legs at all, she was certain they would be jittering the same as they used to when she got nervous as a kid. Nowadays, her anxiety had to settle with tapping her fingers rapidly against her thighs. Dragonfly bunnies had started to thump around in her stomach, as well, and for a moment she feared she might fall ill. But it was just her nerves, she kept reminding herself. This was something she had planned, something she needed. She couldn’t back out now.

When they arrived at the prison, Asami helped her out of the limo and into her wheelchair. This time, Shayu allowed herself to be pushed inside, up through the front lobby where they met with the warden. After a brief introduction, the warden led them deep into the prison, towards one of the more isolated cells. At one time, this very same cell had housed Kuvira. Now, it was home to a different resident.

When they arrived outside the cell door, Asami took a step back, leaving Shayu to her own devices. “Take as much time as you need.”

Shayu nodded. “Thanks.”

After the warden unlocked the cell door and stepped aside to let her through, Shayu wheeled herself inside. The door slid shut a moment later, locking behind her. In the center of the cell, with her back to the door, was Yula. The former Dragon Empress sat slouched in a chair, painting careful black lines across the white canvas in front of her, set up on an easel. The lines made no particular pattern or picture; they were merely a way to exercise the woman’s creative mind.

Ever since being separated from Sen’s essence, Yula had lost not only the increased power that it gave her, but also her ability to bend entirely. As a result, she was little threat to anyone anymore, and there was no reason to keep her in a special prison. So, with minimal appeal to the powers that be, Shayu was able to have her sister set up in a normal prison, as nothing more than an ordinary prisoner. From what she had heard, Yula hadn’t even tried to cause any trouble, and spent most of her time sitting there, painting at her easel. Dozens of finished paintings hung around the room on the walls, a menagerie of her deepest emotions.

The moment that the doors closed, Yula’s hand stopped cold, and she turned around. In that initial moment, she blinked in confusion, as though unable to believe Shayu had come to visit her. Saying that she would and actually doing it were two different things, and no doubt Yula believed that her sister’s words had been empty, as a way to ease her sorrows.

“Shayu, you... actually came.”

Shayu offered a gentle smile as she wheeled herself over to the table next to the easel. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a small box, along with two pairs of chopsticks. As she opened the box, she glanced up to her sister and warmed her smile. “I brought some sweet dumplings. They're your favorite kind.”

Yula turned to sit at the table, her gaze locked in disbelief on the box of dumplings in front of her. When Shayu passed her one of the pairs of chopsticks, she was unable to reach for them, unwilling to accept such kindness. She just sat there, her expression drooping further as she continued to stare at the dumplings. “...Shayu, you know I don't deserve this.”

“Maybe not...” Shayu sighed, as she pulled out two plates and began to separate an even amount of dumplings onto both. “After everything that happened, I know I should probably hate you forever and never want to see you again. I was mad at you for so long, it ate me up inside. But...you're still my sister. There's a lot of work to do, a lot of things to fix between us...” When all the dumplings were settled, she slid one of the plates over to Yula, and then snatched up one of her own dumplings with her chopsticks. “But that doesn't mean we can't try, right?”

“I suppose so...” Yula slowly reached for her own chopsticks, but she stopped short of taking one of the dumplings. Her gaze lingered over to Shayu, pausing when she reached the wheelchair. A disgusted look twisted across her face, and she immediately looked away, shame brimming in her eyes. “I'm so sorry, Shayu... I did this to you.”

Shayu paused, looking down at herself. “Oh...yeah. It's okay, though. I've... gotten used to it. Mostly.” An awkward pause passed between them, causing Shayu to fidget nervously in her seat. With a gentle breath, she steadied her nerves and then continued with a change in subject. “But um, President Sato just hired me to work as her personal assistant. I start next week. I've never really had a big official job before, so it'll be challenge... but a fun challenge, I hope.”

At this, Yula looked back to her again, and even managed a smile. “That's wonderful to hear.”

“Thanks. I'll bring Mom by next time to visit too, by the way. She just... well, she needed a bit more time.” When Yula again looked away in shame, Shayu frowned and reached back into her bag. She pulled out a small, folded board, as well as a stack of several books. “So, uh... I brought a Pai Sho board with me. And a few books. Maybe we could play a couple games? Or... we could read to each other like we used to when we were kids?”

Yula tentatively reached for one of the books, her hand shaking as though she was afraid it might bite her. When nothing nefarious happened, she finally took hold of the book and flipped it around to look at it. A flash of recognition lit across her eyes, and Shayu knew that she had recognized it; it was one of Yula’s favorites. Within moments, Yula’s expression softened, and her smile returned. “I'd like that... I'd like that very much.”

* * *

In the three months following Sen’s defeat, Zaofu had mostly returned to order. A few lingering vestiges of the spirit’s attack on the city remained, but construction crews would have them restored within the next couple days, if Kuvira’s daily reports were accurate. As for her, she had settled back into her role as matriarch with little difficulty. Life went on, and so did her job. Within a matter of days, her routine returned to the daily governing of the city, not to mention getting the Zaofu dance troupe back into order. She would no doubt be keeping busy in the days and months to come.

Right now, however, she had taken some time to relax this evening, watching from the balcony of her room in the Beifong mansion as the sun set over the horizon. While Zaofu’s domes were still functional, they only closed for dire emergencies now, allowing a clear view of the sunset painting pink and orange colors across the sky above the mountains. Her gaze lingered on the sky only a few moments, though, soon coming back down to the courtyard below her. There, she could see Huan bending more of his metal sculptures near the edge of the gardens, where Baatar, Sr. was taking time to trim some of the hedges. Farther beyond the gardens, Kuvira had a perfect view of the power disc arena, where Wing and Wei were continuing to try their luck against their toughest opponent yet.

By all accounts, it wasn’t a fair matchup. Wing and Wei worked as a perfect unit together, synchronizing their attacks on the opposing net with relentless assault. Against most opponents, they would have dominated. But this was no ordinary opponent. Now with her youth and vitality restored, Toph Beifong had taken quite a liking to the game of power disc, allowing her an outlet for her competitive edge while being just about as brutal as she wanted. In fact, both Wing and Wei had taken to wearing protective gear ever since their grandmother had started playing, something they had never needed before. In spite of their best efforts, the twins might as well have been helpless children flailing about aimlessly, as the disc hit the back of their net and set off the score buzzer again, and again, and again.

After the tenth successive buzzer, Toph planted her hands on her hips and unleashed a wicked laugh. _“Ahahahaha!_ I win again!”

“Oh come on!” Wing groaned, from his spot on the ground. Since his previous dive had missed and he’d crashed on his stomach, he hadn’t bothered trying to get back up.

Wei doubled over, his hands against his knees as he huffed in deep, tired breaths. “This…just…isn’t…fair.”

Toph grinned with delight, raising her fists above her head in triumph. “Keep practicing boys, and you might have a chance against your dear old grandmother sometime in the next seventy years. Why, you might even score a goal soon!”

“Ugghhh,” Wing muttered, flopping his head flat against the ground. “Huan, come help us!”

“Yeah, we need you over here!” Wei affirmed.

Huan straightened himself, glancing back from his sculptures with a disapproving grimace on his face. “How about…no.”

Kuvira watched the scene a moment longer, chuckling quietly under her breath as she turned back into her bedroom. “Looks like things are finally starting to get back to normal.”

It had taken the Beifongs quite a while to move past their grief over losing Suyin a second time, most of all for Baatar, Sr. He had been a reclusive shell of himself in the first few weeks following the event, but as time passed he began to rejoin his family more often during the day, until finally the Beifongs were back to their old selves—at least, as much as they could be without Su. Time went on, and with each day their loss became just a little easier to bear.

Korra sat cross-legged on the floor just a short distance away in front of the bed, her fists held together in meditation. When her wife spoke, Korra eased one of her eyes open and smiled. “The whole world is getting back to normal. Sen really did a number on us…but we came through.”

“Yeah…I still almost can’t believe it.” Kuvira let out a long, soft breath, as she knelt behind Korra’s spot on the floor and wrapped her arms around her wife. “So, how’s it feel to be master of all four elements again?”

“Like I got a part of me back that I didn’t even realize I was missing,” Korra replied. “I just feel so much more…whole. I know I was ready to give up being the Avatar, but this is still who I was always meant to be.”

“No argument here,” Kuvira stated, with a smile. “Plus, I still get to say I’m married to the Avatar.” She continued her words, and with each new statement she added a new trail of kisses along Korra’s neck. “I get to say I make the Avatar happy… I get to say I kiss the Avatar… I make her moan…” At this point, Kuvira’s hand had slipped down beneath the front of Korra’s pants, eliciting a pleasant hiss of air from the Avatar. “Make her squirm.”

“Mmph…” Korra attempted to retain her meditative pose, but the growing activity from Kuvira’s fingers between her legs made that increasingly difficult. “Kuvira…I’m trying to meditate.”

Kuvira smirked, then promptly removed her hand and gave Korra a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Just giving you a sample for later. Maybe you’ll hurry up with your meditation, hmm?”

Korra uttered a relieved sigh once her wife’s hand was gone, although a lingering desire still tingled between her legs. “Well…I suppose I can try.”

“I’ll be in the shower.” Kuvira made her way towards the bathroom, already removing her Zaofu robes as she went. By the time she made it to the door, she was in nothing but her underwear, glancing back over her shoulder with a wink. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

Once Kuvira disappeared into the bathroom, Korra tried to focus more on her meditation. As much as she wanted to get up and join her wife in the shower as soon as possible, it had been ages since she got a chance like this to just sit down and meditate—not since before the whole Sen conflict. It was nice, finally able to once again fall deep into herself, into her own spirit. For a time, she floated there within her own consciousness, enjoying the peace she felt. She briefly contemplated pushing further and traveling to the Spirit World, but ultimately decided against it. She didn’t need to go that far right now; she was content with the peace of her own spirit.

As she continued to meditate, she felt a growing warmth spreading all around her. It was a familiar warmth, one she had felt many times before. Yet, in spite of this familiarity, she couldn’t place it, as though the sensation was one she hadn’t felt in a long time. She focused harder, trying to find the source of the warmth. For a moment, she thought she lost it, but soon a bright light burst like fire in the midst of the shadows around her. The glow was so intense that she squinted her eyes and held an arm over her face to shield herself, and even then she had a hard time seeing.

It was when the light began to fade that she finally recognized the sensation she had been feeling, and why she hadn’t felt it in so long. Her heart jumped at the sight of the individual standing before her, his orange and yellow robes billowing as if picked up by some gentle breeze. Although she had just seen this man a few months ago in person, his appearance here held so much more significance. Already, Korra could feel her heart fluttering with what it meant. By the time she managed to utter his name, she could feel herself on the brink of tears.

“Aang?”

The previous Avatar smiled at her, and nodded his head. “Hello, Korra.”

In the following instant, another light exploded behind Aang, this one more intense and far more encompassing than the first. In the wake of the glow, the spirit of Avatar Roku appeared, and then Kyoshi, and Kuruk, Yangchen, and thousands more. The crowd of Avatars spread deep and far, until Korra couldn’t even see them all. With each new one that appeared, Korra felt the overwhelming awe and joy that filled her grow to new heights, until finally she could hold her tears back no more. She found herself suddenly rushing forward through the crowd, pulled along by some invisible force that drew her past every single past Avatar, all the way to the very end, where one Avatar in particular waited for her.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” he said, offering a playful grin. “It’s good to see you again, Korra.”

“Wan…” Korra reached up to wipe her eyes dry, but the act had little effect. Her tears continued to fall, fueled by the elation burning bright in her heart. Even more than simply being joined with Raava once again, she now felt complete, as though the final missing piece of her soul had been restored.

Her connection to her past lives had finally, at long last, returned.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well oh yeah, life goes on...
> 
> Okay, forgiving my pointless music reference, we are one chapter closer to the end! And a lot happened in this chapter. We have Anraq finally proposing to Azula (and Azula accepting!), everyone still in the South Pole finally coming back to reunite with everyone else, P'Li getting her closure with Zaheer (talk about your bad breakups), Shayu beginning the long process of forgiving Yula, and most importantly of all...
> 
> Korra regaining her connection to her past lives! It was about time that the severed Avatar cycle was restored, in my opinion, and what a time for it to happen.
> 
> We're moving forward folks. Just two chapters left!


	150. Ember Island Nuptials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Azula and Anraq's wedding has arrived!

Azula took in a deep breath as she gazed at herself in the mirror. She turned slightly to the side, carefully eyeing the red flowing gown trimmed with gold that fit snugly around her body. When she noticed a few subtle creases, she quickly smoothed them out and then turned to the other side, doing the same thing. A satisfied smile curled across her face and she eased out her breath. She wasn’t sure she could have looked any better.

“You see, Kuvira?” she said, tilting a glance towards the other woman. _“This_ is a wedding dress. I look stunning.”

Kuvira stood a few paces away with her arms folded, watching Azula’s reflection with a smirk of her own. “It is a beautiful gown, I admit. I still prefer green, though.” As if to punctuate her point, she motioned down at the green dress she was wearing.

“You would.” Bringing her focus back to the mirror, Azula again turned to the side, this time with one hand on top and the other on the bottom of her abdomen, which had since started to swell in the months since her engagement. A frown creased her lips. “I just wish I could do something about this…”

Azula was now almost four months pregnant, and although they had been able to put together the wedding fairly quickly, she was still noticeably pregnant, with a moderate bump to her stomach. It wasn’t a huge bump, not yet, but it was still more than Azula had hoped to have before walking down the aisle. Still, her figure was better than most at this stage, and for that she was grateful.

“Well, I think you look great,” came a bubbly voice. Ty Lee, who was dressed in a pink, flowery dress, approached from Azula’s other side and pressed her own hand against the bride’s belly. “The figure of an expecting mother is such a natural, wonderful thing, don’t you think?”

“If you say so.” The reply came from Mai, who had been lounging on the couch of the small dressing room since she arrived. Even in spite of her position, her red and black dress hadn’t creased or wrinkled in the slightest. “That doesn’t help the bloating. Or the cramping. Or the sickness…”

Azula cringed at the thought. “Ugh, I am so not looking forward to the next five months.”

In response to that statement, a firm tug came on the laces woven along the back of Azula’s dress. Korra smiled up at her, working skillfully to put the finishing touches on the gown’s fit. “But just think, soon it’ll be over and you’ll have a baby.”

“Yes, and then I get to look forward to the crying, and the screaming, and the messes.” Azula rolled her eyes. “Hmph… it’ll be wonderful.”

“I don’t believe you have anything to fear, Azula. You and Anraq will produce a strong child, and I look forward to meeting him or her in the future.” The blunt statement came from Eska, who, along with her brother, had been added as a part of the wedding at Anraq’s request. Azula still wasn’t sure how she felt about having her groom’s exes in her wedding, but overall she didn’t mind them too much. They were…strange, yes, but tolerable. Eska, like Korra, was garbed in a blue dress with white trim. However, unlike her cousin’s dress, Eska’s did not deviate much in style to her normal chieftain robes, other than being lighter and not quite as dull.

Azula turned a glance towards the woman and offered a teasing smirk. “Hmm, don’t tell me you’re still jealous over the fact that you never got Annie to give you a child?”

“Hardly,” was Eska’s indifferent reply. “While that was a prospect that intrigued me when we were together, he is with you now. There are no hard feelings. Besides, Desna and I have Hari. He will give me strong children of my own. Perhaps even stronger than yours.”

“Ha, as _if,”_ Azula said. “You only _wish_ your bloodline was as strong as mine.”

“Alright,” Korra said, with a quick clear of her throat. “How about we focus on something other than pitting the strength of your future children against each other?”

Azula waved off the comment and rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, as you say.”

As Azula continued to look at herself in the mirror, Kuvira took a closer step next to her. “So…how does it feel? Being so close to getting married.”

“I’ll spare you the clichés, and just say that this is something I’m ready for.” Azula paused, as her gaze softened in the mirror. She found herself smiling gently, as if lost in thought. “Far more ready than I ever thought I’d be.”

“Well that’s great,” Ty Lee said, holding an arm around the bride’s shoulder. She offered her own broad smile at their reflections in the mirror. “Oh you’re going to look so beautiful when you walk down that aisle…”

“Please, Ty Lee, I always look beautiful. But yes, you’re right.”

When Korra finally finished tightening the laces on Azula’s dress, she stood up straight. “Well, we still have some time until the ceremony starts, and you seem like you’re ready. Do you want us to stick around for a bit?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine on my own for now,” Azula said. “You all go on ahead and get ready. I don’t need any of you messing things up by being out of place when things start.”

“It’s not as though we have a difficult job,” Mai said, as she slid her way off the couch to her feet. “We just stand there.”

“Yes, but you’re supposed to be ordered by height. That’s important.”

“Right…” Mai said, raising her eyebrow. “My mistake.”

“Anyway, we’ll give you some time alone for now,” Korra said, giving the bride one more smile on her way out the door. The others soon followed after her. “See you in twenty minutes.”

When the others were gone, Azula took a step back and continued gazing at herself in the mirror. A pulsing sensation of nerves began to tingle in her gut, causing her to double over slightly with a hand to her stomach. No, not nerves—perhaps just her usual pregnant nausea. With a bit of focus, she was able to quell the sensation downward, and soon it vanished. This was no time to be getting sick or nervous. No, this was the most important day of her entire life.

The thought gave her pause, and even brought a chuckle to her lips. After everything she had been through during her life, to think that this would be the most important event of her life seemed like a bad joke. In fact, if someone had told her that just a few years ago, she would thought them insane, and then probably fried them with lightning. Yet, here she was, ready to become a wife, and just a few months away from giving birth. Never in her wildest dreams would she have ever imagined coming to this stage in her life, and yet now it seemed so natural, so…right.

She was ready.

* * *

Anraq hummed excitedly to himself as he fixed the furred collar of his suit jacket. His suit was primarily blue, but had been lined with white fur trimmings along the collar and cuffs, reflecting his Water Tribe heritage. Sure, it would be a little warm out there today, but he’d survive. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to make sure this day was perfect, and if that meant sweating a little under the tropical sun, then so be it. He was too happy to care, too excited to contain himself, so much so that his hands were shaking as he adjusted his suit.

“I’m getting married today…” he said, with a quiet breath of disbelief. A second later, he turned around and broke out into joyous laughter. “Can you guys believe it? I’m getting married today!”

“Yeah, and to Azula,” Mako said, with lifted eyebrows; he managed to look both surprised and yet also happy for Anraq at the same time. “I have to say, I never saw that one coming.”

“You’re not the only one,”Anraq replied. “Two years ago, I never could have imagined this.” He took in a deep breath, then huffed it out and brought his smile back. This time, however, the smile was a bit teasing, as he eyed the police chief. “But what about you, huh? You’ve been spending a lot of time with that P’Li lately.”

Mako deadpanned, looking highly unamused at the suggestion. “My relationship with P’Li is strictly professional.”

“Mhm.” Anraq crossed his arms over his chest and continued staring; he didn’t look at all convinced. “You might think that, but you have to watch out for those dominant firebender women, let me tell you. They’ll sneak up on you, and then… well, then you’re standing in front of a mirror in a suit, twenty minutes away from getting married to her.”

“Right… I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

The exchange elicited a chuckle from Bolin, who was standing next to his brother with a look of amusement. He gave Mako a friendly punch to the shoulder, as if to indicate that he too didn’t believe Mako’s denial, but he didn’t say anything about the matter. Instead, he turned his focus to the groom. “Just be sure to enjoy today as much as you can. It’s one of the best days of your life; take it from someone who knows.”

Anraq nodded. “Don’t worry, I intend to. And in a few more months, I’ll have an even bigger day to look forward to.”

“Ah yes, the birth of your next child.” Desna, who had up until now been standing near the corner of the room, took a step forward. “You two certainly took long enough. I thought you’d have already produced several children with Azula by now.”

“Uh, yeah, well…” Anraq shifted slightly and cleared his throat. “Some of us aren’t as impatient as others. No need to rush things. Besides, it’s not like we planned it.”

Desna was unfazed, and didn’t offer so much as a shrug when he replied, “Well, that is generally what happens when you don’t use protection. Hence my surprise it hadn’t already happened.”

Anraq blinked, and his shifting became increasingly more awkward and fidgety. “Wha—uh, well I mean… it’s not like we… uh, never mind.”

“Chief Desna.” Hari took a step next to the Water Tribe chieftain, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Perhaps we should change the subject? I don’t really think Anraq and Azula’s, um… methods are exactly our business.”

“I suppose…” Desna sighed. Then, he turned his attention towards Hari. “Although that does remind me, have you given further consideration to my sister’s request about the matter?”

Hari blinked and stood straighter, eyes going wider. “Uhhh…well… a little, maybe…”

Anraq laughed and gave Hari a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Word to the wise: never shift the focus of an awkward conversation to yourself.”

Hari blushed, then shrank back a step. “Heh, right.”

“So, you seem like you’re all set to go, huh?” Mako said.

Anraq nodded. “Oh I’m ready. More ready than I’ve ever been in my life.”

With that confirmation, the other men began to exit the room. Bolin took a quick look back as he stepped through the door and offered his friend a thumbs-up. “I guess this is where we leave now. See you soon.”

“Definitely,” Anraq said, returning the gesture. “See you in fifteen minutes.”

Once the others had left, Anraq waited a few moments and then slipped outside the room. He took a quick glance left and right, making sure that there was no one else in the hallway. When he confirmed that the coast was clear, he scurried towards the opposite end of the house. The moment that he turned the corner, he almost ran straight into Azula, who must have already been on her way to see him.

“Oh, there you are,” he said, with a delighted smirk. “I was wondering if you’d gotten cold feet.”

While tradition usually held that the bride and groom weren’t supposed to see each other before they were actually getting married, most couples weren’t them. And most men weren’t getting married to a pregnant Azula.

“Hardly,” Azula scoffed. “How much time do we have?”

Anraq glanced towards a small clock on the wall to his left. “About…twelve minutes.”

Azula grinned, then grabbed her soon-to-be husband by the wrist and led him back down the hall. “Good. Plenty of time.”

* * *

Anraq and Azula had chosen Ember Island for their wedding. The ceremony itself was being held in the large courtyard of Mai and Zuko’s home, formerly Ozai’s beach house. Since it had since become Azula and Anraq’s home for the past year and a half, it had made the most sense to hold the wedding there—being a tropical island didn’t hurt, either. Although the sun was already beginning to set below the horizon, the weather was still near perfect—warm with a gentle breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. It made for a comfortable gathering for the guests that had arrived for the event.

The wedding was not a large one, and had been reserved mostly for Azula and Anraq’s family and closest friends. Among those guests included the bridesmaids and groomsmen—Kuvira, Korra, Mai, Ty Lee, Eska, Mako, Bolin, Hari, and Desna—as well as others such as Jinora, Shayu, Iroh, Izumi, Lin, and Asami. Other guests, such Kya, Opal, Sin and Kai, were there as their partners’ plus one. Even Toph had shown up. Azula hadn’t even invited her, thinking that the blind earthbender wouldn’t want to come, and yet there she was, arriving as Katara’s plus one and sitting in the front row—well, not entirely true, as Suki had been Katara’s actual plus one, making Toph more of a plus two. Katara herself stood at the center of the line of bridesmaids and groomsmen, waiting patiently to officiate the wedding, just as she had done for Korra and Kuvira’s.

Then, there were Anraq’s parents—Kovu and Hikara. The couple lived down South in the large Southern Water Tribe capital, but remained rather isolated in spite of that, residing in a small hut closer to the outskirts. As such, they didn’t really pay close attention to the goings-on of the world, and weren’t able to communicate with their son very often, with as much time as he spent in other parts of the world. So, they had been quite surprised when Anraq came to visit along with his brand new fiancée.

At first, they had been a little disappointed to learn that she wasn’t a Water Tribe native like them, but within a short few minutes they had happily approved of her for their son, and were thrilled to spend time with her. Of course, with as isolated as they were, they knew very little about Azula’s past, or any of the Dragon Empire business, but that had been just fine with her and Anraq; it was probably better that way. Anraq had only ever given them the necessary information regarding Kanna’s resurrection, another shocking, but wonderful revelation for the grandparents.

As the minutes continued to tick closer to the start of the ceremony, Kuvira shifted a curious glance towards Korra. “What’s taking them so long? Anraq should already be standing here, and Azula should be ready to walk down the aisle.”

Korra looked past the rows of guests to the clock hanging on one of the courtyard's surrounding walls. Indeed, they were now only five minutes away from starting and yet there was still no sign of either the bride or the groom. With a shrug, she returned her focus to Kuvira. “I have no idea. Azula said she’d be here on time, and according to Bolin, Anraq was practically right behind them.”

“They better not be late,” Kuvira muttered. “After all the trouble we went through putting this wedding together so quickly.”

“Not to mention all that talk about _us_ not messing things up,” Korra added, with a roll of her eyes.

Another thirty seconds past, and then Kuvira asked, “Do you think one of them got cold feet at the last minute? Or both of them?”

Korra frowned. “I wouldn’t think so… they both seemed so excited about this.”

Another thirty seconds, and then with a sigh Kuvira motioned for her wife to follow her. “Guess we'd better go find them.”

They both received awkward and curious stares as they marched back down the aisle towards the door that led into the beach house, but they had to ignore it for now. The only thing they needed to concentrate on was finding the two people that this day was supposed to be for. The two split up after making it inside, one going to check Anraq's changing room, and the other going to check Azula's. When they met again in the hallway, it was with mutual shrugs and uncertain looks.

“Azula’s not in her changing room,” Korra said.

Kuvira shook her head. “And Anraq’s not in his.”

“So then where in spirits name did they go?”

Kuvira was about to answer the question when she heard something. She paused, eyes narrowing as she turned to find the source. It sounded like... some kind of steady thumping, muffled and far away. “Wait…do you hear that?”

A few moments of searching led them to a closet door, from which the noises were now clearly coming from, as muffled as they were. For the first couple of moments, the two stared in disbelief, already knowing what was on the other side. Yet, neither one of them wanted to believe it.

With a slow glance to her wife, Korra asked, “You don’t think…?”

“One way to find out...” Kuvira took a step towards the door, pausing a moment before finally grabbing the knob. “Somehow, I know I’m going to regret this.”

The instant after she opened the door, Kuvira did indeed regret doing so. Although the image was brief before she instinctively slammed the door shut again, it would forever be burned into her mind: Azula, pinned up against the wall with her dress hiked up past her waist, legs wrapped around her partner's hips, underwear dangling from her ankle, as Anraq repeatedly thrust inside her. The noises grew louder in that instant as well, from the steady thumping to their moans. Both Kuvira and Korra recoiled with surprised shouts, as the door again slammed shut.

“Do you two _mind?”_ they heard Azula say through the door. “Honestly, we’d like a little privacy here.”

“Do _we_ mind?” Kuvira retorted. “You’re the two screwing in the closet three minutes before your wedding!”

Azula scoffed, which turned into a rough breath broken through a fit of moaning. “Well it’s not...my fault my hormones are...raging right now. Blame it on the baby.”

“Oh that is _not_ an excuse!” Korra shot back.

A pause followed, and Kuvira raised an eyebrow as she realized the noises coming from within the closet hadn't stopped. “Wait…you two are still doing it, aren’t you!”

“Well we’re hardly going to stop on your account,” Azula said.

“Uh, sorry guys,” Anraq said, with a harsh breath. “We’ll be done in a minute, I swear.”

Korra cringed, taking a step back and waving her arms back and forth in front of herself. “Too much information. Too much information!”

With a groan, Kuvira pinched her fingers against the bridge of her nose. “And how exactly do you expect to clean up when you’re done?”

“Kuvira, please,” came Azula's reply. “I’m marrying a waterbender, remember?”

At this point, Korra had started marching away from the door with her hands clasped over her ears, a grimace on her face. “Oh spirits, no, I do not need to know anymore!”

“Ugh, okay, just—you better be out there in two minutes!” Kuvira shouted, pounding the door once with her fist before following Korra back to the courtyard.

The two women stood there at the doorway, staring blankly out at the guests gathered and waiting, both trying to forget what they had just seen. Of all the nerve, Anraq and Azula just _had_ to get in a quickie two minutes before their own wedding started... Somehow, Kuvira knew she shouldn't be surprised, and yet she had been naive enough to assume that those two would be able to restrain themselves long enough—foolish thoughts, apparently.

A few moments later, Anraq and Azula appeared at the doorway, both looking no worse for wear. Just by looking at them, no one would be able to tell what they had just been doing. Even their glowing demeanor could be written off as simply excitement over getting married. But Kuvira knew, and so did Korra, and they would never forget it.

“You see,” Azula stated, smoothing out the last couple creases on the front of her dress. “I told you we were almost done. Here we are, and with a whole minute to spare.”

“Great…” Kuvira muttered. “Let’s just get on with this already.”

Azula rolled her eyes with annoyance. “Oh please, you two act like you’ve never done something just as bad. Like fooling around outside Air Temple Island, where anyone floating by on a turtle duck boat could see you going at it.”

Korra blinked, stiffening straight with wide eyes. “Wait—what?”

Azula didn't respond, instead nodding to her groom. “Come on, Annie, after you.”

As Anraq began to make his way down the center aisle towards the front, both Korra and Kuvira turned nervous, embarrassed glances towards each other. Here they had thought their times on Air Temple Island had gone completely unnoticed. Evidently... they had been wrong. When they finally recovered from the shock of Azula's statement, the two followed Anraq and got back into position on the left side with the other bridesmaids.

Next, Kanna scurried into position with her flower basket, meeting Azula at the courtyard entrance. As soon as the music hit—a steady, soft melody of a tsungi horn and various stringed instruments—the young girl made her way down the aisle, littering the ground with flower petals as she went. Azula followed several steps behind, trying to keep a calm face as everyone present turned to watch her. When Kanna reached the end, she scampered off to the side to go sit with her grandparents, leaving the way open. Azula sucked in a deep breath when she finally made it to the end of the aisle, steadying her nerves. After a single moment of hesitation, she approached the rest of the distance and stood opposite Anraq, facing him. The music soon faded away and ceased, allowing Katara to take a step forward between the bride and groom, and then begin the ceremony.

“Dearest friends,” Katara said, smiling out at the guests, “we are gathered here today to celebrate the love between Anraq of the Southern Water Tribe, and Azula of the Fire Nation, the kind of love captured once in a lifetime. Love is a funny thing, as I’ve come to learn over the course of my own life, capable of being found in the most unlikely of places, and between the most unlikely of partners.”

Azula sucked in another deep breath as she listened to the words. They were certainly true; if ever there was a more unlikely pair, it was her and Annie. They had started as enemies poised to kill each other, and had ended up as lovers, even soulmates. The more she thought about it, the more remarkable and unbelievable it seemed. Yet here they were, standing across from each other about to be married and spend the rest of their lives together. The tingling of nerves in her gut grew to new extremes now, but she fought it down.

“The kind of love that these two share is strong, unbreakable,” Katara continued. “I’ve seen it before, and I know I’ll see it again, but for now we focus on the present, we focus on them. This kind of love is a treasure, never to be forgotten, or taken for granted. It is, in a word, beautiful.”

Katara's monologue continued for several more minutes, detailing things like how happy Azula and Anraq made each other, how their lives had come together, how Kanna had come to them and how they cared for her, and so on and so forth. Azula was barely paying attention to it, focused as strongly as she was on the man across from her. They stared at each other, deep into each other's eyes. Azula's heart began to thump loudly against her chest, filling her ears with the sound of its beating. Her throat went numb, and her palms sweaty. She couldn't recall another time in her life when she had been this nervous.

“Now, for the vows,” Katara said, “which the bride and groom have elected to deliver themselves. Anraq, if you would continue.”

Anraq smiled, keeping his full attention on Azula. With a deep breath, he reached forward to hold her hands and then spoke. “Azula, I know we didn’t think much of each other when we first met… actually, I daresay we hated each other. But that’s just proof that you can’t judge someone before you get to know them. I thought you were a cruel person, that you didn’t have a kind bone in your body, that you were _evil_ …”

The thought brought a chuckle to his lips, and he shook his head. “If I’d known how wrong I was then, I would have smacked myself. You showed me so much more to you than I ever would have imagined. You showed me how compassionate you could be, how kind, how driven, confident, loving, and strong you are. How beautiful…” Anraq continued gazing deep into Azula’s eyes, allowing a beat to pass as he breathed in deep to collect himself; he had already begun tearing up as he came to the meat of his vows. Sweet, pathetic Annie.

“You became a friend to me, a confidante, a lover,” he said, giving his bride’s hands a gentle squeeze. “And the love I feel for you now is more real to me than anything else in this world. As I give you this ring today, I do so knowing what a beautiful, wonderful soul you are, and with the promise that I will work my damnedest to make you happy, to provide for you, and to return every bit of the love you’ve shown me.” He then pulled one of his hands back to reach into the front pocket of his suit jacket. When his fingers reappeared, he held the gold wedding band topped with garnet gemstone in his grasp. With a single, careful motion, he slid it onto Azula’s finger. “No matter what struggles you might face, I will be there to face them with you. I will never leave you, and I will never give you reason to doubt my devotion to you. That is my promise to you.”

When it came time for Azula to reciprocate the vows, she could barely hear herself think, her heart was beating so loudly in her chest. In fact, it had seemingly jumped up into her throat, knotting fiercely as her nerves trembled. In those first few moments, she actually forgot what she was supposed to say; her mind blanked, and the careful speech she had prepared vanished from her memory. As her mind struggled to find it again, she knew she had to bide for time, so she chanced a joke.

“Annie…” she said, with a soft breath. “You _are_ right; I didn’t think much of you when we first met. I mean that beard?” Her eyes rolled, shifting a look over to the guests watching her. “I think we can all agree you’re much better off without it.” The move worked, eliciting noticeable chuckles from the guests. The ease in tension calmed Azula’s nerves, and in the following instant her mind settled, and she remembered everything she meant to say. Turning back to Anraq, she tightened her fingers against his and proceeded.

“But you proved to be so much more than anything I could have hoped for. Throughout all my life, I’ve never truly had anyone I could call my friend, no one who truly cared for me, or who trusted me, or was loyal to me the way you were. I spent so much of my life trying to control people through fear and manipulation that I guess I didn’t think it was possible to create any kind of meaningful bond with anyone. But you…you proved me wrong.” She paused, letting the statement sink in. It was true, of course. Even during her first life, her only ‘friends’ in Mai and Ty Lee had been hollow ones that she made so through force. Not until a couple years ago could she call anyone a real friend, and that person had been Annie. He had stuck with her through some of her highest and lowest points, and never once had he ever given reason for her to doubt him. The thought brought a pleasant smile to her lips.

“A part of me wishes I could have opened up to you and trusted you sooner than I did,” she continued, her eyes shifting downward ever so slightly, “but deep down I know that never would have happened. I needed that time; I needed to heal, and to change, and you helped me do just that. For someone like me, opening up to someone else and letting them in, letting them close…It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I’m happy I did. If I hadn’t…” Her gaze returned upward, looking Anraq square in the eyes. “I don’t think I ever would have known what actual love is, the kind that allows me to let my guard down and be vulnerable without even caring, the kind that lets me feel safe.”

Azula smiled again, then gently raised her hand to look at the ring adorning her finger. In response to it, she reached into the front of her dress to pull out a small chain that dangled around her neck. On that chain hung another ring, this one a simple band of silver, embossed with an intricate pattern of sapphire along the entire surface. Unclipping the chain, she slid that ring from it and then brought it to Anraq’s left hand, sliding this one on his finger. “I accept your ring today, Annie, and offer you this one in return, with the promise that I will do everything in my power to be a good wife to you, and a good mother to Kanna, and our future children. I…don’t know how well I’ll do in that regard—this is still so new to me—but I won’t ever stop trying. That is my vow to you.”

A broad grin spread across Anraq’s face, as he gazed down at his ring finger. When he looked up at Azula again, he came closer to her and held her hands tighter. “And mine to you.”

Katara glanced back and forth between the two, offering her own gentle smile. “Now that you both exchanged rings and accepted each other’s vows,” she said, taking a step back, “I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

The two came together instantly, leaning close and joining their lips in a deep, tender kiss. The guests broke out into cheers and applause in the following moment, but that was soon drowned out by the spectacle that came next. While Anraq and Azula were still embraced, Druk swooped down through the open air of the courtyard and landed behind them. Raising his giant maw, the dragon released an intense stream of flames straight up into the air, offering a glowing, fiery backdrop behind the newlywed couple. On cue, both Korra and Katara stepped to either side of the fiery pillar and went through a quick series of bending motions. Two identical streams of water shot outward from both sides, gradually climbing and coiling around the flames.

Fire and water, together as one.

* * *

The reception was held an hour later, after the courtyard could be cleared out and rearranged with tables, food, drinks, and decorations. While those in charge of organizing things worked diligently to get things into place—mostly the bridesmaids and groomsmen—the other guests mingled together back in the house, talking about the wedding, laughing at each other’s jokes, and some even preparing to hit the dance floor as soon as things opened up—Kya was one such proponent, much to Lin’s chagrin. During that time, Azula and Anraq had retreated to a private room to be together, until they would reappear once the reception started. Although Korra and Kuvira had been expressly clear that Azula and Anraq should restrain themselves and not start going at it again, somehow they doubted the new bride and groom would listen.

Once the courtyard had finished being set up and the reception began, guests funneled out of the beach house to join the festivities. Meals had already been prepared and were waiting neatly at tables covered with red silk cloths, and gold placemats. Drinks had been set up at the bar, which was more Water Tribe themed, completed with fountains and ice sculptures, and a backdrop of blue candles. While most guests went straight for the food, two individuals made a beeline for the dance floor—or rather, one individual practically dragged the other. The hired band had only barely begun to play their music by the time Kya pulled Lin into place. Lin tried to act reluctant, but her wife’s energy soon had her following into a steady rhythm of her own.

Azula and Anraq reappeared a few minutes later, walking out of the doorway into the courtyard. They received another brief round of applause as they made their entrance, to which they gave a couple simple waves. For the moment, they didn’t join the others, instead content with standing there and gazing out at the other guests. Even from all the way across the courtyard, though, Kuvira could see that Azula’s hair had been mussed up, her topknot loosely done back up into place. Korra could see it too, and noted that Anraq hadn’t even bothered to button up his suit jacket again. They rolled their eyes at each other and held their laughter under their breath—typical.

Shortly after Azula and Anraq arrived in the courtyard, they were approached by a thin, middle-aged woman, with long flowing brown hair affixed with various blue and whites beads, and a large man of similar age, his hair tied up in a wolf’s tail, with a big bushy beard framing his jaw—Anraq’s mother and father, Hikara and Kovu, respectively.

“There’s our boy,” Hikara said, coming forward to embrace her son with a warm hug.

“Mom, Dad, thanks so much for coming,” Anraq said, as he wrapped his arms around his mother. “I know it's a long way from the South Pole.”

“Well of course we came, honey,” Hikara replied. “We wouldn't miss your wedding for anything in the world.”

Kovu beamed at Anraq, reaching out to clasp his hands against his son’s shoulders. “Congratulations, Son. Your mother and I are so proud of you.” His gaze then shifted over towards Azula, and his smile only grew. “She may not be a Water Tribe girl, but we couldn't be happier that you found such a lovely young woman to marry.”

Azula shifted uncomfortably on her feet, eyes averting to the side. “Please, the flattery isn't necessary...really.”

With as isolated as Hikara and Kovu were in their home down South, they knew very little about Azula’s backstory. They didn’t know she was the same Azula from the history of the Hundred Year War, didn’t know that she had been resurrected by a dark spirit, and had no idea about her involvement with the Red Lotus resurgence, or with the Dragon Empire, or any of the things she had done in the past. As far as they were concerned, she was just another ordinary Fire Nation girl. It was better that way, of course; it meant that their interactions would be far less awkward, and she had been accepted by them much easier. Still, it almost made Azula feel guilty over their praise of her.

“Nonsense,” Kovu insisted. “You're a part of our family now, and we couldn't be more thrilled to have you.”

Azula’s gaze didn’t lift, and her lips tilted into a subtle frown. “Surely you're just saying that.”

“Absolutely not.” Hikara stepped towards her and then, much to Azula’s surprise, wrapped her arms around the woman in a tight embrace. “You married our son, and that makes you our new daughter. Welcome to our family, Azula.”

Kovu joined in the hug a moment later, catching Azula even more off guard. At first, she stood there stiff as a statue, blinking in surprise. As the moments passed, however, she felt herself ease into the embrace. It felt…good, to be accepted so openly into a family like this, even if it was built around a lie. Well, perhaps not so much a lie as a simple omission of truth. Thinking about it that way lessened Azula’s guilt, if only slightly.

Before the embrace even ended, a rather nervous looking Bolin hurried over to the group. “Uh, hey guys, so, uh... okay now don't freak out or anything, but I just happened by the cake, and... well, there's kind of a piece missing from it.”

“What?” Azula lifted an eyebrow, shifting a glance towards the table with the wedding cake. From here, she couldn't see anything wrong with it.

“Now I know what you're thinking, but I swear it wasn't me!” Bolin insisted. “I don't know who it was, but someone maybe kind of took an early bite out of it... or something.”

“I see...” Anraq said, giving the cake his own curious stare. Typically, the bride and groom would be the first ones to cut and serve the cake, and that in itself would be an event for everyone to watch. Evidently, someone had decided to forego that tradition. With pursed lips, he turned his gaze back to his parents. “Mom, Dad, where's Kanna?”

Kovu raised an eyebrow. “She was with Katara, last we saw.”

“Oh yes, and it really is remarkable how young Master Katara is now, don't you think?” Hikara said. “She looks amazing.”

Kovu shot his wife a stern look, as if to say 'not the time', and then turned again to his son. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason.” Anraq tried to remain stoic, but he couldn't hide the subtle grin that started to form on his face. “Azula, you want to round her up?”

“I suppose I should,” she sighed, as she made her way towards the reception. “I'll be right back.”

Azula wandered carefully across the courtyard, weaving her way between the tables and the guests. Several of said guests stopped her to congratulate her, but she kept the interactions brief as she continued with her mission. As she neared the wedding cake, she took a step around behind the table it was placed on and, sure enough, she noticed a small slice missing from the bottom. It wasn't a clean slice, either. Rather, it was crude, as if half-cut and half-torn out of place. The culprit was, mostly likely, someone not at all experienced in cutting cakes.

Such as a child.

The search lasted only another few minutes, as Azula soon found who she was searching for, hiding beneath one of the long cloths under a nearby table. Kanna turned around instantly and stared at her, eyes wide and frozen in place. There were tiny vestiges of chocolate and frosting smudged around the corners of the girl's mouth, but either she didn't notice or was trying to act like the mess wasn't there. She just sat there, silent, unmoving. Perhaps she hoped that Azula wouldn't see her, if she remained absolutely still.

“There you are,” Azula said, with a knowing smirk. “Now I wonder, why are you hiding out under here?”

“Um, no reason.” Kanna glanced back and forth, looking for a way to escape. When she found none, she looked straight ahead at her mother again. “I was just... nothing. I didn't do anything.”

“Oh really? Well, if you didn't do anything, then you shouldn't need to hide, right?”

“Um...maybe?”

Azula eased a gentle sigh and then held her hand out; she would have reached farther and pulled the girl out herself, but with her growing belly, she couldn't quite bend over as far as usual. “Come on, let's get you cleaned up.”

Kanna scurried forward and took her mother's hand, reemerging from beneath the table a moment later. Azula marched the girl straight over to one of the food tables and grabbed a handful of napkins, then used them to wipe Kanna's mouth clean. When finished, Azula scooped the girl up into her arms and then returned to the front of the courtyard, where Anraq was waiting.

“Found her.”

“There she is,” Anraq said, giving his daughter a playful, yet also suspicious stare. “And did you also find out who dug into the cake already?”

Azula shrugged. “Afraid I haven't the slightest idea.”

“Hmm, imagine that.” Anraq smirked, taking Kanna into his own arms and then letting her down on her feet. “Alright, Sweet Pea, you go stick with your grandparents for right now, okay?”

Kanna huffed out a defeated sigh. “Okay...”

As Kanna began to trudge away to join her grandparents, the music in the air started to change. What had been a steady, uptempo beat switched to a slow, romantic melody. Most of those who had been on the dance floor gradually returned to their seats, even the couples who by all accounts would normally be taking advantage of the tune to dance slowly with their partners. Instead, all eyes turned towards Anraq and Azula.

Anraq turned a smile to his wife. “Ah, you know what that music means?”

“No...” she replied, with a quizzical stare. “What?”

“It's time for our first dance together.”

Azula flinched, eyebrows lifting. “Our what?”

“You heard me.”

“Annie, I am not getting out there and dancing in front of people.”

Anraq came closer and reached down to hold one of Azula's hands. “What's wrong? I recall you telling me once that you're an excellent dancer. I can't imagine that's changed, right?”

“Well, I... I mean...” Azula stammered, trying to come up with some sort of defense. Even if she wouldn't admit it, they both knew she couldn't dance worth a damn, at least not the kind of dancing that would be required for this music. She certainly hadn't been expecting to have to do so in front of a crowd.

Before she even had a chance to protest, Anraq pulled her out onto the dance floor. Every single guest watched them as they held each other close together and began to move to the gentle melody. Azula's heart pounded, as her feet fumbled to find some sort of rhythm; she had no idea what she was doing.

“Just follow my lead and you'll be fine,” Anraq whispered, as he brought his lips against hers.

Azula was certain she'd mess up, that she'd trip over her own two feet and make a fool of herself. It didn't happen. Instead, she did as Annie told her. She followed his lead, moved her feet carefully in rhythm with his own, and held herself close against him. Soon enough, she settled into the slow, romantic motions, until it felt almost natural. She knew that others were watching them, and yet she didn't care. In that moment she forgot everything and everyone. There was only her and Annie, moving together as one. It was during that time that she realized something that pulsed a soothing warmth through her body.

In all her life, in all her grandest dreams, she had never been happier.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so some exciting news regarding a slight change in plans. There will in fact be one extra chapter than was originally planned! The reason being, this was originally supposed to be a longer chapter, but as I expanded on it I realized that, not only would it be far longer than anticipated, but the theme of the chapter would end up changing halfway through, so I decided it would be best to split it into two chapters. So, there will be an extra chapter next before the final chapter that I've already mentioned. Surprise!
> 
> I'll consider that my birthday present to all of you, since it is my birthday today. Yeah that's not how birthday gifts actually work... but whatever.


	151. A Family of Our Very Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Korra meets a special young girl, she and Kuvira make a life changing decision.

In the six months after their wedding, Anraq and Azula had since moved from Ember Island to Republic City—not because they disliked Ember Island by any means, but because of the better opportunities. Anraq planned to take up his old job on the police force again, and Azula had already leased out a small building downtown to start a firebender academy—the Blue Lotus, as she called it. Plus, Kanna would be able to receive much better schooling in the city, rather than in the small towns on Ember island. That was for the coming months, however. Right now, there was still one big event that had to be taken care of first, and it was for that reason that Korra and Kuvira had taken Zaofu's fastest train to visit.

The couple made their way into the lobby of the hospital, and after finding out the proper room from the front desk they headed into the elevator. Kuvira took a deep breath as she pushed the button for the fourth floor. “I can't believe the day's finally here.”

“I know,” Korra said, with a small chuckle. “The waiting was starting to give me anxiety.”

Kuvira smiled. “Just imagine what it must have been like for them.”

“Good point. Do you think we missed it, though? I know Anraq called us as soon as it started, but it's a long trip from Zaofu, even on the maglev.”

“I guess we'll find out,” Kuvira replied, offering a gentle shrug of her shoulders. It had been almost twelve hours since they received the call. While they had left Zaofu as soon as possible to make it here in time, there was no telling how long Azula's labor would last. From what they knew, it could be as few as six hours or as many as twenty. “I just wonder what the big surprise was that he mentioned.”

Korra could only return the shrug. “I guess we'll find out that, too. Did they say if they had a name picked out yet?”

Kuvira shook her head. “They said they had some choices picked out for both genders, but they weren't specific.”

When the elevator arrived on the fourth floor and the doors dinged open, Anraq was already there to greet them in the waiting area. As soon as he saw them, he lit up and ran over. “Hey! Thanks so much for coming. Azula didn't want to make a big fuss about the whole thing, but I convinced her to invite you two at least.”

“Of course we came,” Kuvira said, as she pulled her friend in for a hug. “Congratulations, Anraq.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “It's been a heck of a long day, but it's worth it.”

Korra watched him a moment, then raised an eyebrow at him. “You're shaking.”

“Oh, am I?” Anraq looked down at himself, and with a deep breath made an attempt to calm his nerves. “Ha, just really, really excited, I guess.”

“So, where's Azula?” Kuvira asked, giving a glance towards the nearest hallway. “Did we miss it?”

“Oh, Azula's resting,” Anraq said. “You missed the actual birth by about ten minutes, actually. The baby is...” He paused a second, as if trying to figure out the best way to phrase his words. “Uh, well the doctors are cleaning them—it— _him_ up.”

Korra beamed a smile. “So it's a boy?”

“Um...” Anraq quickly nodded. “Mhm, yup. That is...correct.”

The two women stared back at him, eyebrows rising in confusion as they took in Anraq's awkward demeanor. After a short beat, Kuvira asked, “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, yes, I am... fine,” he said, with a quick clear of his throat. “Just been a long day, like I said. Haven't slept in a while.”

“Right, of course...” Kuvira stared at him a moment longer, but didn't press the issue. “So, what's the big surprise you mentioned on the phone?”

“Oh, you'll see in a bit.” Anraq took a step towards the hallway and waved them along. “But uh, why don't we go in and see Azula right now?”

The two women didn't need a second invitation, and eagerly followed Anraq through one of the last doors in the hallway. When they entered the room, they found Azula lying calmly in the bed, her back propped up on a bundle of pillows so she could sit upright comfortably. On the nearby couch, Kanna had passed out, curled up into a ball and sleeping soundly. No doubt the young girl was exhausted from the past twelve hours. It was after midnight now, after all.

Taking a step towards the bed, Korra smiled at Azula and said, “There's the woman of the hour.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Please, Avatar. Must you be so patronizing?”

“Always.” When she arrived next to the bed, Korra leaned forward to give the new mother a hug. “It's good to see you. Congratulations.”

“Yes, yes, you too.” Azula sighed as she returned the hug, as though doing so were a chore she didn't really want to reciprocate. Even so, she did it without complaint. “But really, congratulations aren't necessary. I only pushed a human being out of my body.”

Kuvira took a step closer, arms folded across her chest. “So how _was_ that, exactly?”

“Oh it was nothing I couldn't handle,” Azula said, waving off the comment. “I hardly even felt it, to be honest.”

Without missing a beat, Anraq turned a grin towards them and said, “She could have woken the dead with how loud she screamed. I'm surprised you didn't hear her cursing all the way from Zaofu.”

In immediate response to Anraq's comment, Azula held out a finger and cast a small spark of electricity. The spark leaped out into the air and promptly crackled against Anraq's behind, causing him to yelp out and jump several inches into the air. “Annie! I told you not to mention that!”

Anraq chuckled, rubbing a hand over where the spark had struck him. “Yes, but I never agreed to that.”

As both Korra and Kuvira began to snicker as well, Azula groaned and planted her arms across her chest. “Oh yes, laugh it up. You try shoving a child out of your pelvis and we'll see how loud _you_ scream.”

A sudden knock came to the door, and a second later it opened to reveal a small group of nurses and a doctor. The doctor at the head of the group carried a small bundle in his arms—a newborn baby boy with small tufts of jet black hair, swaddled in a blue blanket.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the doctor said, “but we have someone for you. All cleaned and freshened up.”

As soon as the doctor arrived and handed off the baby to Azula, the new mother's demeanor immediately changed. While only a second before she had been grumpy and annoyed, now she was calm, with a warm smile curling gently across her lips. She held her son gently in her arms, close against her breast. The child had inherited many of her own features, from her hair to skin tone, although it was impossible to determine eye color at the moment, as he slumbered quietly in his mother's grasp.

“Aww, he's adorable,” Korra said. “What's his name?”

“Koda,” Azula said, in a gentle voice. Her smile grew wider. “His name is Koda.”

With everyone concentrated on Koda, nobody noticed Anraq make his way towards one of the nurses. Keeping his back to the others, he took hold of the bundle the nurse was carrying and then made his way back to the group. When he spoke, they still hadn't turned to look at him yet. “And this...is Shizu.”

Blinking in surprise, Korra and Kuvira turned around to see Anraq holding another child in his arms, wrapped in a red blanket. This one appeared to be a girl, with features more closely resembling her father—darker skin and lighter brown hair. At first, they stared in confusion, but soon that confusion turned to amazement.

“Twins?” Korra said, growing a smile.

Anraq nodded. “Yeah. Twins.”

“That's amazing!”

“So _that's_ what you meant by a surprise,” Kuvira said, giving her own nod of understanding.

“Heh, yeah,” Anraq said. “Best surprise I could have ever hoped for.”

Azula huffed out a sigh. “Speak for yourself. I was only expecting to give birth once today.”

“Can I hold her?” Korra asked. Anraq merely smiled and then held out the girl for her to take. Korra was careful, gently supporting Shizu in both her arms. The girl looked as though she might wriggle about and create a fuss, but soon she settled in and slipped back into a deep sleep. Korra's smile deepened. “She's so cute...”

Kuvira watched her wife closely, noting how genuine the smile was on Korra's face. It was then that a nervous churning began to bubble in her stomach. That wasn't just a 'this baby is really cute' kind of smile. No, that was a motherly smile, the kind that Kuvira knew she herself didn't possess. Seeing it now brought back memories of a past conversation she’d had with Korra, one that she didn't know if she was ready to have again.

After he handed over Shizu to Korra, Anraq made his way to the couch that Kanna had fallen asleep o and woke her with a gentle shake. “Hey, Kanna. You want to meet your new brother and sister?”

“Huh?” Kanna groggily pushed herself up on her arms, proceeding to rub her tired eyes awake. “You mean they're born now?”

“That's right,” he said. “And they're ready to meet you.”

Kanna instantly bolted upright, finding a sudden burst of energy. “Yeah!”

Anraq made his way over to Azula's bed next, to take Koda into his own arms and then return to the couch for Kanna to meet him. Korra joined them a second later, sitting on the other side with Shizu. Kanna was all smiles and giggles as she met her new siblings, and was sure to mention multiple times how adorable they were, and how she would be the 'bestest' big sister ever.

While the new siblings were getting acquainted, Kuvira pulled up a chair next to Azula's bed and sat down. For a long moment, she just watched the group on the couch. Then, she turned a glance towards the woman next to her. “You know, after everything that’s happened... I'd say things turned out pretty good.”

Azula tried not to smile too much, and yet hiding her contentment was difficult. She knew Kuvira's comment had a dual meaning, referring both to herself and to Azula, yet the theme of it remained the same. Here they were, both women being two of the most infamous and brutal figures in history, and yet they had both found their own redemption. They had both been able to change and find peace, and love. They were even friends, a thought that almost caused Azula to laugh. To think that she could have friends, not to mention a loving family... The irony of it all broke her shell, and finally allowed her to spread her lips into a happy, genuine smile.

“Yes…” she said, with warm sigh. “They really did.”

* * *

When Korra and Kuvira finally exited the hospital room, Korra was lost deep in thought. Even as they made their way down the hallway, her mind seemed on other things, as if not even there, and a bright, happy smile lingered on her face. Kuvira watched her closely, her wife's blatant wistfulness not going unnoticed. Within moments, her nerves began to swelter again, bubbling stronger and stronger in her gut. Perhaps this wasn't a conversation she could stave off any longer. Better to just get it over with it.

“You really want them, huh?” she said at last, turning a glance towards her wife.

Korra blinked out of her thoughts. “What?”

“Kids.” Kuvira paused, looking back over her shoulder towards the room they had come from. “I saw the way you looked when you were holding Shizu. You seemed so...happy.”

“Oh...” Korra pulled her gaze back a moment, thinking deeper. “Well, I mean yeah. I guess I do.”

Kuvira stopped walking, raising her arms up to cross gently over her chest. She didn't look straight back at Korra, not at first. Instead, her eyes remained pointed at the floor a long while, until finally she found the resolve to look up again. “And were you thinking...maybe adoption?”

“I guess that would be the simplest way to do it.” Korra shrugged. “Or there's always finding a donor. But really, if you don't want kids, we don't have to have them. It's just... It would be nice, I think.”

“It's not that I don't necessarily _want_ kids, it's just...” Kuvira's words faltered, and she looked away.

“Ku...” Korra whispered, taking a step forward. She placed a comforting hand on her wife's shoulder and smiled. “”You'd make a _great_ mother.”

Kuvira shook her head. “I'm not so sure.” Then, she smiled. “But _you_ would. I know you would.”

“I'd certainly try, anyway. But really, it's okay. This isn't something I'm going to force on you or anything. If it happens, it should be something we both agree on.”

“I'll...think about it,” she said, with a relenting breath. “I promise.”

Korra smiled, leaning close to give her wife a gentle peck on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“I'm just going to head to the bathroom before we go. I’ll be right back.”

Kuvira returned the kiss, then disappeared down the other end of the hallway, towards the bathrooms. Now alone in the hall, Korra began a slow walk throughout the wing. This late at night, things were quiet, calm. A few nurses wandered to and fro, checking clipboards with medical charts, or filing paperwork away into cabinets. One nurse even pushed a patient by in a wheelchair before vanishing around the corner.

Normal visiting hours had been over for quite some time now, but exceptions were made for those visiting mothers giving birth, and nobody batted an eye at the Avatar, of all people. She wandered through the maternity ward for a few moments, smiling at the newborn babies resting in cradles behind a large glass window, and reading the names of each. She imagined that Koda and Shizu would be brought here later on to sleep; it would still be a couple of days before Azula and her children were given leave to return home.

Korra wandered a little farther down the wing, perhaps farther than she should have. Before even realizing it, she had left the maternity ward behind and found herself in a new area entirely. Here, the lights in most of the rooms were clicked off, making it impossible to see anything but darkened shadows inside them. As she passed by one room in particular, however, she saw that the light was on. Curiously, she took a look inside.

She first noticed a nurse checking charts clipped to the side of the bed, making marks with quick flicks of her pen. In the next instant, her eyes drew towards the bed itself, in which lied a small girl, no older than six years old. The girl was still, eyes closed. At first, Korra assumed she was merely sleeping, but upon further investigation she noticed the machines that the girl was hooked up to—an IV, heart monitor, EEG, all manner of tubes and wires... Korra's brow twitched at the sight, and she felt her heart flutter. What on earth had happened to this girl?

When the nurse finally flipped the light off and exited the room, Korra stopped her. “Excuse me, nurse?”

The nurse blinked at her with surprise and took a full step backwards. “Oh, Avatar. You... uh, probably shouldn't be in this part of the hospital at this hour. Um... What can I do for you?”

“Can you tell me about that girl?”

“Oh, her...” The nurse glanced back through the glass window of the door, a frown forming on her face. “Sad story, really. Her family was caught in a satomobile accident a few months back. Both parents died, and she's been in a coma ever since. We've had our best doctors and healers trying to help her, but we're not sure if she's ever going to wake up. Poor thing...”

Korra's eyebrows lifted at the explanation, and she followed the nurse's gaze through the window. “Does she have any other family?”

“Unfortunately, no,” the nurse said. “As far as we can tell, she doesn't have any extended family to claim her.”

“I see...” Korra stared into the darkened room for a long while, only able to see the girl's silhouette shrouded by the dim lights of the machines she was attached to. “Would it be okay if I tried to help her? I'm a pretty excellent healer, if I do say so myself.”

The nurse blinked again, turning her gaze back to the Avatar. “Oh, well... I suppose I could ask. Spirits know that girl could use a miracle, and if ever there was a miracle worker...”

As the nurse walked off to find a doctor, Korra opened the door and flipped the light back on. Then, she made her way to the girl's bedside and pulled up a nearby chair to sit. The girl was even younger than she had thought, maybe only three or four. To think that the girl had lost both her parents at such a young age, and had no other family, no one else in the world... Korra felt a pang of sadness drive into her chest, and she bowed her head. The girl didn't even know yet; she wouldn't know until she woke up...if she woke up.

Poor thing, indeed.

The nurse returned a short while later and affirmed that the lead doctor had given permission for the Avatar to try healing the girl. Korra thanked her, then pulled out a small glob of water from the flask at her hip. She hesitated a moment, watching the girl with somber eyes, and then finally proceeded to go through every different healing technique she knew, even the most advanced ones she had learned from Katara. She kept at it for what felt like ages. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour... she wasn't sure how long. There was no change in the girl's condition, not even a twitch of the fingers or a flutter of the eyelids. She merely lied there, unmoving. Eventually, Korra huffed a deep sigh and returned the water to her flask. There was nothing she could do for this girl.

“Who is she?”

Korra sat up straight in surprise at the sound of the voice. When she turned, she saw Kuvira standing there in the open doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. How long had she been there watching? With a sigh, Korra looked back to the girl and shook her head. “Just someone who doesn't have anybody left in the world.”

Kuvira didn't say anything at first. Instead, she crossed the room and pulled up a second chair, taking up a seat right next to her wife. After a quiet pause, she asked, “Did you want to stay a while?”

Korra nodded. “I think so. I can keep trying to heal her, or...just keep her company, I guess. She needs someone.”

“Alright.” Kuvira reached out and held a hand to Korra's knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We'll stay.”

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Korra made frequent trips to Republic City to visit the comatose girl. She wasn't even sure why she did; the girl was still in a coma, and no matter how much Korra tried to heal her, there was never a change in her condition. The only thing that she could do for the girl was sit there and keep her company. She did try talking to the girl, even reading to her from various children's books, all in the vain hope that maybe the girl would hear her and wake up. She knew deep down that such a hope was futile, but she didn't care. This girl needed someone, and Korra could be there for her.

Months passed like this, but still there was no change. Korra never stopped visiting, though. Every week, she came to the hospital, sat at the girl's bedside, made her continued attempts at healing her, and then proceeded to read to her. The nurses kept telling her that she was wasting her time, but she ignored them. Korra knew it was unreasonable, and yet she felt a sort of...connection to this girl, a girl she knew nothing about except that she was alone. So Korra couldn't bring herself to give up on her, couldn't bring herself to stop visiting. She wouldn't.

Then, one day when Korra came to visit, she arrived at an empty hospital room. Korra paused there in the doorway, staring with wide eyes at the neatly made bed with no occupant. If the girl wasn't here then...what had happened to her? A jolt of panic lurched through her chest in the following moment, and she ran out of the room in search of a nurse. When she found one, she waved the woman down in desperation.

“Nurse!” she called, pointing back to the room. “The girl... is she...?”

“What?” The nurse blinked at Korra, then looked to the room. A second later, she realized what Korra was asking and recoiled with surprise. “Oh! No, no she's fine. She woke up a few days ago actually.”

Korra stared, almost breathless. “She... she woke up?”

“Yes, we moved her to a recovery ward a couple floors down. Would you like to see her?”

“Yes!” Korra exclaimed, as her heart began to ease from its incessant fluttering. Nothing bad had happened... The girl had simply woken up, at long last. “Yes, please.”

The nurse led her down to the next floor into the recovery ward. When they arrived at the proper room, Korra looked through the window of the door and found the girl sitting upright in bed, reading one of the books that Korra had kept at her bedside. The nurse left a moment later, but Korra didn't enter the room right away. She stood there, watching the girl through the window with a broad a smile. After so long visiting this girl, reading to her and trying to heal her, it seemed surreal to finally she her awake and alright.

After finally working up the nerves, Korra opened the door and stepped inside. With a wave, she said, “Hey there.”

The girl looked up at her and immediately froze in shock, eyes wide. “You're... you're the Avatar!”

“Yes, that's right,” she said, with a nod. “But you can call me Korra. What's your name?”

“Um... Taka.”

Korra sat at the girl's bedside and extended a hand. “Well, Taka, it's a pleasure to meet you.”

Taka stared at her hand a moment, then slowly reached forward to shake it. She was tentative, perhaps a little nervous to be in the Avatar's presence. With a curious gaze, she asked, “How come you're here?”

“Oh, well I've actually been visiting you for some time now, when you were asleep.” Korra smiled, reaching for one of the several books stacked on the table next to the bed. “You didn't have anyone else, so I... just wanted someone to be there for you, I guess. I talked to you, read you stories...just tried to keep you company. Even if you probably didn't even know.”

The girl's eyes widened again in recognition. “I heard someone reading in my dreams! That was you?”

Korra blinked at the girl in surprise, and then spread a slow, warm smile across her face. “Yes... I suppose that was me.”

Taka smiled in response, but within a short few moments that smile turned into a deep frown, laden with heavy grief and sadness. Her head bowed, and her hands came together in her lap, gripping at her blanket. “The doctors said that my mommy and daddy are gone...”

“Yes... I'm afraid that's true,” Korra replied, with a mournful sigh. She had been dreading this moment, having to confirm to this innocent young girl that her parents were indeed gone. “Do you have any other family you can stay with?”

Taka quickly shook her head. “Nuh uh. I only had mommy and daddy... and now they're gone.”

A numbness spread in Korra's throat. She forced herself to swallow it, but that did little to ease the shared grief she felt for this girl. “I'm so sorry, Taka...”

Taka sniffled, and then a moment later broke out into wet sobbing. Her tears flowed freely, in spite of her attempts to cover her eyes and hide it, and her sobs broke with frequent hiccups. As the reality of what had happened finally began to hit the young girl, she broke down into a well of despair nearly impossible to climb out of.

Korra reacted immediately, leaning forward to wrap her arms around the girl. Taka hugged her in return, out of instinct, and for a long, long while they held each other. “Shh, shh... it's okay. I'm here. Everything will be okay.”

Taka continued to sob and sniffle for what seemed like ages, but Korra never let her go. Taka didn't let go either, her little arms holding tight onto the Avatar for any bit of comfort she could get. When at last her sobbing slowed down and her tears halted to a steady trickle, Taka buried her face against Korra's chest. “Can you stay with me? I don’t wanna be alone...”

“Of course,” Korra replied, in a gentle whisper. She ran her fingers through the girl's hair and held her close. “I'm not going anywhere.”

* * *

Sometime after Taka fell asleep, Korra exited the hospital room. The nurse was there waiting for her. They shared a silent, lingering stare, before Korra finally spoke. “So, what will happen to her?”

“Well, with no other family, she'll probably be taken into custody by the state after being discharged from the hospital,” the nurse explained. “From there, she'll end up in an orphanage, or put into the foster system, whichever is deemed a better fit for her. She'll be taken care of either way, at least.”

Korra frowned, turning a glance back towards the door. “That's...sad.”

“Yeah, I suppose it is. But it's the only thing we can do for her.”

For what felt like ages, Korra stared at Taka through the window. That girl didn't deserve what was happening to her. She didn't deserve to lose her parents and then get thrust into a foster family, or sent to some orphanage for the rest of her childhood. It wasn't right. When she finally pulled her gaze from the door, Korra made her way by the nurse in a hurry. “Can you tell me when she wakes up again? I need to make a phone call.”

* * *

Kuvira arrived the next day, hurrying into the lobby of the hospital. She paused a brief moment to catch her breath, hands on her knees. In the past few months, she hadn’t been keeping up with her training as much as she should have, so she wasn’t in quite as top shape as she’d been a year ago. Combine that with the dead sprint she had taken all the way from the train station, and she could barely feel her lungs they burned so badly. She probably should have just taken a cab but she didn’t want to have to wait to flag one down, and then get caught in traffic when the hospital was only a few blocks away.

When she finally caught her breath and righted herself, she noticed her wife approaching her from across the lobby. Fighting the stabbing in her chest, she jogged the rest of the distance to greet her. “Korra, what's wrong? Is everything alright? You said it was an emergency.”

“I'm fine, everything's fine, really,” Korra assured. “I’m sorry I didn’t explain everything over the phone, but I wanted to talk about this in person. It's just... so you know the girl that I've been visiting for the past few months?”

Kuvira breathed in deep, hands coming down to her hips. Her breathing had almost slowed down to normal now, but she could still feel her heartbeat pounding rapidly. “The one in the coma?”

“Yeah... well, thing is, she kind of woke up recently.”

“Oh!” Kuvira’s eyebrows lifted, followed by a small smile. “Well that's wonderful.”

“Yeah, I know.” Korra took in a breath of her own, but this one was an attempt to settle her nerves, rather than her endurance. “The problem is, once she's given the okay to leave the hospital, she's going to be taken by the state and put into the foster system, or sent to an orphanage, since she has no other family. Normally, there wouldn’t be anything else we could do for her, but...”

Kuvira furrowed her brow, eyes narrowing curiously. “Korra... what are you getting at?”

“Ku, I know I said I'd give you time to think about it, but please... I'm asking you now.”

She realized it a moment later, and her eyes widened in understanding. “You…want to adopt her?”

Korra huffed out a guilty sigh before flying off into a rapid, frantic explanation. “I know, it's sudden, but please hear me out. She's a sweet little girl who has no one else left to care for her, and if we don't help her then she's going to grow up bouncing between families with no real place that she belongs. Ever since I started visiting her I’ve felt a sort of connection with her, and I know that sounds stupid, and I haven’t even asked her about it yet, but I think—”

“Okay.”

Korra paused, blinking. “Wait, what?”

“I said okay. Let's do it.”

“Wait, you're...serious?”

It was Kuvira’s turn to sigh, as she turned her gaze downward and crossed her arms. “Korra, I've been thinking about this ever since our last conversation about it. I don't know if it's something I'm entirely ready for, but you are, and I'm not going to deprive you of that because of my own insecurities. So, if you really want to help this girl, if you want to raise her and make her a part of our family...”Kuvira shifted her look upward again to meet her wife’s eyes. “Then yes, I’ll support you.”

Korra lit up like a kid during the Glacier Spirits Festival, and immediately lunged forward to hug her wife. “Thank you! Thank you… Do you want to meet her?”

Kuvira offered a sly smile of her own, returning the hug in earnest. “Well, I suppose I probably should if we're going to be taking care of her.”

They arrived at Taka’s room a few minutes later. There, they found the young girl sitting in bed, just staring out the window. A pair of birds circled each other just a short distance away in the sky, and for the moment they held the girl’s full attention. It wasn’t until Korra approached the bed and spoke out to her that she finally looked away from the window.

“Taka, hey,” Korra said, stepping to the side to introduce Kuvira. “I brought someone for you to meet.”

Kuvira glanced from Korra to Taka with uncertainty, but soon found the resolve to step forward and sit in the chair at the bedside. She offered as warm a smile as she could muster, and extended her hand. “Hello, Taka. My name is Kuvira.”

“Oohhh...” Taka gazed up at the women in awe. In her flowing green robes, silver jewelry, and gemmed diadem, Kuvira must have looked like a queen to the girl. “You’re pretty.”

“You think so?”

Takka nodded in confirmation. “Uh huh. I like your booty mark.”

Kuvira blinked in confusion a moment, before suddenly realizing what the girl meant. Lifting a hand to touch the small birthmark beneath her right eye, she smiled. “Oh, you mean my beauty mark. Well thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Taka returned the smile briefly, but it soon faded. Without warning, she lowered her gaze with a quiet pout, and turned again to look out the window.

“So…” Kuvira said, wringing her hands together. She really wasn’t sure what else to say to this girl. “I hear you don’t have any family left to take you in.”

“Uh huh…” Taka’s voice came out in a soft whisper, barely audible. “My mommy and daddy died in the accident. I miss them…”

“Yeah… I get that.” Kuvira lowered her gaze towards the bedsheets in front of her and eased a deep sigh past her lips. “It was the same for me, when I was a kid. My parents… well, I lost them too, just in a different way. I wasn’t much older than you are now when it happened. I didn’t have any other family to help me either, and I ended up living on the streets for a couple years.”

Taka slowly looked back at her, eyebrows lifting with curiosity. “What did you do?”

“Well, I was lucky enough to meet someone who wanted to help me. She…she was a wonderful woman. She took me in and raised me as part of her family. I…didn’t realize how lucky I was to have her until much later, though… too much later.”

Taka frowned. “You sound sad…”

Kuvira nodded. “Maybe a little.”

“Did you lose her too?”

“Yeah.” A silent pause followed, as Kuvira continued staring down at the bed. She could feel the girl watching her, but she couldn’t bring herself to return the gaze. She was being stupid, she realized; she was the adult here. She had no reason to be nervous or afraid. Whatever she was feeling, Taka probably felt ten times worse right now. With another deep breath, Kuvira finally settled her nerves and looked up again to the girl in bed. “Taka, can I ask you a question? When they let you out of the hospital…do you know what will happen to you?”

“I dunno.” Taka shrugged and looked away. “The nurse told me people will take me and find me a new family… but I don’t think I like that. I don’t wanna live with strangers.”

“I don't blame you,” Kuvira replied, with a gentle nod. “But what if you could live with…well, not complete strangers?”

At this question, Taka tilted her head quizzically, brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“We…want you to live with us,” Korra said, taking a step next to Kuvira. “I know we could never replace your parents, but we could give you a good home, and we’d take care of you the best we can. And it might be better than being put with random people you don’t know?”

“But it’s your choice,” Kuvira insisted. “I know that’s a big decision for someone so young… But don’t think that you have to. We’re just letting you know that if you want it, you have a place with us. It doesn’t even have to be right away. You could take some time to get to know us better first.”

Taka was quiet a long while, her eyes shifting slowly back and forth between the two women. When she finally brought herself to speak, her voice came out in a hoarse whisper, as though she were trying to fight her words through an oncoming sob. “You mean I could live with you?”

Kuvira nodded. “Yes, if that’s what you want.”

Taka didn’t say anything else. Instead, she lunged forward from her spot in bed and wrapped her arms around Kuvira. The action caught Kuvira off guard, especially since she soon noticed that Taka had broken down into crying. At first, she wasn’t sure how to react, but after a quick glance to Korra, she reciprocated and pulled the girl into a warm hug. Korra joined a moment later, and the three settled into a long, quiet embrace.

* * *

The following few weeks were spent just as Kuvira had suggested, getting to know one another. During that time, Korra and Kuvira remained in Republic City, and Taka was given the okay to leave the hospital. Before returning to Zaofu, before signing any papers or making anything official, the three of them spent days upon days with each other. They visited the park, explored the Spirit Wilds, went to the local museum, went out to eat together, rode on turtle duck boats, and above all else, they talked. Taka was a very excitable girl, as they found, full of energy and eager for adventure. While quite a few days were cut short out of the young girl's grief over her parents—whose graves she asked to visit several times, as she was still in a coma during their funeral—most days she was lively, laughing, and always looking forward to the next activity.

While still in Republic City, Kuvira brought Taka to meet her local family, Opal and Bolin, as well as Baatar, Jr, who would eventually become the girl’s new aunt and uncles. The rest of the family, she would meet when they returned to Zaofu. Korra also arranged a trip one day to Air Temple Island to meet Tenzin and his family. Tenzin most of all was surprised at the news that Korra and Kuvira were taking in this girl, but he and the rest of his family accepted her with open arms. Taka was all smiles and laughter as she explored the island, mentioning multiple times how 'bootiful' it was. Towards the end of the couple weeks, Tonraq and Senna also arrived up in Republic City to meet the girl, who they both took an instant liking to. According to Tonraq, Taka reminded them much of Korra as a child, just perhaps not quite as chaotic.

When those first few weeks finally drew to a close, Taka was ready to leave to Zaofu. Korra and Kuvira took her to city hall to sign the paperwork and make it official, although they didn't fully adopt her right off the bat. Rather, they applied for guardianship. If at the end of the following year things worked out and Taka still wanted to stay with them, then they would adopt her and she would take the Beifong name. They had decided on that course of action together, as a way to take things slow and not overwhelm the girl. It would also give Taka time to adjust before suddenly becoming someone else's daughter so soon after losing her parents.

When they arrived in Zaofu, Korra and Kuvira gave Taka a brief tour of the city, at which the girl marveled. Zaofu was, after all, very different from Republic City. Taka was left speechless throughout most of the tour, every now and then uttering quiet words of amazement and awe. Her reaction was much the same when they arrived at the Beifong mansion. Taka couldn't believe that she would be living in such a grand home, which she called a palace. Kuvira assured her it wasn't a palace, but that did nothing to quell the girl's amazement.

Taka's shock was lessened, or at least pushed aside for the time being, when the other Beifongs greeted her. From Baatar, Sr., to Huan, to Wing and Wei, and even Toph, they all welcomed her and assured her that she would always have a place with them in Zaofu. Taka was a little overwhelmed at first to meet so many more people who would become her family, not to mention the mansion's staff, from the cooks to the maids, but they eased her into it, and within a short few minutes she was smiling and giggling again. Once introductions were taken care of, Korra and Kuvira led Taka deeper into the mansion to show her around. Her innocent, childlike wonder returned in an instant.

“This place is so amazing!” she exclaimed, looking up at the tall ceiling with wide eyes.

“We’re glad you think so,” Kuvira said, with a smile. “Feel free to look around some more; I know it’s a big place. We can go look at the gardens later too, if you want.”

“Ooh, does it have lots of pretty flowers?”

Kuvira nodded. “Yes, lots of pretty flowers.”

Squatting down so she was eye level with the girl, Korra smiled at her and asked, “Do you want to see your room?”

Taka's eyes lit up. “Yeah!”

They brought her to her bedroom a few minutes later. It was quite a large room, especially for a small girl, filled with all the usual amenities one would expect. The décor was set up with the typical Zaofu green and silver, but was fit with an elegant style matching the rest of the mansion, including a large silk canopy set up above the bed. The bedroom even came attached with its own bathroom. It was a room fit for a queen, even more so a young child.

“Here you are,” Korra said.

“Wooow…” Taka wandered inside with her mouth hanging open, looking back and forth as she marveled at what would be her new room. “This is so much bigger than my old room.”

A mere moment after the mention of her old room, Taka fell silent and her amazement disappeared. She had only recently visited her old home in Republic City, to gather up the belongings she wanted to take with her to Zoafu. Among the usual toys and books were multiple photographs of her and her parents. Now, thinking back to her old room, her old home, the family she had lost... the sorrow returned.

Korra approached her, kneeling at the girl's side with a hand on her shoulder. “Taka, are you alright?”

“I miss my mommy and daddy…” Taka squinted her eyes shut and tried not to cry, but she could do little to stop the flow of tears from seeping out onto her cheeks. Her halfhearted attempts at wiping her face dry only caused the tears to smear, rather than drying her cheeks. Within seconds, she was sobbing.

“I know, I know.” Korra pulled the girl in for a warm hug, holding a gentle hand to the back of her head. “It’s okay, let it out. Shhh…”

Korra consoled Taka to the best of her ability. She rocked the girl gently back and forth, whispered comforting words to her, and eventually she even began to hum a calming lullaby. Within moments after Korra began humming, Taka's sobbing slowed down. The girl eased against the older woman, nestled in the tender embrace, and soon she ceased crying altogether. The sorrow did not disappear completely, though, and Taka muttered that she was tired. So, Korra lifted her from the floor, took her over to the bed, and tucked her in beneath the covers. Then, she kissed Taka's forehead and urged her to rest a while.

Throughout all of this, Kuvira watched from the doorway, amazed at how easily Korra had put Taka at peace and calmed the child. When Korra exited the room and closed the door behind them, bringing both women out into the hall, Kuvira stared at her in disbelief. “You’re so…good at that.”

“Hmm?” Korra paused, glancing back at the closed bedroom door. “Oh, yeah, I guess so. I just sort of picked it from my own mom. Things I remember her doing for me when I was a girl.”

“That’s… good. Really good.”

Korra furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” Kuvira sighed, bringing her arms across her chest. “What you just did in there, how you are with her? I don’t think that’s something I have.”

“That’s nonsense. Taka adores you, and you’re great with her. You’ll be a wonderful mother.”

Kuvira shrugged and turned away. “If you say so. I’m not so sure.”

Korra frowned, taking a step around her wife so they were face to face again. “Why are you so insistent about it? I can understand being apprehensive about parenthood, but you really seem to think you won’t be any good at it.”

“It’s… I mean, with my parents…” Kuvira swallowed, only able to gaze at Korra for a few moments before looking away again. She leaned back against the wall and brought a hand to her forehead, brushing back her loose bangs out of her face. “They left me, you know? Abandoned me… And even when they were raising me, they didn’t really show me that kind of love. I know I had Su later on, but even then that wasn’t the same. I don’t…have anything to go by. What if I turn out like my parents? What if I can’t figure it out? I can tell you’re already Taka’s favorite. I’m just…not sure how to connect with her.”

Korra deepened her frown, then took a step forward and held a hand against Kuvira's cheek. With a gentle push, she lifted her wife's gaze so they could look each other in the eyes. “Kuvira, listen to me. That is absolutely ridiculous, what you said just now. You are _not_ your parents. You won’t make those same mistakes, because you learned from them, and you’re _better_ than them. Plus, you have me here to help you out, right? Trust me, I’ll make sure you become the best mother you can possibly be. I know it’s a little…different with Taka, since we basically just met her, and she’s a bit older. When I was considering adoption, I always meant to adopt a newborn, someone we could raise from as early on as possible… someone who would really feel like _ours_. But this girl… well, I guess she just sort of fell into our family, huh?”

“I suppose so,” Kuvira replied, with a lengthy sigh. “And don’t get me wrong, I’m going to try, I really am. I’m just…scared, I guess. Scared I’ll get it wrong.”

Korra smiled. “You won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”

In spite of Korra's reassurance, Kuvira didn't say anything else. She breathed deeply and looked away, her mind a sudden swirl of thoughts. She knew that Korra would be a much more capable mother than she ever would. She would try as hard as she could to keep up... but would that be enough?

“Are you alright?” Korra asked.

“Yeah, I’m just…thinking,” she replied.

“About what?”

Kuvira shook her head. “Nothing, really. It’s fine.”

“Well, alright then.” Leaning forward, Korra gave her wife a gentle kiss. Then, she held Kuvira's hand and led her down the hallway. “Now come on, I’ll fix us a bath.”

* * *

In the following couple months, Taka gradually settled into her new life and home. The process was slow, and a little awkward at first, but the more time she spent in Zaofu, the more she grew to enjoy it. The same held true for her new family. She spent a lot of time drawing pictures with Huan, and playing athletic games with Wing and Wei. Toph was more than happy to show off some of her advanced earthbending techniques, which always captivated and awed the young girl, while Baatar, Sr. let Taka help out in the gardens. This grew to be one of her favorite activities. She spent hours digging and planting new flowers, learning how to trim bushes into fun shapes, how to properly care for the plants, and which types of flowers grew best in what kind of conditions.

Most of all, though, Taka latched closely to Korra, with whom she spent most of her time. With no full time job to keep herself occupied, Korra became a sort of stay at home mom to take care of Taka on a daily basis. She still had her Avatar duties, of course, but those instances were sporadic and didn’t take up as much of her time as would running a city, or working a daily shift. As such, the two became nearly inseparable. Wherever Korra went, Taka seemed to follow. Naga took a liking to the girl as well, and Taka came to enjoy her frequent rides around Zaofu on the ‘fluffy doggy’.

On the other end of the spectrum, Kuvira felt…distanced from Taka. She tried her best to connect with the girl, but even with Korra’s coaching and reassurance, she found most of their conversations to be brief and awkward. Taka still smiled and laughed around her much the same as she did with Korra, but they spent far less time together. Kuvira had her daily job running Zaofu to take care of primarily, which left her with only a couple of hours each night and day with the girl. Taka greatly preferred her time with Korra, Kuvira could see that plainly enough. In spite of her efforts, Kuvira didn’t feel so much like a parent as felt like she was just…there. As the weeks passed, she began to doubt that she would ever find something to bond over with Taka.

Until, one day, there came a breakthrough.

Kuvira wandered through the large hedges of the gardens behind the Beifong mansion, hands on her hips. She looked left, then right, her eyes carefully scanning every little nook, cranny, and shadow for potential hiding places. It was one of her two days off during the week, and at Korra’s insistence she had agreed to play a game of hide and seek with her and Taka. Right now, it was Kuvira’s turn to search, and the others’ turns to hide. So far, she hadn’t found even a hint of either Korra or Taka, but she continued her search with diligence. She _could_ simply use her seismic sense to find them, but that was against the rules. Even if they wouldn’t be able to prove it, she refrained from cheating.

As she neared one of the large fountains near the center of the grounds, a sudden line of earth tore up from behind the nearby gazebo. The earth twisted a path towards her, but stopped just short of her feet. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Kuvira turned towards the gazebo. “Korra, you know the rules.”

Without pause, she swiftly made her way around the other side of the gazebo. “You can't try and cut me off so you can find a better place to hide. If I'm getting close to you, then—” As she came around the other side, however, she found not Korra standing there, but someone else entirely, causing her words to cut out in surprise. “Taka?”

The girl blinked up at her, then quickly shifted back down to the torn earth that cut through the gardens. “Um... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.”

“No that's...aright.” Kuvira stared at the girl, trapped in a moment of disbelief. When she finally snapped out of it, she shifted her stance and repaired the ground to its previous condition. “Taka, did you know you were an earthbender?”

She quickly shook her head. “Uh uh. My daddy could do it, and he always said I might be able to one day, but... I've never done it before.”

“Hey,” a voice called. Korra appeared a moment later, walking into view from around the other side of the gazebo. “What's going on?”

“Well, it turns out that Taka here is an earthbender,” Kuvira explained.

Korra’s eyebrows lifted. “Really? That's great!”

Taka frowned, then wildly waved her arms through the air, trying to duplicate the feat she had performed only moments ago. When nothing happened, her pout deepened. “I dunno how I did it though.”

“Well, I guess you just need a teacher now.” Kuvira paused, turning a glance towards her wife.“I'm...sure Korra will be happy to show you.”

“Actually,” Korra said, returning the glance, “if she’s going to have an earthbending teacher, then it should be the best.

“Oh, well I guess we could ask Toph if she wouldn't mind...”

Korra smirked, giving her wife a playful punch to the shoulder. “I mean _you_ , dummy.”

Taka raised her gaze up to Kuvira, eyes filled with anticipation “So...you're gonna teach me?”

“Oh.” Kuvira blinked at Korra a moment, then turned her focus down to Taka. It took a moment for her to shake out of her surprise, but when she did, she felt a sudden eagerness burning within her. Other than a few things she had shown Korra, she had never been a teacher before. It would be a challenge…but a fun one. “Yes, I suppose I can. We can start whenever you like.”

Taka beamed, fists pumping with excitement. “I wanna learn right now!”

“Well, okay then,” she replied, with a grin of her own. “Let's begin.”

That was how they bonded, through their earthbending training. Over the next two months, Kuvira and Taka spent as many hours together as they could squeeze into each day. Taka proved to be an eager student, and a fast learner, memorizing every basic form that she was shown with little difficulty. While at first her ability to earthbend was weak and uncontrolled, at the end of the first week she could levitate small rocks and stomp little craters into the ground with ease. As time went on, Kuvira even showed her how to apply dance moves into her style, which gradually extended into actual dance lessons.

Taka had always been fascinated by Zaofu’s dance troupe since she first saw them practice, but had been too nervous to ask about learning. Now that she and Kuvira were spending so much time together, the request came naturally, and so too did the teaching. They divided their time between earthbending and dancing, and before long Taka became quite the little master of both, at least for a four year old. Each day, both Kuvira and Taka looked forward to and treasured the time they spent together, growing ever closer to one another.

After three months of this, Kuvira no longer felt like an outsider when it came to Taka. She finally felt like she, Korra, and Taka were a real family, and that she might actually make a decent mother. She was happy, she realized, as happy as she had ever been since the day she and Korra had married. Perhaps she wouldn’t be so bad at this after all.

After putting Taka to bed one night, Kuvira closed the door behind herself and returned into the hallway, where Korra was already waiting for her.

“Seems like you two are finally hitting it off,” Korra said, with a smile.

“Yeah...” Kuvira’s lips curled into her own smile, unable to hide her joy. “She's a diligent student, and a fast learner. She'll be a great earthbender, and maybe an even better dancer.”

Korra stepped towards her wife, leaning in close to give her a gentle kiss. “I knew you'd find a way to bond with her. Not so scary now, is it?”

“I suppose you were right. She really is wonderful...” Kuvira breathed out deep and closed her eyes, coming closer to Korra. “And I think…I think after all this time I’ve spent with Taka, it’s made me realize something. Or rather… _want_ something. Something I didn’t think I ever would.”

Korra raised an eyebrow, leaning back to give her wife a questioning gaze. “What’s that?”

Kuvira only smiled, and brought their lips together again for another long kiss. There would be time to explain later. Right now, though, she just wanted to enjoy the embrace of her wife.

* * *

When the knock came to the front door of the apartment, Azula huffed from her spot on the couch. “You answer it.”

Anraq glanced from the kitchen and gave his wife a smirk. Azula looked exhausted, sprawled out on the couch as she was. Shizu and Koda lay in their rockers on the floor, both of which she was halfheartedly rocking back and forth with her feet. As they had discovered over the past couple hours, if either one of them stopped rocking the twins for even a moment, they would both break out into shrill crying. With Anraq at the stove cooking dinner, the task fell to Azula, who had already spent most of the day looking after the two children. The sun hadn’t even set yet, but she already appeared ready to fall asleep.

Setting the pots on the stove to a low simmer, Anraq made his way from the kitchen to front door. When he opened it, both Korra and Kuvira were there to greet him. He broke out into a smile and welcomed them, before turning his focus downward to the young girl standing between the two women. Squatting down so he was level with the girl, he held his hand out. “Well hello there, you must be Taka.”

Taka looked at his hand tentatively a moment, and then reached out to shake it. “Uh huh.”

“Well, Taka, it's a pleasure to meet you.” Standing straight again, he took a step back into the apartment and looked back towards the couch in the living room. “I'm Anraq, and this is my wife, Azula.”

Azula glanced up from the couch and straightened herself, trying to appear more awake. She gave Taka a quick look, lips pursed. “Well, she seems like a nice enough girl. Kanna, come here and say hello.”

Seconds later, Kanna appeared from the hallway at the other end of the apartment. She approached Taka slowly, cautiously, as if worried about the first impression she might make. After a lengthy pause, she gave a friendly wave and said, “Um... hiya. I'm Kanna.”

Taka waved in return. “I'm Taka.”

Another pause, as Kanna rocked back on her heels and glanced over her shoulder. “You...want to go see my room?”

Take smiled, giving an eager nod. “Sure!”

As the two girls ran off to Kanna’s room, Anraq smiled and gestured towards Korra and Kuvira. “Come on in, please. Dinner's almost ready.”

“Just let me put the twins to bed first,” Azula said, with a tired groan. “They've been fussy all day.”

Once Azula left to put the twins to bed, Anraq returned to the stove in the kitchen. Korra and Kuvira followed, setting themselves up at the table. “Thanks again for coming, guys. It's been months since we've gotten together like this.”

“Yeah, we figured it would be good to catch up,” Korra said.

“How have things been going the past few months?” Kuvira asked, as she lowered herself into one of the chairs at the table.

“They've been great, actually,” he replied. “Got my old job back at the station, and Mako even promoted me to Lieutenant, you believe that? Azula's firebending academy is coming along nicely too.”

“Yes, for all the good it does.” Azula reappeared at the end of the hall, making her way towards the kitchen with a yawn. “A couple of my students seem to know what they're doing, but for the most part it's like trying to teach children.”

Anraq raised an eyebrow at her. “Honey, they _are_ children.”

Azula paused, frowning. “Well, yes, but even still.”

“She has high standards,” Anraq said. “As you can probably guess.”

“Whatever,” Azula muttered, with a roll of her eyes. “I'll make decent firebenders out of them yet. Before long, the Blue Lotus will be the most prestigious firebending academy in the entire United Republic, if not the world.”

“What about with you?” Anraq asked, turning a look back towards the other two women. “How are things?”

“About what you'd imagine,” Korra said, offering a smile. “I've just been doing Avatar things, traveling to other nations and meeting with world leaders, taking care of the occasional bandit problem, things like that. Nothing really major.”

“And running Zaofu hasn't changed much,” Kuvira said. “Although I've been spending a lot of time teaching Taka earthbending lately. That’s been a lot of fun.”

Anraq’s brow lifted, followed quickly by a pleasant smile. “Oh, she's an earthbender? That's fantastic.”

“Yeah, it really is,” Kuvira replied. She eased a long breath and smiled, her thoughts drifting a moment. When her focus returned to the present, she continued, “Aside from that, though, I've been trying to get the dance troupe back in order. After Sin moved here to Republic City to live with Asami, I've had to fill my lead dancer position.”

“Which pretty much means me...” Korra muttered, with an embarrassed chuckle.

Kuvira glanced back at her and smirked. “You're fine, Korra. Really.”

“According to you, but I still don't think I'm that good.”

“Nonsense, you're wonderful.” Kuvira leaned in close to give her wife a gentle peck on the lips, then returned her attention to the other couple. “We should be having another recital soon, though. I can get you tickets if you'd like.”

“Sounds great to me,” Anraq said. “Right, Azula?”

Azula glanced back and forth between them, and after a momentary pause she sighed, “Yes, yes, I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Is that food ready yet, Annie?”

“Just a few more minutes. Can't rush these things.”

Dinner was served a few minutes later, a combination of traditional Water Tribe and Fire Nation dishes that Anraq knew how to make. Normally, he would have had Azula make the Fire Nation parts of the meal, but as much as she hated to admit it, he was a far better cook that she was. At the very least, she had been able to tell him what was in the dishes, but she had left the actual prepping and cooking to him. Regardless of who had made it, though, Korra and Kuvira were grateful for the meal, and for the hospitality.

Taka and Kanna joined the adults for the meal, although their stay was short lived since they didn't eat as much, nor were they needed for the lengthy grown up conversations. Instead, after they finished their dinner, they scurried away from the table to go play some more. The two seemed to be making fast friends. They talked about the things they liked to do, played with some of Kanna's toys, and showed off their bending abilities to each other—Kanna by bending a ring of water out from the sink faucet, and Taka by spinning some colored rocks that she kept in her pockets. Eventually, the two returned to Kanna's room, leaving the adults alone again.

As dinner grew to a close, Anraq cleaned up the table and set the dishes in the sink, while Azula served a dessert of stuffed pastries and poured a glass of wine for each of them. When everything was set, Anraq rejoined them at the table and pulled his seat in. With a smile, he dug into his dessert.

“This was nice,” he said. “It was good catching up.”

“And it looks like Kanna and Taka are getting along,” Korra replied.

Azula nodded, as she took a small sip of her wine. “Yes, I suppose we’ll have to arrange more frequent playdates. “

“So, Anraq, Azula…” Kuvira placed her wineglass down on the table and leaned forward against the table, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two. “There is one other reason why we wanted to come visit.”

Anraq took a bite of his pastry and asked, “Oh, what’s that?”

“Well, we’ve been giving it a lot more thought and…we want to have another child,” Kuvira said. “Not like Taka, though. This would be one we’d raise from birth.”

“So…you’re looking for expecting parents who plan to give up their kid to adoption?” Azula asked, swirling the wine around in her glass. “Something like that?”

“Not exactly…” Korra glanced to her wife and cleared her throat, then turned her attention back to the other two. “See there’s another method, where we could get a donor to provide, uh… the basis for having a natural birth.”

“A donor for…” Anraq blinked, straightening in his seat as he realized what they meant. “Oh. They can do that?”

Kuvira nodded. “From what we understand, yes. All the donor has to do is provide the…”

“Genetic material, hmm?” Azula said, with another sip of her wine.

“Right.”

“Oh, well that’s cool. I think.”Anraq fidgeted a little in his seat, reaching again for his pastry. “But…what’s that have to do with us?”

“Well…” Kuvira cleared her throat and looked straight at him. “We were hoping that… _you_ could be the donor.”

The surprise from Kuvira's statement caused Anraq to swallow his bite too early, and he immediately began choking. With several harsh coughs, he made a grab for his wine and gulped down a large mouthful to clear his throat, hacking and sputtering the entire time. When his throat finally cleared, he gasped out a rough breath and snatched up a napkin to clean his mouth. Throughout all of this, Azula tilted back in her seat and laughed at the top of her lungs, hard enough to bring tears to her eyes.

“Wait…” Anraq said, through a few lingering coughs. “You what?”

Through her slowly dying laughter, Azula replied, “I believe they want your genes for their next child. Rather a bold request to make of my _husband_ , I must say.”

“That’s why we came to both of you,” Korra insisted. “It’s obviously not a small decision, and we could always get another donor, but we figured it would be better than a stranger. I actually suggested Mako, but you were Kuvira’s first choice.”

“Well of course he was,” Azula said, with a matter-of-fact-nod. “I mean just look at him. He's a perfect specimen.”

Anraq gave his wife an embarrassed glance, squirming again in his seat.

“Well, between us,” Kuvira stated, “I’m not exactly close with Mako or anything… so it was a little less awkward asking you.”

“So then…you’d be the one carrying?” Anraq said, turning his focus to Kuvira. When she affirmed his question with a nod, he cleared his throat and straightened himself in his seat. “Okay, well, uh… I mean this is sudden. Kind of putting me on the spot here.”

“There’s no pressure, really,” Korra said. “And obviously you’d both have to agree. It’s not something we need an answer on right away.”

Azula merely shrugged, raising her wineglass back to her lips. “Well I don’t have a problem with it.”

Anraq blinked in surprise, snapping a look towards her. “Wait, you don’t?”

“Why would I?” she said. “It’s not like you’d be sleeping with her or anything. They just need your ‘material’. Heck, I’ll even go down to the clinic with you and help you make the deposit.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure…you can’t do that,” Korra said, giving the woman a questioning glare.

Azula smirked. “That’s what you think.”

“Well, okay then…” Anraq cleared his throat again and glanced downward at his half-eaten dessert. “So it’s all on me. Awesome.”

“And keep in mind, you wouldn’t be involved in raising the kid or anything, so there’s no added responsibility there,” Kuvira said. “This would be _our_ child for all intents and purposes. Just…with a little help from you.”

“Right, right, okay… ” Anraq's fingers began tapping repeatedly on the table. He went quiet, thinking deeply about the request. This wasn't exactly an easy decision to make for anyone. Sure, he might not be raising this child, but it would still be his genes that were used to create it. That meant, biologically, it would be his. But that was just biologically... Korra and Kuvira would be raising it. It would be _theirs_. As much as he told himself that, though, it still felt awkward. Still... his friends were asking him specifically for help. There wasn't another way they could have a natural child, unless they found a different donor, possibly a stranger. After a long, deep pause, he eased out a breath and looked up at them. “I mean...would I still get to be like a cool uncle or something?”

Kuvira offered a small chuckle and nodded. “Of course.”

“Well… okay,” he said. “Let’s do it then.”

Korra's brow lifted. “Really?”

“Sure, why not?” he said, with a shrug. “Anything to help my friends, right?”

“Thank you,” Kuvira said, bowing her head low in appreciation. “Really, Anraq, this means… so much. Thank you.”

“Heh, don’t mention it. But uh, when exactly do you want to do this…?”

Kuvira looked to her wife. “Well, we could go down to the clinic tomorrow, I suppose. We still have a few more days until we head back to Zaofu. Once Anraq makes the deposit, we'd just have to schedule an appointment for the treatment.”

“Tomorrow, okay, great,” Anraq said. He nodded with enthusiasm, but he couldn't quite hide how nervous this whole situation made him. “We’ll do that.”

Without even glancing at him, Azula took another sip of her wine and said, “I’m still coming with you.”

Korra dropped her forehead in her palm and groaned. “Azula, they’re not going to let you ‘help’ him.”

Azula lowered her wineglass, her lips curling into a devilish smirk. “You keep saying that, Avatar, but I can be very persuasive.”

When dinner came to a close, Korra and Kuvira said their goodbyes to Anraq and Azula, and, after rounding up a tuckered out Taka, made their exit from the apartment. Before they even made it all the way down the hallway, Taka claimed she was too sleepy to walk, so Kuvira scooped the girl up into her arms and then led the way out of the building. There was a light rain falling from the night sky, but it was nothing more than a gentle, cool drizzle.

“So,” Korra said, as they began their way down the sidewalk, “you ready for this?”

Kuvira glanced down at Taka. The young girl had completely dozed off by now, nestled against Kuvira’s chest. With a smile, Kuvira brushed her fingers through Taka’s hair and said, “Yeah, I think I am.”

* * *

Close to ten months later, Kuvira’s screams echoed like thunder off the hospital room walls. Her shouting had been going on like this for hours now, at increasingly shortened intervals. She had always considered herself to have a high pain tolerance, but nothing could quite compare to the feel of childbirth. She had tried to grit her teeth and bear it, if only for the sake of saving face against Azula, but the longer her labor went on, the more futile that struggle had become. Fourteen hours into it, there was nothing she could do to ignore the pain. Korra had been with her the entire time, holding her hand and offering words of encouragement, but somewhere near the tenth hour those words had turned to a fuzzy haze, and Kuvira barely registered them anymore.

As the doctor and nurses continued to prepare for the imminent birth, the door to the hospital room opened and Azula poked her head inside with a knowing smirk on her face. “You see? I told you, pushing a human being out of your body hurts.”

Kuvira answered with another shout, this one mixed with several swears. Azula’s grin only widened at the response.

“Azula!” Korra called, shooting the woman a glare. “Not the time.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying.”

Noticing the woman looking into the room, one of the nurses made a beeline towards her and gestured for her to leave. “Ma’am, please, you have to clear the room.”

“If you need anything, we’ll be waiting out here,” Azula said, giving a parting wave as she closed the door behind herself. “Do try to keep it down.”

Kuvira’s screams reached a crescendo as she neared the end of her labor. The doctor set up at the end of the bed, lifting the curtain draped over her spread legs and urging her to push. At this point, the pain was so intense that she almost didn’t want to obey, but she knew she had to. Listening to Korra’s whispers in her ears, she fought through it and pushed with everything she had. She wasn’t certain how much time passed—the minutes all seemed to blur together—but suddenly the pain ceased, and in its place there came a sound: the crying of a newborn baby.

* * *

Outside the hospital room, a veritable crowd of people were waiting for the big news. There were all of the Beifongs, including Junior and Opal, both having traveled to Zaofu all the way from Republic City. Along with Opal was Bolin, as well as their now almost two year old son, San, who had long since fallen fast asleep in his father’s arms. Taka was with them, too, sitting in Toph’s lap as she tried to stay awake throughout the whole process. Anraq and Azula had also made the trip, not just to support Kuvira giving birth, but because of Anraq being the donor for the child; he felt obligated to be there, not that he wouldn’t have come regardless. With them was Kanna, who, unlike the other children, was wide awake and eager to see the new baby. Koda and Shizu were there too, but the now year-and-a-half old twins were also fast asleep.

Then, there was Tonraq and Senna, having made the trip all the way up from the South Pole. While most of the other out-of-towners had arrived a few days ago to be sure they didn’t miss the event, Korra’s parents had been in Zaofu now for two weeks. While both Korra and Kuvira appreciated their enthusiasm, it had been a tad awkward having them around waiting for Kuvira to give birth. Either way, they were ready and waiting just the same as everyone else for that door to open.

When the door to the room did finally open, Korra appeared and beamed a smile at everyone. After a moment of dramatic pause, she exclaimed, “It’s a girl!”

Words of congratulations erupted from the group, as they took that as the cue to follow Korra and pile into the room. Kuvira was waiting inside, now lying back in her bed and holding a small, dark-haired baby girl wrapped in a green blanket. The group gathered around the bed to get a good look, offering the usual congratulations and mentions of how cute the baby was.

“Aww,” Opal said, as she leaned in close to her new niece. “She’s adorable.”

Taka climbed up onto the bed to sit next to Kuvira, gazing in wonder at the baby. “Is she my new sister?”

Kuvira smiled. Over the course of the past year and a half, their arrangement with Taka had worked out as wonderfully as they could have hoped. At the end of the first year, just as planned, she and Korra had done up the paperwork to fully adopt the girl, and since then she had become Taka Beifong. Holding the child closer to Taka, Kuvira nodded and replied, “Yes, she’s your new sister.”

“Cooool.”

Baatar, Sr. leaned in close to get a better look, holding a comforting hand to Kuvira’s shoulder. “So, what’s her name?”

Kuvira thought a moment, turning a look towards Korra. They shared a brief smile, and then she focused her gaze back to their new daughter. “Suyin,” she said, in quiet whisper. “Her name is Suyin.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so life goes on, and family grows. This ended up being a much longer chapter than I thought it would be, so it's a good thing I broke it up into two chapters from the last one. We finally revisit the theme that was brought up when Korra and Kuvira first spoke about having kids, and now we see that they're building a lovely family of their own. Then of course there's Anraq and Azula further building their family as well, with twins no less. We've also seen a decent bit of time pass too, so it's fun seeing how things have progressed for some of the characters. I hope that's something you enjoy, since there might be some more time passing between this chapter and the next one... I also hope you like Taka. She wasn't a character I originally envisioned, but somewhere in the process of writing this the idea came to me and voila.
> 
> So, just one more chapter to go, folks. One more and it's all over. I really hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I have writing it for you!


	152. Epilogue: All's Well That Ends Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every story has its beginning, middle, and end. This is the end.

When Korra and Kuvira stepped off the train of the Republic City train station, they were almost swept away in the sea of people departing and boarding on either side of them. With a little maneuvering, however, they were able to slip through the crowd and make their way to the upper platform, where not as many people were gathered. The stations of both Republic City and Zaofu had been increasingly busy over the years, and now it was a wonder that anyone managed to make it to their train on time without being stonewalled by a throng of bodies along the way.

This was of course because of the growth in trade and commerce between both cities. During Kuvira’s reign as matriarch, Zaofu had gradually opened itself up to the world and begun sharing its resources and ingenuity. This led to an economic boom for not just Zaofu and Republic City, but many other Earth states in the surrounding region. Coupled with the expanse in the rail system to cover most of the United Earth States, all the way from Ba Sing Se to Omashu, the world was entering a new age of prosperity.

They were on the platform no longer than a few moments before a familiar pair appeared at the other end and made a beeline towards them. Kuvira only saw a brief glimpse of them at first, as several groups of people passed between them, but there was no mistaking the delighted grin from the man, nor the ever present snarky smirk of the woman as they snaked their way through the crowd.

“Hey!” Anraq called, giving the pair a welcoming wave.“Glad to see you guys made good time.”

“It’s good to see you again,” Kuvira stated, flashing a friendly smile. “It’s been a while.”

“I’ll say.”Azula folded her arms, one hand raising up to touch her chin in thought. Her eyes scanned the woman in front of her a brief moment, and then she curled a mocking grin across her face. “Love what you’ve done with your hair.”

Kuvira frowned, grumbling quietly to herself as she swept aside her bangs to hang across the other side of her face—an attempt to hide the ever noticeable silver streak that had begun to appear over the past couple years. “Well it’s not like I _planned_ to lose the color…”

“I think it looks great,” Korra said, turning to give her wife a kiss on the cheek. “It’s very distinguished.”

“Besides, it’s not like you have it as bad as me,” Anraq said, with a long sigh. His hands came up to brush against the sides of his head, indicating the graying edges of his hair along either side. “I really need to do something about this.”

Azula’s grin widened as she gave a smug shrug of satisfaction. “Well, I suppose not everyone can be gifted with my everlasting beauty.” She paused, glancing towards the Avatar. “Except Korra, I suppose. You haven’t quite lost all your luster.”

Aside from some subtle age lines beneath her eyes, Korra looked the same as she ever had—still clearly older than her younger self, but not so much that she couldn’t pass for a younger woman if she had to. Azula, on the other hand, appeared much younger than any of them. Although her body did age now, she had only physically reached her late-twenties.

Kuvira huffed, turning her focus back to Azula. “Yeah, well not all of us can have our age reverted to our teenage years. You’re still as old as all of us combined.”

“You and your numbers,” Azula said, with a roll of her eyes. “It’s all about how I look.”

As the adults worked through their conversation, a twelve year old girl with long dark hair pulled back in a braid stepped out from behind Korra and Kuvira, peering around timidly in search for familiar faces closer to her age. Before she even saw them, she heard them calling her name.

“Suyin!”

An instant later, a thirteen year old girl and boy ran out from behind their parents to greet the girl. The girl was darker skinned than the boy, with mid length brown hair tied up in a topknot. The boy, on the other hand, had hair closer to black, and wore it tied up in a wolf tail, with the sides shaved down almost to the scalp. In spite of their differences in appearance, however, they were not only siblings but twins.

“It’s totally been ages!” Koda said, with a big grin.

“How’s your bending coming?” Shizu asked.

Suyin shifted awkwardly on her feet. “Umm, well I’m getting better… Want to see?”

“Uh, obviously,” Shizu replied. “Show us what you got!”

Before they got that far, Azula looked their way. “Kids, please, no bending at the train station. Save it for later.”

Koda groaned, slouching in defeat. “Fiiine…”

As soon as his mother’s back was turned, Koda pulled a swirling whip of water out of the small bottle tied to his belt. Shizu responded immediately, casting a burst of brilliant blue flames out of her fist. Koda grinned and caught the flames in his water to extinguish it. No sooner than he formed a bubble around the fire, a small stone shot up from the ground and burst it into a splatter of droplets. Suyin giggled in triumph, holding a hand over her mouth to keep her voice down. In spite of their supposed subtly, Azula shot them a look a moment later, already knowing they hadn’t listened to her.

“What?” Koda said, holding his hands behind his back. He blinked at his mother, keeping his face stern. “We didn’t do anything, honest.”

Shizu immediately pointed to her brother. “Koda made me do it.”

“Sure he did,” Azula said, narrowing her eyes. “Like the time you set the living room on fire.”

“It was an accident!” Shizu insisted. Her head bowed in guilt, fingers pressing together as she tried to maintain her innocence. “I only burned a _little_ bit of the curtain… and the carpet… and the couch.”

Anraq watched the interaction, trying to hold back his chuckle that had been building during the scene. Finally, he waved them along and led the way off the platform towards the exit of the train station. “Let’s go, kids. We don’t want to be late for your sisters' big day.”

Shizu and Koda hurried after their parents, while Suyin scurried back behind her mothers. Korra and Kuvira both reached down, each holding one of their daughter’s hands as they followed.

* * *

Asami huffed out a deep breath as she shook the stack of papers into a neat pile. It had been a long, long day of meetings, lab work, and schematic write ups. It wasn’t even dark yet but already she felt like she could fall back into her seat and sleep. She knew she couldn’t, though; the day wasn’t over yet. She’d be leaving soon, but she still needed to organize her office a little more than it was right now. Over the past few days, her desk had accumulated too many different files, blueprints, invoices, and other assortment of documents to keep track of. One of these days, she’d get around to hiring a new personal assistant.

As Asami slid open the top drawer of her desk to dump the papers into, the door to her office opened. The first to enter was Sin, dressed in a casual Republic City style outfit. Over the years, she had gradually gone away from her usual Zaofu style to one more common around the city, although most of her outfits were still a mix of green and silver. This one was no exception, with a silver blouse and dark green jacket, along with a short green skirt and silver leggings. Trailing behind Sin was a much younger individual, a five year old girl with black hair in a short bob cut.

“Hey, Honey,” Sin said, as she approached the desk. “You ready to head out?”

Asami blinked, then flicked her gaze down to her wristwatch. She could have sworn she had more time, but apparently she had lost track over the past few hours.“Crap, is it that time already?”

The girl at Sin’s side immediately broke out into giggles. “Mommy said crap!”

“Yasuko…” Sin said, raising an eyebrow at the girl. The simple look told the girl to watch her mouth, and not to repeat bad words.

“Well she did…” Yasuko muttered, kicking the floor with her foot.

“It’s my fault,” Asami said, with a shake of her head. “I should have watched my mouth. I’ll be ready in a second, though. Just need to file these papers away.” She quickly neatened up the remainder of the papers on her desk, not worrying about organizing them just yet. When she was done, she stood up and pushed her seat in, then walked around to join her wife and daughter. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Mommy, carry me?” Yasuko asked, reaching up with both her arms.

Asami smiled, then lifted the young girl into her arms. “Of course, sweetie.”

After shifting Yasuko up onto her shoulders, Asami led the way out of her office and down the hall, towards the elevator. As they turned the corner, she didn’t see the other individual coming towards them, and almost tripped over her. Fortunately, Sin noticed the impending collision and steered Asami out of the way just in time. With a surprised yelp, Asami steadied herself and made sure to hold on tight to Yasuko on her shoulders. When she did finally regain her poise, she glanced downward to see the woman sitting there in a wheelchair—Future Industries’ new Chief Operating Officer.

“Oh! Shayu, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.”

Shayu gave a smile. “It’s alright, Ma’am. I should have been watching where I was going.”

“Hi hi, Shay Shay!” Yasuko said, giving a wave from atop her mother’s shoulders.

“Hello, Yasuko,” Shayu replied, beaming a warm smile up at the girl. “It’s good to see you again. And you too, Sin.”

“Are you going to the game tonight too?” Sin asked.

“No, I’m actually on my way to the prison to visit Yula,” Shayu said. “We’ll probably just watch it there on her movervision.”

Asami nodded, then stepped to the side so Yula could wheel herself farther down the hallway. “Alright, have a good night.”

“You too, Asami.”

Yasuko waved again as Shayu disappeared around the corner. “Bye bye, Shay Shay!”

* * *

When Shayu arrived at the prison, she stopped for a few minutes in the front lobby to make small talk with some of the guards on duty; she had been visiting now every week for the past ten years, so by now they all knew her rather well. Then, she followed the warden down the halls towards the last cell block in the building, in which there was only a single cell. After a quick greeting to the personal guard that stood on duty outside the cell door, he unlocked the door for her and allowed her inside, and then locked it behind her.

The interior of the cell had become quite decorated over the years, not just with Yula’s paintings, but with books, posters, a radio, a movervision, a tea set, and other various amenities she had been allowed for good behavior. Yula herself was sitting in front of the small table at the center of the cell, fiddling with the two long antennas attached to a big square box with a glass screen on the front—her movervision. The screen hissed and fizzled with snowy static for several moments before the image slowly started to clear. She was so engaged with the device that she didn’t even notice her sister approaching.

“Hey, Yula,” Shayu said, as she wheeled herself across the floor.

Yula sat up straighter and turned to her sister with a smile. “It’s good to see you. Is mother with you?”

“Mom had a few things to take care of at home, but she should be here soon.” When she got to the table, Shayu set a small paper box atop it. “I brought your favorite sweet buns for the match.”

Yula breathed in deep through her nose, uttering a soft moan of satisfaction. “Oh spirits, I can smell them already…”

The past ten years had done wonders for Yula, and the relationship between her and her family. It had been difficult at first, of course, especially for their mother, but gradually the visits became easier and not as awkward. In spite of everything that had happened between them, Yula showed a real desire to make amends. Even if the rest of the world would never forgive her, even if history would write about her as a power hungry empress who had nearly conquered the world, she was content as long as she had her family.

Turning to the movervision, Shayu frowned a little at the screen and then leaned forward, reaching for the antennas. “Alright, let’s see if we can get some better reception tonight…”

After messing with the antennas for a few minutes, she managed to almost completely remove any fuzz or snow from the screen, a task that Yula had been struggling with. Soon, the black and white image came in as crisp as possible on the relatively new piece of technology. Movervision was a marvel of technology for the average consumer, a combination of radio and movers created jointly by Future Industries and Varrick Global Industries. Now, instead of having to go to a theater to watch movers, people could watch it in their own homes, something that no one ever dreamed possible before a few years ago. From live news to prerecorded narrative shows, the possibilities were limitless.

“Looks like the place is packed,” Yula said, as she watched the screen. Right now, the image showed the front of the pro bending arena, while the broadcast announcer commented on how many people had arrived for the big event.

“Yeah, and it should be starting pretty soon, too.” Opening the paper box, Shayu pulled out one of the buns and held it out to her sister. “Sweet bun?”

Yula simply smiled, accepting the sweet bun and taking a bite. Then, she huddled close in front of the movervision with her sister and watched.

* * *

Mako leaned forward with his elbows on his desk, hands rubbing his eyes. He had lost track of how much time he had spent filling out reports today, but a quick glance to the clock on the wall let him know that he had been at it for twelve hours now. He would have expected being police chief to get easier as time went on, but instead the work only continued to pile up, and his stress continued rising. Now he understood why Lin had been so grumpy all the time. All he wanted to do right now was go home and collapse in bed. As he contemplated how many hours he could squeeze in tonight, however, the door to his office opened.

“Well, looks like someone’s had a long day,” said a voice.

Mako pulled his hands away from his eyes and glanced upward, growing a smile when he saw the woman standing there, dressed in a United Forces Commander uniform. “Heh, yeah… It’s been pretty crazy today. But it’s better now that you’re here.”

P’Li raised an eyebrow at him, half-smirking as she approached the desk. “Just as cheesy as ever, I see.”

“You like it,” he replied, with a soft chuckle. Standing up from his chair, Mako marched around the side of the desk to greet the woman with a kiss.

P’Li held the kiss for a lingering moment, before pulling their lips apart and uttering a quiet sigh. “Maybe a little.”

If ever there was a more unlikely couple, no one had been able to find one. Even Anraq and Azula seemed like an obvious pairing compared to these two. Although they had been together now for five years, they still received odd looks of confusion half the time they were out with friends. Mako couldn’t even recall all the conversations he’d had with Bolin, and all the various ways his brother had questioned his sanity. In truth, Mako was still surprised about it sometimes himself. Half the times he and P’Li woke up next to each other, he had to think back and wonder how it had happened, and each time he did it all came rushing back in a swirl of awkward but pleasant memories.

Their relationship had, at first, been nothing but professional, more like work acquaintances than anything. Even that was stretching things, considering that P’Li worked for the United Forces, and Mako was Chief of Republic City Police. Still, they somehow managed to cross paths on a frequent basis. While there had been a lingering tension between them for quite some time with how things had gone between them in the past, eventually that tension had disappeared. The decay had been slow and gradual, of course, but soon enough they had gone from acquaintances to friends. Over time, even Bolin, Asami, Opal, Korra, and all Mako’s other friends had come to befriend P’Li, who continued to stand strongly behind her assertion that she would do her life better the second time around. She had done just that, becoming a productive member of society and working only to help people and better the world.

That acceptance, however, had been stricken with the shock of a lightning bolt once Mako and P’Li actually started dating. It had started with simple back and forth banter, mutual quips meant to tease the other. These quips turned to flirting, and soon enough that flirting turned into something physical. For a while, it had been just that: physical. After a year of this, emotional attachment came with their physical interactions, until finally they both had to admit to each other that there was something deeper between them. So, they had decided to actually give things a try, to become an official couple. Now five years later, they were engaged to be married in six months.

P’Li was technically quite a bit older than Mako, but given that her body had been aged back to her early thirties after her resurrection, they looked no different than any normal couple. If anything, Mako appeared to be the older one of the two, with the ever increasing stress lines on his forehead. The fact that P’Li had grown her hair back in and no longer wore it with shaved sides helped her appear more youthful as well.

“So, you plan on going out to watch the game with everyone else tonight?” P’Li asked.

Mako uttered a tired groan and rubbed his eyes again. “I was planning to, but I’m way too tired right now. Maybe we can just stay in and watch it at home?”

“You won’t hear me object.” P’Li smirked at him, then reached down to grab his hand. With a firm tug, she led him out of his office. “We’ll stop for takeout on the way.”

Mako smiled. “Sounds perfect.”

* * *

Bolin sucked in a deep breath, hands held to hips as he walked up to the bottom of the steps in front of the pro bending arena. He smiled, watching the crowds of people squeezing through the front entrance. “Wow, looks like a great turnout tonight! Man, I remember my days in the arena... Good times. Now it's time for a new generation of stars to entertain the masses!”

Opal side-eyed her husband, raising an amused brow. “Don't you think you're being a little dramatic?”

“Maybe a little, but I always get this way when it comes to pro bending,” Bolin said. Then, he turned to his other side to glance down at the thirteen year old boy standing next to him. “Maybe you could even be in that arena one day, San.”

San shifted awkwardly on his feet, brushing back the bangs of his scruffy brown hair out of his eyes. He had inherited much of his features from his father, but physically he was quite thin and lanky, like his mother. “I don't know... I'm not really that a great bender.”

“Ah, nonsense!” Bolin insisted. “Your mom's been teaching you everything she knows. You just need a little practice, that's all. Now that airbenders can participate, I think you'd make a great pro bender, just like your dad!”

“Alright, that's enough reliving the glory days, Bolin,” Opal said, guiding her husband along by the arm. “Let's meet with the others.”

They made their way up the steps to the entrance of the arena, where Jinora and Kai were already waiting for them. After being together now for nearly twenty years since they met as kids, the couple had finally tied the knot and married several years ago. They would have been married sooner, but Kai had taken quite a long time to work up the nerve to ask her. Jinora blamed it on her father being so surly about the matter, but fortunately he had warmed up to her and Kai’s relationship over time.

About a year ago, Jinora had taken over as head of the Air Nation after her father’s retirement, and she and Kai now lived on Air Temple Island together. They were even expecting their first child, made evident by the rounded belly underneath Jinora’s airbender robes. Tenzin and Pema, on the other hand, now made their home in the Eastern Air Temple. Now that all their children had grown up and moved out, there wasn’t as great a need to remain in Republic City, and they enjoyed the peace and solitude that the air temple provided.

“Hey, Jinora!” Bolin said, giving a friendly wave. “Good to see you. You too, Kai.”

“You guys haven't been waiting too long, have you?” Opal asked

“Well, I would say no,” Kai said, glancing towards his wife, “but Jinora insisted on getting here early. Like, _really_ early.”

Jinora folded her arms, returning his look. “I just wanted to be sure we made it on time. I didn't want to miss my student's big day.”

Kai rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Tell it to my aching feet.”

With a smile, Opal leaned in close and held a hand to Jinora’s bulging abdomen. “Looks like the baby's really growing. How far along are you now?”

“Seven months,” Jinora said. “Just a couple more and I won't have to waddle everywhere anymore.”

Opal chuckled. “Believe me, I know the feeling.”

Asami, Sin, and Yasuko arrived a few minutes later, hurrying up the steps to greet them. Yasuko had since switched mothers, going from Asami’s shoulders now to Sin’s. Asami, meanwhile, had been delegated to bag duty, carrying not only both her own and Sin’s purses, but also the bag in which they kept some of Yasuko’s toys that she insisted on taking everywhere, and the girl’s jacket for later when the sun set.

“Hey everyone!” Asami said.

“Hi guys,” Opal replied. “And hello to you too, Yasuko.”

The little girl giggled from atop her mother’s shoulders. “Hi!”

“You the first ones here?” Sin asked.

Jinora nodded. “Yup, we're just waiting on a few more now.”

“And it looks like there they are,” Kai said, nodding towards the street.

The final group of Korra, Kuvira, Suyin, Azula, Anraq, Shizu, and Koda ran up the steps from the street. Korra led the way, huffing out heavy breaths as she made her way towards them.

“We're here!” she exclaimed. “Sorry we took so long.”

“Well, maybe if some of us didn't insist on walking the whole way from the train station...”Azula muttered, glancing towards the Avatar.

“Hey, cabs are expensive,” Korra insisted. “Besides, it was worth the exercise. Spirits know I haven't been as active lately as I should be.”

While the adults greeted each other, Shizu, Koda, and Suyin ran around their parents to greet the other boy their age.

“Heya, San!” Koda said.

“Hi guys,” he replied, giving the group a small wave. When his gaze found Suyin, a light blush swelled over his cheeks and he looked away nervously “Uh... hiya, Suyin.”

Suyin smiled at him. “Hi San. It's good to see you again.”

San only blushed harder when she greeted him, and this did not go unnoticed by the twins. In unison, Koda and Shizu snickered and said, “Ooooh, San's got a cruuush!”

San jumped at the accusation, his face flushing even deeper. The fact that Suyin had also started to blush didn’t help the matter at all. “I do not! Shut up!”

“Alright kids, come on,” Anraq said, waving them along. “Let's go in and find our seats.”

* * *

The pro bending broadcast booth was quite a bit busier than it had been in past years. Now, instead of just one person sitting and speaking into a radio, there was an entire camera and production crew set up to capture not just audio, but video as well. Movervision had taken off over the past few years, and these days there were very few families who didn’t own one. Live video broadcasts of pro bending was a natural step to make, and was one of the first programs to reach extreme levels of popularity amongst the populace. Aside from the broadcast booth itself, there were cameras set up all around the stadium, to capture various angles of every pro bending match, as well as any other special events that might be held at the arena.

When the crew gave the signal that he was live, the broadcaster leaned in close to his microphone and smiled at the camera. “Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another exciting pro bending tournament finals match! My name is Shiro Shinobi and I’ll be your commentator for the evening. It's been a doozy of a regular season, and the championship tournament has been no exception! We've seen upsetting upsets, surprising surprises, and comebacks like we've never seen! The crop of talent this year has proven to be some of the best we've seen in years, and you can bet your pet wolf cat that the big shebang will be no different. This could very well be the biggest matchup ever! Will the Golden Temple Tigerdillos repeat as champions, or will the challengers prove to be too much of a challenge? We'll find out shortly, so stay tuned!”

When he finished his monologue, Shiro shifted his seat to the side of the table and then looked to the other side of the booth, where two other individuals were now making their way into frame. “In the meantime, I'd like to welcome our special guests to the broadcast booth: President Varrick and First Lady Zhu Li.”

Two years ago, Asami’s third term as President of the United Republic had ended. Rather than running for yet another reelection, she had instead decided to retire from the position and focus entirely on running her company. With a void left in the nation’s leadership, various politicians had tried to rise up and grasp the role of leader, but none of them quite had the charisma to win over the people that Varrick did. His campaign came out of nowhere, but within a few short months he was the front runner. Come election day, he had won in a landslide, becoming the United Republic’s new president, and as such Zhu Li had become the First Lady. Nowadays, Varrick focused largely on his presidential role, while Zhu Li ran Varrick Global Industries.

When the pair sat down at the table, Shiro folded his hands and turned to them. “Welcome, Mr. President, and thank you for joining us.”

“But of course!” Varrick replied, beaming a grin to the camera. “You didn't think we'd miss our son's big day, did you?”

Zhu Li gave a more reserved nod. “Thank you for having us.”

“Speaking of which, I think it's time to introduce the challengers,” Shiro said. “Let's go down to the field.”

On cue, the stadium darkened and a spotlight emerged, shining at the very center of the pro bending field. The floor opened up, allowing a separate platform below to rise upward with the field announcer. When he reached the surface of the field, the announcer raised his arm and held his microphone to his lips. “Welcome everyone to the pro bending tournament finals!” He was met with a surge of cheers from the crowd. When the noise began to die down, he turned to one side of the field and pointed across the gap of open air above the water below, towards one of the team entrances. “Firstly, introducing the challengers, the Blue Lotus Armadillo Lions!”

Another spotlight beamed down, this one focused on where the announcer was pointing. Again, the crowd erupted with excited cheering. The ramp at the other end of the arena immediately began to extend towards the field, with three individuals standing atop it, each dressed in pro bending uniforms of blue and gold. The sixteen year old boy at the left of the trio was a thin, wiry figure, with short brown hair and a pair of glasses pressed close against his eyes behind the visor of his helmet. He remained calm as the ramp extended, only quietly looking around at the cheering crowd. The yellow bar on the forehead of his helmet denoted him as the team’s airbender.

Ever since airbending had returned to the world and become increasingly prevalent over the past couple decades, the desire to include the fourth element into pro bending reached a fever pitch until the league had finally modified the rules. Now, teams could have a waterbender, an earthbender, and _either_ a firebender or airbender, since the latter two elements were the only two that could expel their elements from their own bodies. In the case of a tiebreaker round in which one team contained an airbender and the other a firebender, if either of those elements were chosen as the tiebreaker, they would square off against each other. There were rules and limits in place for airbending of course, just as there were with the other elements. Airbenders could only cast single air bursts, either from their hands or their feet. There could be no continuous gusts, no twisters, no lifting of any kind, no full body air blasts, and of course no headshots. This allowed them the ability to participate in the game of pro bending on a level playing field.

The fifteen year old girl on the right of the group, with long dark hair tied back in a ponytail, wore a helmet with a green bar on the forehead—the team’s earthbender. She was the shortest of the three, standing only up to the shoulders of either of her teammates, but her small stature did not take away from the incredible power she could put forth in her attacks. More than a few times, she had surprised much larger opponents with an attack that left them flat on their backs seeing stars. In spite of being the team’s smallest player, she was probably the most vicious. As the ramp continued its way towards the field, she looked around at the crowd with a smile and raised her arm, waving at their fans.

Then, there was the player at the center of the trio. In spite of being a sixteen year old girl, she was the largest of the three, both tall and athletically built, with solid, lean muscle lining her arms and legs. She had a dark complexion, with chestnut brown hair tied up in a swirling puff in the back, and the blue bar on the forehead of her helmet indicated that she was the team’s waterbender. Unlike her teammates, who remained relatively reserved as the ramp neared the field, she played up the crowd, posing and hollering right back at them. Thousands of flashes went off one after the other—fans taking her picture—and that only spurred her on even more. Even once the ramp finally reached the field and her team stepped off to join the announcer at the center, she continued to wave back at them and flex her arms. The crowd ate it up.

Back up in the broadcast booth, Shiro looked at the camera and spoke into his microphone. “Yes folks, here are the challengers, the Blue Lotus Armadillo Lions. This trio of young, talented players stormed onto the scene from out of nowhere for the first time this year and let everyone know to take them seriously with one of the best rookie seasons on record. We have the son of our very own president, the quiet but graceful airbender Iknik Varrick, Junior, the deceptively powerful earthbender Taka Beifong, hailing all the way from Zaofu, and your one and only rookie of the year, the Blue Lotus waterbender and team captain, Kanna!” Glancing to his right, he asked, “Mr. President, your thoughts?”

Varrick swept his own microphone up off the table and held it to his lips, speaking into the camera. “Well, let me tell you, it came as a great surprise to Zhu Li and I when we found out our son was an airbender. I mean, we don't have a single bending bone in our bodies! But apparently, airbenders can crop up anywhere these days. In any case, from then on we knew he would be destined for great things, and now here he is leading his team to the pro bending championship finals!”

“Yes, he certainly is a remarkable player,” Shiro replied, “but some people might say that it's Kanna leading their team this far, considering she is the team captain, as well as putting together the most impressive rookie season we've ever seen, with one-hundred-and-thirty-seven eliminations, twenty-two tiebreaker round victories, and seven solo knockouts during the regular season. We haven't seen a player quite like her in some time. And then let's not forget about Taka, who has delivered some of the most brutal strikes in recent memory, forcing sixteen opponent forfeits due to injury this season.”

“Sure, sure, a common mistake,” Varrick said, waving off the comment. “But let’s be honest, the team wouldn't be where they are today without our son at the helm. He was eliminated the fewest number of times out of any player this season, if my calculations are correct—which they always are.”

Shiro nodded, looking back into the camera. “Yes, that is certainly true. He has proven to be slipperier than a greased up hog monkey in a rainstorm, with that trademark airbender evasion.”

“You got that right, pal!” Varrick said. “Just you watch. You haven't seen anything yet!”

“In any case, let's go back down to the field as we introduce the reigning champions.”

Back down on the field, the announcer turned to the other side of the arena, pointing to the opposite entrance. On command, another spotlight shined down to the other ramp. “And introducing the defending champions, the Golden Temple Tigerdillos!”

The ramp extended on cue, stretching out over the open gap towards the field. The Tigerdillos were composed of a fairly older team, all players in their twenties, and they wore uniforms of green and gold. The cheers that the crowd gave for them were a bit louder than the cheers for the Armadillo Lions, but that was to be expected; they _were_ the defending champions after all.

“Yes, folks, there are your defending champions, consisting of Meng, Toro, and Shu,” Shiro commented. “This team has been around now for nearly a decade and they have a unique blend of skill and experience. As outstanding as the Armadillo Lions have been, the Tigerdillos will be a remarkably difficult obstacle to overcome, boasting by far the largest win percentage of any team over the course of the regular season, and proving that as the years go on, they’re only getting better. Stay tuned folks, because the championship match will begin shortly, and oh boy do you not want to miss it!”

* * *

As the Tigerdillos arrived onto the field, Kanna turned to her team and ushered them in for a huddle. They stood together in a circle, their arms held around each other’s shoulders as they leaned in close to talk.

“Okay guys, we got this,” Kanna said, in a hushed whisper. “I know it's been a long, tough year, but there's nothing that can stop us now! We have all the momentum, and those losers over there have nothing on us. Just remember our training and keep doing what we've been doing all season, and before long we'll be the new champs, no problem.”

Iknik paused, glancing up to get a good look at the opposing team. After a moment, he turned back to his team. “They are quite difficult opponents, though. We lost to them earlier in the regular season, remember. Eight times.”

“Hey don't think like that,” Kanna insisted. “We beat them the other three times we played them, so it's not like they're invincible. Besides, we were just rookies then. We didn't know what we were doing. Now, we're unstoppable.”

Taka furrowed her brow. “Technically, we’re _still_ rookies.”

“Forget about that. Just think positive. We can do this, I know we can.”

After a moment of consideration, Taka eased out a long breath and nodded. With a smile aimed at Kanna, she replied, “Right. I believe in us. And you.”

Kanna hesitated a moment, feeling her own dorky smile curling across her face. She could feel her face starting to flush, but she ignored it. “Heh right... I believe in me too.” With a sudden recoil, she frowned and shook out of her trance. “I mean you. I believe in _you_. Uh, both of you. _Us_. Um... anyway, ready, go team!”

“Right,” Taka replied, with a grin. “Let’s do this.”

Iknik glanced back and forth between the two of them with a raised eyebrow, and then with a sigh he rolled his eyes. “Just try to stay focused.”

* * *

Up in the crowd, Azula leaned over the front railing to the stands and brought her hands to cup around her mouth. With a loud shout, she said, “Show them no mercy, Kanna! Don't stop until you've destroyed them!” Since they were in the front row, Kanna heard them from the field and immediately cringed in embarrassment.

“Honey... we talked about this,” Anraq said. “You need to bring it down, or they'll kick you out again.”

“I'm just trying to show my support, Annie. That's what mothers are _supposed_ to do.” She gave her husband a sidelong glare, then again turned her attention to her daughter on the field. “Show them the meaning of humiliation!”

With a sigh, Anraq looked over to Korra and Kuvira in the two seats next to him. “She always gets like this during their games... and she hasn't missed a single one. Not that she's been allowed to stay during all of them.”

“Which is complete bisoncrap,” Azula spat. “I sponsor the team, after all. They shouldn't be able to kick me out for being too supportive!”

Korra gave Azula an amused look, and then with a sigh she added, “I wish we could have come to more games, but it's hard being all the way in Zaofu.”

“We still made the ones we could,” Kuvira said. “Besides, this is the biggest one of all. No way were we going to miss it.”

Given the distance of travel between Zaofu and Republic City, and the frequency of games throughout the season, Korra and Kuvira had only been able to visit for a small handful of the team’s matches. Normally, it would have been impossible for Taka herself to actually be on the team and participate while living so far away, but thankfully Azula and Anraq had allowed her to live at their place for the entire season, so she wouldn’t miss any games or practices.

“I know,” Korra said, as she watched the field expectantly. “I really hope they win.”

“Don't worry, you two,” Azula replied, with a matter-of-fact nod. “You haven't seen them play recently. They will absolutely dominate.”

* * *

In the broadcast booth, Shiro waited for his cue as the players on the field got into position. Once the video feed was live on him again, he spoke into his microphone with enthusiasm. “And here we go ladies and gentlemen, as the challengers and champs square up across from each other at the center line!”

As soon as the bell dinged, the two teams unleashed their opening volley in a cloud fire, air, earth, and water. Right out of the gate, both sides lost two members into zone two, with both Taka and Kanna falling back for the Armadillo Lions, and Meng and Shu for the Tigerdillos. Following the opening volley, the engagement was more methodical and crisp, each side going back and forth with their attacks. At one point, Taka took a disc to the chest from Toro, the opposing earthbender. A following water strike from Meng sent her flying back over the edge of the field into the water below. Kanna came right back with a spinning water shot that sent Toro over the edge as well. She didn’t have time to celebrate her elimination, though, as both Meng and Shu combined an attack on her that dropped her back into zone three. Iknik attempted a counter, but Shu blocked his assault with a couple shots of fire. As Kanna arose to recover from the hit, another stream of water collided with her chest and launched her over the edge. A second later, Iknik stepped back over the line of zone two, emitting a buzzer that forced him to fall back into zone three.

“Oh my!” Shiro exclaimed into his microphone. “It looks like the challengers' hopes could be over early, as Iknik is all alone in zone three, with Meng and Shu breathing down his neck!”

Iknik stole a quick glance up to the timer on the scoreboard—only a minute left in the round. As Meng and Shu came at him with a relentless volley of water and fire, he breathed inward and focused. Then, he began to sidestep and spin out of the way of each and every attack that came at him. Thirty seconds later, they still hadn’t touched him.

“But oh wait, there's that airbender gusto we were talking about, folks!” Shiro announced. “He’s weaving, he’s dodging, he’s spinning, ducking, and diving, and the Tigerdillos can’t touch him! He won't be fighting back across the field, but as the bell rings he stays alive to keep his team in the game.”

Sure enough, the bell rang to close out the round, and Iknik was still standing. As a result, his team may have lost the round, but they hadn’t yet lost the match.

Varrick grabbed his microphone and exclaimed a proud laugh. “You see? Look at that, I told you!”

“When you’re right, you’re right,” Shiro said. “Iknik keeps his team alive, as the Tigerdillos take round one and the two teams set up for the start of round two.”

Down on the field, Kanna huffed out a disgruntled sigh as she and Taka rejoined Iknik at the center line. “Alright, so that didn't work out so well. But that's okay, just working out the rust. We can come back, we've done it before.” Glancing across the line at their opponents, she smirked and added, “Let's try plan B.”

When the bell rang, the two teams unleashed their opening volley again. This time, however, both Taka and Kanna immediately retreated into zones two and three, respectively. The three teammates formed a straight line, one in each zone, and the ones in the deeper zones continually moving to avoid the line of sight from their opponents, behind Iknik. As a result, the Tigerdillos were forced to focus their attacks on the airbender, and just like before he continually dodged each one.

“Oh look at that!” Shiro exclaimed, lifting the microhpone off his table. “It's the Aramdillo Lions' trademark gambit! We've seen it before folks, with Kanna and Taka dropping back to the deeper zones and enticing the opponents to go after the one member they just can't seem to hit. By the time they deal with him, they've punched themselves out, allowing the other two to clean up!”

Just as Shiro noted to the listeners, by the time the Tigerdillos managed to coordinate their efforts enough to knock Iknik back into the next zone, they were exhausted. Iknik too was winded from the constant dodging, and as a result he couldn’t avoid them much longer as Meng and Toro hit him back another two zones off the edge, into the water. The Tigerdillos moved up into Armadillo Lion territory, but no sooner than they had succeeded in eliminating the airbender, the fresh Taka and Kanna unloaded on them.

With a brutal combo, Taka exploded six consecutive earth discs against Shu’s chest and sent him spinning back across the entire field over the edge. Kanna was able to knock both Meng and Toro back into their own territory, allowing both her and Taka to return to their zone one. As the final moments of the round ticked down, Meng struck Taka back into zone two, while Kanna did the same to Toro. When the bell rang, both teams were left with one player in zone one, and one in zone two.

“Oh, but this time the gambit doesn't quite pay off,” Shiro announced. “The Tigerdillos are able to stay alive and the round ends in a draw. We'll be going to a tiebreaker this round, folks, as the teams meet at the center line.”

The two teams came to the center of the field, and the ref stepped between them. He held out the coin, indicating which side represented which team. Then, he gave the coin a flip into the air and caught it, turning it upside down on the back of his hand. When he pulled his other hand away to reveal the red side of the coin, he turned to his left.

“The Tigerdillos win the coin toss!” he declared. “What element do you choose?”

Without so much as a moment of discussion, Meng stepped forward ahead of her teammates. “I got this.” She flashed a smug grin at Kanna, already cracking her knuckles in preparation. “Let's go, Miss Rookie of the Year.”

Kanna grinned right back at her. Over the course of the season, the two waterbenders had had quite the rivalry. Thus far, the older and more experienced girl had the edge in said rivalry, but Kanna was ready this time. “Biggest mistake of your life, chump.”

As the two waterbenders squared off in their respective zone ones, the center circle of the field rose upward to form the tiebreaker platform. The girls stared each other down, both getting into their ready stances. A moment of pause dragged out between them, until finally the bell rung. It was over in a near instant. Meng struck first, throwing a quick jab that sent a stream of water straight at Kanna’s chest. It was a good attack, fast and strong, and against lesser opponents it probably would have given her the win. Kanna wasn’t any other opponent, though. With a quick sidestep, she spun herself out of the way and rotated straight into a whirling haymaker. The water that followed her fist collided square against the side of Meng’s head and collapsed her in the span of a single breath. With a thump, the older girl spun off the side of the platform and fell flat on her face several feet below, on the field. The crowd erupted into cheers, as Kanna jumped excitedly and pumped her fists into the air in triumph. Somewhere within the roar of the crowd, she could hear her mother yelling proudly at how she had ‘destroyed’ her opponent.

When Shiro spoke into his microphone this time, he actually sounded rather amused at the outcome. “And the Armadillo Lions take round two with, quite frankly, an unsurprising tiebreaker finish. I'm not sure what the Tigerdillos were thinking picking water, as that Kanna has been unbeatable in tiebreakers this year. I'd say they let a little overconfidence get the better of them there.”

A few moments later, the two teams set up at the center line again for the final round. Meng appeared a little wobbly on her feet, but she soon recovered. Instead of woozy, she now looked angry. As vicious a strike as Kanna had given her, it seemed that only her pride was damaged, more than anything. When the bell rung again, the two teams engaged in their opening volley. When the initial attacks cleared this time, though, Taka and Iknik had both tumbled back into zone two. Kanna shielded herself against the flurry of attacks that followed, but they were merely a feint. Instead, the attacks continued towards the other two members of her team, and within seconds both Taka and Iknik fell over the back edge. A second later, Kanna was forced back into zone two and the Tigerdillos moved up.

“Oh my spirits, the Tigerdillos take out Iknik and Taka right off the bat!” Shiro declared. “I'm not sure if they were asleep on that one or what, but Kanna is all alone now. I wouldn't count her out just yet, though, because this is where she has shined all season, when backed into a corner.”

Kanna ran back and forth across her zone, ducking and diving out of the way of her three opponents’ attacks. At one point, she even used the side ropes on the field to catapult herself and flip over their volley. For the moment, she was able to stay alive, but there was a lot of time left in the round and she knew she couldn’t avoid them forever. She could hear her mother yelling for her to pull herself together, and she grinned. Azula always had a way of getting over-excited during these matches, but Kanna appreciated the enthusiasm. Her mother wasn’t wrong, after all; she _did_ need to pull herself together here if she was to have any chance of coming back. So, she did just that.

With a deep breath, Kanna focused herself inward, blocking out all the noise and chaos in the world around her. There was only her and the three other benders across from her trying to knock her out. Within a moment, she found that inner peace that her mother had taught her to reach so long ago. In the following instant, she stepped away from an opposing volley of water and fire and countered with a sweeping stream that thudded into Toro’s chest. The earthbender fell back into Tigerdillo territory and stunned him for a brief moment. The pause caused a break into the relentless assault, allowing Kanna to continue to pick apart her opponents. One by one, she knocked the enemy team back into their own territory, all while keeping on the move and avoiding their attacks.

“I don’t believe my eyes, folks!” Shiro yelled into his microphone, now half standing up at his desk. “Kanna is pushing back all three members of the Tigerdillos on her own! They’re going all out to hold her back, but she just won’t be stopped! But she’s running out of time, with just forty seconds left in the match! Can she gain enough territory and hold on for the win?”

Her opponents kept at her, but Kanna moved like a demon, avoiding everything they threw at her and still managing to counter with powerful strikes of her own. One, two, three strikes and suddenly the Tigerdillos were backed into their zone two. Kanna advanced straight into their territory but didn’t slow down. All she had to do now was hold her current zone for the remaining thirty seconds and her team would win, but that was no reason to take her foot off the gas now. It was like her mother always told her: put everything on the line and never hold back. Never show mercy. Soon enough, she had them backed up into zone three. From the shock on their faces, she could tell that they knew they were in trouble. A grin spread across her face as she finished her assault.

She had them beat.

With one more jumping spin in the air, she whirled a shot of water around herself and blasted it across all three of her opponents, as clustered together as they were in the tiny zone. In an instant, all three launched over the edge and landed in the water below, just as the buzzer went off to end the round. As soon as it happened, the crowd erupted.

“I don't believe what I just saw!” Shiro announced, now having practically jumped out of his desk. “She’s done it again, folks! The Armadillo Lions team captain has made a phenomenal comeback to score a decisive victory via solo knockout! What a phenomenal effort, folks! Just like that, the Blue Lotus Armadillo Lions are this year’s tournament champions!”

“Ha ha! I knew it!” Varrick exclaimed, jumping up from his seat with his microphone. “There was never any doubt!”

Back down on the field, Taka and Iknik arrived again to join their teammate. The trio came together in an excited group embrace, complete with jumping and hollering. A few moments later, the field announcer returned to the center of the field, carrying a massive, three-tiered golden trophy. As he handed the trophy off to the team, he raised his microphone to his lips.

“And your winners, the Blue Lotus Armadillo Lions!”

Up in the crowd, Azula was by far the loudest and most excited of any onlooker. As soon as Kanna had scored the knockout, she jumped up from her seat with a wicked grin across her face. “Yes! That is how it's done! They will never outlive their shame! That’s my daughter!”

* * *

Kanna raised the trophy up in her arms as the team made their way out of the arena's main entrance. As large and heavy as the trophy was, she was able to hoist it over her head with little strain on her muscles. “You see? I told you we had it! Those chumps didn’t know what they were getting themselves into!”

“I can’t stop looking at that trophy…” Taka said, gazing up at it with wide eyes. “It’s huge.”

“I know, right? And the medals are a nice touch too.” Kanna glanced down at the medal hanging around her neck by a blue and gold ribbon. Taka and Iknik both had their own as well, each one engraved with the word 'champion' across the face.

Iknik held his own medal up to examine it. “They certainly are well crafted. I believe they’re made of a mix of gold and platinum, with laser engravings.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kanna said, “but look how _shiny_ they are.”

When the team made it to the bottom of the arena's front steps, their families and friends were waiting for them. Kuvira in particular gave them a brief round of applause. “Congratulations, everyone! You guys did great.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Taka said, as she approached her parents.

Korra immediately pulled her in for a loving hug, kissing the top of her head. “You were fantastic, honey.”

Taka tried to squirm out of the Avatar's grasp, her face already starting to flush. “Maaa, you’re _embarrassing_ me…”

Anraq took a step towards his own daughter, his eyes locked on the tournament trophy. A proud grin spread across his face, and then he held an arm around her shoulder. “Man, my daughter, a pro bending champion… Congratulations, Sweet Pea.”

Kanna chuckled, returning the grin. “Thanks, dad. Just doing it like you taught me.”

“Yes, you did splendidly,” Azula replied, her lips twisted into a delighted smirk. “Those idiots should have known they weren’t a match for you.”

“Well, you know me,” Kanna said, offering a smug shrug of her shoulders. “I _am_ the best. And I suppose I did inherit your ruthless competitive nature.”

Azula held her grin, leaning close to give her daughter a kiss on the forehead. “One of the many good qualities I imparted upon you, to be sure.”

When Iknik made it to his parents, Varrick greeted him with a delighted laugh, and pulled him in for hug. “Ha ha, there’s the star! Excellent work, Junior. You really showed them how it’s done out there!”

Zhu Li smiled a sweet smile, then she too held her son in a warm embrace. “We’re very proud of you, sweetie.”

“Thank you,” Iknik replied, with a small nod. “We did our best, and fortunately our best was good enough this time. Going forward, I think we’ll only improve. Considering our chemistry and momentum, I estimate a sixty percent chance of repeating as champions next year.”

Jinora took a step towards them and greeted Iknik with a low bow, one fist pressed against her opposite palm. “Congratulations, Iknik. You moved like a true airbender out there tonight.”

He returned the bow, bending himself low to match her. “Just as you taught me, Master Jinora.”

“So,” Kuvira said, “how about we all go out for dinner to celebrate?”

“Oh, uh…” Kanna looked back and forth between Kuvira and the rest of her team, shifting awkwardly on her feet. In particular, her focus found Taka. “Actually, you see, I was— _we_ were—hoping that we could just, you know… go out together? Alone. As a, uh… team?”

Taka met her eyes and instantly started to blush. “Uh, yes, exactly.”

Iknik glanced at the both of them and just shook his head. With a sigh, he added, “Although… I believe I’m too tired to go out right now. Plus, I should study for my exams next week. I’m already behind enough as it is. But you two should still go out. Together.”

Kuvira raised an eyebrow and turned a questioning look towards her wife. Korra only shrugged.

“Oh for spirits sake,” Azula muttered, with a roll of her eyes. “You two are _so_ clueless. They want to go out on a date.”

Kanna flinched at the statement. _“Mom!”_

Seconds later, Shizu and Koda began snickering from safely behind their father. They leaned around him to give their sister a grin, and then like true younger siblings, the teasing started.

“Kanna and Taka, sitting in a treeeee.”

“K-I-S-S—”

Kanna shot them a glare of daggers, her face flushing deep. “Shut _up_ , you two!”

Suyin, meanwhile, took a step next to her sister and gave a curious, almost innocent look. “So are you and Kanna like in love? Are you gonna kiss each other?”

“ _Su!”_ Taka squealed, shrinking backward as her cheeks rushed with color.

The teasing and snickering only continued, until Kanna finally took Taka by the hand and started to lead her away from the arena. “Come on, let’s get out of here before they get any more ideas.”

“Uh, right, good idea…” Taka said, hurrying to keep pace.

“Remember to buy her floweeers!” Koda called.

“And breath mints before you start smooching!” Shizu added.

The younger children all broke out into laughter. Even San joined in, although he tried to appear more reserved in his amusement, holding a hand over his mouth. The adults did nothing to stop them, instead deciding to allow the merriment to continue until it naturally died down on its own. When they did start to quiet down, Anraq turned to Sin and Asami.

“So, are you two still open to looking after the kids tonight?” he asked.

Asami nodded. “Of course. We didn’t have anything else planned anyway.”

“Kai and I can come over and help, too,” Jinora said.

Kai huffed out a reluctant breath, his gaze traveling down to his wife's swollen belly. “Yeah, I suppose I need the practice…”

“Wait, how come we’re going over to Yasuko’s house?” San asked, giving his father a quizzical stare. “Where are you guys going?”

“Don’t worry,” Bolin replied. “We just have a little grown up business to take care of.”

Opal, on the other hand, gave her husband the same questioning look. “Wait, where are we going?” When she didn't get an answer, she turned to Kuvira. “Did you know about this?”

“Uh, I have no idea,” Kuvira replied, with a shrug.

Azula, too, narrowed her gaze in suspicion. “This is the first I’ve heard about it… Annie?”

Anraq smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll see soon enough.”

With a wave, Korra ushered the along. “Just follow us, and don’t ask any questions.”

* * *

When they arrived at the city's spirit portal, Kuvira's brow furrowed with confusion. “Wait, we’re going to the Spirit World? What on earth for?”

“Like I said, you’ll see,” Anraq said. “Come on.”

Along with Bolin and Korra, he led the way through the portal. Azula, Kuvira, and Opal were left standing there staring at each other, none of them having any idea what their significant others had planned. With a series of mutual shrugs, they relented and followed through the portal into the Spirit World.

* * *

The confusion only intensified when they arrived at Iroh's cabin, deep in the Spirit World. Azula stared at the structure with a quizzical glare. Over the years, she had been back here several times to visit her uncle, and while she had actually come enjoy those visits, she couldn't fathom why Annie and the others would take them here, or at least why they would be so secretive about it.

“My uncle’s place?” she muttered. “Why did you bring us here?”

Kuvira's gaze narrowed, as she turned to her wife. “Korra, what’s going on?” While they could just be here to visit Iroh, that wouldn't explain all the secrecy. Something else was going on here.

Korra smiled and took Kuvira's hand, leading her towards the front of the cabin. “You’ll see in a minute, Ku. I promise.”

The three unaware individuals gave each other more uncertain looks. All they could do, though, was shrug at each other and follow the rest of the way inside. When they arrived in the main entryway, Iroh was already there to greet them, with a big smile.

“Welcome everyone,” he said, holding his arms out in welcome. “It’s good to see you all again.”

Azula stared at him, arms folded. “Uncle, what is this? Why are we here?”

“Something very special,” he said. With a wave, he gestured for them to follow. “Please, come inside.”

Again, they could only do what they were told. Anraq, Korra, and Bolin were the first to follow Iroh into the sitting room. Opal, Kuvira, and Azula were right behind them, one after the other. Neither one of them were sure what to expect when they entered, but it wasn't the two other individuals kneeling in front of the table waiting for them—one, an old man in Fire Nation robes, with a long gray beard, and hair in a topknot, the other a middle-aged woman in green Zaofu robes, with shorter graying hair that coiled at the sides.

Opal was the first to react, with a disbelieving shriek. _“Mom?!”_

“Opal…” Suyin Beifong stood up from her spot in front of the table, arms held out to welcome her daughter. “It’s so good to see you.”

“I don’t believe it…” Opal blinked out of her confusion, face contorting into steadily overwhelming joy. In the next moment she was able to move her legs, and she ran to embrace her mother. “Mom!”

Azula, on the other hand, was focused entirely on the old man, staring at him with a slow shake of her head, as if unable to believe her own two eyes. “Zuzu… is that really you?”

Zuko stood up to greet her, a smile curling across his face. “More or less. This is only my spirit, but it is still me.”

“It’s…” She couldn't get the rest of her words out. Instead, she reached forward and pulled her brother in for a hug.

Kuvira blinked at Opal and Suyin with her mouth hanging slightly agape. She still hadn't moved from her spot in the doorway, and it took several moments to even turn her head to look at Korra. “I don’t understand… how?”

“Well,” Korra said, giving a nod towards Bolin and Anraq, “a while ago we got together and asked Iroh if there was a way to contact human spirits outside of the actual Spirit World.”

“It takes a good deal of time, and I guess it’s difficult to maintain, but Iroh believed it could be done,” Anraq stated. “Now, here they are.”

Bolin nodded. “We thought it would make for a nice surprise.”

“Thank you…all of you.” Kuvira was finally able to move from her spot, immediately making her way towards Suyin. When their eyes met, they didn't say anything at first. They only stared at each other, each giving the other a mutual grin. Finally, Kuvira wrapped her arms around the woman and held her close. “I missed you, Su… I _still_ miss you.”

“I know,” the older woman replied. “I miss you, too.”

When the initial surprise and elation finally began to wane, Iroh gathered the entire group around the table and began to set up a tea set, pouring each person a steaming cup. When everyone had been served, he too joined them at the table.

“So,” Zuko said, reaching for his teacup, “what have we missed the past ten years?”

“There’s so much…” Opal replied, looking to her mother. “So much has happened. I don’t even know where to start.”

Suyin smiled. “Tell us everything.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we have it, folks, the very last chapter of this fan fic, the end of a story that has taken up so much of my time and that I have put so much love and devotion into. When I started this fic, I never dreamed it becoming what it did. It was only ever supposed to be a few chapters. But then all of you wonderful readers began to follow it and encourage me, and through your support I found the motivation to turn this into something special that I'm truly proud of. Thank all of you so much, and I hope you enjoy this send off. Ten years is a long time, as we catch up with the major characters of this story to see how far they've all come, with a few surprises along the way. With any luck, it'll be a fitting end to it all. Of course, if anyone has any questions about those ten years for any characters not covered in the final chapter, I'm always happy to answer and discuss.
> 
> Once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank all of you.


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